I'm in a writing mood today, so you actually might see more coming at you! Please review this one, you're gonna love the next one!


CHAPTER 4

JOHANNA BARKER

Anthony dropped Johanna off at the mall to start her new job- at the pet store.

She got out the car and kissed her love goodbye before eyeing the mall's large building. It made her feel so small and out of place.

Inhaling deeply, she drummed up the courage to go inside.

The mall was like nothing she'd had ever seen before! When she had gone for her interview it was near closing time and it was virtually empty, but now it was the beginning of the day and people were bustling around, some with bags on their arms, others chatting wildly on cell phones. Some little children were looking impatiently towards the candy and toy shops while their mothers were doing their own shopping and others still were giggling as they played around at the Pillow Pet stand.

Johanna felt dizzy. She wasn't even sure which way she had to go!

With a sigh, she went up to an older gentleman and tapped his shoulder. "Excuse me sir, I was wondering if you could point me towards-" She stopped short when the gentleman looked at her. His short gray hair, expressionless face and tall body reminded her so much of the horrid Judge Turpin, whom had wanted to marry her when she was only fifteen!

Her eyes grew wide as she uttered a frightened, "Never mind…" and scurried away. The gentleman just shrugged and muttered, "Youth today…" before returning to his shopping.

Johanna ran until she tripped over her own feet and nearly fell face first into a directory. Immediately she spotted the big, obnoxious, YOU ARE HERE sticker. Putting her finger on that, she then searched the list of stores for the pet shop. When she found it and the number next to it, she subsequently found the number on the map- and discovered the pet shop was right behind her, and it was right near the entrance where Anthony had dropped her off. Her legs throbbing from running, she walked inside.

"Hello, Justine." grumbled the woman behind the counter. She had long, dark, greasy hair that was pulled up in a bun, a stern face and a chest that one could only imagine how it got to be the way it was.

"Um, my name's Johanna, remember?" Johanna said with a giggled. The woman's expression didn't change.

"You're late." she scoffed.

"I'm sorry I had a little trouble finding the place!" The woman just stood up.

"Whatever. Just go into the back. Some dog managed to poop outside his cage an hour ago."

Johanna cocked her head to the side. "Why didn't you clean it up if it was an hour ago?"

"I was on break. Which reminds me; time for my other break." She walked past Johanna without a glance and left the store. The blond shook her head as she made her way to the back. Sure enough there was a lump of doggy-do on the floor. She glanced at the cage it had obviously come from. The dog inside, a tiny Pomeranian, shied away with a whimper. With a heavy heart, she reached up and stuck her fingers through the bars. The dog sniffed them before he licked them.

"Hey there, puppy!" Johanna said softy. "You're such a cute little dog! Yes you are!" Suddenly she remembered the piled of poop on the floor and ran to get a pooper-scooper and a mop. The Pomeranian watched her eagerly as she cleaned up his "accident".

Once that was done, she looked at the tiny dog once more. It looked back at her with wide eyes. Johanna looked around both ways before making her way towards the cage and reaching to unlock it.

"I don't think some time out would hurt." she muttered, taking the animal into her arms. Taking it into the main part of the shop, where some customers had begun to congregate, she set up a small metal pen for the dog to run around in while she tended to the other dogs. Of course, most of the customers rushed over to pet the tiny animal, whose tail began to wag like mad with all the attention.

Johanna chuckled to herself as she made her way around, feeding the other animals. However, when she reached into one cage, the dog bit her on the hand.

Yelping in pain, she jumped back into the wall, hitting a big red button, A buzzer went off before every dog's cage simultaneously opened. It took the slow animals a moment to realize; freedom! The dogs ran amuck inside the room.

Johanna's heart was pounding; what to do? Thinking fast, she rushed to the door and carefully opened it.

"Attention everyone, we 'ave a situation right now, so I'm going to 'ave to ask everyone to please leave immediately!"

The customers nodded and a little boy complained as they walked out of the pet store. As soon as they were gone, Johanna pulled down the metal gate. And just in time as some smart little puppies pushed the door open. Soon the entire shop was filled with crazed dogs running wild.

Stumbling over Chihuahuas, she rushed to collect each dog and put them in their proper cages. Unfortunately, Johanna had little knowledge of dog breeds.

What luck! She spotted a poster of dog breeds on the wall! The whole process took almost two hours, but she got the dogs back into their cages. Exhausted, she began to clean up the mess they had made, when she heard a voice call from the gate.

"Hey, Jeanie, open the damn gate." came her boss's monotone voice. Hurrying, Johanna opened the gate.

"Sorry about that. How was your break?" The woman, holding a large soda walked inside.

"Whatever." She glanced around the shop. "Looks like you've kept things in order pretty darn well, trainee. I guess I can promote you to-"Her sentence cut off when she noticed the little Pomeranian who started it all scurry out from behind the fish tank shelves. "Who gave you permission to let the dogs out?"

Johanna stuttered. "I…didn't let the dogs out!"

"Then who let the dogs out?" It was then she noticed the same dog that had bitten Johanna on the hand cuddled up with a cat in a cage. "Whatever, Jillian. You're fired."

"But I-"

"Whatever." She brought a magazine up to her face and ignored Johanna as she stormed out of the pet shop.

Looking at her watch, she had about five hours before Anthony was coming to pick her up. Shopping time!

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Victoria's Secret up ahead. Merrily she walked to it, but once she got inside and noticed two male employees that were placing thongs on the shelves, she turned on her heels and ran.

One of the employees looked behind him. "Was someone just there, Milord?"

"I don't know, Beadle. Some people are embarrassed about coming in here. I don't get why. Say, do you think this purple polka dot thong comes in my size?"


I DON'T OWN SWEENEY TODD, VICTORIA'S SECRET OR THE WHO LET THE DOGS OUT SONG! i do however own the plot and the cute little Pomeranian!

So what'd ya think? I was laughing so hard as i wrote the ending, and i will be as i write the next chapter! until then!