It's a warm summer morning when Hanna wakes up laughing as her very big chocolate brown Terranova dog who has just jumped on her bed, licks her face while wagging his tail happily.
Hanna "Morning, baby!" she says between laughs and starts to stroke the dog's fur "Hi, Chocolate!"
When the dog calms down and finally lies down next to her, Hanna takes her phone from the bedside table and checks the time.
Hanna "Seriously, Chocolate? It's freaking 8 in the morning, you need to learn not to wake me up so early on weekends" she says to the dog, but with a smile on her face, because she just can't tell off that cute face of him.
/
Meanwhile.
Caleb is really tired after a long night drive when he reaches the entrance to the city. A great smile appears on his face when he sees the "Welcome to Rosewood" sign at the side of the road.
Once in the city, he drives his way right to his grandfather's house who he is visiting for a couple of weeks. He parks and walks to the front door.
After some minutes of ringing the doorbell and getting no answer, Caleb sits on a chair that is aside on the porch. He knows his grandpa usually gets up really early in the morning, even on weekends, but he also could be still sleeping, so he decides to just wait there for a while.
Twenty minutes later, he tries ringing the doorbell again, but he doesn't get any answer this time either. He takes a look through one of the windows but doesn't get to see anything out of normal. He calls him on the house phone too, since his grandpa doesn't use cell phones, but he doesn't pick up the phone either. Caleb thought it would be a good idea to show up by surprise when he planned the trip a few days ago, but he is not so sure of that now and he starts thinking that he might should have let his grandfather know that he would come to visit him.
Caleb decides to go for a coffee and try later, but when he is walking his way back to his car, he gets to see a couple coming out from the house next door. They are a blond guy and a brunette girl, and they seem to be the same age as him. The couple is carrying some suitcases and bags to their car, which makes him think they must be going on a trip. Caleb assumes that they could know something about his grandpa, maybe he went on a trip himself as well, maybe he is out of the city, it's been weeks since the last time he talked to him on the phone after all, so it could be possible. He approaches their car and greets them.
Caleb "Hi, good morning, guys! Excuse me, I'm Caleb…"
And as soon as he says his name, the couple look at each other with a serious expression on their faces before turning back to look at Caleb.
Caleb "My grandfather lives in the house next door, and I was wondering if you might know something about him, since he is not answering the door… or the phone"
The blonde guy lays a bag on the sidewalk and stands before Caleb. He places a hand on his shoulder.
Toby "I'm sorry, man" he sighs and takes a moment, trying to find the right words, but there are no right words to say what he has to tell him "Your grandpa passed away three weeks ago"
Caleb freezes for a moment as he processes what he just heard, but it makes no sense "What?" is all he manages to say.
Toby "I'm really sorry, your grandfather was a great man… I wish I could have contacted you to let you know what happened, but all I knew was your name… he used to talk a lot about you, but he never mentioned your last name, you know? And since he didn't use cell phones, well, it was impossible to get your phone number, to contact you"
Caleb doesn't even understand Toby's words because his mind is overwhelmed by his own thoughts and Toby talking about his grandfather in the past tense is too much for him to take.
Caleb turns around and walks back toward his grandpa's house as his tears wet his cheeks. He can't believe he just lost the only family he had. He reaches the porch and sits on one of the stair steps.
Toby looks at Spencer and she gives him a nod. He walks toward Caleb and sits down next to him. Caleb has his face buried in his hands. He is in complete silence.
Toby "I'm really sorry, Caleb" he says once more "He was such a great person… I had known him since I was just a child… he was like a grandpa to me too" he says and places his palm on Caleb's shoulder again.
They remain silent for minutes. Caleb is just too shocked to talk and Toby doesn't know what else to say, there's not much to say in those moments… much less when you barely know the other person.
Caleb finally straightens up and takes his hands off his face. He wipes some tears off his face and looks at Toby.
Caleb "What happened?" he asks in a very shaky voice.
Toby "It was a heart attack… I… I found him myself the morning after" he says, getting a little emotional too now.
Caleb "I wish I had spent more time with him… I met him just two years ago…"
Toby nods, his eyes are glassy "Yeah, he told me your story… he was really happy to have found you… he was so proud of you, as I said earlier, he used to talk a lot about you"
Caleb tears starts to roll down his cheeks again, harder than before, it's like he is getting it now, he really lost his only family… the only person in the world who cared truly for him.
Toby stands up and takes a key from the top frame of one of the windows.
Toby "Wanna go in?"
Caleb shakes his head "I can't, not right now"
Toby nods and sits back by his side.
Toby "Okay, I'll just leave you the key, you can go in the house whenever you feel like doing so" he places the key on the floor next to Caleb "And I can come with you to the cemetery too when you are ready, I can show you… where he is… oh, and I am Toby, by the way"
Caleb tears keep escaping from his eyes, he doesn't feel so comfortable being like that in front of a stranger, but he can't help it. He wipes his tears off, although it is useless and looks up at Toby "Thanks… you were going on a trip or something like that, weren't you?… I don't wanna keep you" Caleb wants to be left alone so bad, but he doesn't want to be rude either.
Toby "It's okay, there's no problem, my girlfriend will understand, she knew your grandpa too"
Caleb "Really, just go… I'll just stay here, I need some time alone right now" he says, being honest now.
Toby nods "Okay, then…" he stands up "My girlfriend and I will be away just for the weekend… we can talk if you want when I'm back on Monday…"
Caleb just nods.
Toby "Well… good bye, then…" he says awkwardly because, how would you say good bye to a person that you just met, after giving them such a bad new? He just doesn't know what else to do or say.
Toby walks away and gets in his car. When he drives away, Caleb finally lets his feelings go and he breaks down as his tears wet his cheeks non-stop.
/
That evening.
Hanna is finishing putting Chocolate on his leash when her mom shows up coming down the stairs.
Ashley "Are you really taking him for a walk this late and when it's about to break a storm?"
Hanna "It was too hot outside to take him out earlier… and yes, I'm definitely taking him out for a walk now, he needs to waste energy, I want him to get tired, otherwise, he will wake me up at freaking 8 in the morning tomorrow again"
Ashley "Han, a big storm is coming, you shouldn't go out"
Hanna "We will be right back, mom… don't worry" she says while going out the door.
Ashley "But Hanna, you know how bad he gets scared with storms, you won't be able to-" she doesn't even bother herself to end her phrase because Hanna has already shut the front door after going out.
/
Hanna is at the park when a few lightning bolts start to be seen through the sky. She and Chocolate have been walking around for almost half an hour and now they are just sitting on the grass, well, she is sitting and he is lying by her side.
Hanna "Okay, baby… let's go home" she says as she caresses him right behind one of his ears, which she knows he loves.
Hanna knows they should take their way back home right now if they want to avoid being caught by the storm. Besides, Chocolate hates storms, and Hanna can feel that he is getting a little nervous.
Hanna stands up and obviously, Chocolate does the same.
She stands before the dog and takes his head in her hands "It's okay, we are going home now" she presses a kiss on the top of his head before they start walking.
When they are just a few blocks from Hanna's house, the storm finally breaks. It is one of those big summer storms that start from one moment to another and make it seems like the world is about to collapse.
Hanna "Shit!" she says when a loud thunder makes her and Chocolate jump scared as the rain drops start getting them soaked just in matter of seconds.
The dog is really frightened by now and Hanna tightens his leash and holds it with both of her hands, pulling him closer. But when another noisy thunder is heard, he starts to run away, causing Hanna to lose her steadiness and fall on the ground. She tries hard not to let go of the dog leash, keeping it entangled between her hands while trying to ignore the pain of being dragged on the ground, but as much as she pulls from the leash while yelling Chocolate to stop, there's nothing she can do when the dog collar breaks apart and Hanna gets lied on the sidewalk with the now useless leash still between her hands.
Hanna "Chocolate! Stop!" she yells as she stands up from the ground "Come on, baby!" she says as she starts running after him, with scrapes on her knees "Want a treat? I'm giving you a treat!" she yells now, but the dog is too scared to pay attention to her and he keeps running.
Chocolate obviously runs faster than Hanna, and although she doesn't give up and keeps running after him, in only a few seconds, she loses sight of him in the middle of the powerful storm.
Hanna "Chocolate! Chocolate!" she stops running and takes a look around, but she doesn't see him "Please, baby! Come back!" she says, already crying.
By the strong winds, a branch of a tree breaks and falls down, fortunately Hanna gets to move away just in time and it falls onto one of her legs instead of right on her head. She moans in pain as she falls on the ground once again. She doesn't give up this time either, she moves the branch off of her leg, and when she does so, she gets to see a really bloody wound on her calf, but she stands up anyway, ignoring how much it hurts, because the only thing that matters to her is to find her dog.
Hanna can no longer run, but she keeps trotting in the direction that she thinks Chocolate took.
A few minutes later, a car that is passing by the street stops next to Hanna and rolls down the window.
Jordan "Hey, girl, are you okay? Do you need some help?" he asks kindly.
Hanna approaches the car "I lost my dog, I'm looking for my dog" she says between sobs.
Jordan "Okay, let's go find him" he says while opening the passenger door "Come on, get in, we are driving around"
Hanna would never get in the car of a stranger, but giving the circumstances, that is exactly what she does, because again, all that matters to her is to find her big puppy.
Jordan "So, how is it? What does it look like?" he asks as he starts driving.
Hanna "He is… Big, like really big… he is brown… he is a Terranova, do you know Terranovas? Hold on a sec, I'm showing you a picture of him" she speaks fast as her tears keep rolling down her cheeks and she looks for her phone "Oh, fuck, I think I just lost my phone"
Jordan notices the wound on her leg, it is still bleeding, like a lot.
Jordan "You are hurt! I should take you to the emergency room, you might need some stitches"
Hanna "I'm okay, I just want my dog back"
Jordan "Okay, I'm taking you to the ER and then we can go look for him"
Hanna "No, I told you I'm fine, let's just keep looking for my dog"
Jordan "That's too much bleeding… I'm taking you to the hospital"
Hanna "Okay, you know what? Stop the car, I'm getting out of here. I don't need your help, I shouldn't have gotten in your car in the first place" she says really annoyed now.
Jordan "Come on, you can't even walk. Let me help you" he says, still calm "I'll tell you something, take my phone and call someone to look for your dog" he says and hands her his phone "We can join them after you get some medical care… there's no way I'm leaving you on your own with that wound on your leg outside in the storm"
Hanna nods and takes Jordan's phone "Thank you"
/
Caleb is still on the porch of his grandfather's house when the storm breaks. He is asleep, lying on the floor, but the same thunders that scare the hell out of Hanna and Chocolate, wake him up.
Caleb hasn't found the guts to step in his grandfather's house yet… He was so tired after his long drive, and a terrible headache caused by all his crying was killing him, so he fell asleep right there after a few hours.
He sits up straight and remains there, looking at the storm in silence. He doesn't even feel cold or hungry. Emptiness is all that he feels, a horrible emptiness that he has felt before, but that he thought he would never feel again. And there he is now, feeling it again, and he can't bear it. He wants to leave but he knows he can't drive right now, not while feeling the way he feels, and much less in the middle of that huge storm.
A few minutes later, someone joins him. A really scared dog shows up looking for shelter. It's Chocolate, and he approaches Caleb.
Caleb "Oh, shit!" he says when he sees the really giant dog right beside him and stands up quickly "Hey! Go away!" he yells at the dog, but the dog won't go away.
Chocolate stares at Caleb with his really big scared eyes and that's how he knows he is just a frightened dog trying to get away from the storm, and not a threat. In fact, he gets to see that tender puppy look that Chocolate has despite his giant size. And it causes a slight smile on Caleb's face.
Caleb "It's okay buddy, it's just a storm" he says relaxed and pats the dog's head.
Another thunder is heard and Chocolate runs to the chair that is there on the side and lies down on the floor, hiding his big head under the chair.
Caleb crouches next to the dog and strokes his fur "It's okay, it's okay" he says and he spots the key that Toby gave him earlier. It's still on the floor, in the same place he left it.
Caleb stands up and goes pick it up. He sighs. He wouldn't get in the house if it were up to him, but he knows the storm won't stop any time soon, and he can't just sit down and watch that scared dog suffer. He finally opens the door of the house and steps in.
Caleb "Come on, buddy, let's go get something to dry you" he calls for the dog.
Chocolate runs into the house immediately.
Well, here I am again haha. I wasn't so sure about writing a new story, but then I started this one and after writing a few chapters I decided to share it here. I wanna know what you guys think. Of course this is a HALEB story, Jordan is there just to add a little drama because that's what stories need to move forward. Anyway, Hanna and Caleb will meet each other in the next chapter. I took the love for dogs thing from Tyshley though, and if you got to love an animal sometime in your life, then you will understand this story a little better :)
Please, leave me some reviews so I can know what you think... I'm still working on the following chapters, so that way I can know better how to continue the story. They won't like each other so much at first, but Chocolate will bring them together... and if you don't know how a Terranova is, you should definitely google it! they are huge dogs!
Oh, and sorry for my shitty english, LOL. I'm still working on it!