So I'm updating a bunch of my stories today because today is special. Not saying why, you can guess. But I will neither deny nor confirm. Hope you still like these. But I guess I will know by your comments.
I do not own this.
There was urgent knocking on the door. Rex sitting in his arm chair looked up from his paper. He looked around waiting for Circe to come open the door. But when the knocking continued, he realized that no one was coming. He reluctantly got off the chair.
"Coming!" He shuffled over to the door tying his robe close. He swung open the door. It was his neighbor and he was not happy.
"Yes, can I help you?" Rex asked politely.
"Is this yours?" He asked holding up the offending puppy who barked happily and licked Rex's face.
"Oh, hey yeah, that's Scamp. Where did you find him?" Rex took the happy puppy from the irate neighbor's hand.
"In my lawn doing this!" He shoved a plastic bag in Rex's face.
Rex didn't have to ask what it was. He could feel the fresh warmth radiating from the bag.
"Aww, gee I'm real sorry Mr. Buchman. I'll have a talk with the kids about keeping him in the yard."
"This is the third time this week." He growled. "If it happens again I'm calling city services!" The man stomped away. Rex made a face behind his back and closed the door.
"What did you do you bad whittle puppy wuppy? Did you go poopy in the angry neighbor's yard?" He cooed to the happy puppy who barked excitedly.
"Rex, who was that?" Circe came downstairs. Her hair was in a towel.
"Nothing just Mr. Buchman complaining about Scamp going on his lawn again."
"Again? Rex we have to do something. We don't want our neighbors angry at us."
"Come on Mr. Buchman has a bee up his…" He paused when he say Rafael pop his head into the living room from the kitchen. "bonnet." Rex concluded.
"Really? Mr. Buchman wears a bonnet?" Rafael asked innocently.
"No, but listen Raffy, you need to keep Scamp in our yard. Mr. Buchman is angry that he went again in his yard." Rex handed the puppy to Rafael.
Rafael frowned. "But Scamp doesn't go in other people's yard."
"Well, Mr Buchman found him there with this. So let's keep him on his leash, okay buddy?" Rex ruffled his son's head and went into the kitchen to get rid of the bag.
Rafael looked at the wiggly puppy in his arms.
"You don't go in other people's yards." He said to the dog.
"Yip!" The dog agreed.
0o0
The next day Mr. Buchman was back. He yelled at Rex for a good twenty minutes before storming away. That night Circe sat Rafael down.
"Baby, we got you Scamp because you wanted a pet." She said gently.
Rafael nodded silently.
"But unless you take care of him, we need to take him back."
"No! Scamp isn't the one messing on his lawn." Rafael protested.
"Well, all evidence points to it. Mr. Buchman always finds Scamp in his yard." Circe said. "So you need to make sure Scamp doesn't leave our yard and when he does, he needs a leash on."
"Yes, mommy." Rafael knew better than to argue with his mother. What he needed was proof.
"That's my good boy." Circe kissed the top of his head and left him. Rafael frowned as he watched his puppy chase its tail.
Rafael bent over and petted him. Scamp licked his face. Rafael smiled down at the puppy. Picking up the puppy, he went up to his sister's room.
"Violeta," Rafael knocked on his sister's door. Violeta opened it.
"What's up, hermano?" She asked. She petted the puppy's head. Scamp tried to lick her hand.
"Mr. Buchman says Scamp's been going potty on his yard. Now mommy says if Scamp doesn't stop she's going to take him away. What am I going to do?" Rafael told her.
Violeta also frowned. "Scamp doesn't go anywhere except in our yard." She absent-mindedly scratched Scamp's head. Scamp tried to lick her hand again. "Something's not adding up." Violeta went to her desk and rummaged through her drawer.
"Watcha doing?" Rafael tried to look over her shoulder.
"Looking for something… ah, here it is." She pulled out a small black object from the drawer.
"What's that?" Rafael wrinkled his nose. The puppy struggled in his arms to get free. Rafael put him down. Scamp ran around in circles before settling down by Rafael's feet. It yawned and snuggled against Rafael's feet before going to sleep.
"Remember when Uncle Caesar wanted to 'document a day in my life'?" Violeta used air quotes.
"Oh yeah, he followed you around with a camera until mommy told him to stop." He said.
"Yeah, so he gave me this mini camera to wear around my neck so he can see what I do all day." She shrugged. "He never took it back."
"Does it still work?" Rafael looked at the small device.
Violeta held up a finger. She touched the top of the camera. Blue lines circumvented the camera. The red light on the side began flashing. "It does now." She smirked.
Her brother returned her smirk.
0o0
"Well, let's see what the camera shows." Rafael said impatiently as Violeta plugged the camera into her laptop.
"Give me a second." Violeta placed her hand on the camera. Blue lines appeared and the camera began loading the video directly onto the hard drive.
The monitor opened up with video of Scamp's point of view as he walked around the house. The children saw the stairs as the puppy ascended to the second floor. It then went into the bathroom where the children could see Scamp drinking from the toilet.
"Eww, Scamp. And I let you lick me." Rafael said to the puppy who just barked and tried to lick him some more. "No, no more licking… at least not until you stop drinking from the toilet."
"Hermano, look." Violeta got Rafael's attention. Rafael looked at the screen. The puppy was now out in their yard. He stayed very still before walking to the rose bushes by the fence. He dug a hole underneath the fence and squeezed through.
"So that's how he gets out." Violeta mused.
"Shhh." Rafael said as he saw what came next. Scamp got to Mr. Buchman's yard but sat at the edge of it, never setting foot on his grass. Suddenly, a much larger dog appeared and barked at Scamp. The camera caught the dog then walking boldly into the yard to do his business. Scamp never moved from the spot. When the large dog finished he barked again at Scamp and walked away. A few minutes Mr. Buchman came out. When he saw the mess and Scamp he stormed over to the dog and picked him up. Then camera shut off and static filled the monitor.
"We have to show mommy and dad this." Rafael said excitedly.
Violeta nodded her agreement. "Now you can keep Scamp."
Rafael hugged his sister. "Thank you. I knew I can count on you."
Violeta smiled slightly. "What are big sisters for? Now let's show mommy."
Together the siblings walked out the room followed by an enthusiastic puppy.