[BEFORE THE DANCE]

Wednesday: June 3, 2020 - 6:23 [Skye's Bedroom]

Skye's POV:

I woke up feeling well-rested. I had a great good night's sleep. The only thing that was bothering me was the sun beaming in through my window. I got up and closed the blinds. I turned back to my bed to wake up but he was already gone. I assumed he just got up to clean himself up in the bathroom to get ready for school. I noticed that the bag he brought was gone also. Toothbrush and stuff were probably in it. Assuming that Chase was in the bathroom, I stayed in my room to fix my fur. I went over to my dresser and turned on my mini-lamp. It was small but bright enough for me to see myself in the mirror.

Time: - 6:29am

Chase has been in the bathroom for a while. I wasn't worried but a tad bit annoyed. He's lucky that I brush my teeth after eating breakfast. As I left my room about to go downstairs, I was going to pass the bathroom. I noticed the door was open but there was no sound coming from it. I peeked into the bathroom but I didn't see Chase in there. In fact, it looked like nobody had been there all morning. I was confused. He's probably downstairs eating breakfast with my family. I went downstairs and saw my mom and brother eating.

Holly: "Oh, morning sweetie! How did you sleep last night?"

Skye: "Morning mom! I slept great!"

Astro: "I'm sure you did, with your boyfriend~"

Skye: "HEY! He's not my boyfriend!" - I started to blush.

Astro: "Whatever you say sis." - He smirked.

Holly: "By the way honey, where is he? This morning, I noticed your door was open. I checked inside and I didn't see him."

Skye: "Oh...So you're not sure either. I was going to ask you."

Astro: "Y'know I'm not sure if this helps but, I did hear someone walking around 5 in the morning. He probably just left out early for some reason."

Skye: "Oh..Well thanks. I'll talk to Chase when I see him later on."

[BEFORE]

Wednesday - June 3, 2020 - 4:30am

Chase's POV:

I woke up around the same time I would normally wake up. I wasn't just going to let the pup who murdered my mother get off scot-free. I carefully got up, trying to wake up Skye. I picked up my bag and started to leave. I glanced back at Skye who was sleeping peacefully. She looks so cute when she's asleep. You're a lucky pup Marshall. I slowly but quietly opened her door. Luckily every floor in the house was covered in carpets so it was easy for me to get around. I made it downstairs and I was about to open the front door until I heard a voice from behind me.

Lenny: "Leaving so soon?"

I turned around to see Lenny in the kitchen making what looks to be a power drink with his silent blender.

Chase: "Y-Yeah..I just have some business to take care of, that's all."

Lenny: "I understand. Do you like my daughter by any chance?"

I wasn't sure how I was supposed to answer that question.

Chase: "W-Well I did one time. It was actually a while back, but we decided that we were better off as friends. I know there's a better pup than me that's good for her."

I felt happy about what I said since that better pup was Marshall. I trusted him with all my heart and I just knew he would be the perfect one for Skye.

Lenny: "I see, I see...Well my daughter is a very interesting pup, indeed. One minute, she likes this pup then the next day, it's this pup. At first I thought something was wrong with her."

Okay I get that this was her father but that kinda hurt to hear a parent talk about their own kid like that. I just let him continue more.

Lenny: "That was until I realized she's just like her mother. Just searching for happiness. She was picking apples until she found the right one. Which was me.

I was pretty glad I was the one she ended up being with. That last guy...Was just an..asshole.."

Lenny: "You seem like a great pup, Chase. I can't fully understand why you and her aren't together but then you said you know someone. I just hope you're really sure about this pup. If he's good enough for my daughter."

I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Does this guy even love Skye? I was still young so he probably told me an adult thing that I will figure out later on as I grow.

Chase: "Well, I promise you that pup is perfect for Skye. I know this for a fact, sir."

Lenny: "Good. Well I won't hold you any longer. Thanks for staying over with us." - He waved me goodbye.

Chase: "Thanks for letting me stay over Mr. Valdez. Have a great day."

I left the house and shut the front door. Now I had a new mission to finish:

Interrogate my sister, Carly.

I didn't like what I was going to do one bit but I know at some point, I'm going to have to ask her.

Time: - 5:10am

Chase's POV:

I made it back to my house. I took the keys out my bag, put them into the lock and entered the house. It was dead quiet but I knew I could do this. My father would be out around this time. I went upstairs to Carly's room. I pressed my ear against the door. She was still sleeping. Good. I took a deep breath. If I could try to take out the fact that she's my sister, this might be easy. I opened the door. I closed it then locked the door. I saw Carly shifting a little bit.

No one's POV:

Chase: "Carly."

She started to wake up a bit. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

Carly: "Chase, it's way too early to be up..."

Chase: "I don't care. I gotta ask you some stuff."

Carly was a bit stiffened up. She never heard her brother talk to her like this.

Carly: "O-Okay..."

Chase: "I'm going to ask you a few simple questions and I want simple answers, got it?"

Carly: "Y-Yes..."

Chase was glad she was complying. When he noticed she was becoming uneasy, He lowered his tone a bit.

Chase: "Okay...The day we were going to my game but you kept telling me to stop. Why was that?"

Carly: "U-Uhh..."

Chase: "And I want honest answers. No lies, no holes."

Carly: "Chase...Yo-"

Chase: "Don't dodge the question Carly. Answer me. Now."

Carly was starting to feel uncomfortable now. Her brother never interrogated her like this. She was wondering if he was still trying to train to become a police officer like their dad but at the same time she wasn't.

Carly: "Ch-chase, I promise you...I don't know about anything..."

Chase: "Swear to god and hope to die."

Carly: "..."

Chase caught her in the ropes now. He knows she's hiding something from him. This only made Chase more upset.

Chase: "CARLY, TELL ME THE TRUTH! WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!"

Carly was shaking in fear now. This was the only time she was scared of her brother. She tried hiding herself with her blanket.

Carly: "C-Chase! Please stop! You're scaring me!"

Chase tried his best to move his family thoughts aside. He tried to pretend that Carly was a suspect. This hurt him. This was hurting him every second while he was doing this but he knew he had to keep pushing until he got an answer he wanted. There was one way he could get an answer out of her but what he would ask her would shatter not only his, but both their hearts completely. Years of brother and sister bonding flushed completely down the drain. Chase was hoping it did not have to come down to that.

Chase: "Carly, please tell me what you know. Why were you telling me not to go to my game? How did you know that I was going to be pressed by 3 pups?"

Carly's eyes widened. *Three? There weren't supposed to be three pups! It was supposed to only be one! Why were there three?!* - She thought to herself.

Chase saw this.

Chase: "Carly. I'm starting to run out of patience."

Carly: "Chase, please..."

Chase: "Carly." - He said in a stern voice.

Carly: "Chase, I can't-"

Chase: "CARLY!"

Carly: "I CAN'T TELL YOU! THEY'LL COME AFTER ME!"

Chase stopped. *They'll come after her? There's more?* He asked himself.

Chase: "Carly, trust me when I say this to you: I won't let anything happen to you, EVER! I will protect you."

Carly became angry when he said this.

Carly: "R-Really?! And how is that?! How are you going to protect me?! You couldn't even protect mom! She's dead because of you!

Chase was surprised by her sudden outburst but what she said made him become livid.

Chase: "WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BECAUSE OF ME?!"

Carly: "I kept telling you to not go to your game and you just kept ignoring me! That's why mom is dead now! Because you are so arrogant!

Chase couldn't even hide it anymore. He tried to stop himself but he couldn't. He lost it.

Chase: "Really, huh? Well how about this then: You basically killed mom too."

Carly: "HUH?! What are you talking about?!"

Chase: "Clearly you knew about this whole, let's see...Assassination attempt thing?! And what's bothering me is that, you KNEW! I'll admit, I was being a bit stuck up and left you, but the fact that you just let me go and said NOTHING! I COULD HAVE DIED THAT DAY CARLY! I ALMOST DIED! You were going to let me march up there to my death. You're OWN brother. HOW were you even going to sleep at night with that in your conscience, huh?!"

Carly was quiet. Tears were starting to come out of her eyes. Chase noticed this but he kept going. He wanted her to hear every bit of it.

Chase: "AND what was I SUPPOSED TO DO?! THERE WERE THREE PUPS! STAND THERE AND LET THEM HAVE AT IT?! Let me remind you that, TWO. PUPS. DIED. CARLY. THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. I HAD TO GET MOM, WHICH IF YOU HAD DONE SO THE MINUTE I LEFT YOU, PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS WHOLE THING! SHE WANTED TO RESCUE ME, AND I WANTED TO STOP HER. I. TRIED. TO. STOP. HER. CARLY.

Chase: "You can keep blaming me for moms death all you want. I blame myself too, honestly. But just know you aren't better. Those 2 pups and mom would probably still be alive if you had just told me from the jump.

Chase: "And along with that, since you can't tell me because you're worried they'll come after you, I could basically just tell dad that you were involved also."

Carly shot up when she heard this.

Carly: "W-W-Wa-Wait...Dad? W-Why? What involvement?!"

Chase: "Accessory to murder."

Carly gasped. Her own brother. She just heard from her own brother that he and their dad would send her to jail or worse. The pound.

*N-No...he wouldn't...Not to his sister...* - She thought to herself.

Chase: "That's right. Mom wasn't just killed, she was murdered. Her death is on your hands too."

Carly: "Ch-chase...Y-Y-You...C-Can't..."

Chase: "I can't do what? Arrest you? You're right...B-"

The lock to the door was jiggling until it switched to unlock.

Both pups looked at the door. Chase was getting ready to attack, not expecting anyone to be in the house. But once the door revealed who it was, both pups were shocked to see who it was.

Their father.

Chase was shocked because he wasn't expecting his father to be home. Carly was more terrified than shocked, because that would mean he heard everything they said to each other. The look on his face was pure anger and hurtfulness. He hated to see his pups turn on each other because of the death of his wife.

Chase: "D-Da-"

Brutus: "Quiet, Chase."

Chase stayed quiet then stared at the ground.

Brutus finally looked at Carly. He didn't know what to say. He was impressed with Chase's interrogation but he didn't like how he handled it. He wished Chase had just asked her a few simple questions like he said and if something was off, Chase would've just reported it to him. Carly was too scared to say anything. She was shaking. She just closed her eyes and waited for her father to talk.

Brutus: "Carly."

Carly: "...Yes father?"

Brutus: "...You're brother is right. What you are doing is...Accessory to murder.."

Carly couldn't believe her dad was considering arresting her. She never felt heartbroken in her life. Everyone in the room was hurting.

Carly: "...Da..." - she couldn't finish that one word.

She knew they were right. She could've prevented this whole thing. She killed her mother.

Brutus: "It pains me to hear you two bicker at each other. Look at you two..Blaming each other. This is what little pups do."

Brutus: "Yes, I can arrest you Carly...But I don't want to."

Chase shot up and Brutus noticed this.

Brutus: "Chase, do you really want to see your sister behind bars?"

Chase: "...No...I don't.."

Brutus: "And Carly, do you want to see Chase's headstone right next to your mothers?"

Carly: "...Of course not...He's my brother...That's if he even considers me as his sister anymore..."

Chase was hurt by this. He was blinded by anger that he didn't even realize that he was treating his sister like a criminal. He didn't want to see her like that, even if what she did was wrong.

Chase: "C-Carly, of course I see you as my sister. I still see you as family..."

Chase: "I-I-I'm sorry I said all of that...Mom's death wasn't your fault...It never was...It was mine...I-...I didn't listen...I put my basketball game over you..."

Carly: "I'm sorry too...I should have told you why..I wanted to but I was scared..."

Brutus: "It's no one's fault. What Molly did was her choice. No one is to blame here. She certainly does not want to sit up there in dog heaven and watch you two kill each other with words."

Brutus: "Carly...I will not arrest you...Even though I should, I'm willing...No, me and Chase are willing to help you if you help us..."

Chase: "Y-Yeah...Please, Carly? I miss mom too...We will protect you, no matter what.

Carly: "...Y-Yes...I will help you..."

Carly came from her bed and all the dogs hugged each other.

Brutus: "Now let's get ready for our day. We can pick this up at another time."

Carly & Chase: "Okay.