My Little Angel (#WattPride)

The Dog Cafè

The drive was one in a more comfortable silence than the first one. I smiled at Kai and grabbed my earbuds from my pocket before plugging them in to my phone and pressing play to an audiobook I had decided to try out. My stepmom listened to them all the time while she was working, but I looked at the listening of a story in distaste to actually feeling the smooth roughness of the paper in my hands, the hard cover digging into the side of my palm, and imagining it using only what my brain can provide for me. I felt closer, and more into a story that way. My stepmom called me a fool and asked me to try it out at least once. So, I decided to go with one of my favorites: The Witches by Roald Dahl. And, begrudgingly, I had to admit... listening to it isn't all that bad. I still prefer reading it for myself, but I could handle audiobooks.

"Whatcha listening to?" Kai asked, startling me out of the story. "If you want to listen to your music, I've got one of those cords that you can plug into the radio and use your phone. Can't quite remember what they're called."

"Huh, oh no, I'm not listening to music. It's a... It's an audiobook." I said, blushing slightly, though I had no idea as to why.

"Really? That's interesting. I use those to help read boring class assignments, like To Kill a Mockingbird. Is it the same for you, or do you listen for enjoyment?" Kai asked, looking at me.

"I, uh, enjoyment. I love to read. And I thought To Kill a Mockingbird was a wonderful book, by the way," I said, leaning over to bump his shoulder playfully. He chuckled and nodded.

"Uh-huh. Heh. Yeah, I'm not much of a reader. I try, but I end up reading the same page over and over again, or spacing out." He shrugged his shoulders and then smirked. "Buuut, I bet hearing a book read to me might help me start to learn. Here, plug it in." He handed me the cord and I looked at him quizzically before plugging it into my phone and restarting the book.

Here is James Henry Trotter when he was about four years old. Up until this time, he had had a happy life...

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"Well, well, well. Look who finally decides to show up to his own appointment." Riko said, the pink stripe in his long, black glossy hair standing out. He had it in a small bun today. He stood on top of a concrete block with a sign poking from the middle of it, looking quite like a pirate in a crow's nest.

"Yeah. Ooh, and he brought the shy one. Loving the jacket. Very... interesting," Ria said, appearing behind us as we got out of the car. I rolled my eyes and signed the word stop in ASL, using my left hand to karate chop the open palm of my right hand. Ria just looked at me. "What was that?"

"Oh, uh, I told you to stop in ASL. Sorry, it's... it's a habit," I replied. Riko jumped down in front of me.

"You can sign?" he asked, looking at me with wonder.

"I know a little sign. It's really nothing. Anyway, shouldn't we go inside?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Is everyone here?" Kai asked. Riko smiled.

"Roll call! Ria?"

"Here!"

"Abigail?"

"Here!"

"Asher?"

"Obviously!"

"Kai?"

"Present!"

"Becca?"

The name was met with silence. Then, Kai spoke up. "Oh, yeah. She said she had work today and to go in without her. I forgot. So, shall we?" We all shuffled in: First Ria, then Riko, then Kai, Abigail, and finally I entered.