Today was Animal's Day and all the magical creatures have traditions on looking after an animal.
Bella and her 6 non-magical friends: Mary, Elizabeth, Katie, Katherine, Anne, and Jane, were at the Greensleeves' Pet Shelter. Elizabeth was giving Jane's pet, Ola the Dog, a bath. Ola licked Elizabeth's face. "Almost done Ola." in her sing-song voice. Ola was covered in bubbles and showered with water. Elizabeth dried her and Ola was fluffed up. She put Ola on the floor and Ola shook herself. She was happily wagging her tail. Ola ran to her owner and licked her face. Their pets were clean and ready to be in the group photo. All but one. Bella. She doesn't have a pet.
"Oh! Do you want one?" Elizabeth asked with a twinkle in her eyes
"No, no." she declined Elizabeth's offer "I wouldn't even know what to get."
Elizabeth looked at her friends playing with their pets. Mary's dog, Peter, was admiring his mirror reflection, Jane was giving Ola, her dog biscuit, Anne was feeding Thomas the tortoise leaves, Katherine brushed her cat, Spring's tail, Katie was playing with Gummy the harmless alligator with no teeth, and Elizabeth was patting on Ellie, her bunny. Bella found them very cute.
Their pets were together, ready to be in the group photo when Bella interrupted. "Got room for one more?"
Katie giggled "You're not a pet, silly!"
"No! I mean. I changed my mind!" she turned to Elizabeth and asked "Will you help me....choose a pet?
Elizabeth gasped with surprise "I thought you never asked!"
Elizabeth and Bella went to the pet store.
A pleasant shopkeeper welcomed Bella and Elizabeth to the pet store. "Greetings! His smile was friendly as he enquired, "How can I help you today?"
"Our goal is to locate a companion for Bella," Elizabeth enthused.
With a nod, the store owner escorted them to the first area, which was occupied by energetic puppies. Bella watched with a wagging tail as the puppies fell all over each other. She wasn't sure if a dog was the proper companion for her, but she did notice one very gregarious puppy.
They proceeded to the section with kittens next. The kittens were just as cute as they could be, jumping on each other and toys. A small grey cat purred pleasantly in Bella's arms as she was taken up. Bella responded, "She's so sweet," yet she was uneasy.
Elizabeth noticed Bella’s hesitation. “Maybe we should look at some other animals too,” she suggested.
They wandered through the store, stopping to admire the colourful birds, the curious ferrets, and even the gentle guinea pigs. Each animal had its charm, but Bella still couldn’t decide.
Finally, they reached the reptile section. Bella’s eyes widened as she saw a small, green gecko clinging to the glass of its enclosure. “What about this little guy?” she asked, intrigued.
The shopkeeper smiled. “That’s a gecko. They’re quite easy to care for and very interesting pets.”
Bella watched the gecko for a moment longer before turning to Elizabeth. “I think this is the one,” she said with a smile.
Elizabeth clapped her hands in delight. “Perfect! Let’s get everything you need for your new gecko.”
With the shopkeeper’s help, they gathered a tank, a heat lamp, and all the supplies needed to make the gecko feel at home. Bella felt a sense of excitement and anticipation as they headed back to the Greensleeves’ Pet Shelter with her new pet.
When they arrived, Bella introduced her gecko to her friends. “Everyone, meet my new pet, Leo!”
Her friends gathered around, admiring the tiny gecko. “He’s adorable!” Mary exclaimed.
“Welcome to the family, Leo,” Katie said with a smile.
As they all posed for the group photo, Bella felt a warm sense of belonging. She might have been the last to get a pet, but now she had Leo, and she couldn’t wait to start their adventures together.
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