The Dog Park

First day of school

There’s nothing like Ronnie Radke’s song, ‘Bad Girls Club’, playing on full volume at six thirty in the morning to wake you up. Angel could hear her wicked step-mother cursing as she sat up and climbed out of bed to get dressed. Upstairs, in Ashley’s room, there was a thud, and Angel started giggling to herself quietly. Grabbing her white sneakers, she put on her track pants and a plain black top, and grabbed her iPod and a banana to eat. As she was running out the door at six fifty five, she heard Angel shout at her to shut up, but she ignored the warning, slamming the door on her way out loudly. Out on the doorstep, she span in a circle, trying to decide which direction to run this time. Well, there’s a creepy old guy staring at me from east, its busy north, and I don’t like south, so…west it is.

Plugging her iPod into her ears and starting her playlist of SayWeCanFly, she started her run. West wasn’t a direction she usually ran, but for some reason, Angel liked it today. The sun was rising behind her, so it wasn’t in her eyes, and there was a quaint little river amongst the scrub and trees that she had never noticed before. She followed the small stream until she reached a dog park, with some people already playing with presumably their dogs. Angel wrinkled her nose as she saw a small sausage dog chasing a stick. She never liked those dogs, but she had no idea why not; she just didn’t.

As Angel turned to leave, she saw a flash of black and white leaping at her face. Letting out a short scream, she dropped to the ground as her face was covered in dog saliva. A giant oversized border collie was licking her, she realized, as the owner grabbed its leash and tried to pull it off of her-try being the keyword. Struggling to her feet, she managed to wipe the goo and dirt from her face as she turned to pat the giant fluff ball of a dog.

As she got what she thought was the last of the dirt on her face, a voice that had her turning around said, “Um...There’s like twenty leaves in your hair...” rather awkwardly. Angel groaned as she patted her head. Leaning forwards, she shook her hair, getting at least half of them out, and as she stood back up to face her stranger, the teenage boy grabbed the last one and dropped it to the ground. Make that, CUTE teenage boy…!

The stranger smiled at her. “Sorry about that, she usually avoids other people; I don’t know why she jumped on you. Are you okay?”

He looked about her age, and was tall enough for her to look up at, more than usual, and was skinny, with dark brown, almost black hair and the most astounding brown eyes she had ever seen. She was busy staring into them as he blushed, and repeated his question that she still had to answer.

“Um...yeah, yeah, I’m fine” she stammered. Ew…I’m actually stammering and stuttering at a guy…never thought this day would come… Angel was disgusted with herself on the inside. She hated people, give or take one or two, and to think she was actually blushing at one, let alone a guy right now…

The unnamed beauty that was her stranger put his hand out in front of her. Angel stared at it, until he coughed awkwardly and told her his name.

“Usually people shake hands in introductions. My name is Malakai, what about you?” The dog barked as he spoke, and he laughed and added, “And this here is Blue, she’s mine.” Blue wagged her tail and licked Angel’s hand, leaving a slobber trail. Angel laughed and wiped it on Malakai’s arm sleeve.

“Well, if she’s yours then that’s yours too. I’m Angel, yeah, I know, ironic name seeing as I’m practically Satan incarnate.” They both laugh.

Angel looked at the time on her watch, saw it said almost seven o’clock, and cursed. “I’m sorry, I’ve got to go, I have school soon.”

“I’m gonna be late too, but hey, maybe it’s the same school. Maybe I’ll see you there,” he winked and Angel felt herself blush. She jogged off before she could realize her iPod was on the ground, but as Malakai turned to leave, he saw it there in the dirt, and picked it up.