Chapter 9: Good Dog Throw Down
The rare bit of happiness Ralph felt was short lived and got sapped, however, as he got further down the street. As he got near the building he called home, the mastiff realized this was no ordinary evening at Mr.Litwak's Pet Shop.
Loud dancing music was blaring from the pet shop's walls, making the ground tremble and shake around it. Bright, shiny lights inside slightly blinded the mastiff- yet was a strange force that pulled him closer and caused him to quicken his pace towards its source.
Conversational talking and laughter were heard even when Ralph still several yards ahead of the shop- and he could've sworn he smells various types of dog treats spilling out of the pet shop as well.
For a split moment in ignorance, Ralph was puzzled as to why the pet shop was hopping so much after hours- and why just he hadn't known about the so-called party event going on.
It sounds like they are celebrating something, he mused, something big...
And just like that, it clicked in his mind: every animal inside Ralph's home must be celebrating the five-year anniversary of the pet shop...
And had somehow forgotten to invite the very guard dog of said pet shop to their shindig.
Actually, up until now, Ralph realized, he didn't know there was even going to be an anniversary party- no one felt the need to let him know...
No one talked about it happening, either, and no mention of any planning of it was spoken to him...or even around him...
In fact, the mastiff hadn't even heard about a rumor, a little whisper going around the pet shop that there was going to be a big party to celebrate the anniversary tonight. Nothing. Zilch.
It was as if the celebration was kept a secret...a secret everyone in the pet shop knew about...
But somehow had failed to include Ralph in...
"They're having a party...," he murmured softly to himself, slowly connecting the painfully clear dots, "without me..."
Like a feared monster, the horrible truth suddenly raised its ugly head as to what was truly going on in the pet shop- causing the mastiff to growl slightly. In growing embarrassment and rejection, he hung his head lower to the pavement than before, the lighter raindrops suddenly seeming to pound hard against his back.
Who am I kidding? This party was no secret! Ralph inwardly screamed at himself. Everyone here knew about this, probably for weeks now! Everyone probably had a part in planning it, too, getting things ready for it, being excited about it...
All except me...
The group of animals at the pet shop hadn't just 'forgotten' to invite Ralph. Didn't just 'fail' to include him in the party...
They all had chosen deliberately to prevent him from knowing any knowledge about the celebration, stop him from helping plan the festivity. Thus, they purposely excluded him from being part of the party itself.
Excluded him- all anyone seemed to do in Ralph's life these days... and something he was getting really sick and tired of. Especially on such a big night for the pet shop.
...And that's why Felix was so pushy about me going to the Bad-Anon meeting tonight! Ralph suddenly realized, his heart burning in pain and in further embarrassment. He didn't want me to find out about the party!!... And I fell for it like a complete moron!!
Feeling lower and more irritated than ever before, Ralph huffed in anger as he marched up to the front entrance window of the shop. He angrily peered through the glass, so tall he didn't even have to stretch his legs or feet in order to see clearly the scene before him...
And said scene made his stomach worst than he ever imagined that it could.
Ralph's eyes first landed on Gene the pug, who was sliding around on the makeshift dance floor in an open area before the front desk.
Ugh, of course Gene got invited instead of me! Ralph rolled his eyes in disgust as his breath fogged up the glass a little bit. He's pretty much the self-proclaimed mayor of the entire pet shop...
He watched with growing annoyance as the smug fawn pug clearly showed off his dance moves to Mary, the sweet maltese of the group- but she just rolled her eyes at Gene's flirting, causing Ralph to smirk. Mary was too smart to fall for a jerk like Gene; she deserved better, the mastiff felt.
Continuing to peer curiously inside, Ralph saw Dina (or was it Deanna? he couldn't ever remember) as she stood in one corner of the room, swaying her little beagle head to the beat of a song playing so loud it pained Ralph's ears- and that was being outside. He didn't care to imagine how loud it must be inside the pet shop.
Something white and fluffy on top of the front desk caught Ralph's eye- and as he leaned in a bit, he saw that it was Skrillex the rabbit making all the loud music happen. The hard-core hare was bouncing a little in place, ready to place the next disc into Mr.Litwak's old CD player on his desk.
Looking around through the slowly fogging up glass, Ralph saw everyone he knew from the pet shop was partying away happily- none paying any attention to the miserable, rejected mutt staring them down just outside.
Clouding up the glass that much more, Ralph's harboring feelings got even worse when he saw Pac-Man munching up all the kibbles from an open bag of dog food. Sure, the said annoying little terrier was 'famous' around town, so much so he even had a street named after him, Ralph knew...
Still, even Pac-Man had no valid reason to have gotten an invite to party in the pet shop- and not Ralph.
"They invited Pac-Man?!" the mastiff growled indignantly, pushing his nose up close to the window to see the small terrier more clearly. "That tail-chasing, kibble muncher isn't even a part of this pet shop!"
Heaving slightly in pure anger, Ralph continued to peer inside desperately- and as Glen the turtle shuffled out the way finally, the mastiff spotted the very 'Dog of the Hour'. The one who all the female dogs batted their eyes at and who all the male dogs wanted to hang out with. The one dog had made the shop have so much success these past five years, the one who was the very mascot of the pet shop...
And the very low-down pooch who convinced Ralph to go to that stupid Bad-Anon meeting in the first place.
Felix the corgi. The half-size, pint-size, over-the-top adorably cute corgi.
Felix was pretty adorable, even a detested Ralph had to admit, especially while the corgi danced the night away in the middle of the dance floor.
His huge, blue button eyes shined as brightly as the lights overhead of him did. His cute little nose crinkled up as he smiled his capturing, appealing smile. His tubby little legs wiggling excited as well as his little bob tail to the beat of the music. He danced clumsily around on the dance floor, his beautiful, rich orange fur separated perfectly from his white patches of fur on his stomach, face, and paws.
Felix' rot-your-teeth-out sweetness seemed to flow from the end of his nose straight to the tip of his stubby tail. He seemed to just be so naturally happy, so free. So accepted.
And over-the-top, disgustingly good.
Ralph watched with unhidden jealousy in his eyes as Felix tried to keep up with the line dance suddenly being formed, but the uncoordinated little pooch failed miserably- and ended up falling splat on his stomach instead.
Yet, nobody made fun of him, no one rolled their eyes at him. No one animal called him clumsy, even. Everyone around the slightly blushing corgi just laughed off his falling down and helped him stand up, finding his failing incredibly cute.
And why wouldn't they find his every mistake cute?! Ralph hissed bitterly. Everything that dog does everyone finds cute! He's the definition of a cute dog. He's the definition of a top dog...
Felix the corgi was the definition of a good dog.
And as Ralph watched said good dog blushed even deeper... eyed angrily as the corgi stood up and smiled sheepishly before dancing again... snarled as the fellow dog just lapped up all that precious attention, taking it all for granted...
Never once understanding what it's like not to have everyone love him...
Merely looking at Felix now ate Ralph alive more than it ever had before as he watched the corgi have the time of his life inside their pet shop.
Finally, as the bad dog stood shaking he was so angry under the shop's eave, Ralph decided he couldn't take it anymore. He was not going to be the dog no one wanted at their party (he had awesome dance moves, too!).
The mastiff was not just going to stand out there freezing his tail off as he watched the animals inside dance and enjoy the night away. He was not going to let them make fun of him, disregard him, judge him, hate him... exclude him anymore...
Ralph the guard dog was done with being the bad dog, after all.
Completely determined, Ralph sharply finished shaking all the rainwater off him... and wearily turned to eye the small doggie door in the shop's front door.
He didn't care if they invited him or not; he was going to crash this party...
Deeply sucking in his stomach, the bull mastiff just silently hopefully he didn't take that so literally.
