Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 33 of 37
**~ Chapter 33 ~** "I'm going home soon," Becky said with conviction. "What?" I looked up from the checker board sitting on Becky's swivel-tray. She was red, I was black. She was winning, of course, but I almost had a piece on her...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 31 of 37
**~ Chapter 31 ~** Colins Avenue, where Kat and Tiffany lived, was a shaded boulevard lined with oaks and elms. Most of the shaded parking spots on the street were taken. I didn't blame the drivers, I could still feel the difference between...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 30 of 37
**~ Chapter 30 ~** Infinitá was packed this evening. I sipped a drink and watched the crowds from my seat at the booths. It allowed me to oversee a good portion of Infinitá's first floor while remaining unobtrusive. There were a few people I was...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 29 of 37
**~ Chapter 29 ~** I didn't have a car to take me to Chesim this time, but at least the day was hovering around a comfortable seventy degrees; actually a somewhat warm day after a cold spell. I chewed on a couple of mints and settled in for a...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 28 of 37
**~ Chapter 28 ~** "....and the insurance company is okay with it?" Mom asked Dad. "Yeah, apparently," Dad shuffled through a small pile of bills, notices, and letters on the dinner table. Steam rose from an enchilada on his plate; Dad dug in....
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 27 of 37
**~ Chapter 27 ~** The rhino, almost two heads taller than me, looked down at me. His eyes were wide in surprise. My nose was inches from his chest as I glared right back. I'm sure that to anyone who was watching, and there were quite a few, we...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 26 of 37
**~ Chapter 26 ~** "I finished my drink! You're supposed to get me a new drink _before_ I finish!" "There's sour cream in my rice, take my plate back!" "Get us more napkins! How come whenever we come here we never get enough napkins!" It was...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 25 of 37
**~ Chapter 25 ~** The line between late summer and early autumn was blurring. The days were still as balmy as ever but the nights were cooling. The nights were still too warm for shoes or long-sleeved shirts, but the air felt less oppressive...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 24 of 37
**~ Chapter 24 ~** _Bbzzzzt......_ _Bbzzzzzt....._ It was a couple of days from my passing out at the toilet in Becky's hospital bathroom. Mom and Dad had assumed it was from the stress of seeing Becky's condition. I didn't expand on...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 23 of 37
**~ Chapter 23 ~** I always hated going to Saint Catherine's. Hospitals, as well meaning as they are, just aren't a friendly place to me. I know they try to make the hallways more inviting with warm, pastel colors and paintings done by local...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 22 of 37
**~ Chapter 22 ~** "Aaron? Hon?" I knocked on his door. Though Kat's words had assuaged, a larger part of me was still nervous and unsure how to proceed. A shadow, a click, and the door opened. Aaron smiled tiredly and hugged me with a soft...
Those Bygone Dog-Star Days - Chapter 21 of 37
~ **Chapter 21 ~** Infinitá had closed for a couple of days. In that time-span, I hadn't really talked to Aaron. I knew what Becky meant when she told me to apologize and tell Aaron what I was feeling, but nerves got the better of me and I shied...