Chapter 23 - The Puppy
This chap is dedicated to jbran32 for being so pumped about the puppy and being there for me since chapter 1. <4
Tobias
I'm walking down to Mom's apartment for this party she is throwing me. I still can't get use to the fact of celebrating my birthday, or even knowing when my birthday is. All I knew my whole life was that it was in the spring. Mom would always wake me up that day and kiss me on the forehead, she'd tell me that I was a year older today, and then life would continue on as normal.
Since mom and I have made up, I've learned a lot about her that I never knew.
I know that she ran away because of Marcus and that whole thing, and I forgive her for that whole mishap.
But what I was told that she died during childbirth. Later in life I met her and found out that that was a lie. But since we've made up I realize that it isn't one hundred percent a lie.
When she left to the Factionless, she was indeed pregnant; five months to be exact. The only reason she was pregnant was because Marcus forced her into intercorse. She was terrified to tell him about it, so she kept it a secret. But of course, once the baby began to grow it was a hard secret to keep. She told me that one day Marcus tried to rape her again, but when he got her shirt off he found the baby bump and got so pissed that one, she was pregnant, and two, she didn't tell him, then he beat her. She ran away after that and had a miscarriage of the baby because of the impact he gave to her stomach.
My mom has quite the backstory.
The people that say that there's nothing special about them are always living the most interesting lives. They just haven't realized it yet.
I had half a day at work today. I have been slowly separating myself from working in the Control Room and working more as a leader of not only Dauntless, but Chicago itself. Being divergent, I have the option to lead Chicago with other Divergents. Working in the Control Room is more like a hobby that I get paid for now. It's going to take a lot more than being divergent to take me away from working in that control room.
Once I arrive outside her apartment I knock on the door and wait. It doesn't take long for her to answer.
I see that the whole group is here. Chris, Zeke, Shauna, Amar, and George.
"Hey guys!" I say walking in.
I see that Mom tried to decorate with some balloons and streamers, but like me, she also has no clue how to celebrate a birthday. I appreciate her effort though.
"Happy birthday bestie!" Zeke yells in a girly voice hugging me.
Shauna stands there shaking her head at her weird boyfriend. I look at her and laugh. They are such a strange couple, but are so perfect for each other.
We all stand around and talk for a little while about various topics until Mom tells me that she's going to go get my present.
It isn't until now that I realize that there's a pile of wrapped objects in the living room. I cannot get use to this whole 'birthday' thing.
My heart stops for a second when a puppy comes barreling up to me. It's mostly different shades of brown with a black spot covering it's back like a blanket, and black on its nose, black on parts of its head, and black on his ears but with brown tips. It runs straight up to me and I bend down and pat it's head. It starts licking my hand.
Then it hits me.
She got me a dog.
What?
She. Got. Me. A. Dog.
I stop petting the dog and look at her.
She's smiling looks like she's really nervous.
I don't know what to say.
I've never thought about having pet before.
"You got me a dog?" The words leave my mouth like a person from Candor.
She nods and looks more nervous than ever.
I don't want her to think I'm upset, because I'm not. I walk up to her and wrap her in an embrace.
"Do you like him?" She asks.
"I love him. Thank you so much." I smile.
"How come you didn't hug me back like that when I hugged you ten minutes ago?!" Zeke says in a girly jealous voice and puts his hand on his hips.
"Because you're weird, and you're not my mother."
We all start laughing.
I kneel down next to the puppy and pick him up. I still cannot believe that she got me a dog.
I got her a cat for her birthday last year so she'd have company, so I guess that she's doing the same for me.
I'm not mad about the dog.
I'm not really that confused about why she got him for me, because I've figured out why.
If anything, I'm kind of glad to have a pet. It's going to be tons of work. But it will give me something to do.
I stand up and the puppy squirms in my arms for a minute, but then he relaxes and licks my chin.
That's going to take some getting use to.
"You still have more presents to open." Shauna says.
"Okay." I set the puppy down and follow everyone to the living room. I sit down on the floor and the puppy comes and sits next to me. I swear this dog is the cutest thing.
I pick up a pretty big sized present and see that it has a tag. It says
To: Four
From: George and Amar
I tear off the paper and see that it's some kind of pillow. It's rolled up with ribbon. I take off the ribbon and realize that it's a huge light brown dog bed for the puppy. It had dog treats and a stuffed snake that squeaks for the dog to play with.
"Cool! Thanks guys!"
I turn around and pick up a bag. The tag is in sloppy handwriting that I immediately recognize as Zeke's.
I open the bag and pull out the wrapped things, then put the tissue and bag in the pile of wrapping paper.
I open the first square shaped one and realize that it's two metal bowls with decorative bones on the sides.I'm assuming they're for food and water. The next thing I open is a book. On the front it says All You Need to Know: German Shepards. I'm guessing that's the breed of the puppy: he's a German Shepard. There's also a rope and yellow tennis ball in the bag for the puppy to play with.
"Thanks! I'll defiantly need to read this."
I go to the last gift which must be from Chris. I was right because the tag says so. She put a black bow on the top, and I take it off, but don't pot it on the pile. I put it on the top of the puppy's head. Everyone starts laughing. Before he shakes it off, I pull out my phone and take a picture.
The box she wrapped is a shoe box, but she didn't get me shoes. (Thank goodness!) Inside there is a five different wrapped things with some tissue. The first thing I unwrap is a black bone that squeaks. The next is a dark green frog that also squeaks. The third is a book called All You Need to Know: Dogs in Dauntless. The fourth is a dark green collar, and the fifth is a matching dark green leash that has a blank metal identification tag in the shape of a bone.
"You can bring the tag to the pet store in the pit and get your apartment number, phone number, and name engraved on it incase he gets lost of something."
"That's great! Thank you!"
I turn around and laugh to see that the puppy has found his dog bed and is sitting on it, wagging his tail happily.
"Who's a good boy?" I coo.
"This is really great! Thanks so much!"
"I picked up some dog food at the pet store for you. I didn't have time to wrap it though. It's in the office." Mom says.
"Great! Thanks."
"So, I heard there was cake?!" Zeke says.
We all laugh.
"How about you clean up this mess, and I'll go get it." Mom says.
I start to pick up the paper, and everyone else helps.
"What are you going to name him?" Chris asks.
I didn't think about that yet. He can't be called "the puppy" forever.
"I don't know. I'll have to think about it."
I go into the kitchen and grab a garbage bag and bring it out into the living room to put all of the paper in it.
We finish picking up all of that and I tie the bag in a knot and put it off to the side to put in the garbage later.
I pick up all of the presents except for the dog bed because the puppy is laying on it and put them in a pile. I decide to take the collar and see if the puppy will let me put it on him. Right now he has a thin brown cheap collar on that the pet store must have given mom to take him home with. I undo the clasp on that one and put it to the side. Then I take the dark green one that Chris gave me and I make it a little smaller, then put it around his neck and clip it on. It's tight enough that he won't slip it off, but it's not so tight that it's choking him.
We all head to the kitchen with the puppy following right at my heels to get the cake.
I see that mom successfully lit candles on the cake and she also has the number 21 on the cake because that's how old I'm turning. She's learning faster than me at this whole 'birthday party' thing.
I blow out the candles and we all eat the cake. Of course, there's none left over.
We all stick around for a little while, chatting, finishing the cake, playing with the puppy and his new toys, and giving dog name ideas. It's about three in the afternoon when everyone leaves.
"Do you need help getting this to your apartment?" Mom asks me.
"I think I have it. But if you can keep the puppy here, and then I'll come back to get him, that would be great."
"Okay."
I head to my apartment with all of the stuff folded into the dog bed. Once I'm in, I put the dog bed and toys in the living room, then put the food bowls in the kitchen, and I put the books in my bedroom.
I walk back to Mom's apartment to get the puppy.
I open the door to her apartment to be greeted my the puppy barreling up to me, sliding on the hard wood floor and bumping into my legs.
I laugh, close the apartment door and pet him on the head. Then mom comes out and hands me the dark green leash.
"I was nervous that you'd hate him." She says.
"He's a hard dog to hate. Look at him." He's sitting there at my feet wagging his tail so fast that I'm sure it's going to fly off.
"I'm glad that you like him. He sure seems to like you!"
"Yeah. Thanks so much Mom." I give her a hug.
"Happy birthday, Tobias." She says.
I smile and clip the leash onto his collar.
I walk out and the puppy surprisingly stays by me most of the time. He only wandered when someone else would walk by that he was interested in.
I get him home, take off his leash, and walk around the apartment a little, showing him around. I turn on lights, turn off lights, let him get use to the apartment a little.
I run through dog names in my head and call them to the puppy, seeing if he reacts to any, and to see how they sound out loud.
"Jesse!" I call.
No. It doesn't fit him right.
"Jax!"
No. It sounded better in my head.
"Mack!"
Yet again. Sounded better in my head.
This is going to be harder than I thought...
I decide that I will figure out what to call him as I have him. I lounge on the couch and turn on the TV. He jumps up on the couch and lays on my lap.
I look through the channels and when I'm about to turn it off, but one of my favorite really old movies catches my eye.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Indiana...
Indiana.
"Indiana!" I call.
The puppy's ears go up and he looks at me.
"Indy!" I call again.
The puppy barks as if he was answering.
"You like that name, don't you?" I say like he's going to actually answer me.
"That'll be your name. Indiana. But Indy for short."
I press select on the remote and Indy and I watch rest of the Indiana Jones marathon on that afternoon.
A/N-
Hi humans!
Third update today! Woo!
So the puppy's name is Indiana, Indy for short. You guys like it?!
I have *drumroll* 941 reads!!! *faints* I only had 756 reads this morning! <4
I was hoping to find a pic of a German Shepard puppy with a bow on its head like Indy on the middle of the chap, but I couldn't find any pics, so sorry!
It's still raining at 10 pm! Such a dreary Saturday for me. I'll try to update more tomorrow!
Until next time!
Stay amazing!
Thanks for reading!
VOTE!
AND
COMMENT!
AND
BE BRAVE <4