Rowan Nightshade's Short Stories

Junko

My eyes widened in excitement, as my fingers fumbled with the bow that tied my only birthday present closed. I wasn't lying, either. This literally was the only birthday present I had gotten from my sister, mom, and dad. Of course, as long as it was good, I'm totally fine with it. If it was something atrocious, like a bottle of ketchup, I was going to be seriously peed off.

The box was to big to hold an iPod, and to small to hold a new room. Those were the only things I really wanted.

So when the box started whimpering, I knotted a bow in record timing. I closed my eyes, and reached into the box.

Warm fur, a wagging tail, a cold nose, and a wet tongue.

Opening up my eyes, I pulled out my only birthday present.

A puppy.

*****************************************************************************

The puppy wriggled in my arms, covering me with kisses. My parents pulled out more birthday presents, ones that I didn't know about: a collar and leash, food and water bowls, tons of toys, and a plush bed.

But throughout the whole ordeal, a was totally focused on the puppy. It eventually became so tired it fell asleep right in my arms.

I had two names in mind.

"Is it a girl or boy?" I asked quietly, as not to wake the puppy.

"Why don't you just check?" my dad asked mischievously.

I looked at him with slight horror. "That would wake it up!" I hissed.

He chuckled, and Mama answered my question. "He's a boy, Gwen. What will you name him?"

"I'll have to think." I said softly, gazing at the little boy snuggled in my arms.

"Okay." my mother smiled, then said, "Why don't you get the little tyke settled in?"

I grinned and obeyed. I took him up to my room, my 7-year-old sister following me like a puppy herself. We arranged his bed in the corner of my room, took an old, painted box and put his toys in it, put newspaper down, and filled the food and water dishes in the kitchen.

The puppy stayed asleep all through the noise of the guests arriving, only waking when I accidentally dropped my pencil pouch, about to show my friends my drawings downstairs.

He blinked open his eyes, and yawned a huge yawn for a puppy so small. He was a handsome hound. He had a brown head and chest with a few white specks, white paws, and a cute black nose.

I probably shouldn't have, but I took him downstairs. My friends squealed as he came into sight, and I hushed them furiously. Dogs didn't like loud noises, why should puppies?

They all took turns petting him, and we managed to play with him for about thirty minutes before he fell asleep again, snoring on Tory's lap.

"He's the cutest thing ever." she said in pleasure. We giggled at her.

"What should I name him?" I questioned.

The girls were silent, thinking, before they started to blurt out names.

"Wait, wait, wait!" I cried above the clamor. I ran to get a piece of paper and a pencil, putting bullets down the side.

After asking all my friends what they thought, and debating a little, I had a list of names:

Finnigan, Hiram, Hunter, Micah, Bunker, Rex, Rolo, and Tranger.

I didn't like any of them, but I didn't tell my friends. Eventually my party came to an end, and my friends said goodbye sorrowfully, making me promise to invite them over so they can play with the puppy. I took the puppy from Tory, and was shamefully surprised when he woke up.

I hooked on his collar and leash, and took him for a walk while I said goodbye.

We got inside and I got ready to take a shower. Mama suggested I take the puppy in the bathroom, just so I could keep an eye on him. I didn't object: it gave me time to watch him and decide on a name.

I grabbed my bathrobe and headed to the bathroom. The puppy toddled behind me, and I held the door open for him. On a second thought, I picked him up, and we went to grab some toys and his bed. I even brought the doggie shampoo.

I undressed and stepped into the steamy shower, after getting him temporarily settled in the bathroom.

I was halfway through shampooing when I heard the puppy scratching at the shower door.

"Oh, you don't want to come in here." I told him.

His tongue lolled out and his tail started wagging at my voice. He waited patiently by the door.

"Okay, if you want." I said, amused. I opened the door, and he toddled in, not even minding the water.

I picked him up and held him, turning down the temperature and keeping the water out of his eyes and ears. I rubbed the shampoo into his pelt, working into a lather before we rinsed it out.

When we got out, I got another towel out of the shelf and dried him first. He still smelled faintly of the coconut shampoo, and it was nice. I got dressed in my pj's, and brushed him.

Then his eyes started to close. He jolted awake, before sorta nodding off again. I laughed softly and took him early to bed, figured it was going to be an interesting night ahead of us.

Just when he was sprawled on the bed, and I was closing the curtains, I caught sight of the last bird at our feeder. It was a junco.

A little spark fizzed inside me as I looked at the puppy. He had the same color of brown on his head and chest as the junco.

"Junco...." I said, trying it out on my tongue. The puppy's tail twitched and he seemed more at ease.

"Junco." I whispered again, heading towards my desk. I wrote Junco on it, then erased the c and put a k.

Junko.