The next day at the shelter, Hannah was determined to not let Basil or Harry get to her. She was there to look after all the other dogs too, she resolved to focus on them instead.
“Here’s Basil’s food,” Cory said as she handed her a bowl of brown sludge. It did not look appetizing. As she accepted the bowl, she couldn’t help but remember her resolve and inwardly groaned at how Cory had managed to wipe it away with three words.
She went to Basil’s cage and slid the food inside. “Dinner time, Basil, yum yum.” The dog stared at her and then the bowl. He was equally as unimpressed as he lay down again. “Come on, you’ve got to eat. It might not look like much but perhaps it tastes better than it smells.”
He sighed as he rested his head between his paws. She knew he wouldn’t move after getting into his brooding position. She left the bowl there and closed the cage.
“Just try it, okay? You have to eat something.”
“When you’re done there you can walk the Dalmatian puppies,” Cory said over her shoulder as she left.
Hannah grabbed the leashes and went to the puppies. There were five of them, all born a few weeks prior to a dog that had been dumped at the shelter. When the owners found out about the pregnancy, they ditched her. Hannah wanted to find and strangle them for being so irresponsible and cruel. She was a beautiful dog, so gentle and placid, it wasn’t fair.
The mother may have been gentle and placid, but the puppies certainly weren’t. Even with a leash on each of them, they all insisted on going in five different directions. Their innate curiosity was cute but all it did was wrap Hannah up in the leads. She lost count of how many times she untangled herself.
She took them around the grassy area, trying to keep track of who had done their business and who hadn’t. They were too excited to care about going potty.
Out of the corner of her eye, Hannah saw Harry talking to Basil. Her jaw dropped open when she saw the dog actually eating his dinner. Whatever sweet nothings Harry was whispering in his big ears, it was obviously working. Annoyance crept through her as she wondered why he always seemed to have a way with the animals and she didn’t.
“Come on, pups, try to walk in the same direction,” she sighed as she tried to corral them back to their pen. The little spotted puppies were having no piece of it, they would much prefer to run wild on the grass.
Hannah let them play for a while longer, not wanting to see them cooped up for too long. If she could make them happy by just being outside, then she could be patient while they played.
If she had to admit it, the puppies were probably some of the cutest she had ever seen. Their big eyes were full of mischief, their tails happy to wag non-stop, and teasing each other seemed to be the best game to play. Nibbling on her hand seemed like good times too.
Eventually, she had to coerce them back into the shelter. It was much easier when they were ready for a nap, having tired themselves out. Hannah smiled as she replaced them in their pen, their mom watching on carefully. She closed the door and left them to their sleep time.
Harry was the only other volunteer in the dog’s room. She approached him carefully as he swept.
“So what’s your trick to getting Basil to eat?” She asked, wondering if he would divulge it.
“There’s no trick, you just have to be patient.”
“I don’t believe you.”
His eyes were sparkling with mischief as he replied. “I might have sprinkled in some real chicken.”
It was becoming clear to Hannah that the way to excel at the shelter was easy – you cheated. “I’ll remember that for next time then.” She laughed, not believing she had been thinking he was some kind of dog whisperer or something. He was just smart.
“You pick up a few secrets after a while.” Harry tapped her on the arm as if trying to comfort her. Her skin burned long after he took his hand back.
She picked up the mop and started cleaning where he had already swept. “How long have you been volunteering here?”
“Two years. I like the animals, I don’t like to think of them being lonely in here,” he shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal. Two years was a long time, especially for a teenager, Hannah was impressed. Most guys couldn’t commit to something for one lunch break.
“Well, you’re obviously good at it, the animals are lucky to have you. Which school do you go to?”
“Arthur Heights. I haven’t seen you around so I assume you go somewhere else?”
“Mapleton Central.”
Hannah knew of Arthur Heights, it was a prestigious school on the edge of town. It was practically a world away from the public school she attended. It explained why she had never seen Harry before, but she couldn’t help feel disappointed in the knowledge. The boys from Arthur Heights never mingled with the students of Mapleton Central unless they were on a sports field and they were wiping the floor with them – which they regularly did.
“I hope I haven’t offended you,” Harry said, noticing Hannah’s sudden withdrawal. “It’s just a school. I know we have some rivalries but it’s just a good natured thing.”
“No, I know,” Hannah stuttered, feeling horrible for thinking he might actually have liked her. She had been so stupid, why didn’t she see that coming? “Why don’t you volunteer in your own neighborhood? Or don’t people need shelters there?”
Harry chuckled. “We have shelters closer to home. But they all have good funding, unlike here. I thought this place could use the help more.”
It was actually kind of sweet that he had even thought about it, Hannah thought to herself. The fact he had actually considered those less well off than him showed a lot of character.
She kept mopping, not wanting to say anything that would only sound embarrassing if she said it out loud. She sneaked looks at Harry as he swept. He may go to a posh school, but he was so handsome it almost hurt her eyes to watch him. There was no way he was single.
They worked in unison until the floors were sparkling clean and all the dogs had fresh water. Hannah stood at the sink, tidying up before her shift was over.
Harry approached, replacing the last of the empty bowls. He hesitated, silently debating in his mind. Before he could change his decision again, he blurted out what was causing such debate. “I’d like you to come to a party… with me. It’s this weekend, I don’t know if you are busy or would be interested, but I’m asking anyway. You don’t know unless you ask, right? Say something, please.”
Hannah stood, stunned. She wasn’t sure if she had processed half of what he said. Something about a party? He was inviting her to a party? Her? Party? Her mind was frazzled trying to think of an appropriate response.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything,” Harry replied to the silence. He busied himself with the nearby rags, refolding them perfectly.
“No, it’s just a lot to take in. A party, sure. I can party, I can get down and boogie.” She wanted to slap herself, did she really just say that? To him? What a dork.
Yet Harry didn’t seem to notice. “Really? That’s great. I’ll text you the details.”
He didn’t even look at her before hurrying away on a made-up errand. She watched him leave as the smile slowly spread across her face.
It was quickly removed as she heard her name being called. “Hannah! Hannah! I’m here to pick you up,” Coco yelled out from the front counter. She couldn’t have just asked for her instead? Hannah remembered to breathe and quickly walked towards the noise to shut it up.
CHAPTER 5