Dandy


Wash's Journal, entry #22

So, the guys had been pressuring me for weeks to get one, and quite frankly, I was running out of ways to say no.

York would invite me over to his place just to show his off. "Look at all the stuff it does!" he'd tell me. And of course I'd just shrug. I know what they can do; I've been on the internet before.

As if that wasn't enough, North started getting in on it too. "Do you see it? Isn't it just amazing how adorable it is?"

Nope. Not interested. Although, yes, it was adorable. But come on! Who has time for that?

I was steadfast in my resolve. Peer pressure is just another from of bullying, I'd tell myself. You don't even need one!

Then Carolina had to go and get herself two of them, and all of my justifications went down the drain.

"It's too much work," I'd say.

"But Carolina has two! And she's twice as busy as you are!"

"I'm not good with them."

"Carolina thought the same thing…before she got two of them."

"I wouldn't even know what kind to get!"

"Why do you think Carolina got two?"

And on and on and on it went. Until the day they made it impossible for me to say no.


I had a pretty important presentation coming up in one of my business classes; the kind of thing that will make or break your whole five-year-plan. Honestly, I was a nervous wreck. I'd spend every waking moment going over what I was going to say, practicing my lines and quadruple checking my facts. Even when I finally fell asleep after hours of anxious worrying, I'd dream about me making a fool of myself in front of everyone that mattered.

When the presentation was two weeks away, York and North took me to the mall to help me pick out a suit to wear. (The nicest thing in my closet up to that point was the five-sizes-too-small tux I'd worn to junior prom.) I'd gotten most of my outfit together when we stopped by the food court to pick up some lunch.

"You know, I don't have anything against Chinese food, I just don't like Panda," York said as he sat down at our table. North and I were already halfway done with our lunches, and he'd only just finished getting through the Sbarro's line.

"We're not going to wait for you to eat all that," I told him, looking down at the two monster sized pizza slices.

"Eh, I wouldn't worry about it," North told me. "He'll probably be finished before we are. Pig."

"Slut."

I coughed. Banter always made me feel a little awkward, especially after rooming with Maine for so long.

"So, where are we headed next?" I asked. Of the three of us, North was the most fashion forward, so he'd been leading us around the majority of the day. (Although York had made us stop in the candle shop to 'check out all the cool smells.')

That's when I saw York shift in his seat a little and give North a knowing glance. The platinum blonde cleared his throat. "Well, there's a tie place over on the west end. It wouldn't hurt to check there."

"But I already got a tie."

York leaned in. "It never hurts to have too many ties. Besides, you might find one you like that's not bright yellow."

"What's wrong with yellow?"

He shook his head. "Nothing wrong with yellow."

I turned to North. "You said it matched!"

"Yellow and grey: very classy," he reassured me.

I frowned. Really, I thought it looked good.

"York is right though. Doesn't hurt to look."

The rest of our meal went on in silence as North and I finished our noodles and York downed his pizza. In the end, it was York who was up before either of us had finished, putting his tray away and chugging the last of his iced tea.

"You ready to go?" he asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You really are fast," I told him through a mouthful of noodles.

"Jeez, would you swallow? (Call me a pig…)" he shook his head.

"Come on, Wash. We should hurry before they close."

I checked my phone. "It's only one o'clock. Why would they close that early?"

North glanced nervously at York who shrugged, "You never know. It is Sunday."

I glared suspiciously at them. What the hell were they up to? Either way, I abandoned what was left of my lunch and stood to join them.

Five minutes later, we were on the other end of the mall standing awkwardly in front of a Thai restaurant.

"I think somewhere down the line one of you got confused," I commented, looking up at the sign. But they weren't paying attention to what I was saying. No, they were nervously whispering back and forth. Turning to see what all the hubbub was about, that's when I saw it.

This 'tie place' just happened to be next door to the pet shop.

I slapped them both in the back of the head. "I DON'T WANT A CAT!"

"Oh, come on, Wash! You've seen how cute Theta is!" North protested. "How can you not want one?"

"He's only cute because he's a midget!"

"He's not a midget! He's a munchkin!"

"What the hell's the difference?"

"Well, munchkins have short little legs," North started. "I don't think there are midget cats. Plus, I feel like that term is kind of derogatory for a lot of things. Pygmy or dwarf—"

"It doesn't matter! I don't want a cat!"

That's when York cut in. "It doesn't have to be deformed. You could get a blue like Delta! He's super smart, and the way he chases lasers is so—"

Clearly hurt, North interrupted his rant, "Theta isn't deformed!"

"He's got midget legs."

"Munchkin. Munchkin legs!"

"Then what's up with his ears?!"

"He's a Scottish fold! They're supposed to be like that."

"BOTH OF YOU STOP!" I shouted. "Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once: I am going to go in there, I am going to look at all of the different animals, I will comment on their cuteness, I will possibly try to get them to play with my finger, I will enjoy myself, and then I will walk back outside, WITHOUT BUYING A F#*&ING CAT!"

"Okay," York mocked. "But that's what Carol—"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT CAROLINA SAID!" I shouted. Then I stormed into the pet shop. I was just ready to get this over with, and if this was the only way to do it, then so be it.


What York and North, and even Maine, had failed to realize, was that I love cats. Like, love them. See, I used to have one growing up.

Dandy was the prettiest, most lovable kitty in the world. Even when I felt I had no one, I had her. She used to snuggle on my lap for hours, and on days when I was feeling particularly low, she'd paw at my legs until I went outside to play with her. And then we'd run around like idiots until she jumped back in my arms for more hugs.

I didn't want another cat. Not because I was too busy to take care of one, or because I didn't know how…but because I still missed Dandy. Losing her was one of the worst things that ever happened to me, and I didn't want to have to go through that pain again.

So yes. When I went into that shop, I was absolutely resolved not to get a cat.


I was staring at some parakeets when I overheard them behind me.

"What kind is that? It's huge!" York muttered.

"What's the label say?" North asked.

"Ragdoll? Is that even a thing?"

My heart skipped a beat. Dandy had been a ragdoll. Turning around, that's when I saw him…Epsilon.

His piercing blue eyes stared back in my cold grey ones, his lilac nose rising to sniff the air. Entranced by our immediate connection, I stumbled over to where my friends were standing and pushed York out of the way. I pressed my hand against the glass barrier, and he touched his dark paw to other side. He was nothing like Dandy…but he was perfect.

"Wash? Are you...crying?" North touched my shoulder.

"No!" I sniffed, rubbing my eyes. There must have been a lot of dust in the room.

York punched me in the shoulder excitedly. "Alright!" he grinned from ear to ear, going to fetch someone who worked there.

Half an hour later, I'd finished the paper work. He was so soft and cuddly; once he was in my arms, I knew I'd never let him go. That is...until he scratched me and ran away. We spent the next three hours chasing him through the mall.

Yeah, Epsilon is kind of an asshole.

But at least he waited until the day after my presentation to tear up my new suit. That's a positive, right?


A/N:

Thanks for dropping by!

Man, I'm having a blast writing these!

- JayTheDoctor: Thanks for the input! I added some labels above each section to try and make things clearer. Hopefully that helped. :)

- TheLetterMan: Well thanks! To answer: Yes, it's primarily going to be random stand alone stories. However, they do all take place in the same universe, and I have a sort of set timeline, so trends and storylines may unfold.

- Meirelle: You know it, dude.

Catch you on the flipside, amigos!