Bending the Rules

Chapter 5 : Bathtime for Bagel

■ Hey what's up?

I'm very happy 'cos, ''41 reads.'' Haha. Lol. Yay. So okay, here's my update. 😇 ■

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"Okay, Bagel, now we're going to have to get you home," Tori told him. "Lord knows what Aunt Tessa is going to think of you. I just hope she likes dogs."

She stood up, still hanging onto his tattered collar. "Now, what are we going to use for a leash?" she mused. "I can't bend over and hold your collar the whole way home, and if I let you go, I know you're going to run away."

He wagged his tail again.

Tori looked around the street for something, anything, to tie onto him. Nothing. She looked up and down her own body, searching for anything usable. Nothing. Well, there was one thing; the cord that ran around the bottom of her windbreaker to tie it closed. That was going to have to be it, then. She untied the big knot that kept it from pulling out, and worked it through its channel until it was out.

Bagel didn't seem to know what to do at the end of a leash. He pulled this way and that, sniffing everything he could get his nose into.

"You're going to have to do a little better than that," Tori told him. "Hey, you're pulling my arm out!"

She stopped off at a corner grocery store to pick up a couple of cans of dog food. Liver and bacon. He'd have to like that.

She noticed as she came out of the store that he was lifting his leg against the fire hydrant she'd tie him to. So, at least he seemed to be housebroken. Thank goodness. One problem she didn't have to worry about.

She walked east and turned south on Eight avenue. About half a block ahead of her, she suddenly spotted a family figure ── at least, it looked familiar from behind. She took a chance that she was right and yelled, "NICHELLE!" About four people turned and looked at her, but Tori was not one to be embarrassed. "YO!" she yelled again, using a New Yorkism she'd quickly grown to love. "NICHELLE! TURN AROUND!"

The tall, beautiful figure turned around, and it was indeed Nichelle, one of her best friends from school. Tori caught up to her in a moment. As soon as she was beside her, she could smell the delicious fragrance that always enveloped Nichelle: Tea Rose.

"What are you doing all the way downtown on a Saturday?" Tori asked her friend.

She knew Nichelle lived all the way uptown, in a gorgeous brownstone house in Harlem. She'd already gone there a couple of times to do homework with Nichelle.

"I wanted to go to that great secondhand clothing store on Thirteenth Street," said Nichelle.

"I saw this silk shawl in the window the other day ── it was ""da bomb!"" It had big roses, and six-inch fringe. It was only ten bucks. The moment I saw it I knew I had to have it."

Nichelle, with her talents as a model, could make a great-looking outfit out of practically nothing. Tori, on the other hand, was only interested in clothes that she could beat up.

Nichelle finally looked down. She jumped.

"Girl, what do you have there?" she said in amazement.

"Most people would call it a dog," grinned Tori. Bagel wagged his tail enthusiastically at Nichelle.

"Yeah, whatever. But what are you doing with it?"

"Well, I sort of found him. And now I'm sort of stuck with him. Want him?"

Nichelle shook her head. "My mom's allergic to anything that barks or meows. That pretty much leaves me with anything that croaks."

"I think my aunt's going to croak when she sees what I've brought home," said Tori.