The Neverland Inn : One-Shot Collection

NL Puppies S2E5

Tiny little paws approached the mansion doors that morning. There, on the stoop, the small golden retriever puppy plopped down on the second step and began its session of letting out hurtful puppy cries. It rose its head and howled up sadly into the windows where Michael appeared curious. 

"Oh no.." he says now heavily believing the girls would be out any minute. Puppies and heartfelt, millennial girls will always go together, he thought. Michael sighed dreadful, he couldn't stand dogs. Ms. Carol's Schnauzer from up the neighborhood was proof enough he couldn't stand them. Now the girls would be begging and pleading to take this one in. He sighed again and as if on cue, the door swings open to Shania. 

"Oh my god! It's a puppy! Girls! look!.." 

Michael's eyes roll out of his head and he begins the walk of dread to the door. His head hung low and his steps were heavy, so reluctant. As he approached the door he saw the huddle of his B&B hostesses. They gathered around the tiny creature, swapping it around in their arms. Dee takes the puppy and her lip quivers in awe. It nestled its wet nose into her neck and she squirms. 

"Mike! Look at him! He's lost and all alone!" She says until Faith reaches across the pup's neck to find a green ID tag. 'Oh, thank god.' Michael thought and Faith murmurs the phone number as she fishes for the cell phone in her pocket. She dials the number printed on the tag and listens impatient as it rang several times. 

"No one is answering.." she says disdainful. Dee still clutches the dog and they all turn to Michael knowing what they were about to do. Mike crossed his arms and he says firm, "You girls know I don't care for dogs. Don't start this with me. Blanket begged me for a puppy for months on end once, and I never faltered." Dee holds up the dog near Michael's face. In a comical imitating voice she mocked the puppy, 

"Oh pretty, pretty please Mister Jackson. I'm a lost, sad puppy hoping to rent a room for the night in your lovely Bed and Breakfast. I'm such a big fan." 

Michael scrunched his jaw and denied the dog a second time until Faith spoke up, "Come on, Mike. What's a poor little puppy gon do?" Michael squinted his eyes and he argued, "Well we ain't gonna find out that's for sure. He's not coming in. Hell no. The garage is the only place I'll let him sit, for one night though!"

The girls all scoff in disbelief and Shania says, "Come on, At least the sun room in the West Wing! We never use it. Ever!" The West sun room was a screened in patio used for short entry into the mansion's gardens. The girls never found any reason to use it since they only entered the garden through the front, since so, the sun room stayed mostly for miscellaneous things like storage.  Michael blew heavily thinking and he stomped his foot making a decision. 

"Fine! But Girls! All of you are responsible for what he does! Get me?!"

The girls were too busy rejoicing to pay any mind. They all raced down the West corridor and slammed the Sun room door closed. His tag read, 'Skippy' but they decided that was a much too boring, store bought name for a pup. They sat the little tike in the middle of the tiled floor in the room and they lounged on the dusty wicker furniture. Dee smacked her lips and asked, "We should give him a moonwalker name. Wouldn't that be cute?" 

Shan giggled and said, "I'm afraid the sour puss in there would never approve." Faith chuckled and she smirks, "Yeah, I really wish he'd get that stick outta his a-" a wish of air cuts her off as a wad of paper flies in the room hitting the back of her head from the now opened door and Michael came to vision in his mist. He carried the morning's newspaper and he stuck his tongue out to Faith. All giggled as he sat down next to her and she asks smartly, "So Mike, is Jimmy Kimmel up to anything new from last week when you read about him?"