19 Stories - An Anthology

WEEK 6: "DOG PARK"

Hello.
So it might look like I skipped a prompt, but I didn't. I just wrote both stories at the same time and one of them needs major proofreading and the other one (this one) is also in need of proofreading but it's in much better condition haha!
Here we have Kade and his dog Luna, and Ben and his dog Obi... who bond in the most unlikely way. Enjoy! :)

Prompt: "My dog is pregnant because of yours, we should probably get to know each other a little bit."

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I'll be honest here: I'm not the most observant guy.

It's not that I have a bad memory or anything, or even that I can't focus on things. Little details just don't register in my brain. I couldn't tell you what colour of hair the clerk at the grocery store had, or what posters were displayed in the window. I mean, if you asked me to remember them, I would, but it's not really an instinct for me.

That is why, when my golden retriever got pregnant, I didn't even know until I took her into the vet a month later.

I thought it was just an abdominal issue or something, but nope; the vet tech informed me with a cheery smile that Luna was going to have six puppies.

I remember being confused at first. It hadn't really occurred to me that Luna could be pregnant. I mean, how? Was I that oblivious that my dog could get herself knocked up and I wouldn't even know? I shuddered to think about what I'd be like as a dad someday.

The day after, I took Luna down to the dog park. It was a sunny day—or maybe it was cloudy, I don't remember. I was sitting on a park bench when someone sat down next to me.

"Is that your dog? The retriever, long tail, blue collar, having puppies?" he asked me.

I turned. And wow. Okay. He was kind of cute. Dark hair, navy windbreaker. I even remember his shoes: white Converse splattered with mud.

"Uh, yeah. That's Luna," I told the guy.

"After the Spanish word for moon?"

"Um..." I trailed off. "No. After the Harry Potter character."

The boy laughed. "Fair enough. I mean, my dog's Obi after Obi-Wan Kenobi, so I don't really have the right to judge your nerdiness."

I choked back a laugh. Was he making fun of me? Or flirting?

"Excuse me, but my nerdiness is pretty much my best quality," I shot back, pretending to be hurt. "If you're going to take stabs at it, then I suggest you rename your dog to something like Max or Bailey."

"Oh! The dogs, right!" He snapped his fingers. "So... this is kinda awkward for us."

"Hmm?" I asked, flinching. It was slightly awkward, yes, but probably not the way he intended.

"My dog..."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," I interrupted, smiling.

"My dog, who was named by my 13-year-old sister who didn't give me a say in the matter," he continued, with a mocking smile at me.

"Sure," I laughed, making direct eye contact for the first time. And wow. I take back what I say about being unobservant. It turns out, I just wasn't observing the right things. This guy, with his witty remarks and swoopy hair and nerdy dog names, was the height of human observation.

"...is the reason your dog is knocked up," he finished. I jolted to attention, nearly knocking my glasses off.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Wow. Told you this would be awkward," he laughed. "Man."

"How do you know?" I asked, before I could stop myself. "Please don't answer that. I'll take your word for it."