The double arrangement

6

"Blue or red"

"What? Quinn, please don't tell me this is another personality quiz"

"C'mon, don't be such a drag. Blue or red.

I sigh in frustration but comply as my sister hands me her magazine with the questionnaire on it. It's one of those teen magazines that have a bunch of personality questions. Each one has a different conclusion based on the answers to each question. It was simple questions basically. Like, choosing between two colors or animals. These are not really questions that require a lot of brainpower. My sister, on the other hand,, loved them. I don't know if it was the answers or the silliness of it, she just liked it. Unfortunately, that meant that occasionally, I would have to answer to really give her an answer.

I take the magazine from her, circle my answer with the pencil, and hand it back to her. She notes my answer, and it looks like she's really focused on the color of choice.

" It says here the color blue represents an Internal struggle with one's identity. It could be sexuality or even just self-worth related"

"You seriously need to stop doing those quizzes. They were made for people who are gullible and believe anything they read "

My sister smiles, as though she knows I'm right. Yet I don't persist further. I look at myself in the mirror, fixing the collar of my shirt before heading off to work. My uniform honestly looked like a mess but I didn't think anyone would notice. It's not like I had a boss looking over my shoulder. I take my things and look in the mirror one last time.

I wave Quinn goodbye and she waves, although her focus is on the magazine again. I just close the door behind me and head to my car. I decided that once I got off work I would get her another magazine. The one she had was getting kind of old. My car unlocked and I got in, adjusting my side mirrors before starting the engine. The kids in the apartment complex liked to mess around with my mirrors, leading to me adjusting them every five seconds. It was annoying really.

The local pet store wasn't far from the apartment. Ten minutes if I had to walk. The reason I took my car was simply to avoid talking to people. That and I was afraid I'd run into Max. He lived an hour from me. At least he used to before we moved to the new apartment. I wanted to avoid running into him at all costs.

I turned into the parking lot of the pet store. The walls on the outside are cream-colored with blue railings for the windows. There was a sign right above the door that read: Claws and paws. The name was in big white letters with an animal paw next to it on a bright orange sign. I found the name a little ridiculous but the place wasn't bad. I reached into my pockets, digging out the keys that seemed to jingle each time I took another step.

Inside the walls were baby blue with yellow patterns. They range from dots to swirly lines. The store mainly sold pet food and toys, but because it was also a clinic, there were racks full of medicines for sick and injured animals. I opened the glass door with a twist of the key, although because it was so old it took a few turns. Inside it smelled of musk and animals. I reached behind the front desk and grabbed myself a blue apron. I searched for my name tag but decided against it since I didn't want to do the search.

Along with me, I had a few of the medical staff working with me and two others. On quieter days, it was just me and the nurse, whose name was Chloe something, at the back who handled this place. She would always greet me in the morning and ask about my weekend, although that's where it ended. I checked my watch and noted that it would be another ten minutes before Chloe showed up. I am busied myself with cleaning the front desk and repacking the isles with toys or extra dog food.

Around one pm, I sit back watching as customers look at our different varieties of medicine. No sick animals have come in today, so for me, it's a slow start to an even slower day. I just watch as people explore the isles and answer the occasional question. I check my phone for any new messages but find none except a few pins from my sister. I sigh but I don't hate the distraction. Just as I'm about to give up and take my lunch break, the glass door bursts open. The bell at the top of the door makes a ding sound and I look up to see the crazy maniac who decided to burst through a goddamn pet store.

Surprise overtook me when I saw Jonah running to the front desk, a small dog in his arms. Upon looking at it more closely it was definitely a German Shepherd, judging by the color of the ears and the distinct characteristics. The dog had a pink collar around her neck with little stars on it. I smiled at the cuteness of it, but my grin quickly faded when I saw the worry in Jonah's eyes. The dog was clearly injured, judging by the sounds of pain she made. It sounded like little whimpers, each one tearing at my heartstrings.

Jonah looked like he was on the verge of tears and it crushed me. I wanted whoever or whatever did this to pay. I wanted to pull Jonah into a hug, stroke his hair,, and tell him that it was going to be okay. Although I couldn't do any of that. Not without him seeing me as a total weirdo for even remotely having those thoughts. Instead, I just take a deep breath and take a look around the store. It seems mostly empty, the last customers leaving. I take the dog from him, leading Jonah to the back where there's a table.

Chloe's not in the back and I check my watch. She's on her lunch break and I knew she wouldn't be back for another thirty minutes. Jonah was looking around nervously and I could tell he needed some reassurance. I headed to the back, putting on some blue scrubs. Chloe wasn't here and the dog needed help. Luckily she had trained me on what to do in her absence. I return, and Jonah turns to me, gently petting the dog on the back of her ears. I could feel the fear in the room, coupled with the uncertainty. I wanted to tell him to wait for Chloe. That would've been the responsible thing to do. Instead... I DID THE TOTAL OPPOSITE.

I turned to Jonah and searched his face for any hint of protest or anger. When I found none I realized that he was trusting me. That somehow was scarier than what I was about to do.