Chapter 16: Mending Hearts (In the storage room: 8:55 AM)

"Alright, it looks like we've got everything we need! How's the game coming along?" Skye asked.

"Uhhh, we're pretty close, but I think I'm going to-!" Rocky said before he accidentally hit the ball into his own goal. "Never mind…"

"Pfft! Ahahaha! Oh sorry! That was so great!" Chase laughed.

"Okay, I'll admit I got a little too cocky in the end, but it was still a great match, right Chase?"

"Yeah, good game!"

"Mind if I give it a try?" Skye asked.

"Sure! I'll be working on the food dispenser until you guys are done. Now, where did I keep my notebook?" Rocky wondered before opening the door.

"Uhhh, I think you left it over in the kitchen somewhere," Chase answered before dropping the ball in the center of the table.

"Alright, I'll go check it out."

"Do you want us to come with you?"

"No, it's fine. I'll see you guys around, okay?"

"See ya!" They replied as Rocky left the room.

Later in the kitchen...

"Okay, so the notebook has to be around here somewhere…" Rocky thought to himself as the others continued watching their movie. Since nobody noticed he was around, he decided to take a look at the screen. "Hmm… I don't think I've seen that one before. I wonder who that husky actor is. She's doing a great job! Oh, there it is!"

"Oh geez… this movie sucks…!" Avery groaned as the others nodded their heads.

"Yeah, I mean, I've already read the story, and I'll admit, it has a really good plot, but did they seriously have to use the most annoying pup to play Allison? I mean, come on! She clearly doesn't have what it takes, so why don't they just get a better actor, like Patrica, Tori, or someone? I don't know? Anyone except for her!"

"I bet a chipmunk can do a better job... "

"I know, right? Oh well. We already started it, so might as well finish it." They laughed as Rocky cringed in the background.

"Geez… that was harsh! It must be hard for them to keep their cool while acting in a movie. Then again, I guess that's what they signed up for, so they'll be fine! Anyways, I should probably start heading back right now." Rocky said before his ears perked up. "Huh…? Who is that? Are they crying? That's weird, it kind of sounds like... Should I go check on them? I mean, I already talked to a lot of pups the other day, so it shouldn't be that hard, right? Yeah, let's do this!"

"Well, this is pretty boring. There has to be something I can do instead of sitting over here by myself. Maybe I should try to make new friends. Yeah, I mean there's a lot of pups in around here, so it shouldn't be that hard." Peter said to himself as he sat alone in the main hallway. "Let's see, I'll try talking to the first one who walks by. That'll be a great start!" Suddenly, the sound of Mira's voice could be heard crying in the background, and a few moments later she could be seen running past the main hall, and into the kitchen without noticing him.

"Hmmm… I wonder what she was reading this time. Oh well, only one way to find out!" He decided before following her.

5 minutes later…

"... Does she even know that I'm here…?" He wondered to himself as Mira kept her head covered on the table. "This is strange… Usually, Leo is supposed to be here by now, but I haven't seen him since yesterday, and she's crying a little more than usual, so did something else happen? Maybe I should-" Suddenly the sound of another pup could be heard running in the distance. "Oh! I don't wanna miss this!" He beamed before quietly hiding underneath a table. Then, Rocky enters the kitchen with a worried look on his face.

"Oh, so it is you!" He began as Mira lifted her head.

"Rocky…?" Both Peter and Mira thought at the same time.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

"Rocky, I…! Everything is just… How could he..?" She faltered before bawling her eyes out.

"Whoa whoa whoa! It's okay, it's okay, it's okay! Pl-Please don't cry, everything is going to be fine, alright?"

"I…"

"Here, why don't we go talk about it somewhere else, is that okay?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah… sure…."

"Alright then, come on, let's go." He whispered while helping her up.

"Thank you…" She replied as they left the kitchen. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry!"

"Okay, something definitely isn't right about this... " Peter thought to himself before standing up.

Meanwhile with Chase and Skye (9:05 AM)…

"Alright, three to five! Let's keep it up, shall we?" Skye giggled.

"You bet! I'm not going down that easily." Chase concurred.

"Well, we're about to find out! Wow, I can't believe we're actually doing this, am I right? It's like time is going by so fast, you know?"

"Hasn't it only been three days though?"

"Well yeah, but look at all of the new friends we've made! I'm honestly surprised things have been going our way ever since then."

"Well, I wouldn't say everything."

"Huh….? Oh right! Skipper still hasn't returned yet."

"Yeah, I wonder how he's doing. Things were pretty awkward the last time we saw him. I hope he's okay…."

"Yeah me too. Hopefully, Katie was able to cheer him up. Anyways, let's continue the-"

"Hold that thought. I'm picking up on Rocky's scent, and… Mira's?" Chase questioned as the door opened.

"Right this way please. Don't worry, it's okay," Rocky said as Mira continued wiping her eyes. "Guys, shut the door."

"Whoa, what happened?" Skye worried.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out…"

"Oh… I'm really sorry if I'm bothering you guys, today is just…" Mira sighed.

"Oh no, it's alright! We'll continue this another time, Chase." Skye said.

"Right! Do you need something to drink?" He asked Mira.

"No, I'm fine. It's just… I don't even know where to start." Mira sniffled before looking around the room. "Wh-Where are we…?"

"Oh, this is just the storage room. I know it looks a little cramped, but I've been trying to make the best out of it ever since I started coming here." Rocky replied.

"So, this is where you've been hiding all the time…?"

"Yeah, but it's actually not that bad! I've learned a lot over these past three years, and I don't think I'd be able to make it this far without Skipper, Kaite, and Mr. Jordan's help. I just wish I wasn't being quiet all the time…"

"Rocky… I… I….!" Mira whispered before weeping.

"Hey hey hey, it's fine! J-Just stay calm."

"I…! I'm so sorry I took part in this! You deserve way better, and I just…! I was wrong about you, and I'm really sorry-!"

"Whoa whoa whoa, deep breaths. It's going to be okay, alright? Just stay calm..." Chase assured as Mira wiped her eyes.

"I'm trying, but my mind is just all over the place right now."

"W-Wait, you're apologizing…?" Rocky clarified as his eyes opened wider.

"Yeah… I'm not sure if you realized it, but Leo is the one who started the name-calling, and I just left you out there on your own."

"Wait, he started it!? How can you tell?" Skye gasped.

"I… went to go talk to him a few minutes ago, and he was just upset, and I…! I don't know, everything just happened so fast, and…. I don't know…! I should have done something when I had the chance, but instead, I just… I'm really sorry-"

"I-It's okay...! It wasn't really your fault-"

"I know, I can't help but feel all guilty inside because I could have helped you, and the worst part is, you didn't mean what you said back then, did you?"

"What I said…?"

"Remember when we first met, and you told me I didn't seem like the exercising type?"

"What!?" Chase and Skye gasped as Rocky's mouth dropped.

"Wait Rocky, you said that!?" Skye

"I…! N-No-! I mean, y-yes, but I…! I didn't-"

"I know, you were trying to say something else, but it came out wrong, didn't it?" Mira sighed.

"I… Have I been doing that to everyone!?"

"Kind of… maybe… a little. But really though, I should have told you instead of agreeing with them. I'm really sorry..."

"I…It's fine really, I'm just…" Rocky stammered before sitting down.

"Are you good?" Chase asked.

"Y-Yeah, it's just that all of this time, I've been asking myself what's wrong with me, even though it should have been obvious! I should have known that from the start! I mean, I even told you guys that I wasn't great at social interactions, so how could I be so…?" He sputtered before taking a deep breath. "You and the others must really hate me for that, huh?"

"I wouldn't exactly say hate…" Mira replied.

"I've always wanted to be smart... you know? I've read books, done online tests, I even spent a whole day doing 25x25 sudoku puzzles, and even after all that, I still can't figure out common sense..."

"Hey Rocky, It's okay! You don't have to be doing all of that stuff to be considered smart, you know?" Chase said.

"Yeah I mean, look around! You've made art supplies, lava lamps, and we're even playing on your foosball table for crying out loud! You're smarter than you think, Rocky." Skye followed.

"B-But, I didn't…." Rocky whimpered as Mira approached him.

"You know, there's a difference between being smart and being perfect, and let me tell you right now, nobody is perfect. I mean yeah, you overlooked something, but that doesn't change the fact that you're special, am I right?"

"Mira…"

"Yeah, things like that can happen all the time, but we mustn't let them get the best of us, because we aren't perfect. We'll never be perfect, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to be our best." Skye smiled.

"Heh... Just when I thought my heart couldn't take anymore.." Rocky smiled while wiping a tear from his eye. "Thanks, guys. I promise I won't forget about this one either. With that being said, can you tell us what happened, Mira?"

"R-Right! I almost forgot about that." Mira said before clearing her throat. "So you see after I left the kitchen….

In the hallways…

"I can't hear anything they're saying…" Peter grumbled to himself as he lifted his ear from the door. "Maybe I should just leave this to them. I mean, it's not like it's any of my business anyway. The others must be having a great time watching their movie. I just wish they understood me a little more so I wouldn't have to-" Moments later, the sound of more steps could be heard coming by.

"Peter? What are you doing over here? I thought everyone was watching the movie." Skipper's voice was heard in the background.

"Oh, you're back! I was just… walking around… doing a little exercise…"

"In the hallways?"

"Y-Yeah, you know me, always wanting to try out new things! A-Anyways, what's in the box?"

"Oh, this was supposed to be a secret for next week, but seeing as you're here, do you want to help out?"

"Sure, what would you like me to do?"

"Well, Katie is already helping out in the back, so do you think you can handle working with paint?"

"Paint!? Oh boy! When was the last time I got to use that?"

"Just don't go overboard, alright?"

"Don't worry! Katie said I was really good at it the last time we painted stuff."

"Well, I'll trust her on that. Come on, let's get to it. I really appreciate this by the way. We should be done before afternoon, is that alright?"

"Fine by me."

"Great! I still want to keep this a secret, so if you notice anything, please don't spread the word. We've been planning this out for months, and I promise you, everyone is going to love it!" Skipper assured while walking away.

"We'll see about that…" Peter sighed before following him.