I leaned on the arm rest to the front seat as I lazily sat on the middle seat in the back. We had just left the school and finished our argument about shot gun and during the whole argument, it was as if Chase was quiet and pissed off. Even though Zoey won the debate and he scored the passenger seat next to his precious girlfriend. But right as I was about to close my eyes from boredom due to this drive—since I usually messed with Zoey's radio to piss her off to see her reactions—my eyes widened in horror.

"ZOEY!"

"What?!" she asked as she hit the brakes immediately.

"You almost ran over that puppy!" I exclaimed, pointing to the small dog in the middle of the road that was probably terrified right now.

"You did not seriously stop me because of some dog!" she yelled. She wasn't one for pets, especially dogs.

"You could've killed it!" I reasoned.

"Who cares?!" she asked.

"I do!" I shouted. She may not like animals, but I loved them. I undid my seat belt and hopped out of the car to grab the fluffy puppy off the street. I stepped on to the side walk as Zoey pulled her car to the side of the road.

"Now what are you doing in the middle of the street?" I asked the puppy. He had really fluffy fur and looked as if he was a Husky/German Sheppard mix or something. Either way, he was cute. His fur was all shades of brown, making it russet all over. I looked for a collar, but couldn't find one. I cradled him in my arms as I looked around. And then I saw the small box outside of a shop window that said "FREE PUPPIES." The side of the cardboard box was ripped open and there weren't any other dogs in it. Or a person. So I guessed this little guy was abandoned in hope for a home. I looked at his scrunched face and into his wide brown eyes.

I started walking over to Zoey's car, which she moved into an actual parking lot and she rolled down her window.

"Look!" I said as I held up the pup.

"Get that mutt off my car," Zoey ordered. I cradled him in my chest. I can't believe someone would abandon such a cute puppy!

"Zoey..."

"Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no, no," she said, knowing what I was gonna say.

"But look," I whined as I held him up. He tried to sniff Zoey and she flinched away.

"Get that thing away from me," she squealed. I cradled him back in my chest. Like his rightful place.

"I think that Mom would love for us to have a cute new puppy," I prompt. No matter what, I opened the backseat door and sat down with my new puppy in my arms.

"I doubt it," Zoey muttered. As I slid into the middle seat, my puppy started to yelp in the direction of Chase. "It doesn't like me or Chase. Must be a sign."

"First of all, it's he," I stated as she started to depart from the parking lot. "Second, you don't know that. You just don't like him. And he's just not used to you guys yet."

"Yet he's used to you?" she scoffed.

"Well duh. All dogs are," I said. I had never met a dog that didn't cuddle up to me. I looked to the front seat and saw Zoey shaking her head, but Chase looked at me from the corner of his eye briefly before turning around. He looked mad or something. So my childish self held out the puppy, far enough that his little tongue licked Chase's nose. It was honestly so adorable. Especially when Chase broke out into a smile that seemed to have lighted his eyes by a shade. He bent his left arm so that he could pet my puppy's head. Whatever Zoey said about him not liking Chase was a lie, judging by the fact that his little tongue was hanging out the side of his mouth as Chase tickled behind his ears and on his head.

"What are you gonna name him?" Chase asked as I still held him out.

"I don't know yet," I answered.

"Well what's something you love—"

"Chocolate," I answered, cutting him off. Chase let out a few chuckles even though I had tried to say it seriously. He still played with the puppy's ears. "Wanna hold him?"

As soon as I asked, Zoey shot Chase a look of "no" and I gulped. Geez...he was just a harmless puppy...

"Nah. Hold him yourself," Chase said. "Look at his face. That's a way to think of a name."

"Well it has to be unique..." I said as I turned puppy to me and he tilted his head to the side.

"Like Lili?" Chase asked.

"Shut up," I demanded. I stared intently on my pup's face and muzzle. "I got it."

"What exactly do you got?" Chase asked, rubbing his left hand through his hair. "Because you know, it cannot be an embarrassing name."

"Roanoke."

"Roanoke?" Zoey asked, looking at me through her rear-view mirror.

"Roanoke," I repeated with a smile. "It was a mysteriously abandoned colony and he's a mysteriously abandoned pup."

"I like it," Chase nodded as he flashed a smile to me.

"Welcome to the family, Roanoke," I said to him. It's as if he knew what I said because he spread a doggy grin that matched my own smile. I looked to Chase and even though he was facing to the road, his dimple on his left cheek informed me that he was smiling.

***

At 4:32 pm on September 13th, 2011 and Roanoke Lindros was officially part of the family! My mom immediately allowed me to keep him since I had "rescued" him from the horrible driving of Zoey, not to mention that Zoey had everything and I...well didn't.

So now I was in my room, with the door closed as I played with Roanoke on the floor. Surprisingly, he was easy to train...which was weird since I hadn't given any rewards. I picked up Roanoke and opened my door, only to find Chase standing there as if he was about to knock on the door. We both laughed briefly at the situation.

"Uh, Zoey wanted some dinner and I wanted to know if you wanted some too?" he asked, jingling Zoey's car keys.

"Sure," I shrugged. Before he asked what I wanted, I asked him a question instead. "Would you mind if we stop at—"

"Pet-smart, got it," he finished with a half smile. I exited my room with Roanoke in my arms and trotted downstairs with Chase.

"Mom—"

"Money's on the table," she called.

"Do you even care where we're going?" I asked.

"Zoey wants food. So does Roanoke. I'm not dumb," she called out as I walked to the table.

"A debit card?" I asked. She walked in the room.

"I've decided that since you're responsible enough to adopt a dog, you should be responsible enough to have your own debit card," she shrugged.

"Thanks!" I said as I hugged her. She smiled.

"Uh...if you don't mind, my girlfriend is upstairs demanding food as soon as possible so if we could wrap this up..." Chase said, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand like usual. My mom playfully rolled her eyes and allowed us to leave.

"Thanks," I told Chase.

"Don't worry about it," he said as he started the car. "Just don't tell your sister that a dog was in the same car as her food."

We laughed briefly before expanding on our hunt.

***

We returned home with one chew toy, a red leash, silver food and water bowls, a 40-pound bag of food (carried by the honors of Chase Cane), treats, and a bed for Roanoke in addition to food for the rest of us. "Shit," I said once we got home. We set down all of the food in the kitchen and the dog stuff where it needed to go.

"What?" Chase asked, alarmed.

"I didn't buy him a collar," I said.

"Eh. Just keep him at home and then walk him in the backyard," Chase shrugged as he pulled meals and sides out of the fast-food bag. "If you want, I can help you train him."

"Actually, he's pretty trained already," I informed. "All the basic tricks are already learned. I wonder if someone gave him training before they gave him to the streets."

"I don't know. Let's test it," Chase suggested. "Let's see if he at least knows his name."

"Roanoke," I called since he was walking freely around my house. He didn't come. "Roanoke?"

"Roanoke," Chase called. Almost immediately, I heard tiny paws hitting the wooden floor as Roanoke sped over to us in the kitchen. Chase crouched over and rubbed Roanoke's coat before feeding him a fry.

"What the hell? My dog likes you better than me," I accused.

"It's okay. Most dogs will," Chase said before picking Roanoke up. He immediately cuddled into his warm chest.

"What the heck is taking so long?" Zoey's voice said as I hopped onto the counter and Chase still held Roanoke as he filled his dog bowl with food and water. Zoey looked down to them. "What the hell?"

"Adorable isn't it?" I smiled.

"More like gross," Zoey commented. "Are you serving it before me?"

"Yes, I am serving him before you because I don't know when the last time this little guy ate," Chase replied, letting Roanoke out of his arms so he could eat. "Seems like it's been a while."

Chase wiped his hands on his jeans and I ate my food, sitting on the counter as Zoey grabbed her dinner. Chase reached out to her and she flinched away.

"Babe, do not touch me until you wash your hands," she ordered, backing up away from him.

"And what if I do this?" he asked before wiping his hands all in her hair, messing it up. She looked at him, incredulously.

"You did not," she exclaimed.

"Oh but I did," Chase muttered as he stepped forward and grabbed her hands. With his undeniable stronger strength, her hands stayed in his because she clearly didn't have the strength to pull away. She backed up into the counter with the sink. Chase's left hand inched up her arm and I could tell that Zoey was disgusted with the thought that she had "doggy germs" on her now. And then he touched her face.

"It's so gross," she whined with a scrunched face.

"Then let me make it not gross," Chase suggested before leaning in to press his lips to her. Something turned in my stomach and then I hopped off the counter to leave. He broke the kiss and after being dazed for a second or two, Zoey pushed him away from her and ordered him to wash his hands. Of course I was on my way upstairs to finish my dinner when I could make out the sounds and such. I was sitting on my bed, minutes later, when I wanted to try something.

"Roanoke!" I yelled. Seconds later, an excited Roanoke was in my room with a wagging tail. I smiled to myself. Ha! So he didn't necessarily like Chase better than me. I tossed a fry down to him and he ate it with delight. "Good boy..."

"Hey!" Chase's voice called to me as he just arrived in my door way. He looked confused. "Why did you just steal my dog?"

"Your dog? Try my dog!" I responded.

"Oh yeah?" he asked, doubtful. "Roanoke, come."

Roanoke finished his fry and hesitantly shuffled to Chase.

"Roanoke," I said sweetly. He looked back to me with a doggy grin and his tail still wagged. He ran over to me and I swooped him up in my arms. I looked to Chase and stuck my tongue out. "Ha! My dog."

Chase looked to Roanoke.

"Come on buddy, next time, you're mine," Chase said dramatically before he made an even more dramatic exit. I had to laugh as I set Roanoke down and finished my dinner. Seconds later, Roanoke took off.

"Roanoke?" I asked. And then Chase rounded into my doorframe, holding my puppy.

"You sure he's your puppy?" he asked with a victorious smile.

"Yes," I hissed even though I doubted it.

"I don't think so," Chase said. I dropped my face into a pout. Chase walked over and sat on my bed. "But that's okay because I'm kinda thinking he thinks he's ours."

I smiled at him and something in my body crashed us together into a hug where my arms were around his neck and after he set Roanoke on the floor, he hugged me around the waist and squeezed. I closed my eyes and smelt three smells that I loved. Chocolate. Nature...And a hint of Roanoke. With the warmth Chase gave off, I wanted to stay here forever.

"Alicia! Get this mutt out of my room!" Zoey squealed, ruining the moment. We pulled away and realized that Roanoke was missing...just like the colony that his name was based from. Chase looked down to me and gave a reassuring smile as he looked in my eyes.

"It's okay. I got him," he said before leaving my room and taking his warmth with him.