Chase's pov
"Chase, you need to get up," Everest said, nudging him with her paw. He grumbled to himself and pulled the blankets over his head. Marshall's exam results were coming in today, determining whether he would graduate or not, and the party couldn't have come at a worse time. And his attempts to sleep the day away were ripped away from him as Everest hit him with a pillow; repeating this until Chase growled and caught the pillow in his teeth and threw it across the room.
"I'm sorry, sweetie, but it is Marshall's graduation party, you need to be there."
Sighing to himself, he dragged his paws into their closet and came out moments later wearing a pair of sweats and wrinkled shirt and a necklace with a cross dangling beneath his pup tag.
"Chase," she sighed. "You need to show Marshall you care a little bit," she said and marched him back into their closet, murmuring to herself about what button up shirt would look best on him.
That is how he found himself where he was currently, navy blue button up shirt with a collar that was too tight, sitting in the corner of the kitchen which crawled with dogs and people alike, keeping his head to the carpet to avoid unwanted conversations. The music coming from his headphones did enough to separate him from reality, creating enough space to make the anxious breeding ground bearable.
Small noises would rip him away from his solace as the noise and anxiety chewed away at him, as hammering and electric drills bounced off of the walls, vibrating into his teeth.
He clenched his jaw and turned up the volume on his headphones. That was the only thing keeping him where he was, keeping him in the room and in the loop of the festivities to come at all. Not by choice.
If it wasn't for Everest, he wouldn't have gotten out of bed at all, the crushing weight on his shoulders had kept him immobile, and the prescribed medications, sedated, alone in the dark comfortable room.
Everest passed him and stopped, pulling out one of his headphones from his ear, "Only one, I need you to be present today," she chided, and he waited until she was gone to roll his eyes and fidgeted with the itchy collar of his shirt.
Rubble came through the sliding glass doors carrying a load of plates balancing precariously on his shovel arm. He was so proud of his responsibility tonight, practically gushing about it the entire day. He was heading the team with Zuma and himself as the cooks for the party. Cody came in behind him and wandered over to Everest. Even he had a job, serving as the lookout for Marshall.
But of course, she gave no job to Chase. Ryder's suspension seemed to have shifted how much she trusted him, and it reflected with her treatment towards him. Chase never thought it could get worse, but he was painfully wrong. Nobody believed in him or trusted him to handle anything anymore and his already short leash felt more like a choke collar.
"Where do you want these sweet sparkling spirits?" Captain Turbot said, without a slip of the tongue. Everest was standing in the center of the sea of people with Cody by her side.
"The alcohol? Put it in the pantry for now," she said.
Turning to Cody, she whispered something in his ear, letting out a laugh along with the Cattle dog.
Chase looked back down to the carpet, drawing circles into the fuzzy material with a claw, wishing to be a part of their conversation and not, as Everest affectionately put it, grounded and on his best behavior. He was to sit and stay. Stay within Everest's line of sight, like a pup visiting the park for the first time. It was degrading.
More people flooded into the shrinking room, and Chase retreated into the living room. Unable to take any more commotion, he put his headphones in his big ears and lost himself to the steady beats and harmonic vocals as they sung away all of his present anxiety and pain.
He stayed like that until he lost track of time entirely. But the sun had set, making way for the beautiful moon as moonlight rays flooded in from the window.
Chase's headphones, once again, were ripped away, and he came crashing down back into reality as Everest stood before him, placing his headphones on the ground. She seemed nervous, looking uncertain as she shifted on her paws. Indecisively.
"Chasey?" she started.
Oh great, what was it now? How could he have worried her when he followed her instructions to the letter? Although his attitude changed once he was in a sitting position, directly across from the husky. After her worried eyes burrowed into his soul as they caught the moonlight's rays, shimmering brightly, his annoyance melted away. He would move heaven and Earth for her if she asked him.
"Yes?" Chase inched a step forward, longing to skip the formalities or reprimanding and cut straight to the after. The glorious moment when they made up, forgave their grievances or annoyances, and physically reconnected. A kiss, a hug, or somewhere in between was all Chase craved at the moment. She had been so preoccupied with scolding him and worrying over him since his lapse in judgment, that she forgot the most important part, the part he needed most. To be comforted.
"Marshall will be here any minute, and no matter what news he brings to us, pass or fail, good or bad, we are to support him, ok?"
Nodding his head, Chase looked past his husky to the growing crowd of townspeople mingling in the living room, kitchen, and just outside of the Lookout walls. Bottles were being passed around as freely as morning greetings and handshakes. And his years as a police dog set aside, he could tell who was sober, buzzed, or on a level Chase never dared to venture to.
"Seems like some of the town is celebrating prematurely," Chase said.
Everest nodded in agreement, turning her head to the vibrating crowd of people intermingling with one another, tossing back drinks and swapping stories of happier times and other stories Chase wished he could erase from his memory, scanning the perimeter for Alex, hoping to save him before he got too close. He was much too young to hear details as explicit as those were.
When he focused closer to the owner of the high-pitched voice spouting vulgar and obscene stories so freely, he cringed when a Gray French Bulldog came into view.
Chase shook his head and focused back on his husky.
"What time is Marshall getting back?" Chase asked.
Suddenly, a blur of black and gray, brown and black came into view.
"Guys, Marshall just pulled into the driveway," Cody beamed, oozing out nervous energy with his tail wagging at an alarming speed.
Everest pulled at Chase's paw and moved them to the front of the crowd. Rocky and Skye also joined them, though the females and Cody separated the boys.
The lookout doors slid open bringing in a cool fall breeze and a Dalmatian that seemed to be containing all of his emotions as best he could. And if Chase knew him like he did, he wouldn't have to hear Marshall's answer to know that he passed. Yet he had just stepped into the buzzing room, the doors just closing behind him, when he finally burst with excitement.
"I passed!" he sang out. His tail matching the speed of Cody's tail and he mirrored the Dalmatian excitement. And although the townspeople, most of them, paid little attention to Marshall's announcement, Katie, Mayor Goodway, Captain Turbot, Mr. Porter and Alex all cheered from their places in the crowd.
The rest of the patrol rushed to hug, tackle and smother the Dalmatian in a furry, giggling, loving pile.
Once everyone had backed up and let Marshall breathe, Zuma wondered over to the loudspeakers and pressed play on the pup pad sitting on top of it, filling the lookout walls with music. His action caused a chain reaction and the crowd let out whoops and hollers, the party had officially begun. Great. Chase grimaced, searching for his headphones but they had hidden themselves too well for his watchful eyes or Everest had taken them back to her room. Where did she wander off to?
Marshall's pov
Marshall's breath rushed out of him as everyone and everything around him danced and vibrated with warmth and excitement. Blue and red, green and pink bounced off the walls and washed over the crowd dancing in the middle of the living room. It was so welcoming, like outstretched arms of a loved one urging him to jump into them. And Marshall had every intention to jump into the party. With how hard he had worked leading up to this, now that he had reached his goal, it was time to celebrate. But he couldn't imagine doing it all over again by himself.
Marshall looked through the crowd for Cody and had to hold back a laugh when he found him. Cody, carrying two plastic cups in his mouth, moved carefully through the crowd over to him with a grin on his muzzle.
"What's all this?" Marshall said as Cody placed both cups down and nudged one towards Marshall.
"Celebrating," he cheered as his whole lower half swayed back and forth to the rhythm of his tail. He seemed more excited than Marhsall.
"You didn't need to go to all of this trouble just for me. It's not that big of a deal," Marshall said, waving him off with a paw.
Cody let out a huff, letting his mouth open in a shocked grin. "It is absolutely a big deal. You worked your tail off for this."
"Yeah, with your help. I couldn't have done it on my own."
Cody shook his head. "You stop it right there. You earned this, ok?"
"You really think so?"
"Yes! This was all you, Marshall. How can you see it any other way?"
Marshall smiled and looked to the side, pawing at the carpet. "I guess you're right."
"I can't tell you how proud. . ." Cody laughed and shook his head with that same incredulous smile, until nervousness flashed across his face.
"What?" Marshall tilted his head and looked himself over and back up to his friend. Quickly, Cody leaned forward and connected their lips together. Marshall froze in place as warm electricity flowed freely through him and his tail wagged on its own. After the shock wore off. Anxiety flooded him. Marshall pulled away from him and quickly looked around to see if anyone had seen the kiss.
"What are you doing?" Marshall hissed.
Cody's shy smile and hopeful eyes, turned into a flustered and scared face and his ears fell to the ground as he tried to explain. "Yesterday I, we were about to. . ." His voice began to waver and crack. "Marshall, I thought you wanted this. I thought . . " he stammered, but upon seeing the Dalmatian's face, fearful and confused, his voice fell short. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
"Cody, I can't. Ryder wouldn't allow it. You need to forget about whatever fantasy of us you have, ok? It's not going to happen." Marshall, after finishing, had to look away and avoid maintaining eye contact with his friend's eyes as they shimmered, full of pain.
Cody winced as Marshall's words seemed to sink in and he looked lost. Backing away, Cody wiped his eyes and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Marshall to wonder if he had made the right decision. He shook his head trying to forget, forget the kiss, and how much he liked it.