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‘ How dare they! They didn't even let you show yourself! ’ she exclaimed.

I pressed my lips together and looked at Jenny and shrugged.

‘ They just didn't realize who they lost! ’ Jenny says, and smile sweetly at me.

‘ The audition for the part of Chad is in two days! ’ Jenny continues.

‘ Is it worth going? ’ I say, raising one eyebrow.

‘ It's worth it! ’ Jenny says.

We talked until ten o'clock in the night, and Jenny got ready to go home. She put on her jacket, came over and hugged me, and headed for the exit. I closed the door, put my phone on charge, took a bath, then got a book out of my locker called «Among a Thousand Faces» and started reading.

I woke up this morning with one thought in mind. The thought of what to get Bella for her birthday today. Typing in a search was useless; first I got a bunch of trinkets, and then a gift set with hairpins and other stuff.

I started scrolling through all of our conversations, and I remembered one moment when Bella was telling me about the time she'd gone to Pennsylvania with her family before her cousin. She told me how she had spent time at their place and how she had played with their dog Jasper. And at the end of our conversation, she told me that she was going to get a dog someday.

I read an ad on a website that a woman was selling a Hawaiian Bichon dog. I contacted her by e-mail, and now I was going to see her. I opened my dresser drawer, and pulled out my paycheck, or rather what was left of it. That money was just enough. I took the money, grabbed my cap, put on my sneakers, and left the house. She lives at 704 President Street. I pressed the doorbell twice, and within seconds the door opened.

In front of me stands a woman about twenty-six years old. Her hair is in a bun; she's wearing black-rimmed glasses and a red blouse with black pants.

‘ What can I do for you? ’ she asked and adjusted her glasses.

‘ I'm from the ad, ’ I said.

A smile blossomed on her face, she looked at me differently, her gaze changed immediately, she grabbed my hand.

‘ Come in, honey, ’ she says.

I stand in the hallway. All the shelves in the hall were filled with books that even some didn't fit, and lay on the reading table. Along the stairs that led upstairs hung pictures and drawings of dogs.

Have loved animals since childhood. My first pet was a Panther Chameleon. His name was Teddy and he lived in a big aquarium that we had in the hall. My second pet was an English bulldog, Tracy, who was the last pet we had.

A woman approached me with a little puppy sitting in her arms. He looked like a toy. It was white in color, but it had dark, wavy hair in places. She hands him to me, and he yawns sweetly. I give her the money for the puppy, walk outside and go home.

I go to my room, open the dresser, and grab the gift ribbon with the bow on it. I still have this ribbon from Christmas, when I was wrapping Christmas presents for my family. I put the puppy on the dresser and tied the ribbon around his neck.

The doorbell rings. I put the dog on the floor and went to answer the door. As it turned out, it was the mailman who had brought me the new issue of «Celebrities of Hollywood» magazine.

I jump up on the bed and open the first page: «Charlie Oliver got kicked out of the club again». This news doesn't surprise me at all. I've seen a couple of movies with Charlie, but over time I haven't watched him in any way, and now the only thing I know about him is this: Charlie is a scandalous actor in Hollywood.

The day flew by and it started to get dark outside, and I grabbed the dog and headed to Bella's birthday party. I'm wearing navy blue pants, a white shirt, and I've got my sweatshirt on top with a lock on it.

Knock-Knock-Knock.

The door opens and Bella appears. The dark brown shadows emphasized the expressiveness and depth of her eyes. Her eyebrows and lips were slightly highlighted. She was wearing a beige dress, and her hair was neatly done on her head. I can't take my eyes off of her.

‘ Jake! ’ she says. ‘ You came to! ’

I look at her and I remember that I'm holding a puppy behind me. In a slow motion, I intercept the puppy with my other hand.

‘ Happy Birthday! ’ I say, and hold the puppy in front of me.

She covers her nose and mouth with her folded palms, and inhales as she takes her hands away from her face, her eyes glistening like she got a backstage pass to a Harry Styles concert.

‘ God, Jake! ’ she said. ‘ I've wanted a dog for a long time. ’

‘ And here it is, ’ I said.

‘ Thank you! ’ Bella says. She takes the puppy in her hands and kisses me on the cheek.

That kiss was very tender like the first snow that fell in early December, barely taking it in my hand… it melts…

In the doorway I notice Jenny who was flickering from one room, to another. She was running around like a turret, taking pictures with her phone of everything in sight. She caught me under her lens.

‘ Hey, guys, this is Jake Evans! ’ she says. ‘ A future celebrity. ’

I looked at the camera incredulously. It was like being asked to wish happy birthday to someone you hardly know, and holding the phone very close to your face.

‘ God, Jenny, put the phone away, ’ Bella quips.

‘ No, I have to get a picture of the day, ’

‘ Hey, Barbara, it's your turn! ’ Jenny shouts and rushes out into the hall like a hurricane.

We laugh.

I see all the people in the hall that I saw at Bella's last birthday party. All of her near and dear friends are here. Barbara, Shawn, Cassandra, Teresa, Jenny, and even her friend from North Carolina, Fred, who came to congratulate Bella. Bella's mother, Melissa Falls, comes out of the kitchen. She clasps me in a hug, then takes my hand and places it beside Bella's. We were standing so close that not even air would have leaked through our distance. Mrs. Falls takes a couple of pictures with the family camera.

‘ As a memento, ’ she says.

‘ Gosh, who do we have here? ’ she says and turns her gaze to the puppy.

‘ It's a gift from Jake, ’ Bella says.

‘ That's great! ’ Mrs. Falls says. ‘ I think they've been waiting for you. ’

Joining the others, Bella's friend Teresa suggested we play a game. This game is very simple; you ask a group of people a question and they have to answer it, then we check to see who was right.

‘ Who's first? ’ Jenny asks.

‘ What is Cassandra's favorite color? ’ Shawn asks the question.