103 15: AN UNBELIEVEABLE STORY.
Outside Frankson's Dog Groomers, Clark stood on the sidewalk at the double glass doors, waiting for his brother and four dogs to arrive.
Clark checked his watch and saw that it was now 10:17. "(Sighs) Come on, Max. Where are you already?"
"Hey!" Came a voice.
"Huh?" Said Clark as he looked and saw Max riding his bike on the sidewalk, with Moose sitting in the front basket and the other four dogs running alongside the boy.
"Hey!" Max said.
"It's about time." Said Clark.
Max rode up to Clark and got off his bike. "Hi, Clark. Sorry we're late."
"What took you guys so long? You were suppose to be here at 10:00 o'clock. Where have you been?" Said Clark.
"I'm sorry for making you wait, but i have a perfectly good reason." Said Max.
"I wanna hear this. Name it." Said Clark.
"Well, i was on my way here while walking the dogs through town, when we came across this lady who was being mugged. The man grabbed the lady's purse and took off down the sidewalk and Moose then jumped out of the basket and took off after him, follow by Rex, Lassie, Jake and Foster. The lady and i went after them and they had chased the man into any ally. Seeing that he was outnumbered, the mugger dropped the purse, climbed over a brickwall and ran off. And then after Moose had returned the lady her purse, she thanked him and then we came here." Said Max.
"Wow. That's some story. Well, i can see why you were all so late getting here." Said Clark.
"Great. I knew you'd understand." Said Max.
"Too bad none of it's true." Said Clark.
"Wait, what?" Asked Max.
"When i asked you a simple question, i was hoping you'd be completely honost with me. But i guess not." Said Clark.
"But i'm not lying, Clark. I'm telling you, it really happened." Said Max.
"Whatever. Look, just take the dogs inside and feed 'em, brush 'em and wait until miss Della gets here with Lucas and Brandon." Said Clark.
Max: "But..."
"No buts, get in there." Said Clark.
"Okay." Said Max. "Come on, guys."
Clark held one of the glass doors open and Max carried the bike inside the building and Rex, Lassie, Jake and Foster followed him inside.
"(Sighs) Ah, man. What am i gonna do with this kid?" Said Clark before entering inside the building.
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Later, after feeding the dogs, Max was sitting at a table brushing Moose after he had finished brushing Clark's four dogs.
"There, almost done." Said Max as he brushed Moose's white, black spotted fur. "There we are."
"Thanks, Max." Said Moose. The six week old puppy jumped out of the 12 year old boy's lap and he and the other dogs went over to the couch where Clark was sitting and stood in front of him.
"What?" Asked Clark.
The dogs showed off their newly brushed fur coats to the 21 year old American.
"Oh yeah, you all look very good." Said Clark.
Moose and the other dogs bowed.
"You're welcome." Said Clark.
Max got up from the table and went over to the couch where his brother was. "Are you ready, Clark?"
"Do you mind if we wait on Lucas and Brandon?" Asked Clark.
As if on cue, miss Della, Lucas and Brandon came in through one of the double glass doors.
"Don't forget." Said miss Della.
"No wondering off." Said Lucas.
"Stick with Max and Clark at all times." Said miss Della.
"At all times. We got it, miss Della." Said Brandon.
"And remember...Mr. Clark and has probably never looked after kids before. So behave yourselves." Said miss Della.
"Okay, okay, can we go now?" Asked Lucas.
"Go on ahead." Said miss Della.
Lucas ran on ahead.
"Wait for me." Said Brandon as he chased after Lucas.
"Come on, Brandon." Said Lucas.
The two boys ran over to the couch where Clark was sitting.
"Good morning, Mr. Clark." Said the boys.
"Good morning, you two." Said Clark.
"Okay, they're here. Can we go now?" Asked Max.
"Sure. Just let me say something to miss Della first." Said Clark. He got up from the couch and went over to where miss Della was standing.
"Good morning, miss Della." Said Clark.
"Good morning, Clark. Did you sleep well last night?" Said miss Della.
"Yeah, i...i slept alright, i guess. Why do you ask?" Said Clark.
"No reason. Just checking to make sure you're wide awake before you get behind the wheel, is all. But other than that, have fun and have them back at the orphanage as soon as you leave the carnival. Got it?" Said miss Della.
"Got it." Said Clark.
"Good. I'm glad we're both in agreement. Have fun." Said miss Della.
"You know, you oughta come along too, miss Della. It would do you good to get out for a while." Said Clark. "Now some of my employees were telling me..."
"It's the best carnival the city has ever had." Said Della.
"Yeah." Said Clark.
"That's what the kids at the orphanage said last year. And i let myself be talked into going. And as a result, i was sick for a week." Said Della. "Oh, i remember like it was only yesterday. That Farris Wheel turned my stomach up-side-down, the Carousel made me dizzy. And you don't wanna know what happened when i was on the Roller Coaster."
"Well, nobody says you have to go on the rides." Said Clark.
"Yeah, nobody says you have to, but did you ever try to get out of it?" Said miss Della. "Oh, come on, miss Della, loosen up. Come on, miss Della, let yourself go. Come on, miss Della, have a live a little. Come, miss Della, have a little fun. Come on, miss Della."
"Come on, Clark." Said Max as he, Lucas, Brandon and the dogs ran up behind the 21 year old.
"See what i mean?" Asked miss Della.
"Is everybody ready?" Asked Clark.
"I was born ready." Said Lucas.
"Okay then, lets go." Said Clark. He, miss Della, and the kids and the dogs headed for the glass doors and exited the building.
"Bye, miss Della." Said Lucas and Brandon as they hugged miss Della goodbye.
"Goodbye, sweethearts." Said Della. "Well, have a nice time. Oh, and remember...you don't have to go on the rides."
"Oh, very funny." Said Clark.
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