Ethan drug his shoes along the front walk of a sizeable Chicago home. Anna and Landon followed him in a similar fashion.
"This is so boring," Anna complained.
"Why do we actually have to look at the houses?" Ethan asked. "It would be easier if they would just rent one already."
"If they did that, I wouldn't be wasting the first Saturday that I have as an ungrounded free person," Anna replied.
Ethan smiled at her.
"Anna, look," Landon yelled as he ran across the yard.
"What is it?" Anna asked staring down at dirty animal.
"I think it's a dog," Ethan told them bending down to have a closer look.
"Awww, he likes you, Ethan," Anna stated.
"He looks like he is smiling," Landon said.
The dog licked Ethan's hands eagerly. Abby, John, and the real-estate agent walked out of the house. John was carrying Molly, but she told him to let her down. She ran over to her siblings.
"A doggy!" Molly shrieked.
John walked over to see what Molly was carrying on about.
"Ethan, stop petting it," Carter ordered.
"Why?" Ethan questioned.
"It could be carrying diseases," Carter explained. "All of you go to the car right now."
"What about the dog?" Ethan questioned.
"You can't just leave him here," Anna said.
"There is a box of papers in the trunk. Carefully, empty it and bring the box here. We'll take him to a veterinarian," Carter told them.
Carter drove to a nearby animal hospital and went inside. He returned to the car, and began to pull out of the parking lot.
"Are you going to tell us about Smiley?" Ethan asked.
"Who is Smiley?" Carter questioned.
"The dog. They named him while you were inside," Abby informed him.
"Did they? Well, Smiley is going to stay there, and the nice people at the animal hospital will call me when they know more," he explained.
"Are we done looking at houses?" Anna asked.
"Yes, we are finished for today, Anna. Why do you ask?" Abby questioned.
"I was hoping you would let me go shopping with Quinn," Anna explained.
"What do you need to buy?" Carter asked.
"Stuff," Anna replied.
"I see, but Molly and Landon need a N-A-P," Abby spelled the last word out. "I'll think about it later."
"Mom, no. You are going to say no later," Anna said. "It'll be too late."
"I might," Abby told her.
"Please, this is the first weekend of freedom," Anna pleaded.
"Sweetie, I'm tired. It has been a long afternoon," Abby explained.
"What if we take the El?" Anna suggested. "You wouldn't have to drive."
"Absolutely not," Carter told her. "Anna, I'll drive you and Quinn to the mall."
"Thank you," Anna told him.
Half an hour later, Carter pulled up in front of the mall.
"Quinn isn't here yet do you want me to park the car?" he asked.
"No, she might be waiting inside. I'll go in and check if she is there I'll wave to you is she is," Anna told him.
Anna walked into the mall and looked around. Quinn wasn't coming, but Anna walked back outside and waved to Carter. Finally, she could be alone. She wander into her favorite store and tried on a few dresses. She was feeling very grownup when she purchased a cappuccino at the coffee shop.
She was walking toward the exit to meet Carter when three older boys approached her. They shouted a few rude comments, and Anna ignored them. They followed her until she darted inside a store selling clothes her mother wouldn't be caught dead in.
"Can I help you, dear?" a saleswoman asked.
"I am just looking for a birthday present for my grandmother," Anna told the woman.
"If you need any help, just ask," the saleswoman said.
Anna stayed in the store until she was sure the boys were gone. She looked down at her watch. Carter was going to kill her.
Carter waited outside of his car looking up and down the parking lot. Anna was fifteen minutes late, and he was less than pleased with her. Abby had called him a few minutes ago to let him know that Luka had found Anna's inhaler, and he would need to drive Anna to Luka's house so she could pick it up.
Finally, Anna appeared by herself.
"Where is Quinn?" Carter asked.
"Oh, her mom picked her up on the other side of the mall," Anna told him.
"We need to go to your dad's so you can pick up your inhaler," he told her.
She nodded.
Carter noticed Anna was looking a little pale.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I fine," she said giving him a fake smile.
Anna sank back in the seat trying not to cry. She had been scared of the boys even though they were most likely just messing around with her. She was lost in her own thoughts.
"Anna," Carter said pulling her back to reality. "Are you going to go inside?"
Anna looked up realizing they were now in Luka's driveway.
"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking," she told him.
Anna walked up the porch slowly and knocked on the door. Luka opened it and let her in. He gave her hug, and she looked up at him with a strange look on her face.
"Why did you do that?" Anna questioned.
"You just looked like you needed a hug," he told her.
"I did. Thank you," she replied.
He handed her inhaler and warned her to be more careful about leaving it places.
Anna walked out to the car and climbed back in.
"Anna, are you sure you are all right?" Carter questioned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him. This time she wasn't lying.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Note from Banana Belle *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, sorry it took so long, but I have been busy. Europe rocked! Only four more weeks of school for me, and I'll be rid of high school. Thanks for the reviews keep them coming!
"This is so boring," Anna complained.
"Why do we actually have to look at the houses?" Ethan asked. "It would be easier if they would just rent one already."
"If they did that, I wouldn't be wasting the first Saturday that I have as an ungrounded free person," Anna replied.
Ethan smiled at her.
"Anna, look," Landon yelled as he ran across the yard.
"What is it?" Anna asked staring down at dirty animal.
"I think it's a dog," Ethan told them bending down to have a closer look.
"Awww, he likes you, Ethan," Anna stated.
"He looks like he is smiling," Landon said.
The dog licked Ethan's hands eagerly. Abby, John, and the real-estate agent walked out of the house. John was carrying Molly, but she told him to let her down. She ran over to her siblings.
"A doggy!" Molly shrieked.
John walked over to see what Molly was carrying on about.
"Ethan, stop petting it," Carter ordered.
"Why?" Ethan questioned.
"It could be carrying diseases," Carter explained. "All of you go to the car right now."
"What about the dog?" Ethan questioned.
"You can't just leave him here," Anna said.
"There is a box of papers in the trunk. Carefully, empty it and bring the box here. We'll take him to a veterinarian," Carter told them.
Carter drove to a nearby animal hospital and went inside. He returned to the car, and began to pull out of the parking lot.
"Are you going to tell us about Smiley?" Ethan asked.
"Who is Smiley?" Carter questioned.
"The dog. They named him while you were inside," Abby informed him.
"Did they? Well, Smiley is going to stay there, and the nice people at the animal hospital will call me when they know more," he explained.
"Are we done looking at houses?" Anna asked.
"Yes, we are finished for today, Anna. Why do you ask?" Abby questioned.
"I was hoping you would let me go shopping with Quinn," Anna explained.
"What do you need to buy?" Carter asked.
"Stuff," Anna replied.
"I see, but Molly and Landon need a N-A-P," Abby spelled the last word out. "I'll think about it later."
"Mom, no. You are going to say no later," Anna said. "It'll be too late."
"I might," Abby told her.
"Please, this is the first weekend of freedom," Anna pleaded.
"Sweetie, I'm tired. It has been a long afternoon," Abby explained.
"What if we take the El?" Anna suggested. "You wouldn't have to drive."
"Absolutely not," Carter told her. "Anna, I'll drive you and Quinn to the mall."
"Thank you," Anna told him.
Half an hour later, Carter pulled up in front of the mall.
"Quinn isn't here yet do you want me to park the car?" he asked.
"No, she might be waiting inside. I'll go in and check if she is there I'll wave to you is she is," Anna told him.
Anna walked into the mall and looked around. Quinn wasn't coming, but Anna walked back outside and waved to Carter. Finally, she could be alone. She wander into her favorite store and tried on a few dresses. She was feeling very grownup when she purchased a cappuccino at the coffee shop.
She was walking toward the exit to meet Carter when three older boys approached her. They shouted a few rude comments, and Anna ignored them. They followed her until she darted inside a store selling clothes her mother wouldn't be caught dead in.
"Can I help you, dear?" a saleswoman asked.
"I am just looking for a birthday present for my grandmother," Anna told the woman.
"If you need any help, just ask," the saleswoman said.
Anna stayed in the store until she was sure the boys were gone. She looked down at her watch. Carter was going to kill her.
Carter waited outside of his car looking up and down the parking lot. Anna was fifteen minutes late, and he was less than pleased with her. Abby had called him a few minutes ago to let him know that Luka had found Anna's inhaler, and he would need to drive Anna to Luka's house so she could pick it up.
Finally, Anna appeared by herself.
"Where is Quinn?" Carter asked.
"Oh, her mom picked her up on the other side of the mall," Anna told him.
"We need to go to your dad's so you can pick up your inhaler," he told her.
She nodded.
Carter noticed Anna was looking a little pale.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
"Yeah, I fine," she said giving him a fake smile.
Anna sank back in the seat trying not to cry. She had been scared of the boys even though they were most likely just messing around with her. She was lost in her own thoughts.
"Anna," Carter said pulling her back to reality. "Are you going to go inside?"
Anna looked up realizing they were now in Luka's driveway.
"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking," she told him.
Anna walked up the porch slowly and knocked on the door. Luka opened it and let her in. He gave her hug, and she looked up at him with a strange look on her face.
"Why did you do that?" Anna questioned.
"You just looked like you needed a hug," he told her.
"I did. Thank you," she replied.
He handed her inhaler and warned her to be more careful about leaving it places.
Anna walked out to the car and climbed back in.
"Anna, are you sure you are all right?" Carter questioned.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she told him. This time she wasn't lying.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Note from Banana Belle *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Well, sorry it took so long, but I have been busy. Europe rocked! Only four more weeks of school for me, and I'll be rid of high school. Thanks for the reviews keep them coming!