"La la la." Wyatt started to mummer to his cousin Peter, as they swung on the outside swing. "Bradly was seriously in a bad mood yesterday. Poor guy."

Peter was about to say something when a dodge ball slapped his head. He jumped off the swing and chased down the second grader who threw it.

Wyatt didn't miss a beat. "I mean, he did leave me a nice package." He indicated his bruised eye with his index figure. "Isn't that all that counts? We're not friends? Or we are? Should I be mad, I mean, he's not here because he was suspended, and it's last day before break..." He turned his head, "Peter!" He rolled his eyes as Peter strangled the second grader on the ground. His arm was around the kid's neck.

"Cut it our, Pete!" Wyatt scolded. Peter stood up, and resentfully dropped the kid, as he scurried off, before turning and sticking his tongue out at the fourth grader who nearly killed him.

"Look, he-"

"I don't care!" Wyatt shouted.

Pete shuffled his shoe. "Idiot chipmunks."

Wyatt threw his arms in the air. "Are you following? I tried to pour my heart out to ya, and all you care about is strangling those midgets."

"That's not all I care about." Pete confirmed. "I also want to take their coats so they're cold."

Wyatt couldn't believe this. "Fine I'll go talk to Stan. Maybe he can shed some curiosity on my emotions, while you beat the crap out of random kindergartners. I'm not behind ya."

*

Stanly tried to crack the combination of his locker as Wyatt came by.

"Hey Stan-"

BANG!

His face face was smashed by the locker door as it flew open. Stanly gasped. "Oh gee, Sorry man."

Wyatt shook it off, but still held his nose. "It's fine." He said while rubbing it a little, than letting it go. "Are you going to help me?"

"Sure." Stanly's attention was on his locker at the time.

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "I just want to know something. What happened?"

"You mean with the principal leaving?" Stanly asked.

"It's not just something that happened, but yeah, it's not for vacation is it?"

"I dunno."

Wyatt sighed. "He left...right after Brad came out of his office, the news wasn't too long after."

"I know. It was everywhere. Brad really scarred the guy."

Wyatt shook his head. "No, it's...it's just weird. I mean we wanted this whole time to get rid of him, and all of the sudden he's gone."

"Brad did something."

"Maybe it wasn't him."

"Why not?"

Wyatt shrugged. "Not sure...but Brad could have never gotten rid of that guy, if he had an army of angry wolves helping him."

"Well, same for us, too." Stanly quietly protested.

Wyatt nodded with a stern face. "Some thing's up."

"You think?"

"Well, I'm not stupid. We've got a case, here. I mean, when was the last time he even suspended anyone?"

"I dunno."

"Exactly!"

Stanly was beginning to understand, but was still confounded. "This isn't making sense. So what do we do?"

"We need to call a meeting with the guys." Wyatt concluded.

Four hours.

He had never waited this long for an answer. The rock he'd been fiddling with was tossed back and forth in Brad's hands. His nerves to just go inside a public place for food was like walking sluggishly into shark infested waters.

Bolt put the pieces together as he thought to himself. You've got to admit, I've gone 3 days without food, and right now I feel as fine as I would a person after a thanksgiving feast.

"That's great." Brad clarified sarcastically. "Now we've got food chances further than any possibility to buy things. No one trusts a motherless kid like me, to be handling so much cash."

"I told you we needed it." Bolt scolded. "How much you do you have left after giving half of it?"

"Just enough." He whimpered. "But, I can't trust myself to make it last. It's not going to work."

"What did you expect out here?"

"I expected a movie opportunity, Bolt! It's so easy for them in the movies to get everything needed to stay alive! Why is it so hard for me?"

Bolt sighed, and dropped his head. "It's just...reality Brad. Fact is stranger than fiction."

Brad threw the rock angrily. "I can't believe it! I won't! If they have ideas on how you can survive, why doesn't it work! I'm starving, and Kevin from 'Home Alone' has better chance to live that I ever would. How did he ever manage so much in the big city!?" He began to sob again. "It's not fair."

At his side, Bolt felt helpless to do anything. Brad had to get something to eat. He had to get it somehow.

Brad picked this up. "Don't do it." He pleaded.

Bolt snorted and began a dash toward the closing door of the restaurant. Brad gawked at him, and began to pull at his hair. "NO! You stupid freak! What's wrong with you?"

Bolt answered in Brad's mind. "Just stay put for once, I'll handle this. Please."

Brad's teeth clenched. "No, way! This isn't happening! None of this is-" He stopped himself. He'd say B.S. to those thoughts already, because it was too true to be argued about. All of this was happening, deal with it!

He waited for Bolt to return, but within the time it took, Brad's nerves boiled to the top, and he stood up, marching to the doors with red hot skin. He was going to murder that dog.

But, someone beat him to it.

Once he walked through the doors, he tripped over something, and landed under a table.

"OW!" He yelped.

Bolt stood there, unsatisfied about Brad's behavior. He tossed a wrapped hamburger onto the ground in front of him. He sat back, trying to obscure his anger, but gave Brad a disapproving stare. "What does 'stay put' mean to you?"

Brad would have screamed at the top of his lungs if he wasn't in a restaurant filled with people. "Look, Mr. Fire-Rocket superior...dog! I can just pay for my own food okay, I've got money. I'm not eating that, because it's not mine. You swiped it! "

Bolt 's expression didn't change. "You're not concerned with your well being as I am. If you were hungry, you would have bought something to eat hours ago, and right now. You don't convince me that you're hungry." He grabbed the burger and flicked his tail as he sat. "Eat it!"

Brad shook his head. "Take it back to the tray Bolt."

"They can get another." He said with his mouth full from the burger. "It's still wrapped in dog-proof aluminum. Take it!"

"I can get another than."

"Which is it Brad!?" Bolt scolded, his mouth seemed to water, so he put the burger down. "I'm not waiting, and you don't have an option, just satisfy your hunger."

Brad grabbed the burger. "I'm taking this back."

"Do that, and I'll just get another."

Brad was flabbergasted. "What's your problem! You're stealing this, I'm not going to eat something that's been stolen!"

Bolt smirked. "You're not 'eating' just the same."

Brad synchronized his voice tone. "Because I want to eat in an honest manor."

Bolt was insistent on this, and wasn't giving up. "If you don't eat it, you're getting another bite on that arm."

"Better than nothing." Brad said coldly.

"It's because I'm worried about you. Okay?"

"Yeah, so much so, you wanna bite me."

"You're life depends on it, Brad." He said, referring to the food. "I've given you an opportunity to help yourself. Accept it."

"I want a choice." Brad challenged.

Bolt was about to say something, when someone sat in the chair behind Brad. His eyes widened. "Grab the burger." He whispered, and walked around him, leaving from under the table. Brad didn't follow. Bolt rolled his eyes, and clamped his teeth on Brad's shirt, dragging him from under the table. Brad struggled.

"Quit it!" Brad sneered.

Bolt dropped the boy, as he hit the back of his head onto the tiled floor. "I've about had it with you." Bolt clarified in distaste. "You've been nothing but a thorn in my side, and I'm trying to help you so you don't get as much as a broken finger. Show me some gratitude for what I've done." He gritted his teeth. "And eat...that....food."

Brad scowled, but yanked the hamburger from under Bolt's paw. "I'll bet it's rotten." He chided. He looked around and saw some interested faces staring at him, but looked away as he saw them. He stood up, and pocketed the hamburger.

He left the restaurant.

***

Whatever had been crushed under that aluminum, was heaven to Brad's dry mouth. He saw that the burger was still almost completely intact. He licked his lips, and brought the sandwich to them. The first bite felt like years after going without eating. The juicy meat, and pickles, left a watering in his mouth, that craved a second bite. And soon, he was full.

***

Later, there were only 2 hours until sundown. Brad wasn't able to confide Bolt that he was thankful for his companionship. He meant to tell him, but didn't bother to. As of now, it just seemed like too much trouble. No reason to keep a thankful heart from admitting itself, bit Brad had a better interest in the kids playing in the snow (or what was left of it). It was mostly melted, and revealed a beautiful park that kids played around in. There was a special feeling here...seeing all of them running around, tackling their siblings, throwing footballs and a Frisbee to one anther. There was laughter everywhere, coming from every person in that park... all except Bradly.

Bolt sat alone on a bench in the distance, as Brad sat crossed legged in the grass, next to him. Watching the people everywhere brought a reassuring thought to Brad. The whole fact that he was sitting down in an up and going world. He pondered all that went on around him. The smiles that he could see, proving that this world wasn't completely full of misery. It made Brad feel like a misfit, that he didn't belong in such a happy world. He was missing something. Perhaps he just felt left alone, because he knew not a person around him. Unless that person had seen his face somewhere in an article saying "Here's an example of a life changing drink. If he can do it, YOU can do it! Buy our product! Get off your butt, sit down with our drink! That's our motto, just hope we froze the drink good, don't let you mom catch ya like his did- etc."

The thought made Brad sigh, but it brought a smile to his cold cheeks.

*

For Bolt, there was no turning the tables.

No doubt about it. The thought had never left him, and the dream stung deep inside him. It was beyond comprehension, and even understanding. When everything is disappearing, how is a reaction supposed to be simple.

Right now, nothing was simple. Bolt saw everything all around him, and just had to hold it all in.

He closed his eyes, remembering the time he was doing the same thing with his person. It was hard to think about at the time. It was hard to see himself running with her, playing with her. The thought brought nothing of happiness, it devoured him from the inside to the outside. He saw the smile on her face, Mr. Carrot in her hand, she ran along the park as he laughed while following her.

She threw the carrot and he went to retrieve it, in the bushes. Still wearing the largest smile oh his face, he went to pick it up.

It was in his mouth when he heard a funny noise. He turned to find the largest doors closing in on him. He tried to race over to get through, but they shut tight before he made it.

---

Bolt remembered being a captive on a show. And it always took him from Penny at the times when he was with her, and completely happy.

This wasn't one of those times anymore.

This time was now different. Much different. Bolt wasn't on the show, he wasn't even in his home anymore. He was miles, and even dimensions away from his own world. He had no clue where he was...no clue how to get back.

Bolt put his head down on his paws, closing his eyes relaxing to the breeze that carried the happy and joyful screams that drifted in the air, like a boat lost at sea. Only lost because...Bolt wasn't there. He wasn't one of those barking dogs, he wasn't able to access anything near in a world where the only person who knew he existed, was one that rejected the offer to play with him. Something was deeply amiss, but there was nothing to be done. Bradly would be in a state of sadness from leaving home, if Bolt was ever to mention it. He didn't know who's situation was worse, but comparing them seemed like less than a worthless task.

Snapping him to his senses, a puppy St. Bernard passed him by, followed by a human, with a stick in her hand, at the ready to throw. They ran toward a nearby tree, and the boy dropped to the ground onto his side, opening his arms to the running puppy. In seconds the puppy ran into a full embrace into the boy, as he threw his arms around the dog, hugging it close to him, as if never wanting to let go.

Bolt just smiled at the craziness. Just keeping a dismiss on any selfish thought. There may have been a small happiness left inside him. A small shimmer of light on the surface of a lake, making it shine in the sun, giving a glistening hope to all who see it. A small slice of life. Something that seemed to say "You're time will come."

Bolt looked up into the sky, breathing in what may have been nature's flavor of hope. Even though Brad was the only person, Bolt hoped there may be someone else who knows he's there. "Your time will come."

The words refer to something that can't be seen. It's still out there. The time is still out there, the day this dog will be able to see that he's always wished he could ever sense everything began to change for him... however...

It also appeared to be out of existence.