NEW CHAPTER!
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So yeah, check out my AN at the end of this chapter... I shan't keep you here long, so...
ON WITH THE STORY!
Ch. 12
Five months. That's how long Dick had been with us. It seemed like he had been a part of our family his whole life. He fit right into our crazy, unorganized home. He seemed to thoroughly enjoy the new house, and he seemed to enjoy being a part of the family. He had loosened up; the overwhelming sorrow that had taken up his entire being had faded significantly, leaving behind the bright eyed, raven haired boy. He smiled all the time, even when he was being antagonized by a certain blonde haired young man. Grant seemed almost jealous of Dick. Dick was talented. He had incredible skill. He was a musician, he was impossibly smart for his age, agile and flexible...not to mention he almost lit up a room when he walked in...from what I saw two weeks before, he was going to be great at training. Grant had improved with his aim since he'd been practicing with his bow, but still wasn't anywhere near the level Dick was.
Adeline and I were outside assessing the yard. For some reason, she wanted flowers and bushes around the house. I was perfectly fine with the grass and small shrubs that edged the porch. But noooo... She wanted to go spend money on plants that I would have to take care of. She also wanted me to kill all of the 'weeds' in the yard. What did it matter, anyway? It was green. And if it's green, I say let it grow. It all blends in...I tried to tell her I couldn't grow anything and had killed every plant I ever touched...which of course was a lie seeing as how I was usually the one to plant the garden when I was young. My father was off drinking or sitting in the shade...She laughed and continued showing me where the plants would go and how great they would look. The boys were smart and had run off through the field.
I looked after them with the slightest amount of jealousy...
Grant had taken his bow and arrows, while Joey carried the styrofoam target cube. They stood around watching Grant shoot some. Dick attempted to give Grant a few pointers, but Grant didn't want Dick around. He was already bitter that Dick could shoot and he couldn't. Grant all but told him to get lost.
"I don't need your help, Gypsy. I can do it just fine and the only thing keeping me from getting a bulls eye is 'cause you keep getting in the way!" He scolded.
Dick merely smiled.
"Ok...Have fun with that then." He said smoothly before he turned and walked back to the house. Grant turned back to the cube and started shooting again.
Dick walked past Addie and I and went inside. He reappeared a few minutes later hauling his guitar.
"Let's put the hawthorn bush here." Addie said as she pointed to a corner of the house where the porch met the side.
I simply nodded at her and sent Dick a small grin. He smiled back and waved before running back into the field with his guitar. A while later, I looked back to make sure the boys were still in sight. Grant was still shooting with Joey looking on in awe. I looked around for Dick before finally spotting him playing his guitar...in a tree.
I sighed as Addie started measuring the soon to be flower beds.
"We don't need flowers, Adeline. All they do is cause bees and allergies."
"Don't be ridiculous, Slade. The flowers add to the house. They will make the place more...homey."
"Homey? We don't need homey! We live in the middle of nowhere! No one is going to see it except us...this is completely unnecessary and-"
I was cut off when she pressed her lips against mine. That was completely unfair. I bit back a sigh...maybe it was unfair...but who cares?
I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her back. After a moment, she pulled back and smiled. I looked at her grumpily as she handed me the dumb end of the tape measure.
"Here, hold this. I need to see how many rose bushes I can fit here."
"When did you become a botanist?"
"When we moved here."
What kind of answer was that? It wasn't.
"And...how exactly is this going to tell you how many rose bushes you can fit here?"
She rolled her eyes and recorded her measurements in a notebook.
She dropped her pen at the sound of a startled yell. I spun around, losing my balance as I did so, to see a massive black dog bounding toward Grant and Joey.
"DAD! HELP!" Joey screamed. There was no way I could get to them in time. My gun was on the porch, and even if I had been able to get to it, I wouldn't shoot in the direction of my kids. I scrambled up off the ground and began running in a futile attempt toward the boys. They were too far...I couldn't make it. Joey was lagging far behind Grant as he was the smaller of the two. Grant had managed to get far enough away that he wouldn't be in any danger. The dog was gaining on Joey, and there was nothing I could do...
"HELP, DAD!" He screamed as the dog got closer and closer. The dog almost attacked him before it was unexpectedly intercepted by Dick. The crazy boy had jumped out of the tree, leaving his guitar behind, and landed right in front of the dog.
"DICK! NO! RUN!" Addie yelled from the house. Grant had finally reached me, and Joey was running like a lunatic.
Dick paid no attention to us as he swiftly sidestepped the dog and grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. The dog yelped and altered its course to turn on Dick. I pushed Grant towards the house and ran after my son.
Dick placed his body directly in front of the snarling dog. Time seemed to stop, no matter how fast I ran, it seemed like Dick kept getting farther and farther away. The dog lunged at Dick's throat.
"NO!" I screamed as I ran toward him.
I skidded to a stop by what I saw next.
Dick had managed to move to the left ever so slightly, avoiding the dog's snapping jaws. The dog yelped as Dick moved forward and bit its ear. No matter how much thrashing the dog did, Dick held on tightly to its ear. The dog clawed and snapped, but never managed to touch Dick. In its attempt to break free of Dick's bite, the dog fell over on its side. Dick still held on tightly. The dog kicked and howled, but somehow, Dick had managed to straddle the dog, who was now laying on its back with its ear clenched tightly between my son's teeth. Joey finally made it to my side and stood behind me, panting. I wrapped a protective arm over his shoulders as I watched the scene unfold before me... Time completely slowed down as Dick sat on top of the dog. Eventually, after what seemed like hours, the dog stopped kicking and went completely still, save for its hard breathing. After a moment, Dick sat up and got off the dog. The dog rolled over and bared its teeth at Dick, who simply smacked it on the nose with a stern "No."
The dog ceased it's growling and lay on the ground at Dick's feet. Dick stood over it, looking down at him while he, too, was breathing as hard as the dog. Dick relaxed his stance, and the dog stood up cautiously in front of him, coming up to Dick's waist.
Dick held up his hand, "Sit." he ordered.
The dog, after a moment's hesitation, connected its butt to the ground.
"Good, boy." Dick said as he scratched the dog behind its ear. The dog bared his teeth again at Dick.
Surprisingly, Dick threw his hands in the air and yelled at the dog loudly.
"AHHHHHHHH!" he screamed as he took a step toward the dog. The dog backed away and laid down in cowardice at Dick's feet.
Addie and Grant had joined Joey and I as we stared in shock at Dick and the dog.
Using his foot, Dick rolled the dog over onto its side, exposing its belly. The dog stayed, even after Dick had removed his foot. Slowly, Dick bent down and scratched its belly playfully. The dog say back up.
Dick lifted the back of his hand to the dog's nose, and received a gentle lick. Dick once again scratched the dog behind his ears and tackled the dog, rolling on the ground with it briefly. After a moment of this, he stood up.
Once the whole ordeal was over, Dick turned and retrieved his guitar from the tree and began walking toward us. Joey hid behind me, and Grant took refuge behind Addie. I never thought I'd see Grant afraid of something like a dog, albeit a big dog, it was still nonetheless just a dog. I stared at Dick wide-eyed as he led the dog up to us. The dog calmly followed him, showing no signs of aggression as he walked along side Dick. Dick stopped in front of us and looked at the dog, who sat down at Dick's feet with its tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. Dick rubbed his head and looked at us.
"You can pet him. He's nice." He said with confidence. All four of us stared at Dick speechless and dumbfounded. Even Grant seemed to be impressed.
Dick stared back, looking slightly confused, before he broke the silence.
"So...can I keep him?"
'No. You cannot.' I thought. But the words would not come out. All I could do is stare at Dick and the massive dog that was practically sitting on him.
"Cool." Dick said with a slight chuckle, "Come on, buddy."
I turned to say something, but Dick and the dog were already jogging toward the house. All I, and the rest of my family, could do was watch them.
After a moment, Addie spoke up.
"What just happened?"
"I have no idea." I answered, "I think Dick just saved Joey..."
"Are we gonna keep it?" Joey asked with a hint of fear in his voice.
I looked down at him and then back up. The dog was walking along side him. Dick had his hand on the dog, and his guitar in the other. The sight was incredible. Dick had transformed the first vicious dog into...what? The dog, contrary to first impressions, didn't seem aggressive...what had the boy done? Of course he couldn't keep the dog. All dogs do is eat and poop and make me spend money on food and vet bills. No. No way on this earth are we keeping the dog.
Three days, two hundred dollars of supplies, roughly 25 gallons of water and 7 cups of shampoo later, the newest member of the Wilson family sat contentedly in the middle of the living room floor wearing a bright new collar with a shiny tag labeled "Ace". I sighed deeply as I had a staring contest with him. What had Dick done to convince me to keep the dirty thing? Addie didn't want him, Joey didn't want him, Grant didn't want him, and I certainly didn't want him. Everyone, except Dick and I, was indifferent about him. And the feeling Dick and I held about the dog were on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. The dog had been staring at me for the past ten minutes. What the heck did he want from me? Why couldn't it go bother the one who actually wanted him? Where was Dick? Why was the dog even inside? I had much more of a chance of it running away or getting lost if it was outside...but nooooooo...he had to sit inside.
With me. I face palmed, running my hand slowly down my face and tugging on my goatee as I started at the dog.
"What?" I asked it.
The dog didn't move. He sat unwaveringly as he stared at me. Ok...so maybe he was somewhat charming, what with one ear pointed up, and the other sagging lazily against his head...but his looks would not persuade me to like him.
"What do you want? Huh? I buy you food and toys, provide you with a home and a family who likes you. What more do you want from me?"
The dog tilted his head to the left. Ok...so he was kind of lovable...so what?
"I'm going insane. First, I let you stay; now I'm talking to you..."
The dog let out some sound that I took for pity before it stood and walked toward me. He sat in front of the couch and laid it's head in my lap, looking up at me with literal "puppy dog eyes".
"What? You have four other people in this house somewhere who like you more than I do. You don't belong here. You are a dog. Go back to where ever you came from." I said unconvincingly.
Why was I talking to the dog? And where was everyone? Why did I just so happen to be left alone with the dog?
The dog jumped up onto the couch next to me, leaving a plume of hair behind him.
"Oh, no. No you don't. You're lucky I even let you breathe in this house, much less sit on the floor! The couch is off limits!" I said as I attempted to push him off. The dog stood on my lap and began circling.
"Stop it. Get down!" I yelled as I strained to push the heavy dog off of me.
The dog simply fell down, not even completing its circle, onto my lap and lay there. I managed to push him off, but the relief was short lived. He jumped back up, doing the same thing, and after a few more attempts, and not even being given the chance to stand up myself, I gave up. At least he wasn't on the couch...but instead resided on top of me...
I scowled at the dog. Too bad looks couldn't kill...
I place my hand on his head, and rubbed the soft fur there. Maybe he wasn't too terribly bad...
Heavy, and smelly, and expensive...
But not bad.
Ok...Ace is adorable. I don't even care what you say, Slade.
"The dog is expensive. Get rid of it. Write him out...send a stray bullet through his skull or something. Just get him out of my house."
"Don't be ridiculous. You love him, and you know it."
*Slade glares at me*
"I see you aren't denying it."
"The only reason he's there is because Dick likes him."
"Noooooo...you like him too. You said yourself that he was lovable."
"I said he was kind of lovable. It is nothing that would make me want to keep him."
"Sure..."
"It's not!"
"Ok...whatever you say."
*Slade crosses arms and turns, walking out of the room annoyed.*
Yeah. So...What do y'all think about Ace? I had to keep his name the same...I think Dick would have still named him that no matter who he lived with.
So, I have created a Tumblr account! Hoorah!
Actually I've had it for a few weeks, and I only have two followers...and they both happen to be friends of mine who aren't even really active. So...if y'all have a Tumblr account and are looking for another blog to follow, I would greatly appreciate it if y'all would follow mine...hehe. and if you don't want to...I'll probably just delete it...anyway...I'll try to put some sneak peeks in there...and I'm going to try to come up with an updating schedule...I'm thinking Saturdays, but, with school starting Monday...I don't know what my schedule is gonna be. But as soon as I do, I'll let y'all know.
My Tumblr name is astonishingly: paisleyluv96
SURPRISE! So yeah, If I can get a few more followers by tomorrow, I'll be so happy. So go ahead and make my day even better. You already made it pretty awesome by reading and reviewing.
THANKS Y'ALL, AND HAVE A GREAT DAY!