Page 66 of Wandering in Darkness
“If it’s that damn dog from earlier, you’re taking it back!” he calls from somewhere deeper in the house.
Grayson is standing in the doorway watching Felix ferry his dog off to Lane.
“Can we talk?” he asks.
“About?”
“Do youwantme here? You’re staying here too, right?”
“I have my own apartment.”
“That… wasn’t the question.”
I fold my arms over my chest all dramatic-like. There’s really no reason why. “I am staying here… and… I don’t care if you stay the night. But you realize you have to sleep on a couch, right?”
“That’s fine. I’ve slept on worse.”
“And Felix will pester the hell out of you the entire night.”
“That’s fine. I’m ready for anything he throws at me.”
“Okay,” I say.
“Yeah? You sure? Because if I’m going to bother you, I can go to a hotel.”
“I get to sleep with the dog.”
“Of course,” he agrees.
Grayson walks into the house and stands back a bit, like he doesn’t want to bother me any and wants to remain as inconspicuous as possible, but Felix is prepared to make sure that doesn’t happen as he sets Grayson’s dog down near the pig. Trav jumps like he’s never seen such a creature before.
“Uh… your dog is good with other pets, right?” Felix asks.
“He loves cats, he’s just never seen a pig before,” Grayson says.
Brigs, not caring that this dog could try to eat him, heads toward Trav. The dog leaps back and then hops this way and that while Copper stares at him like he’s ridiculous and childish for being scared of a pig.
Brigs, the nosy thing he is (just like his owner), starts after Trav who leaps around, now treating it like a game as he tries to get close enough to the pig to sniff him but throws his bodyback every time Brigs gets too close. Then when Brigs decides he’s wasted one too many calories, he flops down on his side and begins snoozing, which Traveler doesn’t think is as fun. So he rushes over to try to get Copper to play. And after a couple of unsuccessful minutes, Copper takes off after him and they gallop around the house.
“We need more pets,” Felix decides, like watching the animals tear apart his house means he needs more.
“I don’t think we do,” Lane says.
“Boring. Ooh. Let’s play truth or dare,” Felix declares.
I give him a look. “We are not playing truth or dare.”
“Lane, why does everyone just want to stomp down my ideas?”
“Because they’re jealous you have such better ideas than them,” he assures Felix.
“Ooh, you’re right. Spin the bottle! I’ve never gotten to do any of that shit you see teens do in movies and I want to do them all. Lane, we need to kiss in that closet.”
“You go on in, I’ll be right there,” Lane says as he starts pushing the pig toward the closet. “Maybe he’ll turn into a prince.”
“Ha. Ha. Funny. Alright, people who hate parties, whatcanwe do, then?”
“What about eating some of Cal’s desserts he made for us?” Lane suggests.
