Dexter was regretting what he had done. He wished he had stayed home. He wished that he didn't know how to unlock his dog crate. He wished he hadn't followed Kylie to the zoo. Most of all, he wished he knew how to swim. It was so embarrassing being saved by a girl! He collapsed onto the floor, leaving a big puddle under him. When he opened his eyes about ten minutes later, he saw two figures standing over him. One was the otter who saved his life, the other was a tall penguin he didn't know. "Kowalski, I've never seen a species like this before! What is he?" The otter asked the penguin. The penguin examined Dexter and wrote something on his clipboard. "It seems to me like he's in the canine family, a dog of some sort." The penguin replied. The otter noticed that Dexter had opened his eyes. "Hi there little guy! Are you okay?" The otter beamed. "I'm fine. I just can't swim all that well. Thanks for saving me. But where am I?" Dexter replied. "Your at the otter habitat of Central Park Zoo. What subspecies of dog are you?" The penguin answered. Unfortunately, Dexter isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so you can imagine he didn't understand a thing the penguin said. "What?" Dexter replied. "Well, what type of dog are you?" The penguin rephrased. "Oh, that's what you meant! Well, if you must know, I am a pug. You can tell from my fawn color and my black face and ears. Oh, I also have a curly tail!" Dexter replied, trying to sound sophisticated. "Okay. Pugs normally live in houses, not at zoos. Are you a stray?" The penguin questioned. "No. I live with an eleven year old girl and an eight year old girl. They have two parents, and they're a really nice family. I just wanted adventure, so I snuck out." Dexter added. "What's your name?" The otter asked Dexter. "I'm Dexter Bernard Vanchez, but you can call me Dexter. Who are you?" Dexter replied. "I'm Marlene." The otter stated. "I'm Kowalski." The penguin added. "It's nice to meet you! If I had a hand, I'd shake your paw, er, flipper." Dexter exclaimed. "I like flying!" A soft, babyish voice cried out. A few seconds later, a little mouse lemur landed on the shore of Marlene's habitat. "Mort! Please get out!" Marlene shouted. "Hi big scary doggy!" Mort yelled to Dexter. "Stop talking, or the people will know that we can talk!" Kowalski informed. They heard footsteps, so Dexter ran into Marlene's habitat, Kowalski dived in the water, and Marlene hurled Mort, who landed on Dexter's head. "I have to go potty." Mort whined, still sitting on Dexter's head. "Don't event think about it!" Dexter ordered. Mort kept quiet until Marlene said they could come out. "It was just a group of harmless kindergartners." Marlene exclaimed. Dexter walked out, and noticed that Kowalski was gone. "Where'd Kowalski go?" Dexter asked. "He went back to the penguin habitat. Mort should probably go back to his pen now." Marlene informed. Mort said goodbye and then scampered back to the lemur pen. Dexter noticed that Kylie and her friends had come back, Alice and Kylie's family trailing behind them. "Well, looks like I gotta go." Dexter whispered to Marlene. "Come back soon!" Marlene whispered back. Dexter trotted to the shoreline of the habitat and whimpered. "Don't worry little dog, I'll save you." Alice assured as she went inside the otter habitat. She picked Dexter up off the ground and walked back out. Then she handed Dexter to Kylie. "Thank you, mam'!" Kylie said. "Your welcome, Kylie." Alice replied, smiling a real smile, not the fake ones she normally uses. "How do you know my name? I never told you it." Kylie asked. "I know you're name because your mother told me. My sister." Alice replied. Marlene, Mort, and Dexter, who had been listening in on the conversation, could not beleive that a sweet and caring girl like Kylie was related to a sour woman like Alice. Or was Alice really that bad?