November 2020

Beatrix pushed Arthur again, and Arthur grew a new bruise on his head and a new scrape on his arm. Beatrix is the school bully and is always picking on other kids. Arthur is one of those kids. Arthur’s dad thinks that he should get a dog as a friend because Arthur has trouble making friends. Arthur’s mother hates dogs. Arthur would die to get a dog, but his mom, Jen (short for Jennifer) says no. At school, Beatrix puts on make-up in class and bullies everyone who doesn’t worship her. Every day, Beatrix wears a half-top and really short shorts. Beatrix is a cheerleader and has perfect teeth. She and her cheerleading squad push people, make fun of them, laugh at them, and spill their lunch out. Later that day, Arthur was throwing free throws on the basketball court when all the other boys were playing soccer. Arthur missed every single one and licked his braces every time he missed. As Arthur was playing, he saw Beatrix coming at him. She said a few mean things, but Arthur kept dribbling and missing. Arthur heard something about his horrible playing skills. Then Beatrix walked away with her two sidekicks. *          *          * At the end of the day, Arthur came home and his father called him to the kitchen. Arthur set his bag on a chair and said, “What?” “I have a surprise for you!” his father said proudly. “But first, how was your day?” “Well, Beatrix pushed me again,” Arthur mumbled. “Okay, but this will still be the best day of your life!” There was a large crate on the floor with small vents on the sides. Arthur hoped it was a dog, but he knew his mother would never allow it. His father opened the crate and a yellow Labrador retriever jumped out and started licking his face. The dog knocked him over, and Arthur was happier than at any other time in his life. “What’s his name?” Arthur asked his father. “Her name is Sunny,” his father answered. “No other person would take her from the shelter because of her behavior.” “She seems fine to me,” Arthur said with confidence. “That’s what I said!” he exclaimed. “The man told me to just wait, and she would be a monster.” “Except for the part where her body is all muddy and scarred,” Arthur said while he looked at her paws. The two gave her a nice bubble bath that she seemed to enjoy. Sunny had soap bubbles all over her, and his father made her a beard. They laughed and rinsed her with the hose. She shook her whole body and it felt like gallons of water came off her. They dried her with a nice big towel and she happily pranced over to the house. Her fur was now as soft as . . . something that is really soft. Arthur took Sunny outside and played fetch, or tried to play fetch. Arthur heard his mother’s car coming down the long driveway, and Arthur sprinted inside with Sunny. They both were tired from the warm sun and heard Jen coming. Arthur had asked his dad if Mom knew about the dog. His father exclaimed, “Heck no! If she knew about this, she would kill me.” “Well, she is coming in the house as we speak, so . . .” Arthur hesitated. His father was about to say something, but she walked in the door before he could. She stared at Sunny and dropped her purse. She blinked and brushed the golden-brown hair out of her face. I hate dogs, Jen thought as she walked far into the woods with Sunny, trying to avoid touching her. “Oh my god. You guys got a dog!” she yelled, and the chandelier in the dining room shook. Arthur imagined steam coming out of her ears. Sunny whimpered and gave Jen the puppy eyes. Jen did not talk to Arthur but was yelling at their father the whole time. At dinner, Jen locked Sunny outside on a leash. They had chicken and broccoli for dinner with a side of beans, and Arthur stayed silent, still thinking about Sunny. Arthur fed his leftovers to Sunny, and she greedily gobbled them down and started whimpering for more. Arthur patted her head and placed a blanket outside for her. Arthur went to bed and drifted off to sleep. *          *          * I hate dogs, Jen thought as she walked far into the woods with Sunny, trying to avoid touching her. They reached a river about half a mile into the middle of nowhere. Jen looked at Sunny, who was giving her the puppy eyes; they sparkled in the moonlight. Jen tied the leash on a tree loosely and ran back to the house. She came in the door panting, and she poured herself a glass of wine. She sat on the couch and fell asleep. *          *          * The next morning, Arthur came downstairs and looked for Sunny. She was sitting on the deck waiting for food. He fed her some beef with spinach, and he noticed that her leash was untied. Arthur’s mother came down the stairs and said to Arthur, “Good morning, honey. How is the dog?” Jen was expecting to hear “She is missing,” or “I don’t know,” but she heard: “Good.” Arthur smiled. “She seems hungry, though.” Jen frowned and looked outside the glass door. Sunny was sitting there and smiling at her, and Jen swore that she winked. Over the next half hour, Arthur was getting ready for school and covering his bruise with his mom’s make-up. She was downstairs getting ready for the drive to school by putting her coffee in a cup, brushing her hair, getting the keys, and getting her phone charger. Arthur put on his clothes, brushed his teeth and his