Disclaimer: Garfield and all related characters are the intellectual property of Paws Inc. and Paramount Global/Nickelodeon at the time this story was written.
Garfield In: The Birthday Canine
*YAAAAAAAAAWN* Garfield stretches his paws as he wakes up to start another day of filling his stomach with all the food in the house, and then eating everything Jon brings home afterwards. Oh, kicking that stupid mutt into orbit. Yep, nothing out of the ordinary for Garfield.
"Alright, what's on the agenda today?" The cat ponders to himself. "Let's see, wake up Jon, eat breakfast, cuddle with Pooky, eat my post-breakfast snack, watch TV, eat lunch, take my 6-hour nap, eat dinner, watch more TV, eat dessert, and go back to sleep. Sounds 'bout right."
With his to-do list completed for the day, Garfield heads over to Jon's bedroom to get his day properly started.
*CREEEEEEAK*
"Wakey wakey, Jon." Garfield quietly said, peeking his head through the door. "It's time to wake up and fix me up some breakfast, cause you know how grumpy I'll be without my daily serving of blueberry pancakes and coffee."
As per usual, the cat receives no response from his owner. However, Garfield had already predicted that Jon wouldn't get out of the bed without a fight. Thus, he performs his usual routine of pulling the blanket directly off the bed…
…only to find that his owner is not underneath it.
"Jon? JON!?" Garfield leaps onto the bed, tossing the remaining sheets and pillows off as he frantically searches for his beloved chef.
"Okay Garfield, there's gotta be a logical way I can explain this." Garfield said, pondering as to what the solution could possibly be. "Maybe…he was abducted by aliens! Nah, they wouldn't find anything even remotely useful in that tiny brain of his. Hmmmm."
Inducting an investigation, Garfield scours the entire room for any evidence that could help lead him to his owner's current whereabouts.
*BEEP BEEP*
"Huh?" The cat's ears pick up a beeping sound coming from the nightstand. Climbing back up to the empty bed, he spots Jon's phone and takes it off the charger. Peeking at the screen, he finds a text message sent to it by Liz:
*Morning Jon.*
"Hey, wait a minute, Jon never leaves his room without his phone." Garfield points out to the reader. "That could only mean…
*GASP*
…JON IS MISSING!"
Panicking like the world is about to come to an end, the cat bursts out of the bedroom and frantically runs around the living room, forming perfect circles all around the carpet.
"CODE RED! CODE RED! JON ARBUCKLE IS MISSING! I REPEAT EVERYONE, JON ARBUCKLE IS MISSING!"
For minutes on end, Garfield continues to panic, desperately trying to figure out how to save the world from such a crisis.
"Quick, somebody call the police! Call the FBI! And call for pizza while we're at it! Call somebody! ANYBODY!"
Arlene bursts through the kitchen door, having just heard his agonizing screams from the other side.
"Garfield! What's wrong!?" Arlene asks, concerned.
"Haven't you just heard me a second ago!? JON! IS! MISSING!"
"No, he isn't." Arlene said, causing the orange cat to immediately stop dead in his tracks.
"What!?" Garfield gets right in front of her face. "Then where the hell is he!?"
"In the kitchen making lunch for all of us." The female cat replies.
"Wait, lunch? I think you mean breakfast, right?" The male cat asks.
"Garfield, it's noon." Arlene bluntly points out. "You've been asleep all morning."
"Ooooohhhhh." Garfield said, now up to speed with the proper time. "Well in that case, I better get to eating before I'm late for my 6-hour nap."
"Uhh…Garfield? You do know what day it is, right?" Arlene asks, eyeing him suspiciously.
"Uhh…Tuesday?" Garfield replies, as if it were rather obvious. "As in, the real first day of the week and not Monday? Duh."
"August 8th. Does that ring any bells?" The pink cat then asks him.
"Hmmm…August the 8th…" Garfield ponders. "August the…"
*GASP*
That's when it finally dawned on him like the morning sun shining right in his face.
"It's Odie's birthday!" He suddenly shouts.
"Shhhhhh." Arlene covers his mouth. "Don't say it out loud."
"Oh, sorry." Garfield whispers.
"Jon's taken him out back. While he's doing his business, we're gonna head out and find him a nice birthday present." The female cat quietly explains her plans.
"And risk getting spotted by the Claws?" The male cat asks, pointing out the biggest problem with her plan. "No, thank you."
"C'mon Garfield, don't you want to do something nice for your best friend? Especially for his birthday?" Arlene insists. "He did save your skin quite a few times, you know."
"True." Garfield said. "Odie did save me from drowning after we escaped from those spooky pirate ghosts*, so I do owe him one for that."
(*Garfield's in Disguise for his Halloween Adventure*)
"Exactly." Arlene said, heading towards the front door. "Now c'mon, let's go get that gift before Odie thinks we've gone missing again**."
(**Chapter 11 - The First Date…in a Way**)
"Awwww, can I eat lunch first?" Garfield asks. "You know how grumpy I am if I don't get any food in my stomach the moment I wake up."
"We're having cake later." Arlene replies, grabbing the trench coat and fedora hat hanging right next to the door and tossing them at him. "Now c'mon, the party's starting in four hours!"
"Well, seeing as I'm mainly doing this for cake, I might as well oblige." Garfield said to the reader, putting on his disguise right before heading out the door with Arlene. Right as the two felines depart from the house…
*ARF ARF ARF*
…Odie excitingly runs through the pet door into the kitchen…
*SLAM*
…causing Jon to slam right into the back door!
"Oooohhhhhh." Jon moans in immense pain right as he falls directly onto the grassy backyard, getting the dog's…business…all over the back of his shirt. "Yep, great idea having this pet door installed, Jon. Yessiree." He sarcastically said to himself, regretting having ever installed that mini door there in the first place.
The two felines trek through the city streets, keeping a low profile as they search for a pet store, or any place that happens to sell any dog-related items.
"You do still have Jon's credit card, right?" Arlene brings up.
"Nope." Garfield shakes his head. "Jon cut that sucker all up after he found out it was maxed. Since then, he's been paying only with cash." He pulls out a twenty dollar bill from his pocket.
"Gotcha." Arlene said. "So, you know what you want to get Odie?"
"Not really." The orange cat replies, putting the money back in the pocket. "Unlike me, a sophisticated gentleman with etiquette taste, that drooling slob of a mutt usually just ends up chewing through any present Jon gets him. Last year, he got him a toy llama, and the only thing that survived was the squeaker. That was ten dollars just thrown down the drain."
"Hmm, maybe we can get him a rubber bone." The pink cat suggests.
"Yeah, that could work." Garfield said. "Plus, they're cheap as hell, so I'll still have enough for something to eat when we head back."
"*SIGH* Do you have to grab fast food every time you go out?" Arlene asks.
"Of course." The male cat replies. "It wouldn't be me if I didn't."
"No, it wouldn't." The female cat rolls her eyes.
Jon heads out the front door and gets into his car as he quickly lists out everything he has to do at the very last minute.
"Okay, so I just need to run to the pet store and get Odie a present, then go to the dollar store to get the streamers, the balloons, and the cake." Jon said to himself. "Hmmm, better make that two cakes should Garfield eat the whole thing."
Odie watches through the front window as the red vehicle drives away from Maple Street, curious as to why his owner was in such a hurry to leave the house all of a sudden. In fact, everyone's been acting weird the last few days…
…almost as if something big is about to happen…
…and they're all preparing for it.
*EH* Odie simply shrugs it off, heading back to the sofa to go watch some TV.
Eventually, Garfield and Arlene stumble across a pet store not too far away from home. This is perfect, for they can find a suitable gift for their canine companion, and head back home before he realizes they've gone missing…
…or, at least, it would've been perfect…
…had the alarm not been initiated as soon as they stepped a few feet inside.
"Ugh, now what!?" Garfield complains, wanting just once for a venture without any sudden difficulties.
"Freeze!" An employee shouts as the cats are now surrounded, all of them armed to the teeth with tranquilizer guns. "Looks like we found a couple of escapees. Think that disguise of yours would work?"
"What!? But we just got here!" Arlene angrily shouts…
*BANG*
…right as a dart lands directly on her shoulder, rendering her unconscious as she collapses to the ground.
"Arlene!?" Garfield rushes to her aid…
*BANG*
…right as a dart hits his exposed face, causing him to pass out alongside her.
"Put them back where they belong." The manager orders, two of the employees carrying the pets away.
"Ooooooohhhhhhh…w-what happened?" Garfield's eyes slowly open as he regains his 20/20 vision. Gazing around, he finds himself face-to-face with a gate door enclosing a small area. That's when it dawned on him that he's trapped inside a cage! Panicking like he'll never see the light of day ever again, the cat desperately sways the locked door back and forth in a desperate attempt to escape his current predicament.
"Let me out of here!" Garfield angrily shouts, catching the attention of all the other captives. "This is animal cruelty, you hear me!? I demand an attorney!"
"Shut yer yappin, fella!" A cat shouts. "Some of us are tryin' to sleep here!"
"Whatever." Garfield said, conceding from his futile gesture as he ponders another way to make his escape. It was during this moment of pondering that the orange feline notices something missing from his head…
…and his body.
"My clothes!" He exclaims, his disguise having been confiscated. "Well Garfield, here's to yet another fine mess you've gotten yourself into."
"Garfield? Is that you?" He hears a familiar voice.
"Arlene!? Where are you!?" Garfield asks.
"Down here." The pink cat replies, having been locked up in the cage right below his. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." The orange cat said. "Just thinking of a way to get us out of here."
"Why would you ever want to leave, fella?" A dog settled in the cage next to Garfield asks them. "This place has everything a pet could ever want. All you ever do around here is nothing but eat and sleep like there's no tomorrow…at least 'till someone adopts ya, of course."
"Hmmm, do nothing but eat and sleep? Sounds like a little slice of heaven to me." Garfield grins at the prospect of starting a new life here more akin to his liking. "Say, what kind of food do you guys serve here?"
"Garfield!" Arlene scolds.
"Well, they have these scrumptious little kibbles that are quite tasty." The gray terrier replies, licking his tongue. "Along with some of the best wet beef you'll ever find in town. Not to mention Doctor Doggy's Chopped Kidney and Heart Delight. Mmm, mmm, mmmmmmmmm."
"Yuck!" Garfield sticks his tongue out in disgust, not amused by any of their food choices one bit. "Okay, on second thought, I change my mind. We're bustin out of here. Any ideas, Arlene?"
"Not yet, Garfield." She replies, still pondering an escape plan.
"Face it, kiddo, you ain't ever gettin out of here." The dog said, laying cozily on his bed. "So you might as well start makin yourselves right at home."
"Garfield? Arlene?" A voice calls out.
"Jon!?" Garfield looks out his cage and, sure enough, finds the cartoonist miraculously approaching them, having just arrived to find Odie a birthday present. "It's Jon! We're saved!"
"What are you two doing here!?" Jon asks. "Actually, scratch that, I'd rather not know. Let's just get you out of here."
"Make it snappy, will ya!?" Garfield insists. "I'm already late for lunch."
*AHEM* Arlene loudly clears her throat.
"And Odie's birthday." He adds.
"Uhh, excuse me!" Jon calls out for the nearest employee.
"What you need, sir?" The employee asks.
"That orange cat and the pink cat are mine, sir. I'm here to take them back." The cartoonist explains.
"Well, you oughta be keepin a closer eye on them, sir." The employee advises.
"Yeah, I do, actually." Jon glares at his pets, having become incredibly fed up with them constantly running off on a monthly basis.
"It'll be $50 for the pair." The employee said.
"I'll give you 25." Jon bluntly said.
"You're going to regret that one, cheapskate!" The orange cat shoots a glare at his owner.
"Also, I'd like to purchase this." Jon holds up a squirrel squeaky toy.
"Yep, that'll be gone within a week." Garfield said to the reader.
Odie lays down comfortably on Jon's bed, staring at an old photograph of himself, Garfield, Jon, and Lyman all smiling for the camera. Regardless of the cracks recently brought forth to its frame***, the memories captured in the photo remain perfectly intact…
(***The Origins of Garfield and Friends - Chapter 3: Odie***)
…memories of simpler times…
…before the Claws…
…before the pirate ghosts…
…before the Panther.
*SIGH* The dog lets out a long, relaxed sigh, letting the good memories of his past saved by this very photograph temporarily overwrite the bad ones…
…for regardless of everything he's been through…
…he has a magnificent life…
…and he wouldn't trade it for anything other one…
…for wealth and romance mean nothing to him…
…as the kindness of others is the only thing that he ever asks for in return…
*GRUMBLE*
…and food, of course.
Placing the photo down, Odie leaps off his owner's bed and heads out of the room to grab a snack. Luckily for him, Garfield doesn't seem to be anywhere nearby, so it should be a sinch to get some of the good food from the kitchen without the cat plotting to steal it. Though, come to think of it…
…Jon and Arlene aren't anywhere nearby either…
…for the living room, and the entire house for that matter has remained very dark and quiet…
…as if it had just been abandoned.
Trekking through the dark central area of the house, with the help of the sun's light beams still partially coming through the covered windows, the dog heads over to the kitchen door, whereupon opening it…
"SUPRIIIIIIIISE!"
…he's suddenly greeted by all his friends performing a simultaneous shout, scaring the ever living crap out of the poor canine.
"Happy Birthday, Odie!" Jon, Garfield, Arlene, and Liz exclaim. Even Pooky is there wearing a cute, little birthday hat.
*AWWWWWW* Odie smiles, taking a seat with his friends as Jon moves the cake closer to him.
"Go ahead and make a wish, boy." The cartoonist insists, the rest watching silently as the dog ponders his wish…
*WHOOOOO*
…and blows all five candles out.
"Alright, Odie!" Arlene cheers as she and the others applaud him.
*HEH HEH HEH* Odie chuckles, thankful to all of them for their kindness. However, instead of instantly digging into his cake, he pushes it closer to Garfield, knowing full well that he wants to gobble the whole thing.
"For me?" Garfield asks, to which the dog nods his head. "Well then, don't mind if I do."
The orange cat pulls out one of his kitchen knives, slicing one piece off of the cake…
…and only eating said slice, much to the complete and utter shock of everyone else.
"Here you go, Odie. Enjoy." Garfield pushes the rest of the cake back to him, for once allowing his best friend to enjoy the tasty dessert for himself.
*ARF ARF* Odie starts eating his portion of the cake, making sure there's still plenty of it for the rest of them.
"Garfield…I…didn't know you had it in you." Arlene compliments him.
"Eh, he's been through enough this year alone, so I'll let it slide." Garfield shrugs, for the real reason for his sudden kind gesture is that he plans on devouring the second cake the very next day.
"Alright Odie, are you ready for your presents?" Jon asks.
*ARF ARF ARF* Odie barks in excitement, his mouth covered in frosting as everyone passes their gifts to him. Said gifts include a squirrel chew toy by Jon, a box of assorted dog treats by Liz, and some mint gum "by" Pooky (actually Garfield) to freshen up his stinky dog breath.
*ARF ARF* Odie barks, once again thanking everyone for their generosity and the gifts.
"I'm glad you like all your gifts, Odie." Jon smiles. "Sorry we couldn't get that much for you this year."
"Actually…" Garfield interjects. "...There is one more thing I want to give you, Odie. I'll be right back."
The orange cat gets up from his seat and exits through the kitchen door, leaving the others curious as to where he's going. About a minute or so later, he returns with another present in his hand.
"Here ya go, old buddy." Garfield hands his gift over to the dog. "I hope you'll like it."
Odie tears the present open, revealing it to be…
*GASP*
…
…
…it can't be…
…
…
The whole house remains silent as Odie stares at his gift. A series of emotions and memories flooding his mind all at once, unsure how to properly react upon seeing the very thing in his hands…
…for his paws remain clenched on Lyman's old green coat…
…shrunken down to about his size.
*SNIFF* The dog remains still as tears start pouring down to the clean kitchen floor.
"Took me a minute to shrink it down for ya in the dryer." Garfield explains. "Thought this could help you out with, you know, Lyman no longer being here and all that stuff, so…"
Odie puts on the coat, which happens to be a perfect fit for him…
…and nearly crushes Garfield in the tightest embrace he ever gave him…
…for this is the best gift he could ever ask for.
"Love you, pal." Garfield gently wraps his arms around the sobbing canine, returning the hug as everyone else watches them with tears in their eyes. "Happy Birthday."
Arlene, Jon, and Liz can't help but feel very proud of Garfield…
…for he has undoubtedly given Odie…
…his best friend…
…the best birthday a dog could ever have.
The End!