She's The Girl All The Bad Boys Want

13

Blaine had opened up to me more than I ever imagined. He was a lot more messed up and dangerous than I thought he was too. He'd had a dark past, but I guess I had too. I hadn't told him all of my demons yet. Did I really want to? Not really, but after he was so open I felt like it was only fair. Maybe not today, but I have to tell him eventually.

"Brooke!" Blaine yelled through the apartment for me. I heard his footsteps padding down the ahll toward my room as he looked for me. "The pancakes are done!"

This actually reminded me of when I was really little and my mom was actually around. She'd make breakfast then I'd hide and make her hunt me out. We'd eat and she'd dress me up and take me to the park. It was a fond memory. Few of those even exist for me so it was nice.

"Come find me!" I giggled childishly as I hid behind the door.

Blaine's strides slowed and I heard him laugh. "Oh I'll find you alright."

He pushed doors open as he walked down the hall. As he got closer I found myself holding my breath. When he stepped into the room he shoved the door closed and faced me with a wide grin.

"Found you." He winked.

My heart sped up and I let out a very girlish giggle. "Took you long enough." I teased.

He shook his head. "Pancakes are going to get cold."

The mention of pancakes had my stomach growling in an instant. "Okay then let's go eat."

Blaine caught my arm looking serious at me as I stopped moving. "You know," he paused.

"What?"

"It's just, you know when we go back to school that people are going to talk?" He sighed. "I don't want it to upset you."

I smiled at the fact he even cared. "I couldn't care any less what people say."

He seemed unconvinced but let go of my arm. "If it starts to bother you promise me you'll talk to me. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

"Of course." I lied. I'd never tell anyone how shitty other people made me feel. No one really cared that much. I'd just save us the trouble.

He cocked his head to the side. "Okay, then let's go eat."

***

After we'd eaten I was loading the dishes into the dishwasher and he was sitting silently at the table watching me since I wouldn't let him help me. I could feel him wanting to ask me things but holding back. He wanted me to tell him things like he told me. I wasn't ready though. I couldn't talk to him yet. I still didn't trust him enough.

"I think I should get a dog." Blaine uttered suddenly.

I faced him leaning on the counter. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Do you like dogs?"

I shook my head then shrugged." I don't know. I've never had one."

"You can pick it then. That's what we'll do today." He smiled. "I get to name it though."

"Are you allowed to have pets here?" I looked around his fancy apartment.

"Sure," he shrugged. "Let's go."

We rode to the animal shelter across town and Blaine parked outside. How had he known I always wanted a dog? Was it just a good guess? Once he locked his car behind us he led the way to the front doors.

"Hello." I heavyset older woman smiled at us from behind her desk. "What can I do for you kids today?"

"We're going to adopt a dog today." Blaine told her.

She nodded. "Were we thinking puppy or maybe older?"

Blaine looked at me and I shrugged wanting to let him decide. "I think we'll just look around and see."

"That's fine with me." She smiled. "The left doors go to dogs. Any of the red tags are the ones set to be put down if they aren't adopted in the next few weeks."

My heart broke as we walked down the rows and I saw some red tags. I wanted to take them all with us. Some of the red tag dogs weren't even old.

"Why's this one have a red tag?" I asked Blaine pointing at an all black German Shepard that was still a puppy pretty much.

"That one won't eat." The woman who'd been hanging back behind us spoke up. "He's been here a week and hasn't touched the food."

I looked at the puppy and he looked up at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. They reminded me of Blaine's actually.

"I want this one." I told Blaine.

The lady got the dog out and put a bright orange collar on him. She hooked a matching leash to him and handed it to me. Instead if walking him I knelt down and picked him up though.

"I hope you kids have better luck than we did." She told us.

I smiled and nodded in agreement. Blaine walked beside me on the way out placing his hand in the small of my back. It didn't bother me really but it did make me think how this looked from the outside.

We probably looked like a loving couple getting a pet. Really though that wasn't the case. We were both broken people who had a past that haunted us, and now we have a dog as troubled as we are.

"What are we naming him?" I asked Blaine as we got in the car.

He looked over and petted the dog in my lap. "How about Felony?"

I chuckled looking at the small pup. "It'll suit him better when he weighs more that eight pounds."

Blaine laughed and drove us back to the apartment. We spent most of the rest of our day trying to coax Felony into eating. We laid in the floor and tried to hand feed him. Nothing worked.

"What if he doesn't eat at all?" I asked sadly looking at the dogs miserable eyes. He looked so tortured it broke my heart.

"He'll eat." Blaine said sounding more sure than I felt.

"But if he doesn't?"

"Have a little faith Brooke." Blaine sighed.

I looked at Felony and smiled. His ears perked up and he yelped at me. He wiggled his butt and bounced side to side making me smile even bigger.

"Fine, he'll eat." I said.