Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
chapter THIRTY the puppy interview .
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
the buzzfeed studio had been prepped for the interview long before starr, mason, and ahliya even arrived. bright lights were set up, fluffy rugs placed on the floor for the puppies to roam on, and a sizeable bowl of water and toys scattered around to keep them entertained. there were around ten puppies in total—ranging from small pugs to a few golden retrievers, and even a tiny corgi that kept trying to steal the toys from the others.
as soon as the three of them stepped onto the set, it was clear who would be a distraction and who would be doing most of the talking. mason's eyes widened at the sight of the dogs and he let out an excited laugh. "oh my god, this is going to be impossible," he said, practically bouncing on his feet, while the puppies immediately scampered over to him, their tails wagging furiously. he crouched down to their level, his hands outstretched, and was immediately overwhelmed by furry bodies jumping at him.
"i already can't concentrate," starr admitted, laughing softly as she crouched beside mason and tried to calm one of the more hyperactive puppies. the small corgi yapped at her fingers, trying to nip at them, and she nudged it gently with the back of her hand, grinning as it fell over in its excitement.
"don't think i've ever been so happy to get interrupted," mason joked as he gently pushed a fluffy pug off his lap. he looked up at ahliya, who had stayed standing at the edge of the set, a forced smile on her face.
ahliya looked down at the scene, clearly hesitant about diving into the puppy chaos. she slowly knelt beside them, the puppies barely paying her any attention as they piled over mason and starr. "you know, they're kinda cute..." she said, her voice a little too neutral.
"kinda?" starr echoed, her tone teasing but a little pointed as she rubbed behind the ears of a beagle. "i don't know how anyone could think they're just kinda cute." the light sarcasm in her voice was easy to miss, but mason caught it, and he sent a look starr's way as if to say 'play nice.'
"okay, everyone ready?" one of the producers called out from behind the cameras. a buzzfeed assistant released the rest of the puppies onto the set, and suddenly, there were tiny paws and wagging tails everywhere. mason reached out and scooped up a fluffy golden retriever pup, cradling it like a baby. "no, i'm not ready for this level of cuteness. can i keep this one?" he asked, nuzzling the puppy's face.
