Chapter 4: Bringing Home a Friend

 Chapter 4: Bringing Home a Friend 


The next afternoon, Johnny could barely sit still. The hours at school crawled by, each ticking second bringing him closer to the moment he had been waiting for.

When the final bell rang, he bolted outside, finding his mom waiting in the car.

“Can we go now?” he asked breathlessly.

His mom chuckled. “Someone’s excited.”

Excited didn’t even begin to describe it. As they pulled up to the pet shop, Johnny barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out.

The moment he stepped inside, his eyes went straight to the beagle’s enclosure.

There he was—his tail wagging wildly, paws pressed against the glass, as if he had been waiting for Johnny all along.

Johnny knelt down, grinning. “Hey, buddy. Miss me?”

The little beagle barked in excitement, his ears flopping as he bounced up and down.

“Looks like someone’s made an impression,” the shop owner said, smiling.

Johnny turned to his mom, his heart pounding. “Can I hold him?”

She nodded.

The shop owner unlocked the enclosure, and the beagle practically leapt into Johnny’s arms, wiggling with joy as he licked Johnny’s face.

Johnny laughed—a real laugh. The sound surprised even himself.

His mom watched, her chest tightening at the sight of her son looking so… happy.

“What do you think?” she asked softly.

Johnny held the beagle close, feeling the warmth of his tiny body, the fast beating of his little heart. For the first time in a long time, Johnny didn’t feel alone.

“I think he’s perfect,” Johnny whispered.

His mom knelt beside him, rubbing the beagle’s head. “Then I guess we have a new family member.”

Johnny’s grin widened.

“Do you have a name in mind?” the shop owner asked.

Johnny thought for a moment, then looked into the beagle’s bright, eager eyes.

“Snoopy,” he said finally. “Like the cartoon beagle.”

His mom chuckled. “Snoopy, huh? I like it.”

Snoopy barked, as if approving his new name.

They filled out the adoption paperwork, made arrangements for vaccinations, and gathered supplies—a leash, a collar, food, a dog bed. Johnny didn’t care how long it took; he was too busy cuddling Snoopy, soaking in every moment.

As they walked out of the store, Johnny holding Snoopy in his arms, something inside him felt lighter.

For the first time in years, he felt like things might actually get better.

Because now, he wasn’t just Johnny, the lonely boy.

He was Johnny, the boy with his dog.

And that changed everything.

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