chapter 3: loners in da club
2 DAYS LATER
7 PM
The moon was up, the stars were out, and Saturday night was upon Rocky and his friends. Both couples were already gone for yet another adventure: a nighttime hike on Jake's Mountain and a sleepover at the dalmatian and husky's cabin. The foursome wished Rocky the best of luck before they went on their way, and Ryder watched as Zuma, Rocky and Rubble jumped into the chocolate lab's hovercraft, ready to go into the wondrous and crazy nightlife that Orchard Park had to offer.
"You guys promise to be back by midnight? I'm extending the curfew for another hour, just because it's Rocky's first time going out on the town." spoke the boy as he stood ten feet away at the entrance of the lookout.
"No problemo, Ryder my man! We'll bring Rocky back home safe." replied Zuma.
"Ok, guys! Have fun! But not too much fun!" Ryder joked as he waved goodbye to the trio. Zuma stepped on the gas, and away the three went. As the destination became closer and closer, Rocky wondered if going to the club was a good idea. He was not a social dog much outside of his friend zone, but he understood that Zuma and Rubble were trying their best to help him out, so he tagged along. 20 minutes later, the dogs arrived at their destination: The HoundDog. It was an old building with a new wave feel: neon lights, flashing LED signs and a long, long line of dogs of all breeds from all walks of life, most of which he had never seen in real life before. There were some dogs who arrived in flashy clothes and trendy fashion, but most wore no clothing. There were dogs from all classes of wealth, including rich poodles and dachshunds to the less fortunate mongrels. As the trio got closer to the front of the line, Rocky began to get nervous again, as his nerves reached fever pitch. Zuma saw his best friend's sweat on his face, and leaned close to his ear.
"Dude. Relax. You're gonna be ok." whispered the chocolate lab. Rocky simply nodded as the three finally reached the front of the line. Zuma stood in front of his two friends and looked up to the bouncer, a slightly intimidating and muscular Dobermann.
"Yo, Rowlf, what's up, my man?!" The lab smiled as the two bumped paws.
"Not much, Zuma. Looking for more chicks, I see? Always gotta respect the players around here." Rowlf grinned. Rowlf and Zuma had known each other since the lab first came to the club at the tender age at just 13 years old, and were good pals. The two laughed, as Rocky noticed a sizable, lengthy scar on the bouncer's forehead.
"You betcha!" Zuma shouted, trying to make himself heard over the loud techno noise being blasted inside the club.
"Who's your friend? The grey one? I've never seen him before." Rusty spoke up as he gazed down to the mix. Sweat started to trickle down his coat yet again.
"That's my best friend, Rocky. He just came out a few days ago. It's his first time here." answered the lab.
"Well, congratulations, Rocky! It's great to see new people like you come around every week!" The dobermann smiled as he allowed the young mix into the building. Last but not least, Rubble was waiting.
"Aye yo, DJ Rubble, are you ready for another great set tonight?" Rowlf asked excitedly.
"Sure am, bro. Now, I gotta hustle. My set starts in, like, 15 minutes." The bulldog hastily spoke before running into the club like it was nothing and behind the stage where the equipment was already set up. Rocky and Zuma walked into the club, and the mix was absolutely in shock and awe with what he saw. He felt his jaw fall to the floor beneath him as he gazed upon the huge open space, where the dance floor laid just in front of him. There was nobody on the floor yet, as the music was being tested for DJ Rubble's set. But the club was lively nonetheless, as the night was young and many young dogs were filtering into the building. Many male dogs walked right past him (very attractive ones in the grey mix's mind) and it spiked the young canine's hormones. It was a hotbed for canine interaction: flirting, eating, kissing, drinking, and some were already headed up to the dangerous yet exciting second floor: XXX. The bar in the back of the room was already serving drinks, with the canines already old enough to get cold ones downing them in one gulp. Zuma was excited as usual: his second home was already popping alive, and he couldn't wait for some girls to start running to him. Rocky, on the other hand, was, to put it bluntly, a little overwhelmed. The loudness of the building, the sheer size of dogs filing in with him counting almost 140 dogs already, and just having no space around him. To make matters worse for Rocky, some foxy ladies already saw the hot-shot chocolate lab, and were already provoking him, beckoning to come over at one of the isolated spots in the back of the room. Zuma flashed the bedroom eyes and a grin at the girls, who were two French poodles, causing them to giggle from afar. The lab's testosterone was already ablaze, and he leaned into the mix's ear.
"Hey, dude. I'm gonna go hang with the girls now. You do whatever you want. Go find a guy to talk to, anything. I promise you, I'll be done by 11 so we all can go home, ok?" whispered the lab. The grey mix timidly nodded, and Zuma was already gone like a flash. His vision was getting fuzzy. His ears were ringing. The noises were becoming a bit much. I gotta get outta here. Maybe I'll just wait next to Zuma's hovercraft or go browse some shops on the next block. Good idea. He pondered to himself. Just as he was about to step foot on his escape to freedom, 7:15 PM hit. It was time for Rubble's DJ set. A hype dog announced his name on the speakers, and almost 30 dogs, including Zuma and the two poodles, rushed over to the dance floor. Rubble, already donning a backwards hat and DJ headphones, walked to the DJ set to a rousing set of cheers and howls from the patrons. He sat on his chair and scratched the record, testing it for a few seconds before peering past the audience before finding his man. Standing in the back, almost near the hallway that led up to the second floor, was Rocky. He smiled as he grabbed a light from near his set and flashed it right at his friend, temporarily blinding him.
"Alright, so this set tonight is dedicated to my best friend Rocky over here, who just came out a couple days ago. I love you, brotha! Give him a howl, everyone!" Rubble shouted over the mic, resulting in dozens of shrill howls of appreciation from unknown strangers. Within seconds, the show was set to begin.
"Let's GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" he shouted again as he dropped the bass for the first song, causing the dogs in the dance floor to go absolutely bananas. Zuma was enthusiastically waving to Rocky before being dragged further into the crowd by the same two poodles. The bass was insanely electric and the beat was fire, but Rocky was not paying attention anymore. This place was just too much. He would have rather just stayed home, but he didn't want to disappoint his friends. His eyes darted all over the place, and ran to the back of the first floor in a hurry, where some booths were set up and the bar was adjacent. Some dogs were already getting madly plastered, and Rocky was internally panicking. His nerves and instincts exploded with life as he dodged and ran past several other canines, before looking to a booth in the corner where it looked to be empty. The lights were flashing all around the establishment, cutting in and out to the beat of the loud music. He gazed at the booth further, and he saw a black and white border collie, sitting alone, facing the crowd that was dancing the night away only 40 feet away. The border collie then turned Rocky's direction, and they both locked eyes for the first time.
"Excuse me, but do you know any back exit? I can't see the front doors!" shouted the recycling dog.
"What?" The collie asked in confusion, trying to hear the mix's question over the bass, which dropped again, even louder than before.
"Do you know any back exit?!" Rocky yelled.
"WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" The collie shouted back. The noise was deafening, and the recycling dog had it. He got into the booth and sat across from him, and cleared his throat.
"DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE BACK EXIT IS?!" The mix screamed, hoping to get any response.
"HOLD UP. I KNOW A QUIET PLACE! WE CAN TALK THERE OR SOMETHING!" The stranger shouted over the noise.
"ALRIGHT! YOU LEAD THE WAY, MAN!" Rocky proclaimed, as the two left the booth. The collie walked into the hallway that led to the stairway of the second floor, which was already blocked by a dog-sized door. The two entered, and they walked up the first flight of stairs to a landing that separated the first flight and second flight of stairs that led to the second floor, where the real action happened. The two dogs were far away enough from the noise that they could hear each other breathing.
"I'm guessing this is your first time here, right?" The collie inquired, breathing heavily.
"No shit. This is the first and the last. I thought you knew where the back exit was, though." commented Rocky.
"Actually, I don't. This is my first time here, too. And let me tell ya, I hate it." spoke the collie as they sat, backs against the wall and facing the first flight downstairs.
"Oh my god, tell me about it." Rocky complained.
"I uh….I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Jasen." He spoke, showing off his red collar and a golden plate on it, showing his namesake. You're Rocky...from the PAW Patrol, aren't you?" asked Jasen. The mix's eyes grew wide.
"Wait...how on earth do you know me? I never even met you before." nervously replied Rocky as they shook paws.
"Your rescue team is in the papers quite a lot. Dogs take a look at them before they give it to their human, you know?" joked the collie.
"I guess you're right." elaborated the recycling dog.
"Why do you even do a recycling job? I mean, there must be more than just preaching about recycling." inquired Jasen.
"It's more than recycling. I build stuff. I repair stuff. I'm great with technology. Basically, I'm a handyman. Or, a handy dog, I guess." admitted Rocky. As they conversed, many pairs of breeds, orientation and class, ran past them and walked down the stairs. The two also had to hear muffled sounds of hardcore mating, but thankfully, the rooms were 70% soundproof. The lone lightbulb shone directly above Rocky and Jasen, swaying ever so gently.
"So, DJ Rubble is on the PAW Patrol, I'm guessing?" Jasen asked.
"Yeah. He's a construction dog. We work together quite a lot, thanks to our combined skills." answered the mix. They sat in silence for almost 30 seconds, as 7:30 PM rolled around. The conversation almost died, but Jasen was there to ask:
"Why did you come here in the first place if you hate it so much?"
"I came here because...well...I came out to my friends a couple of days ago. Zuma, the chocolate lab I work with, invited me to come here and celebrate, I guess. But, he's a womanizer, and when the girls came calling, I was left alone. It sucks because Zuma is my best friend, but what do I care? He's having a good time, but I'm not. I'm not a club dog at all. I'm...more or less alone." Rocky sighed in disappointment.
"I...made the mistake of coming here as well." Jasen sulked, his head slumping forward. "You see, my human is an artist. A painter. He left me alone at home so he can go to a convention yesterday for the weekend, and I had nothing else to do. So, I decided to go here to see if I could find anyone I knew. I never found anyone. I was in the booth, sitting alone. I was actually planning to leave just before I saw you." admitted the collie. Rocky's ears dropped when he saw the vulnerability of someone he barely even knew. He did something he rarely did with strangers-putting a paw around the collie's shoulder. Jasen turned to the mix, his eyes wide as saucers.
"You aren't alone, buddy." spoke Rocky gently.
"Well, thanks. It means a lot to me. That someone actually understands me." admitted Jasen, as he returned the favor. They didn't care about the club anymore. They couldn't care less about the dogs running past them getting a hookup on the top floor. They didn't care about seeing some dogs down the stairs on the first floor, getting hammered and throwing up on the already-stained carpet. They found solace in each other, away from the craziness and fast-paced nightlife around them, silently pleading their ids to join in. But they digressed.
"So...your human is an artist, huh?" asked the mix.
"Well, my human, Kirk, is an artist of all kinds. He can draw, paint, sculpt, and other things. He's a part of the Orchard Park art club, and he creates these really amazing, abstract works. It's so weird, man, with all these different kinds of colors in them. Some art works are organized while others just have plain scribbles and lines." said Jasen.
"That's pretty cool." observed Rocky.
"He's a quiet guy. 6 foot 2, really slender. He's about 50 years old...we live in a high rise apartment not too far away. It's just a couple blocks from here." described the border collie.
"How high is the apartment?" asked Rocky.
"16 stories high." stated Jasen. This made Rocky laugh.
"Oh my god. My buddy Marshall would have a panic attack if he went that high." The mix chuckled.
"Is he the fire dog on the PAW Patrol?" inquired the border collie.
"Yeah. He's such a card. And he has a crippling fear of heights." Rocky nodded.
"Oh...and uhhh...I wanna say this to you, because I trust you well enough. I...I'm also gay." spoke Jasen. Rocky grinned.
"That's great, man. I'm actually not alone in this heterosexual-driven society." He responded, as he bumped paws with the border collie.
"What was it like when you...well...came out?" inquired the border collie.
"It was very eye opening. I mean, when I was in the closet, I felt like I was trapped. I couldn't be myself at all. It feels weird being the only homosexual in the group, but it's ok. I first came out to Zuma, my best friend, about a week ago. He was so supportive of me. I then told my human, Ryder, the next day and I just told the rest of my friends a couple of hours ago. They're so happy for me." smiled Rocky.
"I can only imagine that kind of response…" sighed Jasen in disappointment.
"What was it like for you?" asked Rocky with curiosity as his ears perked up.
"I don't wanna talk about it." stuttered the collie before he shut his mouth. The expression on Jasen's face said it all. It must have been the complete opposite experience for him. Rocky simply nodded and respected his privacy by keeping quiet.
The conversation screeched to a halt once again. The time was now 8 PM, and the HoundDog was beginning its busiest hours in night time operation. From this moment until midnight, the club would be busy as the New York Stock Exchange. They sat like ducks, watching the halls get more cramped with lovers, players, and even some male and female canine prostitutes bustling with customers up and down the stairs.
"I'm...uh...getting a little claustrophobic, don't ya think?" pondered Jasen aloud nervously.
"Yeah, man. We gotta go somewhere else calm. Maybe there might be an alleyway somewhere just outside the building. It is rather nice outside." reasoned Rocky.
"Good idea, Rocky." agreed Jasen, as they trotted down the stairs and back onto the first floor. The duo then saw the party on the dance floor and gasped. The canines were going crazy, with Zuma in particular going particularly wild, dancing the night away with the two poodles and other complete strangers. DJ Rubble was having the performance of the century, as he worked the turntables like Rocky had never seen before.
"Holy shit, DJ Rubble is insane!" Jasen shouted over the noise.
"I know, right?! He's the best there is!" Rocky boasted.
"Alright, I know there should be an exit around here somewhere!" Jasen proclaimed with confidence. The mix followed as the border collie sniffed around, his nose tingling with many differing smells hitting at once. After navigating a maze of fellow canines, they had finally found the exit: just past the bar on the southwest part of the building. The two opened the door, to reveal a well lit, cobblestone alleyway with a trashcan right next to the door. They walked over to a space underneath a light not too far away and sat next to one another against the brick building.
"Finally...some peace and quiet." Jasen sighed in relief.
"You said it." Rocky grinned as the two bumped paws.
"So...you got any hobbies or anything?" asked the black and white border collie.
"Well, I don't have many hobbies. I usually like, well, building and tinkering stuff. I sometimes work with my human, Ryder, on technology. He's the leader of the PAW Patrol and we both work well together. I also...play guitar. If you're into that sorta thing. I'm only a beginner, though." admitted Rocky. Jasen's eyes lit up in surprise, as he started wagging his tail.
"Bro, you play guitar?! That's so dope! I play with guitars, too." smiled Jasen.
"Oh my god, no way! Do you play bass, electric or acoustic?" gasped Rocky.
"I play bass. Sometimes, I play electric, too. But mostly bass. My human plays guitar quite a lot, actually. He's been playing it for a long time, and he's very good at it. So, I tried playing on his guitar. He was surprised. Last Christmas, he got me a dog-shaped bass guitar. It's wooden, came with a pick and everything. It feels so smooth." answered the collie.
"I play electric occasionally. I even programmed my PAW Patrol uniform to help me, and it's cool. But what I really like doing is playing acoustic. I got myself a dog sized ukulele and I just started learning. I kinda suck." Rocky laughed.
"Do you learn online, or do you have a music teacher?" asked Jasen.
"I've been learning online. I would go into the basement, go on to Ryder's computer and just look up tutorials. Just... sit down there for an hour. I still haven't got myself a guitar pick, for the life of me." admitted the recycling dog.
"You'll figure it out, Rocky. You're my new friend, after all." spoke Jasen sincerely. Rocky was a bit taken back by this, as he stood up in shock.
"You...you think I'm your friend? But...we've only talked for an hour." stuttered the grey canine. Jasen stood on all fours and looked his new friend directly in the eye, under the yellow street light and darkness surrounding them.
"Sure, I think you're my friend. We both love guitars, first of all. We learned quite a few things about each other. We were both alone, lost in a nightclub, nowhere to go. We ran out of this club to an alley where nothing exists but a few street lights and a trashcan where drunk dogs go to vomit their own money's worth. We have literally nowhere else to go, and we have nothing but our combined misery of going to a club that we shouldn't have gone to. And...I...I trust you. You're a cool, nice dude. So...wanna be friends?" the collie asked, extending his front paw.
"Sure. You're my friend, too." said Rocky, as they shook on it. For the next three hours, the new friends talked more and more. They felt more comfortable as they conversed, and by 10 PM, they hit it off. Jasen and Rocky rambled to each other about guys they saw in the club, the recycling pup's friends, what Star Wars Trilogy was the best, among other things. Finally, 11 PM rolled around. The temperature outside dropped to almost 60 degrees, and there were several drunks who staggered about, with the young dogs cringing slightly. Finally, inside the club, Zuma said goodbye to his two poodle friends and walked out to the exit in the back, only to find Jasen and Rocky enjoying each other's company.
"Yo...Rocky...sorry to break it to you, but we gotta head out." Zuma spoke. The two dogs gasped at what they saw. Zuma's face was covered with deep red lipstick and saliva.
"Geez, what happened to you?" Jasen asked the chocolate lab.
"I get girls quite a lot. Oh, and you must have met Rocky. My name's Zuma...nice to meet you, fellow nightclub goer." said Zuma, as the two shook paws.
"My name's Jasen. I just met Rocky just after the DJ started the show...he's a really cool guy." The border collie mentioned.
"Yeah, we talked for a couple hours. It was pretty lit." added Rocky.
"Rubble's already waiting in my hovercraft. We gotta get home before midnight. And I'm exhausted." remarked the chocolate lab. Rocky and Jasen took one more glance at one another.
"See ya later, Jasen. Hope you get home safe." spoke the grey mix as they bro-hugged each other.
"You too, Rocky. You're an awesome dude." replied Jasen, as he embraced back. "Oh, I almost forgot." the border collie spoke up while they separated. "My number's on my tag. See it?" He asked. Rocky took a good glance at the number for about a minute.
"Alright, I memorized it. Ryder has a wall phone for some reason, so I'll be able to reach ya." observed the recycling dog. The mix exchanged his phone number in response, and it was settled.
"Dude, we gotta hang out sometime." spoke the border collie, as the new friends said their goodbyes. After 10 minutes of waiting in the orange hovercraft in the parking lot, Rubble was getting impatient. He was dwindling his paws when he finally saw his two friends walking in the distance.
"Hey, what took you guys so long?" The bulldog asked in annoyance.
"I found Rocky talking to another guy. His name's Jasen. Black and white border collie. Never met him before, but he seems kinda nice." answered Zuma, as the three buckled up inside the hovercraft, switched on the headlights and the chocolate lab started the engine up.
"Yeah, we literally talked for almost 3 and a half hours. It was so lit. He loves playing guitar, just like I do." spoke the mix. Both Zuma and Rubble's eyes exploded with life in surprise and shock. They never expected their friend to talk with anyone for long tonight-let alone nearly four hours.
"Broooo...you talked with the same guy for almost 4 hours. A stranger you never met, no less. That's something I don't ever see you do, man." observed the bulldog as the three drove out of the parking lot and jumped onto the highway.
"Unless…" spoke Zuma in a sneaky way, as a smile slowly crept on his face. Rubble caught his drift and began to smile as well. Rocky was confused by Rubble's facial expression while he stared at the grey canine.
"Uhhhh...what are you guys getting at?"
"Dude! I think you might like Jasen a lot more than you think. I mean, you talked to him for almost four hours straight, for crying out loud!" stated Zuma, as he kept his eyes on the road. Rocky started blushing like mad, and sweat started to run down his face.
"I...I...I don't like Jasen that much! Sure, he's a cool dude, and he's my friend! And I just met him!" argued Rocky, flustered in embarrassment.
"Dude, there's no shame in really liking someone the moment you first see 'em! I can see it in your nervous eyes...your red face...your body language. Even though you're swimming in the river of denial emotionally, I can tell that you might feel something for him back." The bulldog reasoned.
"Soo...Jasen loves guitar music, huh? What's his favorite singer? I mean, you guys talked for several hours." spoke up the water rescue dog as he turned off the highway exit and got onto the road that headed straight back for Adventure Bay.
"Well...he did say he really love this guy's music...I don't know his name, but Jasen said something along the lines of Lil Nas X." Rocky answered. Zuma and Rubble's eyes lit up.
"Oh my god, that's so dope! His music slaps so hard!" The lab grinned as he drove into an empty town, his hovercraft being the only vehicle in the streets.
"I think you should listen to his work. I think his music would really touch your soul in particular." spoke Rubble to the grey dog, as they got onto the bridge that led to the lookout.
"Why should I? I don't really care about rap or hip-hop at all. I'm more of an '80s kind of guy." scoffed Rocky.
"You know Freddie Mercury? Elton John? George Michael? You know those dudes, right?" asked Zuma while they drove into the driveway.
"Yeah, I love those guys." the recycling dog answered.
"Well, Lil Nas X is like that. And much, much more." smiled Zuma in response, as the three jumped out of his hovercraft. Zuma then pressed a button on the ground, and his hovercraft transformed into the pup house he called home.
"What are you trying to say? I'm just...I'm not following you guys on this at all." sighed Rocky, shaking his head.
"Dude. Lil Nas X is gay. I'm a bit tired...goodnight, guys." Rubble yawned as he retired to his pup house for the night.
"Wait...he is?" Rocky gasped.
"Well, yeah. It's a big part of his music. Even though I'm straight, I love it nonetheless." Zuma spoke up, as drowsiness hit him like a brick. He patted his grey best friend on the back and went inside his pup house. The grey mix's brain was running at a thousand miles an hour while he hustled into his own green dog house. Rocky's mind absolutely imploded. He knew and loved music stars like Mercury, George Michael and Elton John, but they never explicitly revealed their sexuality in their songs and kept their feelings a secret for the majority of their careers' stardom. But Lil Nas X was different. The grey mix's brain was running at a thousand miles an hour while he hustled into his own green dog house.
Oh my god...this is actually true. Hmmm...I really do gotta listen to this guy. He seems cool. And Jasen likes him...so that's a good sign. I'll call him in a few days to see if he wants to hang out. Yeah...maybe I'll surprise him. Maybe in front of everybody. All my friends. But that day will have to wait… smiled Rocky, thinking as his body began to shut own, lying on his pup bed and beginning his nightly slumber. Little did he or Jasen know that this night was the start of something neither of them anticipated.
2 WEEKS LATER
Two weeks had passed, and a few notable events took over during that time for the grey canine. He did take a chance to listen to the gay rapper that Zuma talked about the next night after he introduced the singer to him. Rocky couldn't believe his eyes, or his ears, for that matter. Every music video, every song, and every lyric that Lil Nas X produced related somewhat to his inner struggles of sexuality and embracing his inner self, and Rocky felt something that he never expected to feel from someone in the music industry: validated. He quickly became a fan of the rapper nearly overnight, and started learning a couple songs on his acoustic guitar. And something interesting happened between Jasen and Rocky: their friendship evolved significantly. Two days after they first met, Zuma and Rubble convinced their grey friend to call Jasen for the first time. Rocky felt very uneasy, but went along with it, reaching for the phone on the wall thanks to a stool. Jasen answered, and the two talked for almost two hours. Almost every day since then, if Jasen called, Rocky would drop everything and hustle to the phone, answering it before anyone else could lift a paw. Zuma and Rubble knew that Rocky was starting to develop a crush on the border collie that he met at the club, but the others took a bit to catch on. One night, Rocky was busy in the basement, strumming a few notes on his guitar out of boredom.
"And I'm known for giving love away, but I want...someone to love me...I need...someone who needs me...because I don't feel right when it's late at night and it's just me in my dreams…" The grey canine hummed himself as he plucked the strings, surprising himself by hitting the right notes. Just then, the door opened to the top of the basement. He caught the scent of six other canines-his friends. He quickly removed the guitar sling from around his neck and faced forward.
"Yo, Rocky, what'cha doin down here, all alone and depressed?" asked Skye.
"I'm not depressed. I'm just practicing my guitar." replied the recycling dog.
"Oh, that's great. You wanna play some notes for us?" inquired the German shepherd.
"Not yet. I'm still trying to get this 'guitar learning curve' straightened out." admitted Rocky.
"Aw, shucks. You'll do great when you get more practice." Marshall shrugged.
"Why are you guys down here, anyway?" asked the grey mix.
"We figured out that you've been talking to this 'Jasen' guy over the last two weeks on the phone. We also think it might be time for you to take the next logical step in your friendship." spoke Everest.
"Which...is…?" mumbled Rocky, scratching his neck with his right paw.
"You invite Jasen over to the lookout, we meet him, and you ask Jasen out on a date!" Zuma told his best friend. All the color from Rocky's face drained, and he stood directly still. The sweat poured down his head like a waterfall, as he struggled to find the right words.
"Wait...what?! I have to ask him out on a date?! But I've only known him for two weeks!" protested the recycling dog.
"Dude, you can't just sit in the friend zone forever. You got something going with him. You talk with him for almost two hours every single day on the phone! And Ryder is wondering why his phone bill has gone up." Rubble pointed out.
"I don't wanna do this now...I don't wanna rush anything...sure, I do have feelings for Jasen. He's cool, has the same interests as me, and he's pretty good looking. I just don't want him to think I'm clingy and desperate for attention!" whined the mix as his ears dropped and his head lowered.
"From what we know, Jasen seems like a really nice guy. It would be awesome for us to meet him." observed the cockapoo.
"You're just inviting him over here. That's the first part. Let's just focus on that. Just call him and ask him to come over some time. We'll take this process step by step so we don't overwhelm you with all of the procedure." spoke Chase.
"You know what? I know exactly what you're going through, Rocky." grinned Marshall as he put his paw around the grey canine's shoulder.
"What do you mean?" asked the recycling dog.
"Remember when we were younger...I had to call Everest and ask to hang out at Jake's Cabin...alone? I used that as a method to help me ask her out on our first date. And she said yes." answered the dalmatian.
"Oh my god, you're right...I can do this. I can do this." declared Rocky, as he stood up on all fours and bolted upstairs while his friends cheered him on. He walked slowly to the phone on the wall, which hung ever so gently. The mix leapt onto the stool, which made him sit level next to the device 5 feet off the ground. He lifted the phone off of its holding place, and dialed Jasen's number using numbered buttons. Once he dialed the number, Rocky held the phone to his ear, dwindling the wires like a teenage girl from the 1990s as he waited patiently. The phone buzzed, as the young canine's ears went back up. The six canines tiptoed from the bottom of the basement stairs up to the top, and each sat at the top few levels of stairs. They couldn't be more anxious for their friend, as they listened intently. Finally, after 25 seconds of buzzing, it happened.
"Hello? This is Jasen. Who's this?" The border collie asked as he picked up the phone. It was almost 9 PM, as he was watching a movie with his owner, and just barely heard the ringing before it was too late.
"Jasen...it's Rocky." The mix smiled.
"Yo, what's up, man? Sorry, buddy. Can't talk much right now. I'm watching this awesome Jungle Cruise movie with the Rock in it...how ironic...can you make it quick?" The black and white collie begged. Rocky silently held the phone away from him and cursed to himself.
Fuck! Really, Jasen?! You gotta make me ask now?! You're making this a lot more complicated than it needs to be. That movie must be the greatest movie in existence or something. Well, here goes nothing! The mix pondered in his head before returning the phone to his immediate reach, holding it to his ear again. The pups listening were on edge, holding their breath in anticipation. After almost 10 seconds, Rocky cleared his throat.
"What I really wanted to say, Jasen...is...ummm...you wanna hang out at my place sometime?" The grey canine asked through the phone. On the other end, Jasen's eyes lit up.
"Hell yeah, man! How about Saturday night at 7?" Jasen asked, delighted by the proposal. Rocky couldn't have been more relieved by his crush's response. This date gave him almost 4 days for the recycling dog to make a cohesive plan to ask the border collie out on that evening.
"Sounds like a plan, my guy." grinned Rocky.
"You live at the tall lookout tower in Adventure Bay...I see it in the paper. I'll figure out how to get there. I'll see you then, Rocky." spoke Jasen happily as he hung up. Rocky then put the phone back up on the receiver and jumped down the stool. He walked to the basement door, where he knew all his pals were waiting.
"It worked, guys. Saturday night. He's coming over." told Rocky with a wide smile on his face.