TANALYA GREENEWOD: World 10

Three

"S-seriously?!" she asked with more shock than she wanted to have exposed. Her heart began to race once again and this race seemed more intense. She had to calm herself or her heart would give away and she would have a heart attack. He pursed his lips in a grim line and after a moment let out a light laughter. The interested mutt jumped in his arms and, for a second, Tanalya felt jealous.

"No... Of course not! I'm just joking with you," He smiled and Tanalya let out a relieved breath.

"I... Okay..." she said with a chuckle, "You haven't told me how you got in though," Tanalya smiled sheepishly.

"I actually came in with you... I just was really quiet... I mean... you had my dog,"

"You should really put a name tag on her... I can help you if you are looking where to get them," Tanalya stroked the mutt's fur, "she's really a queer breed though,"

"What makes you think that?"

"She..." Tanalya laughed, "She just has an odd vibe,"

"Well... I am not so sure which breed she is though... let's just says she was a stray I decided to help out," The way he smiled at the mutt... Tanalya found it mesmerizing. She blushed, but the race her heart was going on seemed to be coming to an end. She was getting comfortable- with her few uncertainties though, "You said you 'ought to have friends' if I quote... you don't seem like someone to not have friends though,"

Tanalya stayed silent. She didn't like talking about her family or her life in general to anyone. It made her woozy and she always found herself getting sick after explaining that kind of thing- not like she's had a lot of people to share that with. After she had first ran off with her first boyfriend, her mother banned her from having friends. She had been 13 and foolish then. Now she was turning 19 soon. She was basically an adult, she could take care of herself and she was determined.

She will have so many friends! She surely will.

The brunet in front of her noticed the little sparkle of determination in her eyes and felt amused, but was still surprised by her next question.

"Can you be my friend?" if he had been drinking coffee he would have gladly spat it out all over her just for asking such an immature question to someone she knew nothing about.

"Do you even know my name?!" He found himself asking and Tanalya chuckled.

"We'll get there, names aren't necessary now," The guy was gaping at her. He was convinced. The blonde beauty in front of him was raging mad, "But if you insist, you can call me TG," she pressed her lips in a grim line, "What do I call you?"

The guy raised a brow then shrugged.

"Call me Jokx" He said and it was Tanalya's turn to raise a brow.

"What kind of name is that?"

"See who's asking?" Tanalya eye rolled and looked at the time on her phone briefly. She stood up and stretched.

"I have to go to work now, so... you have to leave,"

Jokx didn't seem wavered. He simply stood, mutt in his arms.

"See you around, I guess," Tanalya simply waved as he left her little apartment and she let out a deep sigh afterwards.

She had enough determination for a day, now it was time for work.

**

"Just let him stay away from anything allergic as you're walking her, I don't want my baby getting sick. I'll be back in a few, so don't worry too much," The frantic lady said as she repeatedly cleaned nonexistent dirt from her little poodle's face.

Tanalya nodded. Even if she knew taking care of a poodle was as easy as pie, she never worked below her limits. She would walk the dog only around a few blocks to avoid any thing that may be poisonous.

As soon as the lady left, she poured the poodle a bowl of dog treats, then used it as a bait to lure the dog into the little pen which was made specifically to hold the creature. Then she fastened it up with a lock and as t watching the poodle.

It sat still and unmoving, almost bored as it ignored the bowl in front of it. Tanalya smiled. Her pay for this easy job was out of this world yet all she had to do was keep her eyes open.

She took out her phone and scrolled through social media, boredom evident on her face.

"Well, such a bummer... thought I won't fall this time," For the second time that day, Tanalya jumped out of her skin. She looked around frantically, but the only other living creature in the room was the poodle.

She stared at it closely. Then she laughed.

I'm probably just hearing things, she thought, vie had a long day.

The poodle whined and she once again looked at it. It was cute, with big eyes that seemed even cuter than the poodle itself. It was white and seemed really fluffy.

"Did you hear what I heard?" Tanalya asked it, and it didn't make a sound. Tanalya shrugged and went back to scrolling and once again was caught off guard.

"No... What did you hear?" Her eyes immediately shot to the pen holding the poodle and she dropped her phone sitting up straight.

"D-did you just speak?" she asked the dog and it made no sound once again. She let out a nervous laugh; "I'm just being delusional, aren't I?" she stood up, heading straight to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and helped herself to a glass of milk as she was allowed by the owner.

Grasping the cup in one fidgety hand, she returned back to the living space and sat down, staring at the poodle closely. Her heart had once again begun a marathon and she took deep breaths trying to calm it down.

"Did... Did you speak? Like just now... or am I dreaming?" she pinched herself, wincing at the sharp pain and her fear increasing all the more. She inwardly battled on whether she was hearing things or this poodle was actually really speaking. She ran her shaky free hand through her hair and sipped on the glass she was holding. She doesn't have such a healthy heart, she couldn't afford to over react. She took sharp shallow breaths, but her eyes never left the poodle.

"Why are you looking at me like that old weaner?" Tanalya literally felt her heart stop. She couldn't breathe. She gasped for breath to no avail. Her eyes closed, her ears banged and like that she was out cold.