"Johan, I want this one!" Judai exclaimed, pointing toward a white rabbit in a small cage. Judai incessantly complained that he got lonely when Johan travelled, so he suggested Judai get a pet. He did not, however, suggest that Judai make him pay for it.
"You've said that about the hamster over there, too. And the ferret. And the hermit crab," Johan replied, slightly worn out from the hour he'd spent in the pet store with Judai, and he had a feeling he would be there for a bit longer.
Judai looked back at Johan. "But this one's different! See? It has red eyes!"
As cute as Judai may have considered an albino rabbit, Johan felt slightly threatened by it. Red eyes scared him a bit.
"I don't know, Judai," Johan said, walking away from the cage. "I think it's glaring at me."
"That means he likes you."
Judai's response made Johan realize something quite significant when purchasing an animal. "Do you know anything about taking care of a rabbit, Judai?"
He scoffed and stood up from his position bent over the rabbit cage. "Sure, I do. My mom used to breed them for shows and stuff."
Johan couldn't say he was surprised that Judai came from a rabbit-breeding family. While Judai continued to admire the creature, Johan looked at the price tags on cages and food and bedding and could almost swear he was having heart palpitations. What kid could get a bunny if the cage was $200?
"Johan, I've found him!" Judai loudly exclaimed, causing a dog in another corner of the store to bark restlessly. Johan walked over to Judai, getting accustomed to this exclamation.
It appeared that Judai picked out what was labeled as a lionhead bunny. It had dark brown fur and a small pink nose. It happily bounced around its cage when Judai came near, causing him to burst out in a fit of laughter.
"I'm gonna call him Brownie!" Judai said, reaching over to open the cage.
Before he could, Johan said, "Hang on, Judai, we have to call someone over to help us."
Just as the words left Johan's mouth, a plump woman approached the pair and asked, "May I help you with something today?"
Judai smiled. "Yeah, can I have this bunny?" He pointed at Brownie.
The woman smiled and walked to the cage. Johan noticed that her nametag read "Janet," and he felt a bit sorry for her. He pretty much considered any name that ended with a "t" kind of strange-sounding.
Janet pulled the rabbit out of the cage and handed him to Judai, beginning to explain some information about rabbits.
"This bunny's a male and he's been with us for about… three months, I think. He's a real trooper and already litter box trained!"
Litter box? No one told Johan that he'd have to buy one of those, too. He decided to inquire concerning the matter.
"You mean like a cat?"
"A little bit," Janet replied. "But rabbits need litter that doesn't clump. You could use paper bedding as a substitute as well."
"Why can't they have clumping litter?" Judai asked, surprisingly not too distracted by Brownie. "Wouldn't it be easier to clean?"
Janet nodded. "It would, but at night, rabbits make a kind of poop that they have to eat for nutritional purposes, and clumping litter wouldn't proper digest."
Judai's brow furrowed and looked down at Brownie. "Oh." He sounded like he wished he hadn't asked.
Johan's mind began to wander while Janet and Judai talked mindlessly about bunnies. It seemed as if she was as fur-crazy as Judai. He started to look around the store once more and gathered the cage, food, bedding, water bottle, and toys needed for Brownie, hoping Judai wouldn't be too mad that he didn't let him chose. The thought of doing so burned a hole in Johan's pocket.
When Johan pushed the full cart back to Judai and Janet, they were just finishing their conversation. Janet noticed Johan's full carriage and asked, "Would you like for me to ring this up?"
Johan nodded and pulled Judai along to follow the woman to the cash register. In total, he spent just under $300 on this rabbit. He prayed to God that Judai wouldn't lose or kill him by accident.
On the way to Judai's house, Johan was constantly distracted with Judai's exclamations at every cute thing the rabbit did.
"Oh, look, he twitched his nose!" Judai happily called. Johan sighed and resisted the urge to inform Judai that most rabbits did indeed twitch their noses.
As soon as they walked into Judai's house, Johan set up the cage for Brownie, quickly wiping it down and stuffing the plastic bottom with shredded aspen pieces. He filled up the food bowl, put a large hidey house on one side of the cage, and filled the water bottle, attaching it to the outside of the cage with the metal part that releases water facing in.
"You want to put Brownie inside?" Johan asked, exhausted from doing the assembly. Judai simply bounded around the room chasing Brownie and laughing. After a while, the tables would turn and Brownie would start chasing Judai.
"Naw, we're gonna play some more," Judai replied, seeming less than grateful that Johan had singlehandedly paid for and put everything together. He sighed and thumped onto Judai's bed, thoroughly fatigued from the long day at the pet store. He almost began to worry that he was hallucinating animals, but when he sat up, he realized that it was just Brownie, dancing around Judai's feet.
Eventually, Judai collapsed on the floor with Brownie. Both seemed pretty beat up after running around in a ten foot circle for an hour.
Johan stood up and grabbed Brownie, placing the tired rabbit in his cage. He seemed somewhat relieved to have a bigger home than the one at the pet store to claim as his own as he suddenly found renewed energy to hop happily around the cage before ducking into the hidey-house for a nap.
Judai smiled and chuckled, then sat up. "You know, Johan, it's kind of like we have a baby."
Johan quickly turned around at Judai's statement only to meet a knowing smirk. "Not really. It's just a rabbit and it's yours, anyway."
Judai stood up and walked over to sit on his bed. "I just figured that with all the time we spend together in my room we could share him."
Johan followed Judai with his eyes. He was spread out on the bed, looking, in Johan's opinion, absolutely delicious with the sweat making his hair stick to the sides of his face. Judai's sneaky smirk was nearly enough to send Johan off the edge and throw Judai on the floor, giving him a night he wouldn't forget.
"I don't really want a rabbit," Johan responded, approaching Judai slowly, then sitting on the bed, "but I can spend more time in your room."
Judai's smile widened. "I think I'd like that more than being a parent."
"Me too," Johan replied, returning the smile.
At that moment Brownie began to thump in his cage. The whacking sound of his rear leg hitting the floor began slowly at first, then steadily increased in frequency until it stopped completely.
Both boys looked at the cage, then at each other. They shared a suggestive smirk.
"I think Brownie has the right idea," Judai said, scooting closer to Johan.
Johan looked down and smiled at the cage. "Yeah. Maybe we should follow his lead."
Judai smiled before they leaned into each other. Johan felt so glad he took Judai to the pet store that day.