The Heeler brothers and Pat left Nazaré and arrived to Lisbon in time to take their flight to London. After five hours of flying, they landed in London. Arriving there, they could see something they had never seen: snow. Everything outside was covered in a layer of snow, with more falling. Once they got out, they had to use the winter cloths they had bought in Portugal: beanies, scarves, gloves and winter jackets.
After that, they took a bus that drove them to the city, from where they went to a youth hostel. Getting there, they approached the reception dog.
"Good afternoon, mate, my friends and I would want to check-in" Rad said.
"Very well, sir, just let me check what rooms are available" the reception dog said, while consulting the computer. "And you're in luck, we still have one room available… with four beds."
"Perfect" Rad said. "We want that one."
"Very well, for how many nights?" the reception dog.
"Two nights" Rad replied. "We're planning in spending the New Year here."
"Then you're in luck, we're having a party for all the guests" the reception dog told.
"Oh, we love parties, right, boys?" Rad asked his brothers and Pat.
"You can bet on that" Pat and Stripe replied at the same time.
However, Bandit was more focused in observing his surroundings, walking and looking around. He was so distracted that he ended up bumping into someone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I was…"
But he lost his words when he noticed that the one he had bumped into was none other than the red heeler he had seen in Brisbane, before checking-in for his flight to Portugal.
"I was… I was…" he stuttered, still caught up by surprise by the sudden appearance of the mystery red heeler.
"You were what?" the red heeler asked. "Did cat catch your tongue?"
But Bandit continued to not know what to say. It was like any word he tried to say just rolled at his tongue, preventing him from pronounce them. The red heeler just chuckled and said:
"I was just kidding, you don't have to get so serious. There's no harm done, so no worries."
Having said that, she moved away, going to the blue heeler that was with her back at Brisbane.
"So, who's the guy over there?" the blue heeler asked her friend. "He's cute…"
"Come on, Trixie, don't get any ideas in your head" the red heeler told her. "He just bumped into me and was excusing himself."
"Are you sure about that, Chilli?" Trixie asked, while making a quick look to Bandit. "He does seem to be into you. I guess he hasn't stopped staring at you."
"Even so, this trip is for us, girls, to have some fun" Chilli said as she proceeded to go the lift with Trixie. "The last thing I need is to have some fling that can only cause trouble."
"Oh, Chilli, you need to be more loosen up" Trixie told her friend, as they got inside the lift. "Come on, don't tell me you are not even interested in finding love."
"That's not what I mean, just I won't be messing around with any guy I find" Chilli said.
"Of course not, first you need to see if he is cute or not, then if he is single" Trixie teased.
"Trix…" Chilli said.
"Look, I'm just saying… You need to stop worrying so much" Trixie told. "This trip is supposed to make you relax from all of your responsibilities. Even your dad said it would be great for you. What better way to do that than meet new dogs? I'm not saying for you to make out with some guy… but make new friendships is already a good start."
Chilli sighed and then said:
"I guess you're right."
"Good" Trixie said, as the lift arrived to their floor and the doors opened. "Because now we're going to prepare ourselves to go out and have some fun."
The red heeler chuckled and then said:
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Bandit, after seeing the red heeler going away with her friend and recover control over himself, couldn't believe how awkward he just got around her.
"Oh, Bandit, you're such a klutz!" he exclaimed to himself.
"No surprise there" Pat said, while arriving to his side with Rad and Stripe.
"And why are you saying that?" Stripe asked.
"No reason…" Bandit hasted to say, with some nervousness in his voice.
"Okay…" Rad said, a little confused with Bandit's reaction. "Well, we have the key to our room. Come on."
The foursome group got into the lift that took them to their floor and then they went to their room, where there were two set of bunked beds.
"Dibs on the top!" Stripe exclaimed, while he hurried to climb to one of the top bunk bed.
"You really didn't lose any time to choose a bed, hein?" Rad asked, while approaching and putting his backpack on the bed under Stripe's.
"And risking ending up sleeping under any of you… especially you, Rad?" he asked. "No way I would let that happen."
"Okay… just try not to fall during your sleep, little bro" Rad teased.
"Please, the one with a wild sleep it's you" Stripe replied. "I'm actually doing you a favor for making you sleep as near the floor as possible."
Meanwhile, Pat and Bandit went to their own bunk beds.
"You don't mind if I take the top bed, do you?" Pat asked.
Bandit, who was still thinking about the red heeler he encountered, didn't listen exactly what Pat just said, but knew he had talked.
"Sorry… What did you say?" Bandit asked.
"Are you all right, mate?" Pat asked, while putting his backpack at the top bed. "You seem a little distracted ever since we got to the hostel."
"Oh… I'm fine" he said. "Just fine. I think it was just the flight. That's all."
However, Pat couldn't help but feeling Bandit was just holding something on him.
Because of how tiring the flight was, the four friends decided that it was for the best if they just went to sleep in order to better enjoy the party that would happen at the next day. However, Bandit couldn't sleep, still thinking about the red heeler. When his brothers' snores just became unbearable, he stood up, put on his winter jacket and went to the balcony, enjoying the night breeze and the nocturnal view of the city.
Pat came to wake up and then noticed Bandit at the balcony. Puzzled by that, Pat descended from his bed, put on his winter jacket and went to the balcony.
"So, you can't sleep, hein?" he asked, while placing himself beside Bandit.
"I have too much in mind, right now" he replied.
"Thinking about Emily?" Pat asked. "Or is it about Mel?"
Bandit chuckled and replied:
"Neither one" he replied. "Mel is just a friend. Emily… Well, I'm over her… or at least getting over her."
"Then what?" Pat asked.
After a moment, Bandit said:
"I don't know if I should tell you or not. Probably you're going to tell me it's fate, but… Do you remember I told you about that red heeler I saw at the airport before we took our flight to Lisbon?"
"Oh, the mysterious girl that made you forget about Emily, the one that appeared in your dreams?" Pat asked.
When he saw Bandit made him a certain look, he realized what he meant.
"No…" he said. "Here?"
"She's at the same hostel as us" Bandit said.
"Bandit, but that's great!" Pat exclaimed. "You need to talk to her and…"
"Actually, I already did" Bandit said. "I bumped into her accidently and I tried to apologize, but… the only thing I could do was stutter. It was… awkward and humiliating."
"Sounds like when you met Emily" Pat replied. "But don't worry, I bet you'll have other opportunities… especially at the party."
"Even if I want another opportunity, do you really think I'll have any chances?" Bandit asked.
"Well, you don't know until you try it" Pat said. "Say, why don't you get a little sleep? After all, we'll have a great day tomorrow."
"Maybe you're right" Bandit replied.
"Of course I am" Pat said. "Come on."
The two friends returned inside and went to their beds. Despite still be thinking about the red heeler, Bandit ended up falling into his sleep…
