After Forever by Krystal McLaughlin Read Free Book Online Page A

coaxed
Biscuit back into his cage. “That sounds great,” she marveled.
    Once we had everything cleaned up, we headed
up towards the front desk. Branna was still sitting in the same
spot we had left her mere hours ago. It didn’t look like she had
moved from that spot. She didn’t even glance up at us when we
approached.
    “We’re going off for some lunch now. If
you’re not too busy, you’re more than welcome to join us.” I said
to her.
    She still didn’t look up at us. “That’s
quite alright,” she said in a monotone. “I’ve got a lot of work to
do. You go on without me.”
    “Yeah, I really, really don’t like her,”
Rania commented, once we were outside. “Please don’t make me go
back there again. There’s just something about her. It’s not just
the fact that she was absolutely horrid to me. It’s something else.
I can’t quite put my finger on it. She just gives me the willies,”
she said with a shiver.
    I hadn’t felt that way about her, but I had
spent a lot more time with her. Then again, she was always super
nice to me. Not the way she was about Rania. I wondered what that
was about. I told myself I would ask Branna about it the next time
I was there. I had to find out what was really going on.
    “I am not going back there again,” Rania
declared after we had finished our lunch.
    “I figured as much,” I said with a sigh.
“How would you like to spend the rest of the afternoon then?”
    “Duh, the mall, obviously,” she sang. “Cute
boys, cute clothes, it’s obviously what we should be doing. Not
playing with cats and dogs.”
    “I’ll have you know, I haven’t touched any
of the cats yet!” I retorted.
    “It’s only a matter of time Crimson. You
best be careful. Your parents will freak if they find out. Relax, I
won’t tell them. Just quit neglecting everyone else around you.”
She threw one of her famous Rania looks at me yet again.
    “Alright, alright, let’s go to the mall.” I
was in no mood to argue with her.
    The next day I headed back to the animal
shelter. I was determined to get some answers. When I walked in,
Branna looked up at me. “Oh, you didn’t bring her with you again?”
she asked, almost grateful.
    “No, she wasn’t impressed with your not so
warm welcome yesterday. If I may ask, what was that about?” I
looked down at the floor, hoping that I could handle what she was
going to say.
    “It was nothing, I assure you. I was just
having a bad day, so much paperwork, and I haven’t been sleeping
very well. I didn’t mean to take it out on your friend. I hope she
will forgive me for acting so rudely towards her.”
    I nodded, but wasn’t sure that I believed
it. I bit my tongue and said nothing about it though. “I’ll tell
her.”
    “Thank you,” she said, giving me a genuine
smile.
    I spent the morning and afternoon visiting
with the animals, with a short lunch break with Branna.
    As I was walking home that afternoon, a
thought flitted through my mind. One of these days, I told myself,
I’d bring a nice picnic lunch for the two of us. I knew that she
would enjoy it. Maybe next weekend? Yes, next weekend would be
good.
    I was almost home when I heard a noise
behind me. It sounded like I was being followed. I knew I should
just keep walking. But something inside me told me to turn around.
So I did, and there he was sitting on the sidewalk behind me, not
more than twenty-five feet away.
    We eyed each other nervously, neither of us
moving. I knew I shouldn’t approach, but I couldn’t leave him there
either. It would be wrong and I knew it. So I slowly edged forward,
one step at a time, making sure that he wasn’t moving. I didn’t
know what I would do then.
    “I’m not going to hurt you,” I coaxed, as I
walked towards the tiny, jet black kitten; with glowing green eyes.
“It’s okay little guy. You’re safe now.” I was standing right in
front of him now. I knew I shouldn’t pick him up. I shouldn’t even
be standing here. I