six; thinking about my depressing past and buying a dog for comfort
It was Sunday the seventh. Sabrina was incredibly busy, as she always was.
She was sitting against the base of her couch with her feet tucked underneath the coffee table. An empty wine glass of what had been crisp apple juice sat at her side, as well as a half-full packet of salt and vinegar chips. She had been throwing a tennis ball at the window behind her television for the past two hours, as if it was supposed to entertain her. It bounced back in her direction and she caught it, before repeating the action. A documentary about the Arctic was blaring on the screen, but she wasn't paying attention, she was far more invested in pretending to care about the stupid ball she was tossing.
Her phone had been ringing off the hook, but she had managed to block the noise out for the majority of the day so far. The sun was caught in the eleven o'clock sky and the bright blues were vibrant and beautiful. Despite the lovely weather outside, her eyes were blank and her head was sore, but she was fine. She was fine.
Usually on that particular day of the year she'd go out drinking, make herself forget things. Alicia often wanted to go out for a coffee or maybe watch a movie together, possibly even look at some photos, but Sabrina never wanted to join in. God, she couldn't look at the old woman's face without seeing everything about the village back in Sweden.
"Orca are apex predators, at the top of the food chain. No other animal, except for humans, hunt them. They feed on sea birds, squid, octopuses, sea turtles, sharks, rays and fish. They also eat most marine mammals, such as seals and dugongs. The only exceptions are river dolphins and manatees, according to the IUCN," the narrator spoke clearly, but the words went straight over her head. She threw the ball again, and sighed softly as it fell behind the television. She didn't plan on getting up to retrieve it.
Reaching behind her, Sabrina picked up one of her decorative pillows and held it up to her chest, feeling incredibly lonely but not wanting to be around other people.
If only there was a way she could still have company.
TWO HOURS LATER;
"Hey, baby!" Sabrina cooed, cuddling the pitbull in her arms. It was now one in the afternoon and she was back in her apartment, surrounded by several new items including that of a crate, a bed, food, and several toys. "Aren't you the cutest?"
The dog shuffled in her grip and moved his head to lick the tip of Sabrina's nose. She giggled softly and nuzzled her face into the rescue pup's fur, feeling her depression subside for now. She knew she was impulsive, but she had been thinking about getting a pet for a long time now. It may have been a rash choice, but she knew it was the right one. She was sick of being so alone, and she'd both read and been told that dogs were good to have around for therapeutic purposes.
Perhaps this was what she needed all along.
"Now, we need to figure out what to call you, my love," Sabrina muttered, staring deep into the pitbull's brown eyes. "You look like an old man. How about Gareth? Gary for short?"
Gary made a weird noise, which Sabrina took as a yes. She grinned and held the dog close to her, feeling her heart warm a little. She loved pitbulls, they were such a gentle breed that got far too much negative attention in the media. They were precious babies that she felt the need to protect, which was why she didn't hesitate in choosing the five year-old dog at the local shelter.
"You know, I haven't had a dog since Alicia and I left Sweden," she hummed, her voice dropping a little in volume. The phone was continuing to ring, but Sabrina took no notice. She pursed her lips and tilted her head a little, feeling the sadness creep up on her a little bit. "I wished we could've taken Molly with us, but she was getting too old. You know our village was called Dammig? That means dusty in English. Pretty shit, right?"
Gary made another yipping sound, poking his snout into Sabrina's hand. It probably still smelled like her mango hand cream.
"One day I'll tell you that story," she smiled, kissing the soft fur gently. "It's probably not the best time to do that right now, though."
★☆
Sabrina walked with Gary at her side into the local boxing club, her eyes wandering in search for her friend. Her hands were deep in her pockets as Gary didn't plan on leaving her side (which was good for her seeing as she got distracted very easily and he was a reminder to keep her grounded). The two weaved through sweaty people training and fighting each other, looking for whoever was the owner.
"Excuse me?" Sabrina asked the man who was standing outside the ring, shouting at two men. He turned to face her, his eyebrows raising at the sight of the young woman. She wasn't dressed to please, she was in a department store shirt four sizes too big (not the cute oversized kind, the awkward baggy kind) and sweatpants that she wore to bed. She still had a polite smile on her face, and Gary seemed to be quite happy to be with her. "Do you know where I can find Diego Hargreeves?"
"Boiler room," he gruffly responded, pointing to the hallway at the very end of the large warehouse. She nodded and thanked him, before looking back at Gary and whistling for him to follow. Whoever had had him before must have trained him quite well, but he was quite timid. When she had adopted him they said he'd been found in a dumpster a few miles out of the city lines, which was a horrible thought.
The pair trailed to the end of the room and into the corridor, where Gary stayed at Sabrina's side. She smiled softly down at him and bent over, picking him up in her arms and holding him steadily. He seemed to like the physical contact, which was odd for rescue dogs, yet she appreciated it greatly.
She continued to walk until she saw the door with a sign that read 'boiler room', and she kicked her foot against the wood as she didn't have free hands. "Hey, Diego, you in? It's Brie."
It took a moment, but sure enough the door swung open and Sabrina was faced with a relatively confused man in his usual get up. She quirked an eyebrow at the sight, though she couldn't help but smile. "Do you ever take that thing off?"
"If you didn't want it on, you could've just asked," Diego quipped, before opening the door wider and letting her in. He followed her through the small room, curiously watching Gary. "I didn't know you had a dog."
"Got him this afternoon," Sabrina said happily, stroking Gary's fur as she lingered in the centre of Diego's home. "I needed to get out of the house again which meant he had to come with me. You don't mind, do you?"
"Nah, it's all good," Diego hummed, watching as she placed the pitbull on the ground and let him sniff around. "Just as long as he doesn't shit on the floor."
Sabrina chuckled softly, before going quiet. Diego pursed his lips and glanced over at her, taking a small step forward. She ducked her head and swallowed anxiously, her mood having dropped significantly since she had arrived.
Placing his hand on her arm, Diego moved closer. "You okay?"
Sabrina wanted to lie. She wanted to say everything was fine. How come she could be so strong in front of her sister but not in front of the city's vigilante? She inhaled sharply and leaned into Diego's chest, feeling a lump grow in her throat. The man didn't hesitate in opening his arms and pulling her into an embrace, resting his chin on her head.
"I'm guessing that's a no," he answered his previous question, rocking her back at forth in a comforting fashion. "Do you wanna talk about it?"
Sabrina moved her head a little and exhaled softly, a tear slipping out of her eye. "I don't know."
"That's okay," Diego assured her, holding her a little tighter. "You don't have to."
Sabrina choked up a little, not knowing if looking up at the man would break her entirely. "Thank you, Diego."
Pressing a kiss to her head, Diego smiled softly. "I've always got your back, princess."
★☆
HEH
uhh
this was bad
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