A kid walked amidst the large mass of other students trying to get to their classes. He was trying to go without without disrupting, but he needed to squeeze his way past numerous crowds. People pushed and shoved past him. It was starting to become painful. Luckily, he made it to his class. He opened the door and walked inside.

Inside, the whole class, including the teacher, were staring directly at him, making him feel uncomfortable. "Asher, this is your fourth tardy this week!" The teacher said to him. "But Mr. Wilson, I can explain!" He said back. "I'm sure you can, but if you get one more, I will have to notify your parents." Mr. Wilson stated. Asher sighed and walked off. "Now, go set up your things. We're waiting for you." "Yes, sir." He replied.

He walked into a closet, and came out with a music stand, a chair, and an instrument case. He set the chair down and the music stand right in front of it. He sat down, opened the case, and removed the instrument that was inside.

Lucky and a puppy were watching through a window. "Is that him, Mr. Lucky Is that my perfect person?" She asked. "It sure is, Aurum." He said happily to her. "But, what's he doing?" She asked. "Well, it looks like he's putting his instrument together." Lucky continued. "The FKD says he's an amazing French horn player! He plays for one of the top bands in the state!" "I can't wait! I'll finally have a friend that loves music just as much as I do!" Aurum exclaimed. "When can I meet him?" She asked. "Well, he's been wanting a puppy for a long time, and his mother has finally agreed that if he's responsible enough, she will get one for him." He answered. Aurum grew a little disappointed. "Sounds like it isn't going too well, then." She said quietly. "Don't worry, kid. Asher seems like a smart person with a lot of potential. In the end, it'll all work out. You'll see." He replied.

As the rest of the band waited for Asher to set up, Mr. Wilson walked up to the front of the room. "All right, class. Take out your music for 'Eye of the Storm.'" He said. The entire class placed a sheet of music on their stands. "Now, instruments up!" He commanded. They all put their instruments up to their lips. "Okay, from the top, everyone! And 1, 2, 3, 4!" He counted. The band then started playing. It was sounding pleasant and the band was playing it pretty much perfectly. Aurum was even smiling and nodding her head along. The band finished the song. "That was lovely! It sounded wonderful!" Said Aurum excitedly. They suddenly heard stern statements by the teacher. "Clarinets, you were too quiet! Tubas, you were too loud!" He said.

While he was talking, a trumpet player leaned towards Asher. "Way to mess the whole song up, slacker!" He said. A tuba player joined him. "Yeah. What should I expect from the only French horn player in the whole band? You really suck." He said. "French horn players are such dorks." Replied the trumpet player. "If you really want to help the band, maybe you shouldn't even play next time." Mr. Wilson gave his last comment. "And saxophones, bring out that loud volume part more!" He said. "Alright, let's play it again, this time applying what I just told you." He counted off the song again, and they all started playing again, except for Asher. He just sat there with a sad expression on his face. At the end of the song, Mr. Wilson looked at Asher with a questioning look. "Asher, why didn't you play? You're the only one on that part; we need you!" He asked. "Well, you see, it was because..." Asher started to explain. He was interrupted by the school bell.

The entire class rushed to put their stuff away and leave, pushing Asher along as well. Lucky and Aurum were quick to hide and stay out of sight. It was the end of the day, so everybody at the school headed back home. Lucky and Aurum headed back to the pound.

When they got back, the other four Pound Puppies were there to greet them. "So, how did it go?" Asked Cookie. "Did you find Aurum's person?" Added Strudel. "We did, but there's something wrong." Lucky responded. "What is it, what happened?" Asked Squirt. "Well, you know how Asher's parents will only get him a puppy if he proves to be responsible enough to get one? Well, apparently, he's known for being tardy a lot, and the next time, they're going to tell his parents. I'm afraid something like this could prevent Aurum's adoption." Explained Lucky. "Well, maybe we just need to find out why he's late." Suggested Cookie. "Good idea. I'll take Aurum back to the school tomorrow. Maybe we can investigate." Said Lucky.

The next day, Lucky and Aurum arrived at the school just before Asher's band class. There was nobody in the halls. "Okay. When the bell rings, look for Asher." Explained Lucky. Before Aurum got to respond, they both heard ringing echo all around them. They quickly hid outside while the whole building immediately became overcrowded with students. "Do you see him?" Asked Lucky. "Look!" Shouted Aurum. She pointed in front of them, and there was Asher. He was walking around slowly, seemingly toward his next class. They both followed him until he did something weird.

Asher sat down against the wall of a building and took out what appeared to be a journal and began writing in it. They both became very confused. They watched him continue to write in it until another bell rang. He then closed it, quickly put it in his pocket, and looked around in all directions, almost as if he was trying to avoid something. After that, he ran to his next class. Lucky and Aurum followed. It was difficult avoiding sight of everyone, but once they finally arrived at his classroom, they saw something they didn't like.

"No, please give me one more chance." Said Asher to his teacher. "I wish I could, but you've been tardy too many times to tolerate." Said Mr. Wilson while he picked up the phone on his desk. Asher sadly walked away to set up his things. "Oh, no. If his parents find out, he won't be allowed to adopt you!" Lucky explained worriedly. "So, I won't get adopted?" Asked Aurum, concerned. "Don't worry. We can prevent that. Let's just wait and see what happens." Responded Lucky.

Asher's band finished another song. The same tuba player from earlier grabbed his chair and turned it around. "Wow, even the teacher thinks you're pathetic!" He said. The trumpet player joined. "And your own parents soon will, too!" He responded. They both laughed. "Well at least I sounded decent!" Replied Asher, who immediately cringed, acknowledging that he wanted to come up with a good response, but failed. The tuba player stood up. "Are you getting all aggressive on us?" He asked in a hostile manner. "No. I was just..." Asher was interrupted when his French horn was confiscated right out of his hands by the trumpet player. "Let's make sure of that." He said, surrounding him.

The bell suddenly rang, and their conversation ended. Because band was his last class, he turned to head home. But first, he sat by the end of the building to write in his journal again. Lucky and Aurum watched him. When he finally got back up, Aurum pointed to something. "Look!" She shouted. Something had dropped from Asher's backpack. They ran up to it. It was his journal. "Oh no. We need to give this back to him!" Suggested Aurum. "Hold on, kid. We will, but not before we have a quick investigation." Lucky replied. They opened it and began to read, and what they found inside was heartbreaking.

Most pages were filled with tally marks, covering the sheets. On others, they found journal entries. The most recent one read "My insult tally recently exceeded 300. I will try again to ask, but I know no one can hear me. I wish for a friend. That's all I ask." Every single entry had those last two sentences in it. On the few final pages, they found pages of blank sheet music, partly occupied with handwritten music notation. It was a composition. "Well I'll be." Lucky sighed. Lucky picked it up and looked around for Asher. They spotted him far away, almost at the other end of the school. They ran after him.

He stopped in front of a pickup lane and sat down. He reached into his backpack, but he couldn't find what he was looking for. He frantically searched each pocket, but nothing turned up. Meanwhile, just around the corner, Aurum had Asher's journal next to her. "What's going on, Lucky?" She asked. "You're getting ready to meet your perfect person." He responded happily. He placed a silver tag on her collar. "Once a Pound Puppy, always a Pound Puppy." He said. "Now go return his journal and make him happy." Aurum picked it up and ran toward Asher.

Asher began to hear muffled barking. He took a break from looking through his backpack and saw a golden-coated puppy run toward him with his journal. Aurum set it down in front of him. "My journal! Where did you come from?" He happily asked her. She barked and started panting playfully. Asher moved closer to her. Asher gently stroked her on the head, to thank her for returning his journal. He sat down and began writing, joyfully. Then, out of seemingly absolutely nowhere, the tuba player and the trumpet player emerged from the same corner Aurum came from. They startled Asher when they walked in front of them. Aurum ran to Asher's side.

"Well, well, well. What is this?" One asked. "Go away." Asher commanded timidly. "Not before we see what this nuisance is scribbling." Responded the other. He began reaching for his journal. Aurum jumped in front of his hand and growled angrily at him. He retracted his arm and chortled. "And who's this?" He asked amusingly. He was smiling. The other one kicked her out of the way. She whimpered. "Stop it!" Asher yelled. "I'll do what I want." He responded. The other one proceeded to pick her up by the tail. Reacting to such cruelty, Asher quickly stood up and pushed him to yank her out of his hands. Asher put her down, but she remained close to him. "You're gonna regret that." He said. He grabbed Asher's journal directly from him and began tearing pages from it, laughing hysterically. Asher cringed. He couldn't bear the sight of it. He saw him getting awfully close to the music in the back. The tuba player was laughing the while it was going on, also.

The trumpet player finally tore the composition out. Asher gasped in surprise; it had taken him years to create it. Aurum glanced at Asher, only to see him on the ground, staring at the crumpled pages of the thing he had sacrificed so much for. Aurum grew angry and turned toward the others. She barked as loudly as she could. They began to back up, but not wanting to admit to themselves they were being scared by a puppy. Before they knew what was happening, they tripped over the curb and fell into a dirty puddle of water on the side of the street.

"What a stupid kid." He said as they both got up and walked away quickly. Aurum looked back. She saw Asher gathering the pages of what he could find. Realizing that it was pointless, he sighed and kneeled back down. Aurum whimpered, as if she felt the same sadness. They sat together. "Thank you for being my friend." Said Asher. Aurum smiled. So did Lucky, proudly watching from across the sidewalk. He winked at her.

A car suddenly drove up to him in the pickup lane nearby. Asher saw it, and quickly hid Aurum in his backpack. With a rather worried expression, he slowly got in the car. Before driving off, they heard the driver say something to Asher. "Your mother got a phone call from the school. She says she has something she wants to discuss with you." They proceeded to exit the lane. "Uh oh." Lucky sighed. Lucky raced after the car. He was barely able to keep up.

Lucky finally arrived at where he believed the car was headed. He arrived in time to barely see Asher at his house, closing the front door behind him after he walked inside. He hurried to the window. Inside, he saw Asher, seated on a sofa across from his mother. His backpack was next to him. His mother began to speak. "Asher, you know what I told you. Unfortunately, I was informed about your behavior at school. I'm very disappointed in you. And I cannot allow you to adopt a puppy, like you wanted." She said. Both Lucky and Asher were suddenly stricken with failure.

Just then, Aurum jumped out of Asher's backpack. "Where did that come from, Asher?" His mother asked in surprise. "Well, I found her, and..." He started. His mother interrupted. "I can't believe you would do something like that without my permission! I'm taking her to the pound. Meanwhile, you'll talk with your father about your punishment." She said loudly. She stepped toward Aurum to take her, but Asher stepped in front of her. "No, mom." He responded.

He picked her up and held her. "I took her because she actually found me. I was being bullied by these kids on our band, and..." Asher started to tear up. "And, she saved me. She was the only friend I ever had." He finished. His mother looked at Aurum one last time. She realized she felt a little guilty for taking her away from him, despite they obviously needed each other. She sighed. "Never mind, Asher. I'm sorry I got mad. I had no idea; and I'm not going to the pound. You obviously found the right choice of friend." She said happily to him. Asher and Aurum smiled at each other. "Mom, that's music to my ears." He said.

Asher and Aurum headed out of the room together. On the way out, Aurum caught a glimpse of Lucky. She grinned to him. Lucky let out a sigh of relief and left the house, ready to return to the pound to report on another job well done.