7. SEVEN
SEVEN
Happy’s Pet Palace reeks of musky sawdust and unwashed animal fur, yet it’s honestly amazing. I almost always skip over this place since it's kind of ugly from the outside, but it's actually huge and has a ton of stuff inside.
“Aw,” Finn mumbles while approaching a white-wired hamster cage. “Look at how fat this one is! He’s so cute. H-Hi little guy...” His eyes flick over to me before shifting back to the cage.
“He is. Do you have any pets?”
“No. Mom was allergic to dander, and dad… he just didn’t like them.” His attention remains on the sleeping lump of fur in the corner of the cage. “I’d like one, though. Something to take care of.”
I can’t tell him about how Chalupa is my anti-suicide cat, but man I wish I could. I wish someone could finally get it, although that isn’t really fair since I’ve never been good at letting anyone in. “Chalupa is pretty self-sufficient. As long as I feed him on time he’s chill.”
Looking up at me timidly, the lens of Finn's glasses reflect the bright fluorescent strips overhead. “Do you think I could meet him?”
He asks so sweetly that I temporarily forget myself and nearly say yes. Is it a good idea to invite a stranger home? No! No, it’s not. “Maybe!” Chuckling awkwardly, I step away from the cage. “He’s not all that good with strangers, though.”
Messy brown hair bounces as he nods and leaves it at that. “Should we go find the cat aisle?”
***
“One bacon cheeseburger, please.” Finn says so quietly that the cashier almost doesn’t hear him. “And… lettuce wrapped, for, my, um… friend?”
He must not think I’d notice how he sneaks a quick glance at me, as though it was okay to refer to me as that. I’ve never been a stickler for labels, and I’m sure as hell not about to turn down making a new friend.
“Thanks, Finn.” I really hate how fast I am to get all blush-y and gross, averting my gaze to the floor as if that helps at all. While fishing for my credit card, I hear the electronic beep of the card machine.
“It was m-my idea, so…” he trails off, timidly playing with his fingers. “I got it. If that’s okay.”
As if I’d complain about someone paying for me. Now it feels even more like a date, and I really don’t hate it as much as I should. I’m way too much of a headcase to date anyone, and I know that, but it’s fun to pretend.
Eventually the food comes and we take our seats at a bright red booth with shiny vinyl cushions. I practically sink into the thing, but it’s comfortable. This place is nice, especially for one of those “hole-in-the-wall” type deals.
The burger is pretty juicy for fast food, and has actual vegetables on it. But I’m not really focused on that. Plastic wrappers crinkle as we unwrap our food, and I can’t help myself from taking the occasional peek at Finn.
He carries this simple charm to him. One bite of his burger and he’s got ketchup on the side of his face. After a beat of hesitation I pick up a napkin and offer it to him. “You’ve got a little something.”
Finn’s cheeks turn bright pink instantly. He takes the napkin, wiping his face with the most timid expression. “S-Sorry. Uh… D-Do you like it? The burger?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s good. Really good.”
Finn’s face lights up. “You think so? Really!? I’m glad… it’s… It’s my favorite place.”
Uh oh. Smiling like an idiot again.
“Have you ever tried the gelato from that place in the mall?” My voice is so excited that it annoys me. How can I be acting all giddy and stupid when only yesterday I was ready to end it all? “They’ve got so many flavors, and they’re all so good.”
“Never been! I don’t… I-I don’t really go to the mall.”
“Oh? Why not?”
“It’s… a lot of people. Too many, really…” Finn squirms in his seat. “Sorry. I know it’s dumb. I-I can’t help it.”
“It’s not dumb,” I dismiss that thought with a wave of my hand. “I get it. Shit gets crowded. Especially on the weekends.”
Nodding dejectedly, big hazel eyes slowly find mine through his thick brows. “Maybe we could go, though. It might… It might be okay. If you’re there, that is.”
The way he speaks is like an arrow through the heart. No, an arrow isn’t even enough. A greatsword through the heart, through my heart.
“Of course!” Way too eager, Duncan. “I think it’d be fun.”
When Finn yawns I become very much aware of the fact he has had minimal sleep, and I’m eating up his time off so he can take me to get burgers and cat food.
“You ready to call it for today? You probably wanna rest more before your next shift, right?” Choosing my words carefully, the last thing I want is to make him think I’m not having a good time. “Can’t imagine what it's like to work all those late hours…”
“I don’t… I-I don’t really like it.” He admits with his eyes fixated on the table between us. “Everyone is so… mean.”
I can’t even pretend to understand what having such a weird job entails. If that trucker was only a little preview of what he deals with daily, I know I definitely couldn’t handle it. “You know… you’re worth more than that. There’s always another job.”
“Ha…” Finn laughs humorlessly. “Until there isn’t. My dad… he always made it clear that you can lose everything just like that.”
He’s right, but that’s kind of depressing. “Yeah, but… what if you don’t? What if you quit and find something you really enjoy, instead? I’m pretty sure Happy’s Pet Palace is hiring.”
The little joke at the end earns me a laugh from him. “Yeah, m-maybe. I can use my employee discount for cat food.”
“Chalupa would be so well fed. You’d be his new favorite person.”
Finn giggles again. “That would be cool. I had… I had a lot of fun today, Duncan. Thanks for hanging out with me.”
“Thank you,” I retaliate with a grin, “I think… This was fun. I had a good time, too.”
I could tell him about how I’m a completely friendless loser, but things are so nice that I don’t want to sour the mood. Besides, I'm not really friendless anymore, am I?
“I-I can… I’ll take you home, now.” He pushes himself out of the booth and brushes crumbs off his t-shirt. Turning to leave, Finn freezes and then faces me again after a beat. “You… You want to hang out again, r-right? I didn’t misunderstand that?”
“You didn’t misunderstand that. I do in fact want to hang out again, Finn.”
“Oh, okay.” Finn turns back around, fist-pumping in a way that makes me feel as though I wasn’t meant to see that. “Let’s go, then!” He rushes over to the door, holding it open for me with stars in his eyes.
He really is so sweet.