Fire on Fire

Chapter 14

"Night Buddy!" Jonathan cried with a giggle. As soon as the little boy's head hit the pillow, he was out like a light. Curled up at the foot of the bed, Buddy watched as the child's mother kissed her son on the forehead and turned off the lamp. She gave the dachshund a gentle pat on her way out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Then it was just Buddy all alone.

Resting his chin on his paws, Buddy whimpered slightly. He was so confused and lost. What has been going on with Mel lately? Sure, the pug was always a loose screw and would say the randomest things or lose his train of thought halfway through a sentence. But he seemed to be out of sorts for the past few weeks. There was something going on, he knew it.

Perhaps... no, he couldn't. Mel can't possibly feel the same way about me, Buddy dismissed his thoughts. There was no way Mel loved him back. There was just no way! Right? Covering his muzzle with his paws, Buddy closed his eyes and whimpered. Why was love so difficult sometimes? Had it been easy, the dachshund would've walked right up to his pal and blurted out his feelings for him. And then wait to see if he somehow felt the same way.

Opening his eyes, Buddy glanced around the bedroom. His gaze fell upon his basket of toys. Getting up to his feet, the dachshund jumped down from the bed and trotted over to the basket. Moving aside his rawhide bone and squeaky duck toy, he dug all the way down to the bottom where there was a single red ball. The very one he and Mel used to play with when they were puppies.

Pulling the toy out of the basket, Buddy laid down on the floor as he stared at the red ball he held in his forepaws. In his mind, he was sent back to his puppyhood days. That was when he first met Mel at a little pet store on Fifth Avenue. Every day they played together, ate together and slept on the same pillow together. The day Buddy was adopted, Mel had given him the ball as a way to remember him. Little did they know they would be reunited within a few hours but it was that very moment that Buddy knew he had found the one.

Buddy snorted at that. He had been too young at the time to understand love. But he just knew. The dachshund had remained by Mel's side, keeping his feelings buried not because of embarrassment but because of fear. He didn't know how Mel would react if he ever learned the truth. And that was a big if. Buddy may seem like a confident dog but deep down he was scared.

Lost in memories and hopeless longing, Buddy hugged the red ball close to his chest with a whimper, wishing he had the courage to say something to his best friend.