The Weirdness: Sophie tag Dean

[Sophie Conway]

"Cave...no," Sophie said. "There really isn't anything of interest at all there unless you want to see the Govonator but I think he's overrated. I never even seen any of those terminator movies," she commented. "It's not on the coast so no sand dunes...and if there are swamps...I've never seen them," she shook her head. "It's really boring."

She gaped at him when he talked about the cheetah and the hut. "You lived in a hut and had a pet cheetah?! That's so far out...are you telling me the truth?" she asked, blinking at him a few times. She wasn't sure that she could believe it. Although then he went on to explain that he'd never been in school before and maybe that made sense.

"Yeah...Monday I'll make sure to sit next to you instead of behind you. I'm sure that guy who's been sitting next to you won't mind," she said. She was pretty sure she'd overheard whoever he was making a comment that Dean was strange anyway, but Sophie knew better than to say that part.

"Yep! That's me," she said. "Cool - it was right this way," she said walking down off the sand dune and toward the establishment. "I have pomegranate paradise but they have every flavor - it's great!" she said as they got into line.

"Cause cat's are great," she said. "They're well...I guess its like this. Dog people, like their dogs...but cat people...they're obsessed with their cats. I want to be obsessed with my pet," she said with a definitive nod as they reached the front of the line. The guy behind the register gave her a look, "Yep, I'm back," she said with a smile and a wave. "Brought you a customer too!" she trilled.

[Dean Wallace]

Sophie might as well have been speaking in another language as words like Governator and terminator movies wafted into the conversation. Dean obviously didn't know what what Sophie was talking about but out of politeness, Dean nodded his head. "I see, I-" his eyes widened at her surprise and excitement at the discovery of him having lived in a hut and a pet cheetah. Okay so the hut was made out of cow dung and the cheetah wasn't a pet per se, more of an animal that just kept coming back to the hut every single day for a few weeks.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Sophie. I'm not entirely sure I know how to." His big brown eyes looked at her with innocence and a whole lot of naivete. He may have the features of a growing man but Dean was still a child. Brought forth more so when Sophie declared that she would happily sit beside him in art class come next Monday. "You will? That would be splendid! Aaron Jacobs doesn't like me all too much because he thinks I talk too much and for some reason, he calls me a weirdo. All the time. You won't call me that would you, Sophie?"

Dean followed Sophie as she walked back to the little shop. She seemed quite excited about her drink so he too got excited. Her talk of wanting to become obsessed with her pet seemed a little unorthodox, since Dean had never become obsessed over something he took care of, but he kind of understood. He supposed. He looked up at the cashier and smiled. "Good morning. I would like to try the...blueberry bliss please?"

"What size?" He asked before pointing to the array of cup sizes over the counter top. "I would like the...uh...jumbo?" He said, pointing to the biggest cup. The one Sophie had in her hand too. The cashier wordlessly started to make the drink. "Have you decided what kind of cat you wanted?" Dean asked Sophie to kill the waiting time.

[Sophie Conway]

It didn't occur to Sophie that Dean wouldn't know who California's Governor was or that he used to be an actor. She'd of course lived in the state capital so perhaps she was more aware than some about different state officials but everyone knew the Governor. Or at least she assumed they would.

"Really? Cool," Sophie said. "I'm not a very good liar either," she said. "Sometimes I lie but I always admit the truth right after," she admitted, "so I guess its not really lying if the truth comes out in the next sentence, huh?" she said, kind of half talking to just herself as this was a new thought to her. She hadn't thought about it much but it was something that she did.

"Oh, well, you're totally a weirdo," Sophie said, "I'd be lying if I said you weren't but I like weird people," she said. "I mean look at me! I'm a weirdo!" she pointed out. "I think being normal is over-rated," she informed him. "I mean, look at Aaron Jacobs--he's really normal and I think he's totally boring...a total square," she said definitively. "Even his art is boring. He showed me his still life the other day all proud because his applies or whatever looked exactly like the apples that were set out on the table," she said. "I painted mine blue and purple," she went on, "I think apples would be much more interesting to look at if they were blue and purple."

They waited for his drink and she smiled when he asked her what kind of cat she wanted, "Well, now I want a cheetah," she said, "but I don't think they'll have those at the shelter. I was just going to go and pick whichever one calls to me," she said. As they called Dean's name and he went to get his drink she pulled out her phone and quickly pulled up the map she'd looked up earlier. "Oh! If we walk off the boardwalk right at this street, its right down the block on...Rose Avenue," she said with a smile as they headed out of the store. "Do you have any pets right now?" she asked, assuming that the cheetah hadn't come with him to California.

[Dean Wallace]

"I suppose not," Dean shrugged at Sophie's logic, figuring she had a point. But why lie in the first place? Dean didn't voice out his opinion though, because the last time he did, the guy talking to him threw him into a locker. That was not pleasant. Not that Sophie seemed the type to shove him into a locker but she did have a tall cup with liquid sloshing in it. He didn't want to risk anything.

"Oh I've seen weirder people than you. I met someone who chased a scorpion because he thought their sting could cure something or other. That is weird right?" Dean gave her a disbelieving look, shaking his head at the thought of his best friend in Tibet who thought a scorpion's sting could cure his cut. Henry had always been weird so Dean didn't hold it against him.

"Aaron Jacobs is a bit boring..." he agreed, nodding slowly, not entirely sure if he actually agreed or was just going along with what Sophie was saying. But he did agree on the color thing. He would absolutely look twice if his apple was blue or purple.

Dean smiled at Sophie when she declared she wanted a cheetah. He too doubted there would be any at the shelter and he was pretty grateful there were places that shelter animals. The places he'd gone to didn't offer that much assistance to animals so he was always happy to hear there were places that provide animals food and shelter.

He took his drink and followed Sophie out of the shop. "No...my father thinks I'm enough for him to take care of and I wouldn't have the right environment to care for an animal in the house we're living in now." Dean said before sipping his drink. It was quite refreshing and he told Sophie so. "Is that the shelter then?" He asked when he saw a building with a huge sign of cartoon animals.

[Sophie Conway]

Sophie's eyes seemed to widen even more each time Dean told a story. It seemed that he had gone to interesting places and had met a lot of interesting people. Needless to say, she thought his stories were ever so interesting. She could probably just sit there and listen to him tell them but of course her mind flounced around too much to truly sit still for too long. Maybe if he told them while she attempted tai chi then she'd be relaxed enough to just sit and listen although she'd even gotten too ansy to concentrate during that, early when he'd started talking to her.

"He is," Sophie said with a nod. "You know I don't like boring people...well I guess I don't hate them, that's sort of mean to say. But I so much rather hang out with people that are interesting. Like you...your stories are incredible. Feeding cheetahs and knowing people that had scorpions. It's so crazy I think that it mustn't be true but you said you didn't lie and I believe that, which means I guess that you had to have lived this incredible life that just is so much more interesting that growing up in boring Sacramento with a family who is all overly obsessed with football," she said. "Oh yes, this is it," she said looking at the shelter. She actually didn't know for sure she was at the right one until she pulled her papers out but it had been a pretty good guess as she doubted there were more than one animal shelter on the same block.

"That's a shame," she said, "you can come over and play with my pet whenever you like. After all you'll be meeting them at the same time I will," she said, "so you'll be the only person who will have known them as long as me," she smiled as she took his arm and pulled him along with her to the desk in the front.

She explained that she was here for a cat and presented her paperwork done by her mother. Luckily the lady even remembered her mother so there was no problems with Sophie not being old enough to get a pet for herself. The lady took Sophie and Dean back to the cages were they kept the cats. "Oh, its so sad," Sophie whispered to Dean, "I wish I could just save them all."

The lady stopped in front of a cage with four kittens. "A lot of people have been picking up these kittens recently. They'd about 3 months old."

"Well, if you think they'll all get adopted, I don't want them. I want to save a cat that's been here a long time," Sophie began to say but she cut off her words as she looked into the kitten cage and saw a small calico one in the back. It's eyes were all milky white yet it still played with the other kittens. "What's wrong with that one's eyes?" Sophie asked.

"She's partially blind. She has some vision but she needs eyedrops every day and she walks into things sometimes. We've been calling her Kiki. We're getting someone to foster her because we're afraid no one will adopt her," the woman said and that was all Sophie needed to hear. She asked to see KiKi the kitten and the lady opened up the cage and pulled her out, placing her in Sophie's arms.

The little kitten only stayed still for a moment as she sniffed Sophie, then right away she climbed up Sophie's arms and rested on her shoulder. Noticing her hair the kitten swatted at it a few times before decided to claw her way up Sophie's hair. Sophie laughed the whole time as it felt so funny, pulling her head slightly to the side from the weight. Once on top of her head KiKi seemed satisfied to curl up into a ball and rest, purring the entire time.

Sophie laughed again, "She's amazing!" she said. "What do you think, Dean?" she asked, looking at the boy. She still had a kitten curled up on top of her head. "Do you like her?" she asked, eager to know what her new friend's opinion was of what she was certain would be her new kitten.

[Dean Wallace]

Dean let Sophie chatter on as he enjoyed his drink. He laughed at little bits like when she implied that he was interesting. Her guess was more or less accurate since he did leave an amazing life before arriving in LA. But he did have off days where nothing happened like when he stayed in Penang in Malaysia where he only spent his days cooped up at home trying to do some Mathematics review books his father had given him as his homeschooling duties.

Sophie's offer to come by anytime to play with her pet was much welcomed as Dean doubted he'd visit the zoo or the animal shelter every day just to look at animals. He smiled at her and nodded. "I'll look forward to it." He let Sophie pull him in. And as they started their tour, Dean took everything in. It was a little gloomy but the animals seemed comfortable in their cages. He nodded at Sophie when she spoke of saving them all. He wanted to too. Animals shouldn't be caged up but there was no use setting them free. They were either too wild or too domesticated. They'd either start attacking people or die out of starvation. Those weren't good odds he thought.

He smiled at Sophie's interest in the partially blind calico. And when the feline started climbing on Sophie's head, Dean laughed as he scratched the kitten's head. "She's perfect." Dean grinned at Sophie's question. "I like her very much." He nodded before looking at Sophie. "May I?" he asked, pointing to the kitten, indicating that he wanted to pick it up.

[Sophie Conway]

"Sure," Sophie said, tilting her head toward him so he could pick up the kitten off of her head. "You can hold her while I take care of whatever adoption stuff," she said, turning back toward the woman. She wore a name tag that read: Lara. But Lara quickly informed her that not much was to be done since Sophie's mother and previously filled out all the paper work. They just needed to add to it which animal was being adopted and it turned out to be a fairly quick process.

Lara made her way back to her desk and filled out the papers and did something on a computer database and then made copies of the papers, giving Sophie the copy and keeping the originals for herself. Once they were finished Sophie smiled and took her new kitten back from Dean.

"I took the bus here but I'm going to have to call my parents or brother to pick me up," she said. "I don't think I can take a kitten on a bus, especially without a carrier. There's a carrier at home that my mom bought but I didn't bring it with me," she explained. "You can come too if you want and then I'm sure I can get you a ride home later if you want, of if not at least give me your phone number because I definitely want to hang out again," she said, looking eagerly at the boy.

Today was a great day it seemed. It was only morning and she already had a new pet and a new friend! Oh yes, Los Angeles was certainly better than Sacramento.

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