then wished she had kept her mouth shut.  Mrs. Kirkland raised an eyebrow, much in the same way her sons had a habit of doing.  Hannah cleared her throat and admitted, “I happened to see your oldest, Justin, the other night, I guess when he got into town, at a gas station.  I’m afraid I didn’t recognize him then, but I remember seeing your granddaughter.”

Mrs. Kirkland continued to smile as she waved Josie over.  “Yes, she is easy to remember, isn’t she?  So beautiful, this one.  Josie, I’d like you to meet Hannah Baker.  She went to school with your Uncle Luke.”

Josie slumped and scowled and mumbled something like, “Nice to meet you,” only it came out as, “N-t-mee-ya.”

Hannah figured the teenage blond could use a few lessons in manners, like her father, but she only faked a smile and replied, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, too, Josie.”

Another mumble -- this one, “Whatever” -- came back.  That was the moment Teddy decided he -- crap!  She!  She!  She, she she! -- she was feeling a little better and stuck her nose through the wires of her carrier and chittered at Hannah.  Josie’s eye lit up immediately and jumped up out of her chair.

“Is that a guinea pig?”

Hannah turned to Teddy.  “Oh, yeah...this is Teddy.  He -- I mean, she is about to have babies.  Probably tonight, the doctor said.  Surprised the hell out of me--”  Hannah darted an abashed look at Mrs. Kirkland for cursing in the presence of her granddaughter, but the older woman was trying to coax Aspen on the floor scale in the back corner.  Josie giggled at Hannah’s slip-up.  Hannah smiled herself, and said, “She turns out to be a she, but when I got her, I was told she was a he...does that make any sense?”

“No, not really,” Josie said as she wiggled her finger at Teddy, finally settling the tip along the little momma’s nose for a quick petting.  A wishful yearning came across her young face.   “I love guinea pigs.  My friend back home has one, but Daddy said I couldn’t have one until I started acting more responsible.”

Hannah cocked her head to the side and studied the young girl.  This morning, Josie wore a pair of shorts which were really way too short and a tank top which was really way too tight for her blooming chest.  “How old are you?” she blurted out.

Josie, still focused on Teddy, shrugged and said, “Thirteen...I’ll be fourteen in September.”

“Thirteen,” Hannah mused, taking in the long lines and beginning curves that should not belong to a girl of her years.  God...I didn’t start getting my boobs until I was nearly fifteen.  What are we feeding our kids these days?  Chocolate-covered hormones?

“What?” Josie asked, a defensive tone to her one worded question as she saw Hannah sizing her up.  “You gotta problem?”

Hannah just shook her head and grabbed Teddy’s carrier off the counter by the handle on top of it.  “I’m not sure what you think responsibility means, but it’s more an attitude than an action.”

Josie stuck her fists on her hips.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly that,” Hannah said, not the least bit put-off by the girl’s stance.  She can just go back and tell her Daddy all about the horrible things Hannah Baker said to her today.  It won’t make a difference in his opinion anyway, so Hannah decided to speak her mind.  “You’ve got an attitude, and it ain’t a responsible one.  So, if you think you’re ever going to get a guinea pig anytime soon, you’re spit out of luck.”  Hannah turned to Mrs. Kirkland, who wasn’t listening -- Thank you, Lord, or I would never be able to face her again.  “Have a nice day, Mrs. Kirkland!”

Mary Alice looked up from holding Aspen on the weighing scale for the vet technician, and smiled.  “You, too, dear!”

Hannah gave Josie a solemn, pitiful look, and then brushed past her to the door.  Being nice about the girl’s behavior won’t do Josie any good.  And Hannah was ever so happy to put people in their places.  Just as the door closed behind her and she got her car unlocked, Josie flung out of the clinic and shouted, “Wait!”

Hannah sighed.  Here it comes...another dose of Kirkland attitude...the Justin kind.  Mrs. and Mr. Kirkland were the nicest people ever to walk the earth.  Hmmm...maybe Justin had been adopted...the son of an estranged relative, that would explain the similar looks, but the asinine behavior.

Josie skidded to a stop in her flip flops next to Hannah.  “What are you going to do with the babies?”

The question blew Hannah for a moment.  “Umm...I have to call the breeder I bought Teddy from.  He’ll probably want them.  Why?”

“Can I have one?”

Hannah blinked at the girl.  Beyond the crappy manners, she and her father had this unique habit of stumping Hannah.  “Sorry...what?”

“I want a guinea pig so ba-a-a-d!” the girl said, a definite whine to her voice.  “Daddy will be gone for work for three weeks.  When he gets back, he’ll have no choice but to let me keep it.”

Did she really think that would work?  Going around her dad's wishes like that?  “No.”

“Why not?!”

“Because if you’re sneaking around your father’s wishes to get what you want, then you are not responsible enough to care for an animal...which is entirely your father’s point.”  Oh, God...did I just agree with Justin Kirkland?

"But--"

"No," Hannah cut her off.  "I don't know what's going on between you and your family, but leave me out of it.  Play your tricks on someone else."

Angry tears began to fill the girl's eyes, and Hannah would be a liar to say she wasn't affected by them, but she didn't say it and she didn't allow that affectation to show in her features.  "You're just like everybody else!  Why won't you give me a chance?"

Hannah exhale a solid breath.  "Josie, you don't know me and I don't know you.  Yet you are asking me to go behind your dad's back.  So, no...I won't give you a chance...not unless you can show me one ounce of common, responsible sense in that spoiled head of yours."

The two females stared at each other...Hannah waiting, and Josie confused but calculating.  After a moment, it became clear that Josie had nothing to redeem herself.  Mrs. Kirkland stuck her head out of the clinic's door.

"Oh, Josie, there you are.  They're taking Aspen to the back.  Come back inside, dear."

Josie shuffled her feet as she obeyed her grandmother, but she kept looking back at Hannah.  Hannah waved good-bye to Mrs. Kirkland, got in her car and drove home to make Teddy comfortable for the rest of the forthcoming labor.  But she kept thinking about Josie and her request.  It was tempting to go along with the girl's plea -- just so she could stick it to Justin Kirkland -- but again, that would not help the girl.  With a heavy-hearted sigh, she wondered if she saw the last of Josie Kirkland.

"Not bloody likely," she told Teddy.