"So what would you like for your birthday?" My mom asks as she pulls weeds out of her garden.

I pull my shades down and look at her.

"The same thing I've been asking for since my tenth birthday", I say as she rolls her eyes.

"Destiny, a dog is a lot of responsibility, especially the one you want. It needs to be walked, it needs to be fed, bathed, there will be vet bills and I don't not plan on taking those responsibilities on while you go be a teenager."

"I promise you I will take care of Jasper! I'll pay for everything and I will take him with me everywhere when I am not in school." I say as I turn to tan my back.

"How do you have a name for a dog that doesn't exist?" She asks standing up whipping her hands on her pants.

"Jasper does exist, he's just waiting to be brought home wherever he is."

"Well, his home is not here," she says patting my sunburnt back as I wince.

"Rude!" I shout as she goes into the house.

I've been wanting a dog every since my father got sick and passed.

After he passed I thought it would be good to have a furry pal to do the things my dad and I would do.

My dad was so fun and outgoing, and always ready for an adventure. Our favorite things to do together were to travel, go hiking, and walk trails.

My mom hated the outdoors so I spent a lot of time with my dad. And not to say my mother wasn't involved, she took me to every soccer game, ate every meal with me and always read me stories at bed time.

Mom worked for our family's business everyday from home so she was always there if I needed her.

What's our family business?

Well we work very close with our sheriff department and they call us for big problems.

It's called Stone and Company and we're Crime Scene Cleaners. Not we, they. I wouldn't be caught dead cleaning bodies or blood.

Wow, great choice of words Destiny.

Sounds terrible right? But hey, it paid the bills and we lived a good life.

My dad also worked for the Business, and was actually going
To take over the business once Grandpa Owie retired.

But since the passing almost eight years a ago, Grandpa Owie is still running the company and is now training my cousin Kyle to take over.

"Hey Teeny, how was your day?"

"Hey Kyle, it was good till you blocked the sun from me." I say sitting up look over to see my cousins approaching me.

"I'm saving you from sun cancer Teeny", he says giving his hand out to help me up.

Kyle is my cousin from dads side, he's twenty-one, three years older than me.

He used to call me DesTeeny when I was younger but it shortened to Teeny, which I don't mind. But only he can call me that.

He dropped out of school his junior year when he was seventeen and right away got a job with our family.

He received an equivalence to what a diploma is a year after dropping out, which he and his family were more than happy with him doing.

He always told me school doesn't prepare us for the real world.

My mom on the other hand told me don't get any ideas.

Once I'm up, I throw my big tshirt over my head and pick up my towel and speaker.

"What brings you here?" I ask as we walk towards my house.

"We here to speak with your mother", I look up to see my Grandpa Owie and Uncle Tom.

I run to give them a hug.

"Is it about work?" I ask as we enter the house and into my kitchen.

I grab a banana and start peeling it.

"Does it always have to be about work Destiny?" My Uncle Tom says stealing my banana.

I stick out my tongue and mimick him.

"No it doesn't but usually when all three of you come it means work," I say grabbing another banana pointing at everyone to not take it.

"Yes it's about work" my mom says entering the kitchen.

"You look like you just rolled in some dirt" Kyle says giving my mom a hug.

"Yeah well maybe if we had some male help over here, I wouldn't be mowing lawns and picking weeds all day." She says pulling his ear.

Kyle use to do our yard work, but now that he has been busy learning how to take over the business, he hasn't been over as much.

"Elise hire a landscaper" my uncles says, "We have the money".

"Why do that when my nephew or daughter can help" she says shouting the daughter part.

Before I can say excuse why I don't do yard work, Grandpa Owie raises his hand.

"Elise we have a big clean up and we will need you on site." He says laying his hand on her shoulder.

"Owen I haven't been on site, since I've had Destiny" she says looking at me.

"I know but the sheriff has asked I bring in my good people for this clean up. I have called in my son Leroy, his wife Paulina, Thomas, Kyle, I have even asked your brother Joe to help."

"This sounds like a gigantic bloody mess if you're calling in five other people and even mom to come help." I say finishing my banana.

"Yes, and the sheriff is only giving us the weekend to do so." Uncle Tom says looking at my mom.

"Well where is it and when?" My mom asks leaning over the island counter.

" We'd leave tomorrow before sunrise and it's Creekshore" Grandpa says.

"That's three hours away Owen." My mom says shaking her head.

"Elise I would not be asking, if we didn't need you" he replies back.

"I can't just leave, Destiny has not been left alone for longer than two hours."

"Oh she'll be fine, she's seventeen-"

"Eighteen next Friday" I interrupt Tom as I point the banana at him.

"See? Eighteen next Friday. Then she will be an adult." He states biting into the banana that was stolen from me.

"I have to take her to her allergy appointment tomorrow at 11, we all know she needs them." Mom says walking to stand beside me.

"Mom I'm seventeen, I'm sure I can go to an appointment alone." I say tossing my banana peel in the trash can.

"Elise." Owie says.

Mom grabs my hands.

"Destiny, you need to go that doctors appointment with Dr. Yen. Your allergies are no joke. Maybe I can have Tom's wife take you." She says looking at Tom.

"Elise, I think Destiny is responsible enough to go to her appointment tomorrow. If you would like I can have Sara check in with Destiny." He says tossing his banana to the garbage.

"I'm also responsible enough to take care of a dog too" I add and Owie laughs.

Mom gives me a glare, "Thomas, Can you please?" She pleads.

"Absolutely. Everything will be fine. Owie says linking arms with my mom.

"Let's go to the patio and talk about the job tomorrow", he says opening the back door, tugging her a bit.

"I'll be okay," I shout as I grab my phone off the charger and run up to my room.

"If I don't see y'all after my bubble bath, bye, love y'all, and have fun cleaning guts." I say to Kyle and Tom.

"You're almost eighteen and still taking bubble baths?" Kyle questions, chuckling following my mom and Owie outside.

"Love you and guts" Tom says doing the same.

I go to my room, lock my door, then to my bathroom turning on the bath water and putting my favorite coconut bubble soap in.

Before I get in, I unlock my phone and call my best friend Belle.

She picks up on the first ring.

"Hey Dez, what's up?"

"Guess who's home alone this weekend?" I say putting her on speaker.

"No way your mom is leaving alone!" She shouts.

"My Grandpa needs her help for a big clean, for the whole weekend! This is the first time in a while she'll be out the house for work!" I say as I start to remove my clothing.

"So your mom is leaving you alone for a weekend to go clean a crime scene? What kind of crime is it?" Belle asks excitedly.

She always been really into our family business. She loves crime shows and wants to be a cop one day.

"Girl you know I don't ask questions about that crap, the only question I'm asking is if your spending the weekend here?" I say stepping into the warm water as bubbles start to cover me.

"They say there are no stupid questions, yet you just asked me on," she says.

"Okay, well I have an appointment at eleven and then you can come over." I say adjusting the temperature and pressure of bath water.

" I love how your taking a bath and on the phone with me." Belle laughs, "ditch the appointment, Higgs is having a day party and he has a pool. We're going."

"Nah, I can't ditch it. I'll come right after it though."

"Doctors are always there, summer parties at cute football players houses are not." She says.

"True, but my mom was freaking out that I have to go or she'll prolly have my aunt come find me to take me, so I'll just go and meet you there. It only takes twenty minutes" I respond.

"Fine. Call me tomorrow when you are on your way, I'll meet you out front," she says.

"Sounds good Belly, I'll text you later." I say sitting up about to press end on my phone that's lying on the lid of toilet seat.

"You better! I need help figuring out what bathing suit-",She shouts right before I hang up.

I lay back into the tub as water rises.

If I can show mom I can go to the appointment, keep the house clean, and not get into Trouble of some sort, she'll see I'm responsible and get me my Jasper!

It's only a weekend, what trouble can I really get into?

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Thoughts?

Hi Everyone❤️
It's me daaprincess!

I am sincerely sorry that I have gone MIA. I went off to college and truly had no time to myself nor time to write.

I am still in college but I am off for summer break! I haven't felt like I've been doing a lot for myself and I thought the best way is go back to writing.

I hope you all can understand.

I hope my fans/readers find this story, I know y'all will love this one!

Hope everyone is safe and well.

Comment a heart if you want me to continue this story!