"Good Boy". He said as a tall skinny white white dog appeared from behind Cassie and began to dance uncontrollably and submit himself before him.
"Todd looks smaller." He said "Were you guys on a walk?"
"No. I'm dropping him off. You agreed to watch him for the next week, remember?"
"Uh.. Yeah I remember." He lied.
"Sure you did..." Cassie said
"What do i have to do again? Just feed him and walk him right?"
"Here, I wrote up all the instructions." She passed him a sheet of paper. "Also, Here's a box of his stuff"
"Woah, there's a lot of stuff in there. How'd you bring it all up?"
"Your neighbor helped me. Oh, and most of the things in there are yours. Stuff you left behind."
He picked up a framed art piece he had bought for her at one time. It bothered him a little that she was returning it, slowly erasing him from her life. He pretended as if he were hanging it on his wall.
"So where are you going again?"
"We're going to Cleveland. I already told you this. Don't you remember anything? I'm going to meet Kenny's parents for the first time." Cassie said.
He was looking out the window as Cassie was talking to him. Simultaneously watching her reflection in the glass and surveying the parking lot for any signs of Jasmine.
"Well thats sounds cool.. Is Kenny doing good?"
"Yeah he's doing great. He got a promotion at the law firm the other week and I think we might move in together soon. He says hi by the way."
"Hi Kenny."
"Thanks again for watching Todd." Cassie said as she started putting on her shoes.
"I would have asked Kenny to look after him. But he's always so busy at work and you always seem to have so much free time on your hands. Plus Toddy likes you a lot more for some reason. I think he likes you even more than me."
Todd was seated anxiously next to him staring at him with his huge empty brown eyes not knowing what he desired.
He patted Todd on the head and scratched his ears.
"Why does he always stare like that. It's a little creepy." He said.
"Are you okay?" Cassie asked "Your hands are shaking."
"Oh, I'm fine. I'm probably just excited to see you and Todd." He heard a car door close from the parking lot. He glanced out the window and noticed Jasmine walking into the apartment building.
Cassie grabbed his hands with a worried look on her face. "You aren't taking adderall again are you?"
"No, I stopped that. Well you better get going right. Isn't your flight soon?"
"No. It's tomorrow. You trying to get rid of me?" She said sarcastically.
Cassie kneeled down to hug Todd and give him a goodbye kiss. "Make sure to read the list through twice. Everything you need is in there. Oh, and I'll probably call everyday to check up on him."
"Ok, seeya later".
As Cassie turned to exit the apartment. They heard three loud bangs from the other side."
"Are you expecting anybody?"
"I don't think so." He said without conviction.
They watched the knob turn and the door open as Jasmine burst into the the apartment.
"So where's the package?"
Cassie dove behind her preventing Todd from escaping through the open door.
"Oh sorry about that... Oh my god that dog is so pretty." Jasmine said as she grabbed some treats off the table and started making Todd do tricks.
"I'm Jasmine by the way. Nice to meet you" She stuck out her hand and began shaking Cassie's.
"Yeah nice to meet you. I'm Cassie". Cassie said with an inquisitive expression etched on her face.
"What's this beautiful boy's name?" Jasmine asked as she made Todd running around in circles.
"Todd" He said making his way to Cassie. "I didn't know you had a dog? He wasn't here the last time."
"It's not mine. I'm watching watching him for Cassie.."
"Oh right, that makes sense" Jasmine said.
"Alright I'll see you later, Cass." He said said beckoning her out of his apartment while giving her an awkward hug."
"Okay.. I'll see you later." Cassie said while she watched Jasmine play with Todd.
"Just call if you need anything." she said then turned around to leave.
"Have a nice trip." he called behind her. "And tell Kenny I say hi."
He went back into his apartment where he found Jasmine opening up the package that was left on his kitchen counter.
"What's in it he asked?"
"Some strange photographs." Jasmine said. "Do you recognize anything in these." she said as she handed him the photos. There were three photos the kind you'd get disposed at a Walgreens or something, The first photo was of an old green car in front of a Denny's. The second photo was of an empty hospital bed surrounded by gifts and flowers. And the final photo was of a house at night. the address was 567.
"Todd looks smaller." He said "Were you guys on a walk?"
"No. I'm dropping him off. You agreed to watch him for the next week, remember?"
"Uh.. Yeah I remember." He lied.
"Sure you did..." Cassie said
"What do i have to do again? Just feed him and walk him right?"
"Here, I wrote up all the instructions." She passed him a sheet of paper. "Also, Here's a box of his stuff"
"Woah, there's a lot of stuff in there. How'd you bring it all up?"
"Your neighbor helped me. Oh, and most of the things in there are yours. Stuff you left behind."
He picked up a framed art piece he had bought for her at one time. It bothered him a little that she was returning it, slowly erasing him from her life. He pretended as if he were hanging it on his wall.
"So where are you going again?"
"We're going to Cleveland. I already told you this. Don't you remember anything? I'm going to meet Kenny's parents for the first time." Cassie said.
He was looking out the window as Cassie was talking to him. Simultaneously watching her reflection in the glass and surveying the parking lot for any signs of Jasmine.
"Well thats sounds cool.. Is Kenny doing good?"
"Yeah he's doing great. He got a promotion at the law firm the other week and I think we might move in together soon. He says hi by the way."
"Hi Kenny."
"Thanks again for watching Todd." Cassie said as she started putting on her shoes.
"I would have asked Kenny to look after him. But he's always so busy at work and you always seem to have so much free time on your hands. Plus Toddy likes you a lot more for some reason. I think he likes you even more than me."
Todd was seated anxiously next to him staring at him with his huge empty brown eyes not knowing what he desired.
He patted Todd on the head and scratched his ears.
"Why does he always stare like that. It's a little creepy." He said.
"Are you okay?" Cassie asked "Your hands are shaking."
"Oh, I'm fine. I'm probably just excited to see you and Todd." He heard a car door close from the parking lot. He glanced out the window and noticed Jasmine walking into the apartment building.
Cassie grabbed his hands with a worried look on her face. "You aren't taking adderall again are you?"
"No, I stopped that. Well you better get going right. Isn't your flight soon?"
"No. It's tomorrow. You trying to get rid of me?" She said sarcastically.
Cassie kneeled down to hug Todd and give him a goodbye kiss. "Make sure to read the list through twice. Everything you need is in there. Oh, and I'll probably call everyday to check up on him."
"Ok, seeya later".
As Cassie turned to exit the apartment. They heard three loud bangs from the other side."
"Are you expecting anybody?"
"I don't think so." He said without conviction.
They watched the knob turn and the door open as Jasmine burst into the the apartment.
"So where's the package?"
Cassie dove behind her preventing Todd from escaping through the open door.
"Oh sorry about that... Oh my god that dog is so pretty." Jasmine said as she grabbed some treats off the table and started making Todd do tricks.
"I'm Jasmine by the way. Nice to meet you" She stuck out her hand and began shaking Cassie's.
"Yeah nice to meet you. I'm Cassie". Cassie said with an inquisitive expression etched on her face.
"What's this beautiful boy's name?" Jasmine asked as she made Todd running around in circles.
"Todd" He said making his way to Cassie. "I didn't know you had a dog? He wasn't here the last time."
"It's not mine. I'm watching watching him for Cassie.."
"Oh right, that makes sense" Jasmine said.
"Alright I'll see you later, Cass." He said said beckoning her out of his apartment while giving her an awkward hug."
"Okay.. I'll see you later." Cassie said while she watched Jasmine play with Todd.
"Just call if you need anything." she said then turned around to leave.
"Have a nice trip." he called behind her. "And tell Kenny I say hi."
He went back into his apartment where he found Jasmine opening up the package that was left on his kitchen counter.
"What's in it he asked?"
"Some strange photographs." Jasmine said. "Do you recognize anything in these." she said as she handed him the photos. There were three photos the kind you'd get disposed at a Walgreens or something, The first photo was of an old green car in front of a Denny's. The second photo was of an empty hospital bed surrounded by gifts and flowers. And the final photo was of a house at night. the address was 567.
