I Miss You

Chapter One: The Loss

“She’s gone,” She said as we were walking up the stairs to our apartment. “Who’s gone?” I said slightly looking at her as we were now in the apartment. ”Ella called earlier, London ran away,” She said. “ How did that even happen?” I said, anxious to hear what happened to my best friend. She finally looked up at me with a sad expression.“ Well she said she let her out into the back and when she went back to check up on her, she was gone” she said. She looked back at her phone again as I jumped up and paced the living room, mind full of questions. I rushed to ask her the specifics. As if that would make me feel better.

I had been forced to leave London with my mom, sister, and stepdad. London was only an hour and 30 minutes away from my apartment. After the news, I instantly regretted not being able to pay the expensive pet fee that my apartment requires. I began to ask her the questions that popped into my mind like little grenades of thoughts and feelings dropping into my mouth and flowing out like the lake of tears I was fighting back. She stated, “ I don’t know you should call her”. My mouth clamped shut and my eyes fired up. She knew I wouldn't call Ella. I knew I wouldn't. If you knew her, you wouldn't either. She’s not the best with emotions, and the way mines were pounding at my chest ready to break through. I couldn't, talking to her is literally like talking to a wall and no matter how much I want to know, she won’t give me the answers that I want. I wanted London.

Chapter Two: London

I took a seat on the couch and I guess I wanted to torture myself because I pulled up the pictures. Yes, I looked through the endless gallery on my Snapchat that contained the furry face of my best friend. Her black beard furry and soft, the white strands that poked out throughout her fur. I instantly missed her oddly satisfying smell and the way she ran. She ran with her head down and her tail wagged when she missed me. She was so nice even when my annoying cousins would pull her tail. She would look back and then jump away and hide away under my bed. Whenever I would lay in the living room she would hop on the bed and curl up like a small ball up against me. She used to do this weird thing where she would sit her butt on my feet. I laughed at that thought. This was not a good day for me. I loved London, hard. She was the stability I never had. Unlike everyone else...London was there.

The first day we got her, I was a stubborn 9th grader. Hurt from the loss of many dogs that ran away and somehow got lost. Each puppy we were given or adopted took a piece of my heart with them when they left. It wasn’t me, my family was not responsible, or maybe they never cared about the dogs we brought into our family the way I did. My mom adopted London while we were living in a hotel. Yes, 4 people in a 1-bed studio hotel. It was one of the worst times of my life. My mom walked in with a puppy, not much bigger than my foot. She said she adopted her from the local animal center and she was excited... At first. Her love for her died down within a few months per usual. My love for her on the other hand grew and grew. Until it felt like she was another person in my life that I counted on because she was there. She was there to lick my tears away and look up at me with her adorable beard wet with the water she drinks throughout the day. I was 14 when my mom brought her home and I lost her when I was 19. It hurt bad.

I still miss her laying with me and burying my face in her fur. I know that I will never have another dog like her, but I will continue to adopt and love every puppy I bring into my home as much as I loved London. I am still unable to adopt because of expensive pet fees at the moment, but I encourage everyone to get a furry friend. They really can make a difference in your life, I know London did. Today, my sister and I imagine London with someone else, her tail up and wagging, sitting her butt on someone else's feet.