Just thought this was a cute idea and it wouldn't leave my brain.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.
Cory waved his hands, "Attention everyone! We have a few announcements to get through today."
"It's Halloween weekend and as per usual, the school would like to remind everyone not to get into any mischief—"
"Is that your word—?" Maya interjected.
"Yes—don't stay out too late and please be safe. Moving on, Bring Your Pet to School Day has been approved so on November 8th everyone can bring in one pet." He grabbed papers sitting on the corner of his desk. "I'm passing out contracts so if you want to bring your pet fill this out and have them in to me in the next two days."
They followed their after-school ritual of meeting up at Topanga's.
"So is everyone bringing their pet next week?" Farkle asked.
"So what are you gonna choose Ranger Rick? A horse? Cow? Sheep? Pig? Chicken?"
Lucas didn't bother looking up from his homework. "You forgot my goat."
She seethed, letting out an audible breath.
"Well, I'm bringing my cat Sir Meows-alot," Zay said.
"No way, I have a cat too. Schrödinger."
Smackle giggled and slapped his shoulder. "That's a good one Beloved."
Farkle beamed. The others looked around in confusion.
"You know Schrödinger's cat? The famous quantum mechanics experiment?" He continued to see their blank stares. "Never mind."
"Do you have any animals Smackle?" Riley asked.
"I do indeed." She said smugly, "Sir Isaac Mewton."
Everyone laughed at the pun except Farkle.
"Seriously? That's funny?"
Smackle put a hand on his shoulder, "It's alright Beloved, at least one of us has the knowledge required to entertain the masses."
If they were on a TV show the laugh track would've been played just then as he pouted.
"Well, you all know I'm bringing Ginger," Maya smirked.
"Ain't no way is that thing gonna be allowed in school. She's rabid." Zay said with an alarmed expression on his face.
"Hey," She pointed a finger at him, "She just hates most people. Nothing wrong with that."
"She likes four people: you, Riley, Lucas, and Josh." He replied in a deadpanned tone.
"I know, I'm still trying to teach her to bite Hop-along."
"Gove it up Maya, Lucas just has a way with animals." Her smile turned goofy, staring at her boyfriend. "He's gonna be a veterinarian."
Maya rolled her eyes.
"Zay does have a point, Maya. I don't think the school will allow a mean animal. It says that you're responsible for any damages your pet may cause in the permission slip." Lucas told her.
She waved off his concern, "Cool, then I'll start a counter on how many people she bites. I'm betting at least ten."
"Fifteen—."
Riley tuned out Maya and Zay's bickering, her smile dimming.
"What's wrong Riley?" Her boyfriend asked.
"I just realized I'm the only one who doesn't have a pet. What am I gonna do for school?"
Lucas touched her thigh, "You're not going to be the only one in the whole school without a pet. This is New York, most apartments aren't pet friendly."
"But mine is, growing up with a pet is one of the basic rules for a dream childhood."
"Are you sure about that Riles? Your mom is Topanga the cleanest most organized person I know and Mr. Matthews is the clumsiest person I know." She pursed her lips for a second, "Never mind, you should get a dog. I'll help you."
Farkle raised an eyebrow, "Uh...last time you said that you stole a car."
"Maya said borrowed."
"Yes. Exactly, Smackle thank you." Maya swung her head to glare at the boy. "See Farkle, and it worked out anyway, Riley has a car."
Riley cradled her best friend to her chest. Her hand smoothed her hair dramatically. Maya pouted, her own arms coming up to hug Riley's forearm to herself.
"It's okay Peaches, I trust you."
"Do not involve me again. I almost had a heart attack last time." Zay insisted.
"Your loss."
"I would like to join again. I considered the adventure entertaining and rewarding." Smackle stated.
Riley squeezed her tighter, closing her eyes. "You gotta stop corrupting people Peaches." She mumbled.
"Never Honey."
Riley was thinking about what her friends had said yesterday. The idea of getting a dog wouldn't leave her brain and even dreamed about it when she went to bed last night.
"Look, alive people! We're back." Maya announced to the rest of the Matthews household.
Topanga finished dumping pasta into a large serving bowl on the table. "Good. You two are right on time."
Auggie's attention was on his homework, sitting in front of the coffee table. Maya's eyes brightened at seeing Josh on the floor helping him.
"Well...hello there Boing."
Josh looked up and smiled at his girlfriend. "Hey, Gorgeous."
She sat on the couch directly behind him. He leaned back so he fit between her legs. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
"I didn't think I would see you today."
She kissed his cheek, "You know you're always welcome in my window."
"Cory came out from the hallway. "Hey! Are you here to see your brother or her?"
Josh sucked in a breath, "I don't know...that's a tough choice."
Maya stuck out her tongue.
"Banished! I banish you from this house I say!" Cory declared sitting down at the table.
Topanga put an end to Cory's tirade. "Okay guys, dinner is served."
The kids got up to join them.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Riley?"
"I want a dog."
He sighed, "Riley, we already talked about this."
"What brought this up?" Topanga asked.
"The school is doing bring your pet to school day."
"That's right, so you better believe I'm bringing Ginger."
Her boyfriend laughed, "They're gonna send her home before the school day ends. You know that right?"
"And that's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Honey, a dog is a big responsibility," Topanga added.
"Please, Mommy! We promise to take care of it." Auggie pleased.
Topanga was hesitant. "I'm sorry you two, but we're too busy to care for a dog. Cory works 7-hour days, you both are at school for most of the day and I'm running the bakery and dealing with cases."
"Well..." Cory winced, "I wouldn't mind getting a dog sooner than later—" He pointed directly at his kids to stop them from cheering prematurely. "—if a dog needs to be rescued."
"We'll take it!" Riley exclaimed.
It became her mission after school to wander the streets. She recruited MAya into walking instead of taking the subway to school just to try to find a stray dog in need.
However, by the time November 8th rolled around, she was still without a pet. Riley pushed her spoon around her now soggy cereal. Maya was beside her happily munching on hers. Ginger on her shoulder.
"Cheer up Riles, maybe you'll have a pet in time for next year," Maya said.
"What's up with you being the optimistic one?"
"I know! I'm shocked myself."
"You girls ready to head out?" Cory called to them after collecting his keys.
He was driving them to school today since the subway doesn't allow animals. He reached over to pet Ginger on the head; who in turn bit his finger.
"Ow!"
Maya laughed, "Alright! That's one even before school starts."
Cory had his finger in his mouth, "Does that thing have rabies?"
"Nope," She said happily, "Just hates people."
He glared at the rodent before leading the girls out of the house.
The hallway was filled with animals; dogs on leashes, cats in backpacks, a bunny, and plenty of hamsters.
"Wow, it's like a zoo in here," Maya commented.
Cory sighed heavily, "I knew this was a bad idea."
The friend group all met in homeroom. Lucas had a large fluffy dog lying under his desk and the other three had their cats.
"Aww Lucas, you never told me you had a dog," Riley said reaching down to pat him on the head.
"He was one of our herding dogs but now he's too old so we took him in with us. We call him Old Yeller."
Maya snorted, "Of course you did."
Zay's orange tabby was mellow across his shoulder. He had him on a harness. Farkle and Smackle kept their cats in backpacks.
"Where's Ginger?" Zay asked.
Maya brushed her hair away from her neck, Ginger peeked out from under the nest of hair. He went to pet her snoot only to meet teeth. "Ack! Damn it, Maya!"
"That's two!"
Lucas shook his head, chuckling, "You're so dumb, dude."
Zay cradled his hurt finger, examining it for signs of blood. "I forgot! That's how it gets yeah, by lookin' all cute and fuzzy...then bam! Its fangs sink into your skin."
Lucas rolled his eyes and successfully touched the top of Ginger's head. "She still likes me though."
"Don't worry, I'm working on it," Maya said, taking Ginger from her neck to hold her.
Old Yeller sat up to sniff at the ferret.
"I hope he eats her."
The girls gasped and Maya pulled Ginger away.
"Zay!" Riley exclaimed.
"Herd dogs are not pray-driven but instead are protective of creatures they deem harmless," Smackle explained.
Lucas scratched his dog's ears. "He's a well-trained good boy."
Cory smacked his ruler against the blackboard. "Listen up hooligans. I know everyone is preoccupied with their pets here today but try to pay attention to your teachers and clean up after your animals." He pointed directly at Maya. "Your ferret gets three strikes."
"Hey, I warn people she's a biter." She shrugged her shoulders, "What can yeah do?"
The bell dismissed them to their first classes. Riley observed how many students didn't have a pet with them and she was in the minority. She watched as students' cats would try to bat their pencils and knock papers off of desks. The dogs laid dutifully by their owners' sides and pawed them for the occasional pet.
She found herself lacking a certain companion that humans couldn't provide no matter how much Maya sticks by her side.
The group all came back together of course for their history class near the end of the day.
"So how many people did Ginger end up biting?" Farkle asked.
"Twenty-one," Maya said proudly.
The phone rang in the class that Cory picked up. "Yes, Principal Lewis...uh huh...yes...understood."
He hung up the phone. "Seriously Maya?"
"I didn't do anything!"
"That was Principal Lewis on the phone and he heard from the nurse that ten students came to her for bleeding ferret bites."
"Again not my fault Matthews."
"Witnesses say you told other students that she was friendly."
"What? Noooooo...." Her voice went all funny.
Cory sighed, "You have after-school detention today and you need to call either your mom or Shawn to pick up Ginger."
Maya groaned, tossing her head back over her chair. "Fine."
She pulled out her phone to text someone. Cory got on with the day's lesson.
"So the Huguenots fled France—"
"—What it is up kiddies?"
Smackle pointed at him. "Dreamboat!"
"Josh! What are you doing here?" Cory sputtered.
Josh closed the door behind him after strolling in. "Maya texted me."
Cory's eyes widened in realization. "Oh no. Maya, I told you to text your parents to pick up Ginger, not your boyfriend."
"Yeah, but both of them are working and I knew that Josh only had a ten o'clock class today."
Josh set his helmet on Cory's desk and sat on the corner of it. "Wow, I'm being relegated to just boyfriend? Not even 'Hey my brotha! How are you?"
"Save yourself some street cred Boing, you'd rather be known as my boyfriend than Matthew's brother."
"Just give him your ferret," Cory grumbled.
Maya set Ginger on the ground and she immediately ran up Josh's leg. She chittered at him in greeting. "Was Cory being mean to you?" He said stroking her body.
"She bit me this morning."
Josh chuckled, "Yeah, she hates people."
His eyes found Riley. "Any luck on the dog hunt?"
"No." She pouted, her fist smushing her cheek.
"Well, I just dropped off something at your house for you."
Her mouth widened in shock. "Uncle Josh you didn't!"
He kept his smile under control, choosing to shrug an arm instead. "I don't know, guess you gotta find out when you get home."
"You are the best uncle ever!"
"I try."
"Okay, okay, Riley settle down. You have two more periods left."
She was physically vibrating in her seat.
"I got it." Maya slapped her hands on her shoulders to get her to sit still.
"Thank you Peaches."
"Anytime."
"I can pick you up Gorgeous."
"That would be great—no I got detention ugh."
Josh crossed his arms, "Come one Core."
"What? I was just following Principal Lewis's directions." He said defensively.
"Can you move it tomorrow?"
"I mean I could but—"
"Please, Mr. Matthews. I promise the whole day tomorrow you won't hear me complain about school or your boring lessons." She made her eyes bigger.
"Alright, fine. After-school detention tomorrow."
"Yes."
Josh smirked, "You owe me."
Maya crossed her arms and leaned back into her chair. "And what do you want?"
"I'll tell you later when you come to my apartment tonight."
"Okay, that's enough. You get out now." Cory interrupted.
Josh laughed sliding off the desk. "Alright, alright. I'm gone."
Maya cleared her throat which made him stop in his tracks. "Right."
He walked over to her desk where he allowed her to pull his collar to kiss him. Both of his hands squeezed around her desk to keep himself from touching her.
"Goodbye Joshua," Cory said pointedly.
Josh reluctantly tore himself away from his girlfriend. "See you at your place later."
Riley was all but dragging Maya and the rest of them to their lockers when the final bell rang. They all converged at Riley's to see if Josh actually got them a dog. In her stroke of luck, Riley and her dad were the last ones at her house just because of how slow of a driver Cory was.
She burst open the door to see her friends all on the floor gathered around a puppy.
"About time you got here," Maya remarked.
The puppy was really small with brown fur and different shades of brown speckled its face, paws, and belly. Riley shoved her dad out of the way and launched herself next to Maya.
"Look at its wittle legs!"
Riley tickled the dog's pudgy belly and it rolled on its side.
"Josh was just telling us how he got her," Topanga said.
Josh nodded, "I knew a guy whose girlfriend was fostering this pregnant Dachshund and she gave birth about a week ago. They were gonna look for homes and I said I'd take one for my niece."
"I love her. I love her. I love her."
"What are we gonna name her Riley?" Auggie asked.
Riley bit her lip in thought. "What about Dixie?"
Auggie nodded. "I like it."
"I'm surprised Riley, I thought you would've named her Sunshine or Rainbow," Farkle said.
"I love those names too! I can—"
"No!" Everyone collectively shouted.
"I think Dixie is perfect enough Honey," Topanga confirmed.