Here's the next part!
Astrid wakes up in her room, the large fluffy blanket over her form. The room is dark, excepting the light streaming through the closed blinds. Her clock says it is two in the afternoon.
She stands up, still feeling numb from her latest outburst. But it isn't quite as bad as it was before. 'Maybe.. Maybe I'm getting better,' she dares to think. She hears a knock at her door. "Come in."
Bree steps into her room, "Hey Astrid, how are you feeling?"
"..Better," Astrid decides, "I remember, Chase was here."
"Yeah, he had to run an errand," Bree says, nonchalant.
Astrid looks at her friend, "Chase doesn't go on errands.."
"This one is important. I think he'll be back soon though," Bree says, looking at the clock. "Tasha was wondering if you wanted to help make some brownies with her."
Astrid shrugs and walks out of the room. Bree is elated by the response, since Astrid hasn't helped in the kitchen since she got the news of her father.
Astrid receives another of the multitude of hugs from Tasha and then they start mixing the ingredients. "..So, what was Chase's errand for?" She asks.
"Nothing really," Leo replies, finding the milk.
"Bree said it was important," Astrid catches.
Everyone freezes for a moment, "You know Chase," Bree covers, "if it's important to him.."
Astrid picks up on what she's meaning, "Right. Got it." The brownies get into the oven and Astrid washes her hands. The door opens up behind her. "Chase?" She asks.
"Yep, I'm back." Astrid starts to turn around. "Wait! Close your eyes."
Astrid doesn't finish turning around and asks, "Why..?"
"Because.. It's a surprise?"
Astrid sighs and closes her eyes, covering them with her hand. Chase sets down a few bags he was carrying and then walks over to her.
"Okay, turn around, but keep your eyes closed." Astrid does so. "Now take three steps forward."
"Chase," Astrid scolds lightly, just wanting to get this over with. She takes the steps when he doesn't answer.
"Okay.." He draws out, "Now open them."
Astrid takes her hand away from her eyes. She's standing with the counter before her. Chase is on the other side, looking at her. He had set on the counter a plastic carrier with holes in the side. "..What's.. What's this?"
Chase smiles wider and gently turns the carrier around. "It's the newest member of the family," Chase says.
Astrid squats slightly to look inside. And there she finds a young bunny with mostly white fur and black splotches on the ears, muzzle, and back. "Awww…!" She squeals.
"He's yours," Chase says, "Mr. Davenport said that you have to take care of him, but how much you love animals, I don't think that will be a problem."
"What's his name?" Astrid asks, while opening the cage.
"I don't know. I didn't give him one," Chase says matter-of-factly.
"Where did you get him?" Astrid asks.
"Well..."
Chase walks into PetFind, looking around. He scans the room to find where he needs to go to. He smiles to himself and walks through the aisles to the back left corner. He sees the cages keeping the unbought critters from running throughout the store.
He looks at each type and calculates to himself. Which would Astrid like, and which is easier to take care of. 'Also adding in the Mr. Davenport factor..' he muses to himself.
Chase crouches down and looks at the bunnies. They hop around, some over one another. They are all different colors. He looks to the cage to his right. There are hamsters and guinea pigs. These are the three that he is considering. All of them stay in cages most of the time, eat pellets, and are super soft and cute.
'A good factor to consider. Hmm..' Chase eyes the hamsters, 'The hamster balls may provoke Adam to toss it. And if the hamster was inside..' The bionic teen shudders. He looks at the guinea pigs, 'Same things could happen there. Although Adam's always wanted a pig, but he may get the wrong idea.'
Chase looks at the bunnies in front of him. One is nibbling on a leaf. It looks up at him, the strand of green bobbing up and down wildly. It's fur is mostly white, but it's face and ears have splotches of black. It's back has a light dusting of black color as well. Chase smiles.
"Perfect." He stands up and calls over an employee. "I'd like to get this little guy," Chase says, pointing at the rabbit.
"Yes sir, but it's a girl."
Chase just chuckles. 'Like you would know.'
The employee opens the cage and scoops out the bunny. As he puts him in a carrier, he asks, "So, you like bunnies?"
"No, my.." Chase stops. He and Astrid aren't dating. He corrects himself and says, "He's for a friend."
"She, it's a she," the employee states.
"I don't think so.." Chase says, singing under his breath. "My friend loves animals."
"Are you going to name he- him?"
Chase looks down at the bunny, sniffling to itself, "..No, I'm not. I'll let her."
"Her?"
"My friend." Chase walks away to find food, a cage, and other necessities to take care of a bunny.
"So, that over there," Chase points to the bags of bunny things, "is also yours."
"Thank you Chase, that was so sweet of you," Astrid says. She holds the little bunny in her arms, walking around the counter. "I think I'm going to name you.." Astrid thinks about it as the bunny twitches his nose. "Biscotti," she decides.
Chase tilts his head to the side, "Like the cracker?"
"Sure, why not? Technically," Astrid says, sticking her pointer finger in the air, "an oreo is a cracker, and that name is taken too much."
"Actually, it's a cookie."
"Whatever," Astrid says, on the brink of laughing.
Chase cracks a smirk, "You seem better."
Astrid looks at Biscotti and sighs, "Yeah.. I do feel better. Can you help me bring that stuff to my room."
"S-Sure," Chase says and turns to pick up a few bags. Astrid puts Biscotti back in his plastic carrier and picks up the final bag. They go up to her room and start setting up an empty corner for the bunny. Then she lets him out and he hops around to get used to his surroundings.
Astrid looks at Chase and hugs him. "Thank you," she says over his shoulder. He hugs back. "Animals was something my.. my dad and I had in common. ..This means so much more than you know.."
"I'm glad," Chase says. They break the contact. Then there is a crash downstairs. They both cringe. "..Adam," Chase explains. "I.. I gotta go."
"Okay. Tell Bree to call me down when the brownies are done," Astrid says.
Chase's eyebrows raise up a notch, "There are brownies?"
Astrid rolls her eyes as he leaves. She sits down and Biscotti hops over to her. "Daddy would have loved you," she tells him. She watches the bunny hop from one side of the room to the other. Then she stands up and opens her large closet. In the far back, there are a couple boxes she hasn't opened. But she couldn't leave the things at her old house.
She takes one into the bigger space of the closet and opens the folds of cardboard on top. She takes a few things out until she finds what she is looking for. A brown, weathered book with gold along the edges of the pages. The cover is rough leather, faded in places over time.
She feels a tear forming and opens the Bible to a random page. It has pen marks along the sides, underlining passages and pointing out what something means. "Astrid, this is an important story. I don't think you fully understand its meaning." Her father's words echo for a moment.
She lifts her hand and fingers the golden necklace at her collarbone. "..Gold in the eyes of the Father.." she recites.
"Never forget that, Astrid. You are perfect in the eyes of the Father. And you are perfect to me." Astrid closes the book her father loved and packs away the box again. She picks the book up and sets it on her nightstand.
"You're right, I don't understand," she says to the air, "But I think it's time I learn."
Yes, I am incorporating Christian aspects into this. But it's really important to me. Plus, I love a good challenge.
Everybody say hi to Biscotti! You'll be seeing more of him in future chapters.