Unexpected Friend

"Eli, please stop..I-I can't do this." I nearly whimpered as we walked closer to the pet store.

"Imogen, it's been a couple of months. You deserve to have another dog in your life..or 'animal friend' as you call it." Eli declared as he stopped outside the door.

I wanted to cover my ears just hearing the mention of the word dog. I had Volta ever since I was a kid, and trying to let him go was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Eli looked at me and sighed. "Alright, I'll make you a deal. I won't force you to get a dog, just as long as you just come into the store with me."

I gave him a glare. He was trying to compromise, but I knew what his true intentions were. "I know exactly what you're trying to do." I started. " You're trying to get me inside there to look around at the cute dogs, so I can't possibly say no to any of them, therefore when we walk out, I will not be empty handed...and I refuse Goldsworthy! I'm almost hurt that you would take me as the naive type."

He scoffed and playfully rolled his eyes at me.

"Please?" He begged.

"No, not going to happen." I said, ready to turn on the balls of my conversed feet, but was pulled back by Eli, who was now giving me puppy eyes. "Okay, fine! Just please promise me you'll never make that face again?" I giggled, as he stopped batting his eyelashes at me. "I would have never even agreed to spend my Saturday with you if I knew you were going to make me do this. I thought we were suppose to work on your zombie film today!" I said before we entered the store.

"Well, plans change and-"

"Let me guess, Fiona made you do this?" I asked, while crossing my arms.

"Maybe." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes at his response. As much as I loved Fiona for thinking of me, I hated that she thought I needed another dog.

As we walked in, we were instantly greeted by one of the employees.

"Hello, can I help you two find anything?"

Eli was about to speak, but I cut him off. "Uh no, we are just looking." I smiled at the lady, while Eli rolled his eyes at my response.

"Alrighty then, just call me over if you need any help."

I nodded and she retreated back to the front desk. I turned to Eli, and motioned for him to follow my lead as we walked up and down the aisles. The shelves contained any and every animal I could think of, big or small. I found myself coming to a halt and looking at the smaller animals.

"Oh, look they have turtles!" I exclaimed, bending down to get a better look at the turtle hidden in the tank.

"A turtle?" Eli questioned, having confusion written on his face.

I stood back up and flattened any wrinkles that were in my striped dress. "Maybe an option." I replied and continued to walk through the maze of various creatures. "You know, I'm not going to get a dog. I don't want it to be like I'm replacing Volta, because the thought of doing that is impossible. Can't replace a childhood friend and-" I nearly gasped at the little animal that was sitting before me in a white cage. I ran over to where it sat, eager to see what exactly it was.

"Is that a rat?" I smacked Eli's arm, knowing that it certainly wasn't a rat.

"No, it's not. It's a chinchilla, stupid." I put my finger through the cage, letting it sniff me.

"Fiona clearly didn't have this idea in mind." He gestured towards me and the cage.

"I think I'm done here." I stood up and started walking towards the exit, chiming the bell that hung above the door in the process. We started walking in the opposite direction of the store in a comfortable silence, when I realized something.

"Can we go back? I think I dropped my wallet back in the store."

Eli stopped and nodded. When we reached the familiar pet store, Eli stated that he'd wait outside. Luckily it didn't take me long inside the store to get what I needed. When I walked out, I found Eli exactly where I left him. He slowly turned to me, his eyes slightly bulging out of their looked at me, then glanced at the cage that was in my hands, and then looked back up at me.

"Fiona is going to kill me."

"This was her idea, wasn't it?" I questioned. "I think I'm going to name this little guy Willy."

The two friends continued to walk home, having light conversations here and there. For the first time in awhile, Imogen felt and looked happy. She couldn't wait to show everyone her new animal friend, even though they would probably have other thoughts on the odd looking chinchilla.

A/N: Found this on my computer and never uploaded it, so sorry if it's a little outdated haha :S