Chapter Two: New

Sapphire had just gotten home after making the decision of leaving Butte, Montana behind. She would of course miss the Rockies but that wasn't a good enough reason to make her stay. She walked into the living room to find her aunt sleeping on a recliner. Her aunt was her mother's twin sister. Katie being her aunt's name and Abby being her mother's. Aunt Katie had black hair with no sign of grey seeing that she was only thirty two. Sapphire's mom had gotten pregnant at sixteen with her dad, Kevin, only being seventeen a year older. Aunt Katie worked the night shift at the hospital being a nurse but mostly helped the elderly as their days became numbered.

Sapphire and Katie were close after she ran away she came here hoping to find comfort from someone who looked like her mom. Aunt Katie picked her up from a bus stop and cared for her as her own. Aunt Katie never wanted kids but still adored Sapphire constantly complimenting her eyes.

Sapphire walked into her room and began packing some clothes in her orange Nike duffle bag. "So what happened?" her Aunt asked out of the blue startling Sapphire.

"…" She didn't answer so Aunt Katie knew it had to be bad.

"Well where are you planning on going? I least answer that."

"I wanna go see the world while I have a chance. My life is passing me by."

"Well honey in your condition," she sat on Sapphire's bed, "I don't think you're up to it. Besides if you get sick who's going to be there for you?"

"Auntie I just wanna go to one place before I pass," she held out the picture for her Aunt to see, "it's Forks Washington. Me and my family took a trip there when I was young I wanna go see it again. And besides its summer I'm on vacation from school now and its warm outside. I wanna go to the beach one last time."

"Well okay I'll take you once I get the chance." Aunt Katie said trying to work out some compromise.

"Well what if it's too late?" Sapphire said with frustration, "what if I die before they agree to let you-" Sapphire felt uneasiness in her stomach. She placed her hand on her mouth and ran to the bathroom forgetting to shut the door. Aunt Katie sat on the bed staring at what she could see of Sapphire. Thinking that it was only a matter of weeks or maybe a month or two before the sickness claimed Sapphire's life. Maybe letting her go wouldn't be such a bad idea. Sapphire walked back in the room brushing her teeth. Her eyes were watery and her face red.

Aunt Katie got off the bed and walked to Sapphire placing her hand on her cheek. "Ok Sapphire I'll let you go." Sapphire's eyes lite up with excitement. "But there are some conditions." Sapphire nodded. "Call me every night and when you get there. Don't talk to strangers." Sapphire mentally rolled her eyes as she was not a child any longer. "Make sure you stay at a nice hotel. When they let me off of work I promise I'll take about a week or two off so we can spend some time together. Understand."

Sapphire embraced her Aunt, "Thank you so much." She said cheerfully. Sapphire went back to packing as her Aunt got some cash.

"Here this should be enough for now as long as you spend it wisely." She handed her the money. "I'll send you more as I get paid. Ok." Aunt Katie looked at Sapphire hoping she was doing the right thing. Sapphire said her goodbyes as she took off towards her new destination.

***

By the time Sapphire got to Olympia, Washington she was lonely. The trip had only taken about ten hours, shorter than she expected. She looked at the ongoing traffic that would take at least an hour to get through. She decided to get a bite to eat. She hadn't eaten a thing since she left unless of course you consider medicine and a box of Tic Tacs food. There was an A&W that she decided to go into. While eating she found awkward to be by herself. The lonesome feeling came back into play. While exiting the restaurant she decided to take a walk as there was still heavy traffic on the road. She stumbled unknowingly across a Petco that was having an adoption day just like every other Sunday. Sapphire had a soft spot for animals especially canines.

Her eyes roamed around hoping to find some pet that caught her eye. The was one puppy that was white and had black spots on it much like Dalmatians do but it turned out to be a Great Dane. Much to big for her to take care of. She needed something smaller. Like a- and there it was a black pug.

"Adorable!" Sapphire walked up to it. One of the employees asked Sapphire if she would like to hold it and she happily agreed. She was on her way out when she noticed a little girl following her. She turned to the girl. "Hi. Do you need help?"

The dimpled girl with red hair pulled back in low ponytail answered. "Um, I wanted to know if you were going to take that dog?" she smiled innocently.

"Um, yeah I was considering it. Why?"

"No reason." The girl lied. She sadly looked at the dog giving away her bluff.

Sapphire bent down slowly and handed the girl the dog smiling, "Here I can tell you want it."

The girl hesitated at first but then tenderly took the dog. "Thank you." She skipped happily with joy to join her mother showing her the dog she would have loved to take home. Her mother smiled back at her daughter's excitement to bring the new addition to the family home. The girl pointed at Sapphire and told her mother something that made her walk towards Sapphire. Sapphire took notice and stood up straight.

"Thank you for helping my daughter. If there was anything I could do for you, perhaps help you find a dog?" The middle aged woman said.

"No thanks."

"No I must," she looked down at her smiling daughter who had obviously just lost her front baby teeth, "I saw the perfect dog." She guided Sapphire to a cage in the back where Sapphire hadn't looked.

There sat a dog more perfect than the pug, smaller, cuter and surprisingly cheaper. A Chihuahua that was a blonde male much like the one from Legally Blonde. The woman saw Sapphire's eyes and knew she had led her to the one and quickly left finding that her work there was done. He fit in one of Sapphire's hands. She thought of what to call him. "Tiny…no. Bruce…no. Fluffy…" the dog whimpered making Sapphire giggle. She snapped her fingers "Oh I know. I'll call you Dimples cause you're so tiny." She brought the dog to one of the employees before another little girl could see him.

"So what made you decide to adopt?" A heavy set female employee asked who looked like she was just doing this for a summer job.

"Well I've always wanted one of my own." Sapphire said jokingly making her and the other girl laugh. "Well really I was getting lonely and because I'm sick of people taking care of me. I want to take care of someone else for a change."

***

With dimples curled up on the passenger seat Sapphire had finally arrived. She pulled into a Holiday Inn and got her and Dimples a room for the remaining time they would spend there.

Sapphire looked around the room."Well I guess this is home… for now." She said throwing her bags on the chair in the corner and placing Dimples on the bed. "Tomorrow our journey begins." She pumped her fists in the air turning to her new companion who was already asleep. "I talk to myself to much." She smiled.