I’m… *
huff… huff…* done… with the next Chapter… sorry it took a month! Hope you guys like it!
(I also got rid of the 'Part' thing, so this is officially Chapter Eight of this story! x3)
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Housepets! Home Stories: Sparks’ Beginning-
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Chapter 8 - Check, Check 1, 2, 3...=
Sparks looks up to the night sky, the light of the moon and the stars shining back at him as his body lay on the blanket below him. He sits up and looks around the wooded area for any movement, but finds nothing.
Still nothing… I wonder where she is…*sigh* oh well. I bet she’s on her way anyway. His body lays back down on the blanket as his eyes are cast back at the night sky. Sparks lets out a peaceful sigh, relaxing as his eyes look all over the darkness.
How long has it been… over one and a half years since that party?... Yeah… it has. Wow time flies. Sparks catches a shooting star, racing across the night sky as his thought continues.
So much has changed… first Tera, then the party, *chuckle* Thanksgiving, that was such a great moment, not to mention Christmas. I still have that scar… Sparks lifts his left leg to reveal a scar, stretching from the left to the right on his shadowy fur.
Joey still owes me big
for that though.
Sparks’ leg drops back down while his eyes look around once more for Tera, seeing nothing through the trees. His head rests back on the blanket and his eyes shut, his mind at ease as the summer wind blows through his fur.
This is the most relaxed I’ve been since… *sigh* I thought I told myself that I wouldn’t worry about that anymore. What’s done is done. Sparks opens his eyes to see a black and orange face hovering above him smiling like she normally does. “Well if it isn’t my little kitten. Fashionably late as usual.” He says with a smile.
“You know it.” She replies as they both exchange a kiss.
They both breakaway from their kiss and Sparks moves a bit to the side, creating a spot for Tera as she lays down next to him. Their bodies come close together as the two cuddle with each other, enjoying the night sky together. Another breeze rolls through the area as she moves closer to Sparks with a shiver.
Just like old times…He looks back up at the sky with a smile, Tera’s head laying right over Sparks’ chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale.
I wonder why she wanted to meet tonight, here of all places… The silence of the night continues to echo through the woods while the stars in the sky continue to shed their light on the couple.
Suddenly, a voice breaks the silence of the night, making the dog’s chest vibrate. “You got taller.” She smiles.
“Really? Everyone keeps saying that, but I don’t feel any taller…”
“You’re almost a head taller than me! Aren’t you taller than Fox now too?”
“Am I?” Sparks thinks about him and Fox side by side, him being about an inch taller than his husky friend. “I guess I am.” Sparks smiles.
“You are.” Tera says, her body readjusting itself against Sparks now hugging him. “So much has changed since then… first Fox, then your friend, then… the um…” Tera stops as he stares back at her with a frown. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to bring it up…”
“It’s fine Tera. I’m just not at the point where I can talk about it yet… even almost two years later…”
“It’ll take time. Don’t worry. You’re scars haven’t even full healed yet…” Tera rubs the patchy spot of fur near the middle of his torso. He holds back the feeling of pain from her, her paw moving away from the scar and on his chest. “I know it will get better for us. I know it will… I promise.”
“I hope so…” Sparks rests his head back on the surface of the blanket, the view of the stars calming his mind as he scans the vast dark areas of space.
It still hurts… I still have those thoughts… those… visions… I keep seeing that moment, over and over again… *Sigh* I have to trust her. It will
get better.
“You know…” She starts, changing the subject, “I’ve been thinking… we’ve been together for almost two years and I’m about to turn five, and I’ve been thinking about us a lot and… um…
Sparks notices her muzzle start to turn crimson as she falters. “What is it? What’s got your tongue?” He asks lovingly.
“I was wondering if…” She pauses, her voice cracking. She clears her throat and starts again shakily. “H-how would you feel if… uh…” Her muzzle turns a bright shade of red now unable to continue her sentence.
“How would I feel if what?” He chuckles. “Heh, you’ve never been this nervous before. Is something wrong?”
“How… um… *
sigh* would you feel if we we’re to… uh… have… kittens?”
Sparks’ eyes grow wide as his body sits upward looking at Tera with a dazed look. “Kittens?”
Tera nods her head as her body shakes slightly. His eyes look away from her, his mind thinking about this opportunity.
Kit…kittens? … Am… Am I ready? Are we
ready? His mind goes off, thinking about what he would have to do, all of his responsibilities, the commitment…
How would I even fare… what would Mom or Dad say… would I even be a good dad?...
“I’m sorry…” Tera frowns, Sparks’ thought vanishing as he listens. “I knew it was too soon… I… I didn’t mean to rush… I’m--”
Sparks takes the Calico’s paws and looks deeply into her eyes.
Anything for you my little kitten. Taking one last breath, he seals his fate.
-
“Yes.” He answers to no one as his eyes open, his eyes cast towards the ceiling in his bedroom. His body sits up while his paws come up to rub his groggy eyes. Sparks looks around his soundings, making sure that he was in the same old room he was always in.
Just a dream… It was just a dream. But… why did it seem so real though? How could I hear my own thoughts? His mind then drifts towards his own questions from his dream, rubbing the exact place of the patch of fur in his dream.
Would… would I have been ready? All of the responsibilities… the work… being a family… Could I have been a good dad? He shakes his head rapidly, pushing away this thought from his mind.
What am I even thinking?! I’m only 3 and a half years old! What am I doing thinking about being a father?!
Suddenly, a loud beeping sound could be heard from his end table causing the dog to jump. The dog reaches over to his alarm clock and harshly hits the alarm button with a slam of his paw, silencing the machine.
Stupid alarm clock… Sparks lets out a sigh and hops out of bed with a stretch.
Let’s just focus on today
. I shouldn’t even worry about what will happen in the future. Remember what Tarot said… Sparks gets a flashback of the dream when Tarot came and helped him out of his little bind. “Today’s a new day. And today, I’ve got a speech for the GODC to prepare for!” Sparks reaches for his collar and puts it on, checking the insides for his MP3 player and mini wallet within the pockets.
Got’em He smiles and heads out of his room, shutting off his lights before heading down the stairs to eat breakfast.
-
The bitter fall air rushes through the streets of Babylon as a few groups of dogs play around with toys of varying shapes and colors. Sparks lets out a sigh as he readjusts the side bag strap in his shoulder.
Maybe I’ll get to play like that when I’m done with this party. Sound check is SO tedious… Flashbacks of the past two days fill his mind remembering all of the adjustments that were made to the mix and the set.
I’m glad that Peanut has his songs set for the party as well. He sounded pretty good with Angel during sound check, now all that’s left is the final check on the morning of the party and then we’ll be all set. That’ll give me enough time to do some practice of my own before I perform…
Sparks stops at the crosswalk of the three-way intersection, looking down all three sides of the street before crossing. Sparks continues his trek with his bag, walking slow as he takes in the fall air.
There’s something about fall that’s just so calming… or maybe it’s the outside… oh well… Sparks looks around himself once more, taking in his surroundings. He then gets another thought as he gets closer to his destination.
I wonder if Fox is doing ok… He hasn’t called since I tried to get a hold of him… I wonder if he ever got my message.
He stops at the GODC building, looking at it questioning whether or not he should stop by early to practice once more for the party.
Should I go in now… He shakes his head, his body moving forward down the sidewalk.
I told myself that I would try and hang out with him more. That’s exactly what I’m going to do. He stops at the next intersection, waiting for the car in front of him to give him the right of way. The driver of the car lets him cross while Sparks gives the driver a courtesy wave, Sparks making it to the other side of the street.
Maybe we can play some catch! Maybe even some tag! Yeah… That would be great!
The Shepsky then looks up to see the Lindberg house to his left, his excitement going to his tail as it gives off a few wags.
There it is! As Sparks gets closer to the house, something in his mind slows him down as a sad vibe travels through him.
Woah… why do I feel… so depressed all of a sudden? Sparks looks at the house with curiosity, thinking about these sudden thoughts. Suddenly, something sparks in his mind as he quickly makes it to the front door of the house. He brings up his paw, making a rhythmic pattern as he knocks on the door. He waits for a response, still getting the same vibe as his curiosity grows.
I hope I’m not right with my little theory…
The door opens to reveal a human standing behind it, a smile on his face. “Hello there, what can I help you with?”
“Hey Mr. Lindberg! I’m Sparks, I called about two days ago, remember?”
He puts his hand up to his chin, the two sharing a moment of silence. He then snaps his fingers and smiles as he continues. “Yeah, I remember, the Carlson’s boy! I take it that you want to see Fox?”
“Yeah, is he here right now?”
Bill looks back at the house towards the hallway, letting out a sigh. “Yeah he’s here, but he’s been a little under the weather lately. He hasn’t come out of his room except to eat and he won’t talk to me about what’s wrong… I’m starting to get a little worried. Maybe you can talk to him?”
Well… I was right… I wonder how I was able to feel that all the way outside, or at all for that matter… “Sure, I can try to talk with him.”
“Great! Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome Mr. Lindberg.” He replies with a smile as he enters the house. His feet rub against the rug at the front door, removing any dirt and grime that might be on his paws. “So, you said that he was in his room?”
“Yes.” His arm lifts up and points towards the hallway. “Last door on the right.”
“Thanks.”
Sparks travels through the hall slowly, hoping that his friend was alright.
I wonder what’s wrong… I hope it’s not too serious… He makes it to the door Mr. Lindberg mentioned and takes a moment to breathe.
Here goes nothing. In a swift motion, his paw softly knocks on the door and comes back to his side. He waits for a response, the door, a voice, a sound, but nothing was heard. He brings his paw back up, but stops just as his paw is about to hit the door.
I can’t just knock again… he knows I’m here… but does he know that it’s me
… “Fox?” he calls out. “It’s me, Sparks. Is everything alright? Your dad said that you seemed a little under the weather, and I just wanted to make sure that you’re ok.” Sparks stands at the door for what seems like an eternity waiting for his friend, but to no avail.
I can’t just sit here… “I’m coming in Fox.” Sparks announces, his paw twisting the doorknob in front of him.
He pushes the door open revealing the room before him.
Geez, he sure likes a tidy room… He looks around the clean room, searching for his grey furred friend. He glances over towards the bed. Next to it laid a yellow bandana and a brown collar with the silver dog tags that usually hang from it. Sparks lets out a sigh and sets his side bag against the wall by the door, turning around to the puffed out blanket.
Fox… He walks over to the bed and kneels down near the side, looking at the blanket with curiosity. “Fox… please come out...” The blanket remains motionless, not a sound uttered as Sparks’ paw moves near the edge of the blanket hoping to move it off of his friend. His paw freezes in place just as it is about to grab onto the blanket.
I shouldn’t force him to talk… if he wants to talk, he will. I won’t force him to, even though I know that he really needs this right now… His paw comes back to his side and thinks about something else to say to his friend.
“Please Fox,” He starts in a sincere tone, “I won’t know what going on if you don’t tell me. So… could you tell me? Please? I only want to help…” He waits again for a response from his husky friend, but gets nothing as he continues to sit there. Sparks then lets out a sigh as he stands back up, his spirit taken a jab to the heart.
I guess he doesn’t want to talk… He moves over to his bag leaning against the wall and throws the strap over his sunken shoulder. He turns once more to the bed staring at the blown up portion with a saddened look as his paw latches onto the front side of the strap. “So I guess I’ll see you at the party?” Trying one last time to get a response out of his friend, but gets nothing as a sigh escapes his muzzle.
I guess not…
Sparks heads towards the doorway, his disappointment still lingering in his mind. He looks a final time at the bed, hoping that his friend would at least move slightly, but again nothing. His head turns back forward as his body starts to move towards the hallway. Suddenly, his body hits something soft, his face buried in fur. His eyes grow wide as his mind tries to process what’s going on.
Soft fur… Wait… soft grey
fur... Sparks’ eyes travel upward, his eyes locking with the husky’s, their faces now a bright shade of red.
GET OFF OF HIM. FAST. Sparks quickly moves away from his friend, Fox doing the same as the silence fuels the awkwardness in the hall with both of their faces looking almost crimson.
Um… maybe I should say something… Just as Sparks was about to speak, Fox beats him to the punch. “Uh… hey… Sparks…”
“H-hey.” His voice falters. They both stand in silence for a second, his friend scratching the back of his head. “W-why don’t we head into your room?” Sparks asks as he looks away, embarrassed.
“Sure.” He agrees, hurrying inside the bedroom towards his bandana and collar. Sparks heads back into the room with his friend, making sure not to make eye contact until he heard the collar and bandana go on as he puts the side pouch that contained his computer back against the wall. Sparks waits with his eyes cast towards the wall for his friend to put his collar on, the moment replaying in his mind.
That was so embarrassing… I can’t believe that happened… His creeks burn up once more as he thinks further.
How could I have not even seen him… That has got to be one of the most embarrassing moments of my life… *sigh* Though… I have to admit that his fur was almost as soft as Tera’s… it almost felt like I was standing next to her… He shakes his head wildly, abandoning this thought quickly.
NO. STOP IT. Don’t you EVEN think about it. Sparks looks back behind him to see if his friend was ready, but quickly moves his head back towards the wall when he sees that he’s just about to put on his collar.
The moment plays once more in his mind, the thought sparking uncertainty within the pup as another wave of warmth hits him.
I just… *sigh* I cannot
believe that that happened. What… what If he thinks I’m weird… or… or what if he thinks that… A paw lands on his shoulder as his whole body jumps. A small yelp escapes his muzzle simultaneously as his body turns around to see his friend. His posture and face seemed shallow and down, unusual for his joyful friend.
Fox…
“You ok?” He says in an unusually monotone voice.
Sparks takes a moment to recollect his thoughts and breath, trying to think of something to say. “I should ask you the same thing. Your dad said that you’ve been a little under the weather lately, so I came in here to come and see what’s wrong, but I noticed you weren’t here so I decided to leave and… then…” His head moves away and he sighs, trying to forget the past few minutes. “So… what’s up?” Fox looks down as his ears start to drop, his body heading towards the bed. He sits on the edge of the bed, his friend sporting a frown as his ears seem glued to his skull. “Fox?” His friend remains silent, Sparks now confused as he nears him. “Are you ok? Did… did something happen?”
Fox sits there, his frown still apparent on his face.
Back to square one I guess… Sparks opens his mouth to speak, but is cut off by the sound of Fox’s voice.
“It’s… it’s about Bino…”
The mention of the dog’s name makes Sparks cringe, reminding him of his first encounter with him at the GODC at the beginning of the month.
Not him again… “What about Bino, Fox? What did he do?”
Fox stares off into space as he appears lost in thought.
Gosh… he must be really irked… What did he even do? His question sits in his mind, but is soon answered as his friend continues.
“He just… *sigh* he questioned our friendship, saying that I was a cat-lover… all because I was helping you…” Fox pauses taking a moment to wipe away a tear from his fur. “We, well… sort of got into a fight when I tried to see you at the clubhouse, and he said that I was ‘turning against him’ or something… I kept on insisting that I wasn’t, that I was still with him despite my feelings towards the way he does things, but he’s just
so stubborn…” His tears fall down into the dogs lap, Sparks’ paw resting on the shoulder of his friend. “Thanks…” He again wipes his eyes, and continues his explanation.
“I kept trying to tell him. Eventually I lost it, I had to get out of there. I didn’t want to get too angry that I go off… like I did before you came along… *growl* my dog he can be
so irritating!” He slams his paw down on the bed in a teary rage, Sparks’ paw rubbing the shoulder of his friend, trying to calm him back down.
Fox…
“He picks on all of the pets that he finds… inferior to him… *
sigh* He likes to especially pick on one dog in particular, a dog by the name of Tiger.”
“Tiger? Sounds mighty to me…”
“Heh, not to Bino. What he does is twist it in his favor. He takes his name and treats it like he’s some sort of cat, making fun of it any chance he gets. Tiger, as you can imagine, doesn’t like this one bit. Every time his name is made fun of, the more of a laugh that Bino gets. He even has gone to the point of even labeling him a cat… To be honest… I can’t
stand that. I can’t believe that someone would bully someone so harshly. I try to stay clear of his bullying as much as I can, but sometimes I can’t even avoid it.”
“Then why stay friends with him? If you hate him bullying so much, why continue?”
His friend’s body collapses on the bed, his feet dangling from the side as a sigh escapes him. “It’s… it’s mostly because I’m the only
true friend that he has. Other than Rex, I’m really the only one who knows him. Because of the way he is, well… you can imagine how many people would willing want to line up to be his friend, right?” He says jokingly, but starts to choke up.
“Yeah…”
“It’s just that… we’ve been friends since we were pups, and… I just… I just…” Fox’s words are consumed by his quiet sobs, his tears starting to roll off of his face and onto his bed. His arm comes up to his eyes, blocking his vision as he continues. “I just don’t… want to lose our friendship… I don’t know what to do and it’s eating away at me!”
Sparks sits beside his sobbing friend, his mouth wide open, unable to think of a solution to his problem.
I… I don’t know what to say… Is there any possible way that Fox and Bino can still be friends if Fox just tells him outright… Sparks sighs, unable to come up with an answer.
All I can do is reassure him… that’s all
I can do… it’s better than nothing. “Listen, Fox… I say just wait until after the party and let this whole thing blow over. I’m positive that everything will play out in a way that everyone wins, so don’t lose faith.”
*
Sniffle* “Are… are you sure?”
Sparks sits in silence for a second, thinking about it again.
To be honest… I’m not even sure myself… but it’s worth a shot. He shoots his friend a smile. “I’m sure. Trust me.”
Fox sits back up beside his friend and wipes the tears from his fur, letting out a few more sniffles before speaking. His body turns to Sparks, his puffy and teary eyes looking at him. “T-thanks Sparks.” Fox’s arms wrap around Sparks, his arms coming around his friend as his head is once again buried in fur. His cheeks start to feel warm again, recalling the moment before, but pushes this thought away once more.
“No problem.” Sparks replies in a tone that seemed familiar to him.
It’s almost how I was talking to that Border Collie… what was her name… oh yeah!
How could I forget Emerald! Heh, it’s almost the same situation… in a way…
The two release from their hug, Fox again wiping his eyes as Sparks flashes a smile. “Sorry… I kind of went off there… thanks again for listening.”
“It’s fine Fox.”
“You know, I almost keep forgetting that you’re actually younger than me. How old are you exactly? Four?”
Sparks shakes his head. “Three and a half.”
“Really?” Fox says in shock. “Wow… almost three years younger than me and your acting twice your age… incredible.”
“Thanks.” Sparks smiles. They sit in silence for a second, Sparks thinking of something to say. He then gets an idea as his fingers snap together. “Hey Fox, why don’t you come with me to the clubhouse? We can hang out there and play until the meeting. I’ve got this little announcement that I’ve got to make and I want to get there and practice a little bit before I go on. It’ll be fun!” Fox starts to speak, but stops as the apparent smile on his face starts to fade. “Fox, what wrong?”
Fox sighs and starts to explain. “When I was leaving the clubhouse, Bino told me to not come to the meeting today…”
Sparks’ paw moves to his friends shoulder. “Fox. Forget about Bino. I’ll tell him that I brought you and that you’re just doing your job. I don’t think that he can do anything about it because of Fido, so you should be safe.”
“But…”
“But nothing. Please Fox, trust me on this.”
Fox’s fists clench, his face looking as if he is holding back his words. “Ok, fine.” He relaxes, “I’ll trust you. It doesn’t mean that I have to like the idea…”
“That’s fine.” Sparks jumps off of the bed and towards the bag leaning against the wall. “Come on, let’s get to the clubhouse.”
Fox jumps off as well, slowly heading towards the door towards the hall. “If you say so… I hope your right.”
I hope so too… Sparks puts the strap of his side bag over his shoulder, following Fox out of the bedroom and down the hallway.
I can’t explain how I know this will work, but… I just… know in my heart that this can’t fail. Fox’s friendship with Bino will stay the way it is. I just… know, but I can’t explain... How do I
know for sure? *sigh* You know what, forget it. Let’s just get to the clubhouse. I’m starting to get a headache from thinking to hard…
-
“I *
pant* told you that we would make it!” Fox says breathily, running through the doors of the GODC clubhouse with a red ball in hand.
Sparks runs up from behind, his body almost collapsing onto the floor as his side bag hits the floor with a soft
thud. “Yeah *
pant* with only five minutes till the start of the meeting.” Sparks wheezes.
The room was filled with different breeds of canines from the neighborhood, all waiting for the start of the meeting. “You should go set up the stage, looks like Fido’s waiting.” His Husky friend says, pointing to Fido standing at the front of the stage behind the wooden podium.
Sparks lets out another breath. “I guess so. I’ll see you after the meeting.”
“Cya Sparks.” Fox waves with a smile.
That was so much fun. I can’t believe we played for almost 3 hours. We would have been late if we didn’t run. Heh, I almost won… He got a head start… Sparks lets out a smile. He turns towards the stage and starts making his way over. He gets halfway to the stage when suddenly, a familiar voice echoes through the building.
“Fox…” A voice booms from behind.
Oh no… Sparks looks behind him to see the one dog that he hoped to not run into.
Not him…
“I thought that I we had an… agreement.” Bino says with a hint of irritation, still retaining the usual smirk he shows.
Fox’s paws clench. “Agreement? You call that an agreement!”
“Well you did say that you wouldn’t come, right?” He says, sneering at the Husky.
Fox takes a step forward, his fist coming up to his side as his teeth start to show. Sparks rushes over and stops between the two before either one of them could decide to attempt anything.
That was close… Sparks readjusts his side bag that was on his shoulder, letting out a sigh knowing that no harm would come to either of them. He first stares at Fox, giving him stern a look. He backs off, crossing his arms as a growling sound leaves his muzzle.
Now for him… Sparks’ head moves in Bino’s direction. “I brought him here Bino. He’s with me.” He says with a smile.
Bino’s face flashes the opposite expression. He crosses his arms, almost gritting his teeth as he continues. “Didn’t you get the memo you pup…”
“What memo?” A voice says, the group turning their heads towards the sound. Sparks flashes a smile. “What’s going on here guys? I hope that you’re all getting along.” Fido says, crossing his arms.
Looks like Fido caught wind of our little conversation… I don’t want anyone to get in trouble, so… I guess I’ll just play it safe for now. “Oh, nothing. We were just…” Sparks looks to Bino, only to find him stomping away. “Well… we
were just talking.”
Fido lets out a chuckle as Sparks turns back towards him. “Just talking? I could hear you from the stage. And from what I could hear, knowing my brother and all, talking with him seems a little farfetched.” Fido lets out a sigh, a smile growing on his face. “But, if you say that you guys were just talking, then I’ll just leave it at that. Come on, let’s get to the stage. Hope you’re ready for your announcement.”
“You bet.” Sparks replies, turning to Fox. “Come on Fox. You can stand in the back while I give my announcement. After, we can raid the treat table.”
Fox looks back at Bino, letting out a sigh. “If you say so. Sure, I’ll come up with you.” He mutters in an almost distressed tone, Sparks taking notice.
“Let’s go then.” Fido says, Sparks and Fox following behind.
The thought of Bino fills the Shepsky’s mind as the group starts making their way towards the stage.
Why does Bino have to be so mean… It’s not like we were doing anything wrong… Hmm… Sparks, Fido, Fox head up the side stairs of the stage. The thought thickens, Sparks stating to piece together the facts.
What if … what if Bino has an actual reason for acting this way… Sparks places his sidebag in the open space on table with his DJ equipment and returns quickly to the group.
There has to be. I don’t believe that someone could be this mean. Not like that bully Charles… He has to have a reason.
The two are stopped in front of Fido, bringing both of them right in front of the podium. “I’ll start off the meeting and then I’ll introduce you. Once I’ve made my little introduction, you can make your announcement. After that, you guys can hang out for the rest of the meeting. That sound ok?”
“Sure!” Sparks agrees.
“I’m fine with that.” The Husky replies.
“Alright then, hope you’re ready!” He replies with his usual smile. Fido turns around to the crowd before him, bringing his paw to his muzzle. He takes a second to clear his throat, the dogs in the room starting to fall silent for him. Once the room is quiet, Fido starts to address them. “Hello everyone, welcome to pre-Halloween meeting! I know a lot of you are very excited for this Sunday and Monday, but before Halloween comes, let’s go over some of the basic things to know before you all go out Trick-or-Treating! But first,” Fido turns towards Sparks, his arm extending towards him. “We’ve got a special guest with us tonight. Here to make an announcement, everyone give a warm welcome to our DJ for this year’s Halloween party, Sparks!”
The room fills with the claps of the almost all of the canines in the neighborhood as Fido steps aside for Sparks. He takes his first steps towards the podium, his body starting to shake uncontrollably. Sparks takes a moment to breathe, his paws clenching.
Stay relaxed. You’ll be fine. Just do what Dad taught me. Sparks loosens his grip, a smile forming on his muzzle as he comes to the podium.
Smile for the crowd… He looks at the podium in front of him, almost above his head.
Well, isn’t this great… Sparks looks back at Fido with a concerned look on his face. Fido points back at him towards the podium, causing him to look back at it.
Oh! I see… Sparks grabs the plastic footstool from the hallow inside of the podium and places it in front of it.
There we go…
Sparks takes a step onto the footstool, his view becoming clearer as his head comes over the podium.
Wow… this is an awesome view! I can see everyone! Sparks’ paws come up to the desk portion of the podium and his eyes travel amongst the crowd.
I guess I should start… “Hey guys,” Sparks announces, “Nice to meet you all tonight. I’m here to tell all of you that I’m taking last minute song requests if any of you have a song or songs that you would like to recommend to me. If you do have any songs, I’ll be over by the treat table after this announcement, so don’t be shy!” Sparks pauses, looking over to the treat table. Suddenly, his eyes catch a familiar face, or faces. His mind starts to go into a panic as a thought stirs in his mind.
What is Tera doing here with Grape… Sparks puts on a weak smile and begins speaking once more. “I… think that’s it… so I guess I’m going to hand it back over to Fido.” Sparks steps down from the stool and puts it back inside the podium, stepping back so Fido can continue.
Fido walks beside Sparks as a whisper fills the air. “Nice job!” He says as he passes him, taking the podium once again. Sparks leaves the stage, going down the side stairs with Fox as the thought of Tera crosses his mind.
“Sparks?” Fox asks in a hushed tone as they both get to the bottom of the stairs. “Is something wrong? Just a second ago you seemed all fine, now you look like you’ve seen a ghost. Who did you see?”
Sparks leans against a wall, trying to think of what to do. “I… I saw Tera.” Fox’s mouth drops at the mention of her name. “I saw her standing at the treat table with Grape. She must have brought her here with Peanut.”
Fox’s paw comes up to his muzzle, rubbing his chin. “This isn’t good... she could mess up your plan if anyone catches you with her…”
“Yeah…” Sparks responds, his mind attempting to think of something.
I can’t just walk over there… other dogs may suspect something if I’m caught with the both of them. I want to just be able to talk with them, but I can’t compromise myself just yet… Hmm… What if… Sparks’ head come up, a plan formulated in his mind. “Fox,” He starts, the Husky’s head now staring at him. “I need you to help me out with this one.”
“What?” Fox barely breaking his whisper. “Why me?”
“Because if I go over there I could accidentally compromise the whole plan! *
Sigh* Just hear me out. Alright… first, I need you to signal Grape over to you. Once she comes over, I need you to tell her this: ‘Have Tera come behind the GODC. Someone’s waiting for her.’ If she asks who it is, just tell her that it’s someone special. Then, make sure that Tera gets there safely. Once she’s behind the clubhouse, I need you to keep watch so that no one spots either of us. If anyone sees us, who knows what could happen.”
Fox stands there in silence for a second, his paw on his muzzle. He then lets out a sigh and his paw drops back down to his side. “Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.” Sparks starts to walk towards the door. “Sparks…” He turns back around to his friend. “How do you know this will work?”
He looks down towards the floor. “Well… to be honest, I don’t.”
“Wait… What?!” Fox whispers, catching himself before yelling out loud.
“Sorry! Gotta’ go!” Sparks grins as he quickly walks out of the clubhouse.
~~
“Sparks!” Fox lets out, his paws coming up to his muzzle.
Great, juuust… great… Fox looks over at the back of the clubhouse, letting out a sigh.
Well… better get moving. Wouldn’t want to keep him waiting. Fox starts to weave through the outskirts of the crowd, trying to get to the treat table in the back of the room.
Why does it seem that there’s more dogs than usual… He glances at some of the faces, mostly new as he continues to advance.
Huh… I wonder if they’ve been a part of the club this whole time… I’m not really the most observant dog in the world.
He makes the final push towards the table before him, weaving through a group of dogs as he politely says, “Excuse me, sorry!”
Alright, now where are they… Fox looks around the vicinity of the table, the image of Tera’s and Grape’s face in his mind as he scans the area.
Where are they… He stands on the edges of his paw pads, allowing him to get a better view of the crowd.
Ah-ha! “There they are…” He whispers to himself.
Fox’s feet return to their flat state on the ground as he moves towards Grape’s and Tera’s direction.
Alright… all that you need to do is get Grape’s attention. That should be easy… Fox stops for a second.
Wait a minute… Why don’t I just talk to both of them directly… that seems easier… Fox continues his march towards the two cats.
If I’m going to accomplish anything, I’m going to have to take a risk. I don’t care if anyone sees me talking with a couple of cats. It’s for my friend. I would do anything to see him happy. Fox stops in front of the two felines, a forced but genuine smile stretching from ear to ear. “Hey you two!” He says in a cheery tone.
Both Grape and Tera stare back at the Husky with a confused look. “Hey… Fox…” Grape mutters as her paw rests on her hip. “What are you doing here?”
“And where’s Sp--” Tera starts, but catches Fox’s finger quickly moving to his lips. Tera stops speaking suddenly, understanding his action.
Whew… that was close. His paws move to his hips, resting there as a grin forms on his muzzle.
“I’ve got a message for you specifically, Tera. Someone is waiting for you around the back. Heh, I think you’ll like who you see.” Fox turns to Grape. “I need you to take her outside after I leave the clubhouse, wouldn’t want the others to think anything, would we?”
Grape nods. “I understand.” She quietly says. “We’ll be out there in a second.”
“Great! I’ll see you two outside I guess.” Fox smiles as he walks away towards the door.
Alright… that went well… Let’s just hope that no one saw any of that… The Husky breathes a sigh of relief. Just as he is about to leave, something else catches his ear. He turns around to investigate. “Guys?” He asks, but spots no one.
I thought I heard… *Sigh* Don’t worry about it. He couldn’t even do anything to me or even Sparks now. Fox walks out of the clubhouse, his spirit light knowing everything is going according to plan.
~~
The canine lets out a plethora of chuckles as the Husky leaves the room.
Perfect… just perfect! I could pass on a rumor that Fox is a cat-lover and he’ll be ruined! With everyone here to witness his little conversation with Grape… It’s… it’s… He stops thinking for a second, the thought of his former friend coming back to him.
Why did he have to start hanging out with him… He clenches his fists.
Fox chose his side… and… He looks away from the entrance, his muzzle pointing towards the floor.
I’ve chose mine.
He walks over towards the crowd, weaving through several groups of dog listening to Fido’s speech.
Perfect! He stops in his tracks, standing in front of a girl with a pink collar. The dog brings up his paw and lightly taps the girl’s shoulder. She swings around to face him, only to gasp and smile at his presence. “Binny-bon!” She goes in for a hug, Bino hugging her back.
“Hey Sasha.” He says with a smile.
The two release from their hug, their paws together as they continue to talk. “What’s up?”
“Oh… nothing. I just wanted to tell you about something that I found… strange.”
“What is it Bino?” Her head tilting to the side.
“Well…”
Here goes nothing. “I saw Fox hanging out with a couple of cats…”
“Is that it?” She giggles.
He nods. “Yeah, but he shouldn’t be hanging out with a bunch of…
cats! He’s a
dog for Dog’s sake!”
“Bino,” She starts, bringing their paws close to her chest. “It’s ok to hang out with cats every once and a while. I hung out with cats before, well… Grape to be more specific. Even if it was only a few times…”
Bino’s head lowers to the floor.
It didn’t work… His ears lower, Bino holding back the frustration.
“So don’t worry about Foxxie, Bino. You guys will still hang out like you guys normally do!” She explains with a smile.
He looks back up at Sasha, thinking about her words.
Maybe… maybe she’s right… am I getting worked up over so something so silly?... No. I have every reason to act this way. Sparkles
took him away from me and made him into a… a… cat-lover! It’s his fault... *Sigh* I’ll deal with him
the day of the party. Bino lets out a sigh. “You’re… right.” He lies.
Sasha hugs him. “I’m glad you feel that way now.” She takes his paw. “Come on! Let’s go get some treats from the table before there all gone!” Sasha says, pulling Bino.
Forget about Fox. He’s a lost cause. Sparks… watch out. He lets out a few silent chuckles.
~~
(Continues in the next post!)
Nice job Bee! I like it! 
