Right Now

3.

I walk outside and look for my dogs, Douglas and Ralph, the only things that bring me true joy in my life. Who doesn't love puppies, though? Douglas is a black and grey German Shepherd and Ralph is beagle and Weiner dog mix. "Douglas, Ralphie." I call and I see them both at the fence and Calum is leaning shirtless over the fence to pet them both. He looks up at me and slowly stands back up, a cold look on his face.

"What are their names?" He asks, clearly not hearing me correctly the first time and I am hesitant to answer.

"Ralph and Douglas." I say. "Ralph is small, douglas is tall." I say and he smiles down at them. They both jump on the fence. Douglas reaches the top, Ralph isn't as lucky.

"Why those names? They aren't exactly... Well, cute dog names... " He starts and trails off. I can tell he isn't trying to be rude, but that's how he comes off.

"The lady I adopted them from named them that. It was too late to change them." I say. Instead of walking over, I sit on the porch.

"Do you mind if I play with them?" He asks, not looking up at me.

"Sure, but be careful with the little one, he pees when he is excited." I say and he laughs. It's a nice sound and for a moment I forget I don't like him.

Then he starts talking.

"Are you just gonna stare?" He says and I frown. I stand and go back inside, accidentally slamming the door on purpose for more effect.

I sit in the kitchen with my feet up on the table and I sigh. My mother took my grandma out for a while, so it's just me. I hear laughing and I curiously look out the window from where I sit. He is in my yard with Ralph and Douglas are all over him. He lays on his back and they climb over him, licking his face and wagging their tails. I grin and I notice that he looks cute like this. He looks so innocent and nice and not so much like an evil, moody villain. They absolutely love him and I hate it.

My phone beeps and I look at it. It's Ash, asking if he, Lyle, and Gorgy can come over and hang out with me and my pool. I tell him sure and to bring something to swim in. It's hot outside. I have a pool. Why not? I look out the window and see he is back over the fence and he is kissing their faces. I smile again as he picks Ralph up to kiss him and I see his mom on his back porch. He runs inside and the dogs look depressed.

I open the door and they run at me. Like a cat would, they rub against me and I smile, letting them in. "You guys know you are dogs, right?" I ask them and they just run off.

I run up to my room and put on my black bathing suit and a black and white flannel over it. I walk downstairs and wait for my friends to show their faces.

I hear a knock on the door and Ashton walks in with oversized, pink sunglasses and throwing gang signs. "Yo yo yo, the party is here!" He says loudly.

"You just lowered the IQ of everyone in this town." Lyle says as he and Gorgy walk around the tall idiot.

"Please," Ashton says and scoffs. "I'm ready to be come tan and sexier than I already am." He says, running for the backdoor. He goes out and I look to Gorgy.

"He had three cups of coffee, excuse him." She says and I laugh.

"Okay, when he is in your care, he can have whatever, but when you bring him back to me, no caffeine. This was in our custody arrangements." I say and she holds up her hands in surrender.

"Yes, ma'am." She says and we both laugh.

We go outside and Ashton is peeking over the edge of the pool, his arms on the deck built around the pool. Something my grandpa built before he died. He had the pool built above the ground, but he added the rest around it.