Meeting the Neighbor
“Come in, come in!" Adrian said as he swung the door open. His smile was warm and inviting, as always. German Shepherds have that way about them. Standing across Adrian was a young husky, his coat a healthy mix of creamy whites and pewter patches that...
Let Sleeping Dogs Tie
Lawrence leaned against the weathered bricks of the Russell house, waiting for his dad to arrive. The house's age was apparent in the sagging roof and peeling paint chips. Despite the decay, there was a certain charm. It looked like the kind of house a...
Gloryhole Bully
Gabriel weaved through a swarm of high schoolers, gliding through the bustling hallway with purpose. He wiped sweat off his forehead. The excess warmth from all the bodies, plus the late summer air heated the building like a furnace. He broke from the...
Lesson From Dad(s)
The sight of the house sent a rush of warmth through Scott's body despite a chill in the air. The place looked like something pulled from a Hallmark movie. A lively evergreen wreath adorned the bright red front door, and golden lights lined the...
Lovers in the Library
Jackpine Library towered over the college campus at a whopping four stories tall. Its recently remodeled exterior was sharp and efficient, made entirely of dull concrete blocks and glass windows. It was cold and brutalist in comparison to the quaint...
Teaching the Bully a Lesson
Dante leaned back on his pillows, phone balanced in a single hand as he mindlessly scrolled through endless posts. The hum of heated air flowing from the floor vent added a soft white noise to the occasional rustle of Dante’s younger brother Gabriel...
Better than Soup
Lawrence hummed as he absentmindedly stirred the pot of soup. Minuscule droplets of water vapor collected on his muzzle whiskers. They twitched, flicking water on the granite countertop. The house was silent, save for the labrador’s humming and softly...
Learning to Share
Leaves crunched beneath Scott’s feet, dry and brittle from weeks of crisp autumn air. A cool breeze nipped at the corgi’s ears, but the combination of a flannel jacket and alcohol in his system kept him comfortably warm. The Halloween party had left...
Marked by the Bully
Gabriel absentmindedly scratched his fingernails along the edge of the table, leaving shallow grooves in the wood. The scraping sound was barely audible over the low hum of conversations around him. Every table had a pair of students; a tutor and a...
An Ex's Familiar Touch
While the others settled in, Jack leaned against the door frame, simply surveying the scene. Dante, ever the gracious host, had stocked the basement with blankets, heaping bowls of candy and popcorn, sugary drinks, and days worth of horror films. The...
Pit Bully Musk
The first knock on the front door hardly registered in Gabriel’s mind. The young doberman was deep in the flow of creating a Dungeons and Dragons one-shot adventure. He’d been working on it for weeks. The notebook page in front of him had been hastily...
Full Service Farmhand
Driving through the countryside always filled Remy with a sense of peace, regardless of what mood he was in. The road meandered through rolling hills and winding valleys in a way that made the coyote feel like he was on a ship on gentle waters. It was...