Dylan and Dolly and the Hotel for Dogs

Chapter 2

Kali, Andi and Bruce were taken down to the police station after getting in trouble for swindling a pawn shop owner and were waiting on a bench. 

Bruce was looking through a specialized telescope he made from a pringles container, until a familiar black man walked up to them. 

"Put it down" he said. 

"Hey" Bruce said slowly. 

"Hey, Bernie" Andi and Kali greeted, trying to act casual.  

"Don't 'Hey, Bernie' me" the man looked to them, upset. 

This man, Bernie Wilkins, was a social worker who was in charge of the kids. 

"You know I have half a mind to leave you three here?" he told the kids in an upset tone, making them look down shamefully. 

"You're sprung. Come on, let's go" he told them.  

The kids then got up and left the police station with Bernie. 

"Hurry up" Bernie told them. "I'll do the rest of my yelling while I'm taking you back"

The kids were soon in the car, being driven by Bernie who was on his way taking the kids back to their foster families. 

"You're lucky the guy didn't press charges" Bernie told the three kids, then turned back to Kali. "Kali, I'm most disappointed in you. I expected more from you"

This made the tomboy look down, feeling ashamed of herself. She didn't mean to do anything wrong, but it was for a good cause. 

"You sold the guy a rock in a box for twenty bucks" Bernie continued talking about the kids' incident with the pawn shop owner.  

The kids then snickered but tried to stop. 

"Oh, that's funny?" Bernie asked them seriously. The kids stopped laughing completely. 

"It's not funny. It's anything but funny" Bernie told them seriously. "What if they'd called Carl and Lois instead of me?"

The three orphans were quiet, until Andi soon spoke up. "I guess you'd have to find us new foster parents, then" 

Bernie looked to her for a moment in silence before he continued speaking. "Is that what you're trying to do?... You guys, that's a very dangerous game, I'm telling you" 

They soon arrived at the apartment building Andi and Bruce were staying at with their foster parents, Lois and Carl Scudder. Who were a married couple of rock-star musicians who didn't care for Andi and Bruce.  

"You know, they're only taking care of us for the check from the government" Andi told Bernie.  

"And the free labor" Bruce added. 

"Chores is not labor" Bernie told them.  

"Really? I've seen them routing for those slackers" Kali argued, having to disagree about chores not being labor. 

"What did you need the money for?" Bernie asked the kids, kind of in a demanding tone. 

"We just wanted some editable food, that's all" Andi said. 

"We're telling the truth" Kali told Bernie honestly.  

"If you haven't eaten Lois's cooking, Bernie. Trust me we'll all starve" Bruce mentioned. 

Bernie then stopped for a second and turned around, asking the kids. "All?" 

Bruce and the girls then realized what he had just said, but Andi quickly covered up. "Yeah, all- the both of us!" 

"It's really bad, Bernie" the sixteen-year-old sighed to him. 

"Uh, huh" Bernie replied, not really buying it. And with that, Bernie and the kids headed upstairs, passing by a sign that said 'No pets allowed'.  

Later, Kali was taken back to her foster family who lived in another apartment building just a couple of blocks down. 

Kali's set of foster parents, Slem and Roxanne, who like Carl and Lois loved rock music but didn't care for Kali at all. In fact, they would abuse the poor girl half the time. They had a bratty young daughter Bethany, and a white cat named Princess. But also worst of all, they didn't allow dogs. 

It was a lot like when Kali had to help those two orphan girls Sal and Ray hide their great dane Chestnut once they moved into their new apartment home. 

Kali soon walked up into the apartment by herself, being greeted by a grouchy Roxanne, Slem and Bethany.  

"Where were you?" Roxanne demanded. 

"Nowhere" the tomboy replied quietly with her head facing down. 

"No dinner for you" Slem told her. "And the living room needs cleaning" 

"Yeah, so get to work, suggsy!" Bethany demanded, holding her cat Princess.  

Kali sighed going back to her room, which was basically a small messy room with only a very bad mattress on the floor for her to sleep on. 

The tomboy started thinking while she layed down on the mattress. She knew this was Andi and Bruce's fifth set of foster parents in three years. Bernie had warned them, if they mess up again he'd have to place them separately. But Andi refused to let that happen, saying she and Bruce had to stay together no matter what, cause that's how families should always be. 

Kali sighed, having her eyes closed for a second before she heard a tapping sound on her window and looked up to see Dylan and Dolly there. She came over and opened the window to let them in. 

"Took you long enough" Dolly told her human friend. "We've been waiting for you for ten minutes" 

The two dalmatians siblings came over to a pile of blankets which was their bed to settle down in. 

"Somebody's tired today, huh?" Kali asked them, petting both step siblings on the head. 

"I know I am" Dylan replied before sighing sadly. "I wish we were back home with Mom and Dad" 

This made both Dylan and Dolly frown sadly, thinking about their parents and 97 younger siblings. 

"I know, guys" Kali told them. "But you know, sometimes the greatest adventures happen in the most unlikeliest of places"

The two dalmatian siblings gave a small smile to her, feeling just a little better but still sad. 

That night, while Dylan and Dolly were curled up together asleep in their blankets, Kali looked over at an old photo she had kept of herself and her family, along with Dylan and Dolly before the accident. 

The three friends always knew that even when times were rough for them, they'd still have each other. 

Kali then came over by Dylan and Dolly and turned off the lamp, sleeping next to her two dogs into the noisy night of the busy city.