Bolt and Penny

Mulling It Over

After getting home from school. Penny set down her backpack and flopped onto her bed. Bolt immediately sprang up onto her bed and settled himself on top of her body. The Redhead let out a sigh and closed her eyes. Bolt nudged her arm with his muzzle and whined, "What's wrong Penny?" Laying a hand on the White Shepherd's head, Penny ran her fingers down his muzzle and then over his cheek. Bolt lovingly leaned into her touch and stared at her with intent. "Come on Penny you can tell me; I'd listen to anything you'd have to get off your chest." Penny closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose. "Well, I'm not worried about school if that's what you're wondering. I'm just worried about whether or not the college will let me take you with me when I start this August." Running her fingers through Bolt's soft fur, Penny let out another deep breath and rolled to her side. "Well, I guess I can give them a call later on. But right now, I think I'm gonna practice some guitar." Sitting up, Penny got off her bed and walked to her guitar stand. Picking up her electric guitar, she leaned down to turn on her amp and sat on her bed. Checking her guitar tuner to make sure that her guitar was fully tuned, she strummed all her strings and adjusted the volume on her amp. Satisfied that it was at a volume that would not disturb her mom. Penny began the opening to Metallica's Moth Into Flame. While she strummed the chords, she mulled over what the admins might say about her wanting to bring in Bolt with her to college. Getting to the song's middle solo, she took her mind off the problem at hand for a brief moment and focused on the different melodies and strings she was hitting. 

Sitting down at the dinner table, Penny watched as her mom brought in a steaming hot pot of Corned Beef and Cabbage and set it down on the table. Sitting across from her, Penny's mom noticed the stressed look on her daughter's face and questioned her. "Penny, dear, what's wrong?" Serving the both of them, her mom reached across the table and handed her a plate of food. "Nothing mom, I just have a lot on my mind about college." Her mom gave an 'aha...' sort of look and pointed her fork at Penny. "You know I had the same problem you're having. I was worried about making new friends at college and fitting in with the other students." She went back to eating. (With a mouthful of cabbage) "Hey, if you need to talk about it just let me know. I'm your mother, you can talk to me about anything." Smiling, Penny went to eating, "Thanks, mom." 

Brushing her teeth, Penny looked at her reflection in the mirror. A tired, 19-year-old girl, looked back at her wearily. Since she had begun to worry about college, dark circles had appeared under her eyes; and her limbs were weak with sleep. Penny rinsed out her mouth and washed off her toothbrush as she heard a familiar woof at the door. Setting her brush in the holder, Penny opened the door and looked down at an impatient Bolt. "Hold on Bolt, just give me a few more minutes. I need to take a shower too." Bolt whined, "Come on Penny, you know I don't care how you smell. I'm tired, can we please go to bed?" The teen let out a sigh and kneeled down next to Bolt. Running a hand through his fur, she smiled inwardly and spoke softly. "Why don't you go get the bed ready and I'll be in there in a minute. I still need to use the bathroom." The white shepherd barked and ran off to the open bedroom door. 

When Penny had returned to her room, Bolt was already out cold on the bed. Penny giggled from the way that he had fallen asleep. The front of his body was on his back, and the other half was laying the right way. But it wasn't that that made Penny giggle. It was the fact that Bolt's tongue lay lolling out his mouth and over his nose in the cutest way. 'Oh Bolty, fell asleep like that again huh?' She thought to herself. Climbing in behind Bolt, Penny pulled up the covers over them and wrapped her arms around Bolt. Nuzzling into his neck fur, she looked across the room at the moonlight filtering into the room and let out a sigh. 

The next morning when Penny woke up, Bolt wasn't next to her. Blinking her eyes to clear her vision, Penny pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed. Pulling on her fluffy socks, the redhead walked across the room and to the open door. Then bursting from the hallway came Bolt. Penny was so startled she fell backward and started laughing as the white shepherd began excitedly licking her face. "Hahahaha! Bolt stop it, boy! I'm right here! Hahaha!" From inside her mind she heard the sound of his voice. " Oh, Penny I missed you! I went for a walk with mom but you were still sleeping! And she wanted to let you sleep." Pushing Bolt off of her Penny got up and went back to her bed. "Well since you look positively cold, (Bolt had snow all over his fur coat and paws) allow me to warm you up" Pulling back the covers, Penny moved back so Bolt could climb in. "Oh, your fur is cold Bolty!" Penny said as her Shepherd snuggled up to her on the bed. "Sorry Penny, it'll warm up in a bit," Bolt said. Throwing the covers over the both of them, Penny wrapped Bolt up in a warm embrace before closing her eyes and burying her face in his white fluffy fur. They lay like that for a while, silent but full of sound, tired but never falling asleep, a girl and her dog, the two of them against all odds. 

Some time passed before Bolt felt the atmosphere change, he couldn't put his paw on it but it almost felt like he'd been here before. His keen canine sense had picked up on something his instincts told him to comfort. But comfort what? 

(Author's Note) 

I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to update on this story. My summer was just a crazy one and I never really had time to upload any new chapters but now that I'm back in school, I have a bit more time since it's the start of the school year. Till next chapter- Ciao