Puppy Love for Christmas

Christopher Wakefield fell in love with Sabrina Fairbanks the night before he was supposed to leave for his freshman year at MIT. He was sixteen-years-old. She climbed in through the first-floor window of his room at exactly 9 pm. She was a woman on a mission in black on black on black clothing. The look of determination in her sea green eyes said it all. “I need your help,” she said, breathing hard as if having run from something or someone. She blew on a curl that fell limp over her forehead. The rest of the red mass stuck out in all directions, seemingly in defiance of Newton’s Law. Chris pushed his thick black-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You know I’m not allowed girls in my room past 9.” Her eyebrow popped up. “As opposed to any other time of the day?” “Touché.” He snorted. “What about le boyfriend? Can’t he be your hero tonight?” She let out a puff of air and crossed her arms. “Troy isn’t into this kind of thing. Plus, he’s at Brandon’s party.” “The biggest bash of the summer.” “One last hurrah before the grind of college, you know. Not that he’s going to college like the others. He’s still a senior this year.” Oh, he did know. In fact, he had been invited to said bash. He refused on account of all the packing he had to do. His parents offered to send over anything he might need. He had to say no on principle. He was on his way to one of the most prestigious schools in the country. The last thing he needed was his Spiderman bedsheets to follow him there. He looked longingly at the sheets on his bed one last time. They were great sheets. It was MIT so maybe . . . he mentally shook his head. He was a big boy now and big boys didn’t bring their blankies to college. He was already two years younger than every freshman. The last thing he wanted was to be treated more like the kid he still was. “So, are you coming with me or not?” “I’m packing, Sabrina,” he said, trying his damnedest not to give in. Unfortunately, he made the mistake of glancing toward her. Those doe eyes—big and bright—were his undoing every time. “But I need you.” Those four words did funny, scary things in his chest. He concentrated on folding the shirt in his hands. Left panel over right panel then bottom over the top. The perfectly folded shirt. “Come on, Chris,” she begged. Already he could hear the pout in her words. If he turned around again and saw the actual pout he’d be a goner for sure. The girl he grew up with had little idea of the power she had over him. She was the daughter of the Wakefield Hotel manager. They ran the halls together. Raced using the elevators. Snuck treats out of the kitchen. Then they entered high school. Sabrina went her way and he . . . well, he skipped two grades. Hence graduating well before everyone else in his class. He was even in a grade higher than Sabrina’s All-American jock of all trades boyfriend. “I have an early flight tomorrow,” he insisted, hearing the half-heartedness of his response. He wasn’t giving in. He wasn’t giving in. Damn it! He was about to give in. “I have so much to do.” “This won’t take long.” She grabbed his arm. He spun around. She was looking up at him. He was looking down at her. Their faces were inches apart. He could smell the mint from the gum she’d been chewing. And for a second, his gaze followed the sprinkling of freckles across her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose. He could draw constalations on those freckles like a cosmic connect the dots. The back of his neck grew hot as he stepped away. Unfortunatenly, the edge of the bed prevented him from going farther than he had wanted. He still got a whiff of her citrus shampoo on every inhale. And there was that irresistible pout. The gleam in her eyes confirmed she knew just how powerful her womanly wiles were. “Think of this like one of the missions in those RPGs you so enjoy,” she said, adding a softness to her voice he hadn’t heard before but wouldn’t mind hearing again. “They’re called quests,” he corrected, thinking he’d set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature yet he still felt stifled. “A quest then. To save innocent lives.” “You’re not making any sense.” “If you go with me then everything will make sense. Just a quick trip. I’ll have you back here before midnight. I’ll even help you pack afterwards.” “I have a system.” “Fine, I won’t help you pack. Just come with me already. One last adventure before you leave.” “We never have adventures together. Not since we were little.” “Then think of this like those times at the hotel.” She finally stepped back enough that the air Chris breathed didn’t smell of her. “I’d do it myself but it’s a two-person job.” Chris had to admit to being intrigued. Damn his natural sense of curiosity. No matter how much he wanted to stay and finish packing, the moment Sabrina mistakenly used mission instead of quest he was hooked. What was the harm in helping someone? His father always encouraged it. His mother always told him to choose kindness. “Alright,” he said, adding some annoyance to his tone just to make it seem like she was imposing on his night of packing fun. “Really?” When her face lit up it was like seeing the universe come to life. Something in Chris changed. In more ways than one. *** An hour outside of Trevor, Maine sat the sprawling two-story Pavilion Mall. Chris and Sabrina drove up along the winding coastal road in her Chevy clunker. Throughout the drive, Chris kept asking for specifics about the quest. Sabrina remained tight-lipped, telling him she’d fill him in as they went along. She also kept telling him about how fun it was to be doing this with him. What the “this” was he had no clue. But he was already in it. Might as well see things through. Sabrina parked a block away from the mall, muttering something about no security cameras on that side of the street. Chris swallowed. “What about the security cameras?” “You’ll need this.” She handed him a black ski mask then pulled on her own. It covered everything but her eyes. “What’s this for?” His palms began to sweat. He should have known something wasn’t right when Sabrina insisted he change into something darker than the checked polo shirt he had on. Preferably black, like what she had been wearing. Heroes didn’t wear black, only villains did. Well, Batman wore black occasionally. It depended on which issue of the cannon you followed. “Just put it on,” she hissed. “We’re running out of time.” “I don’t like this,” he muttered as he pulled on the ski mask and sneezed when the scratchy fabric tickled his nose. Then his adjusted his glasses back to center. “And when did you put gloves on?” “I have some for you too.” She threw a pair over her shoulder at him. “Keep up. The guard is almost done with his break.” She checked her watch before sprinting toward the mall looming ahead of them, its name illuminated in the dark night sky. “Guard?” “Shhh!” She led them around the parking lot toward the back of the mall. The entire time, they moved at a crouch. Another move heroes hardly did. Crouching was for bad guys skulking in the shadows, which was what they seemed to be doing. Chris assumed it had something to do with security cameras. How Sabrina knew how to avoid them was unnerving on so many levels. “What happened to the girl who used to sneak chocolate milk out onto the balcony with me late at night?” he asked. More like whispered, really. “She grew up and found a cause worth fighting for,” she said as she pulled him behind a dumpster overlooking a stoop with a haggard guard taking a final drag on his cigarette. The white smoke curled up toward the lamp post. Around its bulb flew moths. “When you said quest, I didn’t think you meant committing a crime.” He wanted to raise his voice to accompany the panic bubbling in him, but the fear from the guard overhearing him overpowered any volume he might have raised. “It’s a liberation, not a crime.” “That’s just semantics.” “You’ll understand once we get inside.” “I don’t like this.” “Well, deal. You said you’d help.” “Don’t make me regret saying yes to this hairbrained scheme of yours.” His parents had been willing to pay for college, but he wanted to do it on his own. And so, he did. The potential of losing his hard-earned scholarship because of a felony on his record almost made him piss his pants. He didn’t have more time to dwell on the reality of their situation because Sabrina said, “Let’s go” right as the guard crushed the stub of his cigarette under his shoe and turned toward the door behind him. Sabrina made a run for it, not checking if Chris followed. Because, of course he followed. What else could he do but follow? The image of lemmings jumping off a cliff flashed in his mind. Although it was a myth that they did it to kill themselves, it was true that they did jump off cliffs into the water once one had done it. Hence following the leader. Each step felt like he was nearing Mount Doom and its hellish fires within. Yet he must save the world. At least make sure the girl in front of him didn’t get them into more trouble than they already seem to be in. They reached the door at the right second. Sabrina grabbed the handle before it shut fully. Chris bumped into her shoulder, thinking of pressing on. Yet she remained still. “What are you doing?” he whispered, his internal panic reaching his voice. She held up a glove clad finger then counted down, “Three . . . two . . . one.” Sabrina yanked the door open and ushered Chris inside. Then she removed a folded piece of paper from her pocket and stuffed it into the door latch. He was about to ask what she was doing, but stopped the stupid question before it left his lips. She was jamming the door so it wouldn’t close all the way. His eyes darted to the card slot on the wall that presumably opened the door once a card key was swiped through. Okay, when had they entered a Mission Impossible movie? Chris was no Tom Cruise. Far from it. He was more like the IT guy who stayed behind in the truck opening locks remotely and cutting the power by accessing the electrical grid that was always computerized and centralized for some reason. It was never like that IRL. After adjusting the backpack slung over her shoulder, Sabrina looked into his eyes and said, “Now for the fun part.” Chris shook his head. “There’s no such thing in this situation. What had you gotten us into?” Actually, he had wanted to say “me” but feared it was too selfish in the moment. “Stay low. Move fast. We have a ways to go and a security guard to dodge.” “How do you know all of this? And where are we going?” There should have been a “hell” in that last question. Chris wasn’t the cursing type. It sounded weird when he tried. Sabrina rolled her eyes and crouched low once again. Then she pushed forward like a special ops marine on the way to retrieve an asset. Sighing, because what else could he do, Chris hunched as low as he could and barreled along. He did his best to match his pace with hers while leaving room for potential impact should she stop abruptly. They passed an empty breakroom. At that time of the night? Security and janitorial staff lurked in the shadows of the mall. At least that was what Chris learned from movies. He was about to get real life experience to prove or disprove the claim. After a set of lockers with names taped to the top of each door was a room with several monitors inside and a fat guard leaning heavily on an abused armchair. Instead of looking up at the screens, he was busy reading the book in his hands. Once in a while he would pop a white doughnut hole into his mouth. Chris peaked at the title as he and Sabrina crawled on by. Michael Crichton. Jurassic Park. The copy was battered, the spine broken. Chris held his breath the entire time. He only allowed himself to exhale when they reached the end of the hallway where another door barred their way. Sabrina stretched to her full height and punched in a code on the keypad beside the door. Chris watched in awe, wide-eyed, mouth open behind the ski mask. He wanted to ask how she knew the code, but had a feeling Sabrina wouldn’t share that information. She hadn’t been forthcoming all night. What made that moment any different? Of course, she knew the code. Once the light turned green, Sabrina wrapped her hand around the handle and pulled. The other side revealed the darkened mall within. The eerie part where the bursts of dim light Chris had no idea the source of. It gave enough illumination for them to see where they were going, but maintained a gloom where shadows danced. Chris’ heart skipped and not in a good way. “Malls are terrifying at night,” he mumbled, making a mental note never to repeat this experience ever again. “I think it’s kind of cool” came Sabrina’s response. “Sure, Night of the Living Dead cool.” “What’s that?” she asked as they passed the dead fountain with its treasure trove of coins at the bottom, each one a wish waiting to be granted. “You’ve never watched Night of the Living Dead?” Chris was floored. It was a cult classic, especially for zombie fans. “You watch The Walking Dead but you don’t know that movie?” “Does the movie have Daryl Dixon in it?” “You mean Norman Reedus? Of course not.” “Then I’m not watching it.” Chris would have rolled his eyes but he had to concentrate on not tripping over the too high steps of the escalator they were ascending. To trip and fall would be the worst outcome, besides getting caught, that night. He wanted to keep the injury count to zero. “Where are we going?” he asked again out of sheer frustration. He was done not knowing. A beam of light in the distance made Sabrina freeze in her tracks. Chris froze as well, heart in his throat. This was it. They were getting caught. Going to jail. Their futures ruined. Sabrina grabbed his arm and yanked him hard. With strength he was surprised she possessed, she flung him into the pet store a few yards away from the escalator. It was one of the only places without an aluminum gate closing it in. Chris slide onto his side. Just as he was about to yelp from the pain of landing on his hip, Sabrina’s hand covered his mouth. She tugged him close to her so his head rested between her breasts. How could heaven and hell exist in the same moment? He was surrounded by softness, but he couldn’t appreciate it because more of his attention was on the whistling guard and the beam of light coming closer. Like in the movies, the guard paused right in front of the pet store. He panned his flashlight left then right in a slow sweep. Sabrina’s hug tightened around Chris. On impulse, he closed his hand around the arm she had across his chest. The tension in Sabrina relaxed at the contact. It was as if he was saying they were going to be okay even when it felt like far from the truth for him. A chirp startled everyone. Even the guard, who shined his flashlight into the store. Sabrina and Chris both stiffened, barely breathing. They were behind a large stack of dog food bags. The budgies in a cage ruffled their feathers. It seemed like an eternity before the guard resumed his whistling and continued on his patrol of the empty mall. Well, as empty as two people sneaking inside made the place. They shouldn’t even be there. As soon as the guard was safely out of hearing range, Sabrina returned to her animated state. She pushed to her feet. The separation left Chris feeling cold for some reason. Gritting his teeth, he got up. More like Sabrina pulled him up. Then she made her way to the back of the store. Chris passed a wall of aquariums as he trailed right behind her. A bead curtain separated the two sections. The strands made a clacking sound as Sabrina pushed through. Apparently, she wasn’t concerned by the noise anymore. Chris, on the other hand, steadied the curtain as best he could. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Making sure we don’t get caught,” he said back, heat in his tone. “We won’t. Only one guard makes the rounds.” “How do you even know that?” Even through the ski mask he was sure she was grinning at him. “In case I forget later, thank you for coming with me.” Those words, said with so much sincerity, almost made Chris forget the insanity of the situation he was in. “You’re welcome.” Sabrina unzipped her backpack and produced a large pillowcase. She shook it open then handed it over to Chris. “I’d ask what this is for but I figure I’m about to find out anyway,” he said. “You’re learning.” She moved toward the line of cages along one wall. Small yips emanated from four of them. She opened one and retrieved a wriggling beagle pup. “Hello,” she cooed, giving its nose a quick kiss before depositing the puppy into the pillowcase. “We’re stealing puppies?” Chris blurted out. “We’re liberating them,” she replied nonchalant as she reached into the next cage to reveal a corgi. “Yes, we are,” she said to the puppy. “But that’s wrong.” “More wrong than the fact that these babies came from puppy mills?” The second those last two words registered, Chris’s grip on the increasingly unwieldy pillowcase tightened. “Even if that is the case, it doesn’t make stealing right.” “Do you even know what happens in puppy mills?” He’d seen a Sixty Minutes piece on it. Boiled his blood. He loved dogs as much as the next person. Even had one growing up. Best dog in the world. He couldn’t bring himself to get another after Einstein passed. “They’re just going to fill the cages again, you know that, right?” was his rebuttal. “Then I’ll just have to come back.” “Sabrina, that’s not the way you change the world.” “Until Maine bans the purchase of puppies from mills, I’m saving as many of them as I can.” Chris opened his mouth, but the look in her eyes stopped him from saying anything else. Plus, it was all he could do not to drop the squirming bag in their hands. By the end, they exited the store with eight puppies of different breeds in two pillowcases. Chris was torn. Stealing was bad, but puppy mills were far worse. The images of emaciated, pregnant dogs in horrible living conditions would forever be seared into his brain. So caught up in his thoughts was Chris that he hadn’t been paying attention when they reached the escalator. He collided with the pillowcase Sabrina was carrying. A puppy yelped in surprise. A chorus of little barks followed. “Chris!” Sabrina hissed at him. “Sorry.” But the apology was a little too late. A beam of light landed on them. The word “Hey!” was hurled their way. Chris couldn’t move. His legs were stuck. Sabrina grabbed the front of his shirt with her free hand. “Run!”