Well, it seems certain that the Green Bay Packers season is pretty much in the coffin. It's just a really bad team this year.
There is one silver lining: the Bucks are still undefeated! 9-0. Best start in franchise history. Wonder how long that's gonna last.
And the Houston Astros, after an incredible battle with the Philadelphia Phillies, won the World Series. Congrats to them! I mean, the only reason I wanted them to win it was for Dusty Baker. Fun fact: he invented the high-five. That's pretty dope. I feel for Phillies fans right now. They had an absolutely magical postseason, led by Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber hitting home runs like Little League.
Anyways, I hope you guys are doing well. Be the light. -mitch
paw patrol: all grown up #25: tying the knot
chapter 2: a couple 18th birthday(s)
THREE WEEKS LATER
Exactly three weeks after the flower ring escapade, the day finally happened. The magic number. 18. That was the age of complete physical maturity of the canine. The cockapoo and shepherd's birthdays were so close that Ryder and their fellow canine friends decided to celebrate both of their birthdays on the same day. Being that Chase was actually older by just three days, it made sense. It was morning, the sun beaming its radiance all over Adventure Bay. Chase and Skye were sleeping together on an incredibly large dog bed in the living room of the lookout soundly. As soon as the clock struck 8 AM, all silence in the lookout was shattered. By party streamers and their shrilling noise.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Ryder and their canine friends shouted with ecstasy.
"GAHHHH!" The cockapoo yelped in surprise, jumping off the pup bed and falling flat on her face.
"Oh my god, my ears are ringing…" Chase groaned, his head spinning as a result of the abrupt noise that awoke him.
"Looks like you're completely grown up now…goodness gracious…" Ryder smiled to himself, almost getting emotional at the thought of all his teenage canines becoming adults so soon.
"Welcome to the 18 club! How does it feel?!" Everest asked the couple. The husky was grateful that she wasn't the only canine adult any longer.
"Feels pretty lit so far." The german shepherd remarked nonchalantly.
"Owwww…judging from the surprise, I don't wanna be an adult just yet." Skye answered sarcastically, jumping back to her feet.
"Did you guys get us presents? Not to be snobs on this birthday celebration." The police canine asked.
"We sure did! We got a bunch of stuff for y'all!" Jasen answered enthusiastically.
"The first gift…is for Skye." Hailey spoke up as she handed the pilot canine her present.
"Really?" The cockapoo gasped, her eyes lighting up like the rays of the sun.
"It's from Everest and I." Hailey added while Skye looked at the present further. It was not a surprise for her, to say the least.
"You guys got me a book…1001 Romantic Poems?" Skye gasped, pretending to be shocked at the gift. Chase turned away, blushing because he knew it was a gift for him as well.
"Yeah, it was a very last-minute option. Hope you and Chase like it." Everest told her best friend.
"Oh, I love it! Thank you!" Skye gushed, embracing the two girls that she considered to be her true confidants. The three canines had gotten along very well together, and Hailey finally felt a semblance of belonging with the pilot and mountain rescue dog. As the trio grew closer, they saw that even though Hailey was living in a shelter in Orchard Park, she had still not yet been adopted. So, as a surprise for Zuma, Skye and Everest begged Katie to adopt Hailey as her own.
Being that Katie lived across the bridge from the lookout, transportation would no longer be an issue for the golden retriever if she ever wanted to visit her chocolate lab boyfriend or her two best pals. Katie accepted the offer immediately, and so, Hailey had a new home. When he heard the news that his girlfriend had a new home with Katie across the bridge from the lookout, Zuma couldn't be any happier. Their relationship actually grew stronger because of this, and Hailey never felt better in her entire life.
"What do you think, Chase? You planning on reading it with you-know-who?" The husky teased the german shepherd playfully. The police dog could only cover his face in sheer embarrassment as the other canines and Ryder laughed.
"Uhhh…yeah…definitely can't wait…" Chase admitted, trying to make the occasion less awkward than it already was.
"Chase…Skye…I have a surprise for both of you." Ryder spoke up as he motioned the PAW Patrol canines to come outside.
"Really?" The couple inquired. The boy nodded, taking the dogs to the front yard. There was a surprise, hidden under a large, standing blanket. He yanked it away to reveal a tall, sleek and slender machine. It was beyond state-of-the-art machine that launched tennis balls and frisbees at the same time; a godsend-like present for a creature with four legs.
"Woahhh!" All nine canines gasped as they laid their collective eyes on the contraption.
"Yep. It's a tennis ball launcher, frisbee launcher and a stick throwing machine. All built into one special package. And I made this myself, just for you two." Ryder spoke, turning attention to the birthday couple.
"How many tennis balls are in there?!" The german shepherd cried.
"Around 10. Same with the frisbees. Why don'cha test it out?" The boy suggested. After some quick teaching from their PAW Patrol leader, the german shepherd and cockapoo were running around, catching balls and frisbees like they were puppies once again.
"Look at them go. I haven't seen them have so much fun in a long time." Rocky noted, hearing Skye and Chase howling and laughing like turning 18 meant nothing.
"I would die to get this machine." Rubble sulked.
"Ryder, can you make one for each of us? I'm so jealous." Marshall asked the boy, knowing damn well what his answer was going to be.
"It was, unfortunately, pretty pricey for me to make. It took me a couple of months of free time and hard work to make it. So, you pups are gonna have to deal with the fact that this is just for them. Chase loves running after tennis balls, Skye loves catching frisbees in the air. It's just a perfect invention." Ryder answered.
It had been almost an hour, and after chasing tennis balls and frisbees in the very large front yard, the pilot and police dog were tuckered out. They were very grateful for the machine and convinced that it was sent from the gods above, but they had to listen to their inner selves. They were gassed. The couple trudged into the lookout and plopped themselves next to the AC. As if right on cue, it kicked in, relaxing the two. But not for too long.
"Yo, Chase! The boys and I got a surprise for you!" The chocolate lab called out to his police dog comrade, as the other dogs rushed to them, realizing that they were inside.
"Oh, shit, thanks guys! Pretty nice looking box there." Chase said with gratitude, gazing at the small, rectangular gift. After receiving it, he opened it, and it was something that came out of left field for him. Everyone gasped in awe. It was a present for a true-coming-of-age canine.
"Now that is classy." Hailey pointed out.
"Oh, brother." Skye groaned.
"You boys got me a box of Cuban cigars?" Chase inquired his male friends. They all were smiling proudly.
"The finest ones in the world for the best officer in the world. You're a grown man! You deserve them, brotha." Zuma proclaimed, shaking the paw of his police dog friend.
"Mannn…how on earth do I do this?" He asked the water rescue dog, who he assumed was the mastermind behind the present.
"You just put the fat dart in your mouth, inhale deeply and exhale. It's like breathing. Go ahead, light that thing up." Zuma encouraged him. The German shepherd did as he was told. Soon, it became an easy pattern to recognize. He smiled as he lit up for the third time in less than a minute, and it was the sign that Chase was enjoying it. The male dogs cheered and howled for the german shepherd.
"You're a true man now. Nobody's stopping you now!" Rocky proclaimed.
"Wow, look at you. You're lighting it like a pro!" observed Zuma, impressed as to how quickly the police dog took to the cigar.
"Joe Burrow better watch out with you smoking the fat one!" Rubble joked.
"Exactly." Chase replied as he inhaled the smoke deeply, and exhaled yet another round of cigar smoke. He grew to like the sensation of smoke coming in and out of his body, feeling like a real-life Mafia gangster.
"How does it feel, my man?" Jasen asked with curiosity.
"Feels good, not gonna lie. Thanks, my boys. Really means a lot." The German shepherd thanked his friends.
"The decision to get you this gift bestowed upon you was mostly unanimous. But there was one exception." Rocky commented, every one of the boys not named Chase turning their eyes to the spotted canine in the room.
"Chase, look. I'm not against you hitting a cigar. It's just that I don't want you to get addicted." Marshall admitted. Since he was a part-time doctor, he was always cautious about his friends doing any kind of drugs.
"Nah, man. You're good. You don't have to worry about me. I'm not gonna get addicted, mark my word." Chase dutifully swore to his dalmatian best friend. But Marshall wasn't done yet. With Ryder out of the canines' presence, he felt comfortable doing an expose' on the chocolate lab.
"Same with Zuma. Looking at you, buddy." He said, turning to the water rescue dog.
"Ok…I guess I'll say it now, because Doctor Marshall coerced me into this. He caught me smoking weed." Zuma confessed. This was not exactly a shock to everyone in the room, but a few were still stunned.
"You've done it? The 420 blaze it? The devil's lettuce?" Everest inquired.
"Now that I think about it, it makes sense that you smoke." Jasen told the chocolate lab, understanding that Zuma had a very good knowledge of the nightlife and went to the Hound Dog, a very popular canines-only club in Orchard Park twice a month.
"You do it with the pipe? I remember dogs doing it the one time I went to the Hound Dog nightclub, when I met Jasen for the first time." Rocky asked the water rescue dog.
"It's true. I've seen it firsthand." Rubble interjected.
"Nah. He does it the old fashioned way. Through the blunt." Hailey answered. The other pups were weirded out by the fact that Zuma's girlfriend seemed to know this fact before the rest of them did.
"Yeah. Hailey and I've done it before, and it's not a big deal. Spotty white boy caught us, though." The chocolate lab foretold, a small chuckle coming out of him.
"It seemed like you guys were having a good time." Marshall added, laughing as well. It had been three weeks ago when he caught them both smoking pot in his orange pup house late one night. The smell, the red eyes and the weird, trippy music gave it all away.
"We were listening to Frank Ocean. Best trip ever." Hailey spoke up. That night was the first time that she used anything like drugs-combined with the trip that she went through along with her boyfriend made it a better experience than she could have imagined.
"You said it, babe." Zuma smiled warmly, the two nuzzling each other afterwards.
"Frank Ocean hits different when you're high as fuck." Hailey declared to her friends, who rolled their eyes in response.
"You guys are not gonna get addicted though, right? I just don't want Ryder to punish you guys if he finds out." The German shepherd inquired the couple.
"Yeah, we're not those kinds of hooligans. We only do it occasionally. And when we do get high, it's not too high." Zuma answered.
"I asked because I'm a cop. I've sniffed every legal and illegal drug known to man or dog. Cigarettes. Meth. Cocaine. LSD. Heroin. Ecstasy. Name it, I know the scent." The police dog replied candidly.
"I know he's a cop, but he's actually sniffed meth without going crazy? That's badass." Jasen whispered to the mix.
"You gonna drink today, guys? You're both practically old enough." The bulldog asked the birthday boy and girl.
"Not right away, though. Chase and I are gonna go to that restaurant we went to on our first date tonight. We're finally gonna have that sirloin steak we should have had a long time ago." The cockapoo replied, the two holding paws and sharing a loving gaze into each others' eyes after she spoke.
"Yeah…don't overdo it and get drunk. Like a certain someone." Marshall slyly remarked. Everyone turned in the direction of Everest, and not in a friendly, joking manner like usual.
On her 18th birthday, Everest, the pups, and Ryder all went to Jake's cabin to celebrate the occasion. It started out great. For about an hour. To help ring in her coming-of-age, Jake gave a 12 pack of Budweiser beer cans to the husky. In true Everest fashion, she chugged the first can of beer easily. Everyone cheered her on, not really thinking much of it. But things got a little weird as she kept drinking. And drinking. And drinking. Her friends asked her to slow down, but she told them off because it was her birthday and she could do "whatever she wanted". In all, Everest drank 6 cans of Budweiser in just 30 minutes.
Not much later she downed the 6th one, she got madly plastered. She was walking like a dunce, couldn't talk right and wanted to make some seriously weird decisions (she even wanted to do donuts in the snow outside with her Snowcat, but Jake put a stop to it). Everest became much more belligerent and incoherent than usual, and everyone was very uncomfortable, to say the least. But Marshall was the biggest victim of his drunk girlfriend's attitude. She asked him to mate with her right there in front of everybody three times. It got so bad that Marshall had to ask Ryder to get her away from him. Jake decided to end the whole party then and there, escorting the husky to his bedroom so she could sleep. Being supremely uncomfortable by the whole ordeal, as soon as Everest was out of his sight, the dalmatian started crying. He, and everybody else, never expected Everest to be like this at all. It was like she completely changed. Everyone involved felt bad for him. Rocky, Rubble, Zuma and Chase had seen enough, and they all left. The rest decided to stay the night.
The very next morning, Everest experienced a hangover worse than she could have ever pictured. Throwing up? Check. Miserable? Check. So messed up that you could barely move your muscles? Triple check. The hangover was so bad for the husky that she got sick for three days. Everest couldn't remember anything that happened the night before after she popped that sixth drink, but she still felt terrible after Ryder, Skye, Jake and Marshall told her about what she did.
She couldn't imagine how much pain Marshall suffered. When he talked to her that morning after, the dalmatian got emotional about how uncomfortable he got around her. The last thing he wanted to be around his girlfriend was uneasy. After hearing Marshall's testimony, she ended up shedding tears as well. She promised not to drink heavily ever again, and ever since, she held up on that promise. She even stayed sober-for his sake. The whole night of Everest's 18th birthday was a cautionary tale, a night that everyone wanted to forget, but couldn't.
The border collie and golden retriever sat in confusion, as they didn't meet the PAW Patrol before then. Everest became deeply embarrassed, obviously having no recollections of that night in particular. She hung her head in shame and her ears dropped.
"Jasen…Hailey…when you guys turn 18, be responsible. Don't do any crazy bullshit like I got myself into." The mountain rescue dog told them plainly.
"Words well said, Everest." Jasen remarked.
"That, right there, is true growth." Hailey spoke up.
"You got enough money this time to spend on the steak?" Jasen asked the cockapoo and german shepherd.
"We sure do." The German shepherd answered. A few moments later, the police dog felt like he had a problem to get himself out of. He turned to his #1 best friend: a spotted canine who knew him as well as anyone.
"Yo, can I talk to you in private for a sec?"
"Yeah, man, what is it?" Marshall asked, as the two went over to the elevator. There, they sat atop of the lookout where nobody could hear them. Skye and the others were a bit weirded out by the sudden absence, but paid no mind to it.
"You know…about the proposal…I'm actually gonna wait a few days on it." Chase spoke. This shocked the dalmatian. Marshall actually thought that he was going to pop the question that same day.
"Really? You are? But why? You're both old enough. You want each other for the rest of your lives. I'm very sure that she would say yes, Chase." The dally insisted.
"I know that. I'm ready for the commitment. But…I don't know if she is ready for that big of a jump yet." The german shepherd sighed.
"Dude…I think you gotta do this as soon as you can. The heart knows what it wants. Don't play the waiting game for something like this." The fire dog whined quietly.
"I'm not gonna wait for more than a week, Marshall. I just want to experience being an adult for a few days. I don't want to rush such an important occasion." reasoned Chase.
"All right. I trust you. Anyways, what are you thinking about for a proposal?" inquired the fire dog.
"I've already talked with someone very important to her about it." The german shepherd spoke, beginning to whisper his confidential plan for the biggest question he would ever ask.
"You're a fucking genius. You're gonna get engaged in no time." Marshall beamed, embracing his friend.