Isabelle cringed in disgust as she stepped off the train, her paws kicking up mud splattered on the street during a rainy day in late autumn. The mud wetted her golden yellow fur, but Isabelle hardly noticed. For afar, she looked quite unremarkable—not too tall or short, or too plump or thin, with large floppy ears framing her earnest face. But for Isabelle, this day was anything but ordinary. No matter the rain, I need to stay positive! I'm going to do my best, she thought—for it was her first day of work and her first chance at independence. With an umbrella in one hand and her green knapsack securely on her back, Isabelle looked at her map for the hundredth time. The town hall is right across the river and next to the courtyard. I should have no problem finding it! With determination, Isabelle straightened her blouse, tightened her bow, and headed to her new life as secretary of Zenith.
Just six months before, she was living with her twin brother Digby in an old apartment in the city, struggling to make ends meet. Digby was about to earn his real estate license and just got a job with Happy Home Academy in this strange new town called Zenith. Isabelle was hesitant to move so far from home, but looking at the circumstances, she had no other choice. Although they were twins, Digby's brown fur and serious demeanor juxtaposed Isabelle's bright and innocent character. Even more, Digby was the successful one, the sibling her parents doted on, the prodigal son. On the other hand, ever since she was a pup, Isabelle always had a part of her head in the clouds. Coupled with a natural shyness, it was no wonder that she would end up following her brother's footsteps as he advanced in his career.
And Zenith wasn't making a good first impression either. Dodging the puddles with her light steps, Isabelle headed straight for her new workplace, but not before taking a thorough glance at her new home. Zenith had an air of a work-in-progress—the houses were sparse, businesses few, and the occasional weed sprouted here and there. Besides a few shops, a post office, and a half-empty museum on Main Street, there wasn't much else. Well, I might enjoy the peace and quiet at least.
Lost in thought, it wasn't long before Isabelle reached the town hall. Knock-knock. Isabelle waited with bated breath at the door.
"Come in!" rang a clear voice from inside.
Isabelle gingerly peered inside. "H-hello! My name is Isabelle. I'm the new secretary here. It's nice to meet you," she said through a nervous smile. Isabelle's eyes locked on to the source of the voice, which undoubtedly belonged to her new boss. Isabelle suddenly recalled the advertisement for this job—Seeking a secretary to the mayor of up-and-coming town Zenith!—but she didn't expect the mayor to be human. In fact, the mayor didn't quite seem like a proper mayor either. He was wearing casual jeans and a blue flannel shirt, and he looked alarmingly young.
The mayor glanced at this earnest pup, who quite frankly, looked a bit disheveled from her travels. "I've been waiting for you! I'm the mayor of this town, and you see, I have a lot of plans for it, and I'll truly need your help. You see, my goal is to make Zenith the best that it can be—a perfect town! That means that you—*ahem* we have a lot of work to do."
"Of course!" replied Isabelle. Although not sure what to expect, Isabelle wanted to make a good first impression at least.
The mayor continued with his plans. "First, I want to enact an ordinance, and then I have a few public work projects in mind. I'll need your help filing papers, greeting visitors, planning holidays…" He trailed on and on while pointing to a stack of documents sitting on the counter.
"N-no problem sir! I'll start working right away!" Isabelle shuffled to the counter, almost slipping on the slick floor, and started flipping through the pile of papers.
"Well, I'll leave you to it! Time for me to attend to my…other duties," exclaimed the mayor as he leisurely walked towards the door.
Alone in the office, Isabelle settled into her new routine with a loud sigh.
Just suck it up, Isabelle. Remember why you're here. For survival, for Digby, for...bells. Isabelle was resolute. Yes—it's time to put my needs last and get to work! That's what's most important right now, even if it means giving up my dreams...
After her pep talk, Isabelle returned to her pile of papers. There were blueprints for public benches, bridges, and even a list of problem villagers—all this work was already giving her a headache. Suddenly, while flipping through the thick stack, a particular document caught her attention. With a glint of curiosity in her eye, she noticed that it was a petition with a most unusual name—Club LOL.
Club LOL? What a weird name…I wonder what it's about?
Isabelle quickly skimmed the petition for Club LOL, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Club LOL is proposed to be a new entertainment venue for Zenith. As a multipurpose space, Club LOL will host weekly live music, stand-up comedy, dancing, and DJ nights. Located on Main Street, Club LOL will be a convenient place for all villagers to relax, let loose, and enjoy the music! Please consider this proposal. Sincerely, Dr. Shrunk (business owner)"
This place sounds incredible! I really hope I would be able to attend one day. The petition reminded Isabelle of her time as a student, before the stresses of working life. Not that Isabelle had many talents, but she loved music, more than she had ever loved anything else really. After school, she would hole up in her room, writing songs and practicing singing long after her parents and Digby went to bed. Of course, she never shared her creations with anyone else. Music was her private joy, but now, it seemed like a long-forgotten pastime, a dusty memory hidden underneath boxes in the attic. Through the pains of growing up in a family where money was tight, Isabelle had no time or energy to think about such frivolous things. What was important now was earning a living and supporting Digby and her parents. Even so, the possibility of Club LOL ignited a slight thrill in her heart and a hope that maybe life in Zenith wouldn't be so bad after all. Isabelle quietly moved the petition to build Club LOL to the top of the paper pile.