Twice in a Lifetime \\ KELLIC

7

It was so frustrating how I went to sleep feeling better than I had been since the accident, and then I woke up feeling right back where I began; not wanting to leave the comfort of the couch. That was exactly how I felt when I woke up. Vic was expected to be here at any moment now and I wanted to change my mind and tell him to stay home.

I heard the dog scratching at the front door, whining to be let in. I let him out earlier this morning so he wouldn't go to the bathroom everywhere in my house. He seemed well trained enough to at least wait until I let him outside, and then I locked him out because I wanted to go back to sleep.

I lay on the couch, ready to drift back off to sleep when there was a knock at the door. At first I ignored it, but Vic was getting used to me ignoring him by now, and he still had a spare key that I really needed to take off of him. He let himself in.

I heard the dog's nails scratching on the timber floor as he ran through the house. I knew what was coming and I tensed up before he jumped right onto my stomach.

"Oh God, do you have to?" I groaned.

He dragged himself further up onto me and licked my chin. I sighed and pushed his face away. He just started licking my hand instead.

"No licking!" I scolded and tapped his nose.

He flinched back and looked at me with his head tilted to the side. I frowned before my face softened. I guess the thing was kind of cute.

"What are you looking at?" I whispered.

He jumped up and in a split second he was off and running circles around the couch. How in the world that thing had so much energy, I had no idea.

"Thought of a name yet?" Vic asked.

I looked up at him standing in the doorway.

"I was thinking something along the lines of 'giant headache'," I said, only half meaning it.

"Aww come on, be nice," Vic said as he got to his knees.

He tapped his thigh and the dog came bolting up to him. I sat up lazily and watched them. Vic smiled as he pet the dog and babbled on to it like he was talking to a baby. Once the dog had his fix of affection, he kept running around the house like a psycho before jumping up on me again.

"I got an idea," Vic said.

"Uh huh, and what is that?" I asked, disinterested.

"Flash," he said proudly.

"Flash?" I asked, "Like the superhero?"

"Yeah, I mean, can you imagine him in one of those adorable little puppy costumes?" he asked.

"God, sometimes I forget how gay you really are," I said.

I pushed the dog off me and stood up. My bones cracked as I stretched. I actually had a shower last night, so for once Vic didn't show up to me smelling like garbage.

"Hey Flash! Come here Flash!" Vic shouted in a high-pitched voice.

Hearing the noise made the dog run right up to him.

"See, he knows his name, don't you, Flash?" Vic said as he ruffled the dog's fur.

"He'd probably go up to anyone speaking like that," I said.

"Well, do you have any better names?" he asked.

I shook my head. I didn't care. I could have gone on calling it 'dog' for the rest of the time it was here and I wouldn't care.

"So, Flash it is?" Vic asked.

"Whatever," I said.

I went past him and the dog, Flash, and went upstairs. I headed to the bathroom and awkwardly moved the broken door so it was closed so I could do my business and clean up a little. I looked myself in the mirror. I still looked so tired despite all the sleep I was getting.