Max

Fetch

The first short comes to us by the amazingly awesome Ripley10. She wrote this on the Academy Fanfic Facebook Group, because she's awesome. Do you hear me? Awe-some. She has granted me permission to post this here for everyone else to enjoy too. Go read her other works here on Wattpad. She has a wonderful way of ripping your heart straight out of your chest and squishing it within her fingers until it oozes.

If you're interested in joining the madness in our Facebook group dedicated to Academy FanFiction, check out my profile thingy. There's a link there.

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  Max cursed his human nose. He couldn't find Kota and he was getting increasingly frustrated. Oh, he could smell the major scents: garlic, sweat... poop, but the ones that would lead him to his boy were lost. 

He growled a little in his throat. What was Kota thinking, tiptoeing over his sleeping form and escaping out the door. Max had jumped up, thinking they were going for a walk, or out to breakfast, or to visit Sang, but Kota hadn't waited for him. He'd just bee-lined it for his car and was peeling out of the driveway before Max could get on the stupid slow-you-down things called shoes. 

Now he was lost. He'd walked down the street, hoping to find Kota, but there were so many things to look at that by the time he'd realized he should be looking at the street, he'd found himself in a park. 

He sat down on a grassy hill, wiping his hand across his face and trying to keep his anxiety from erupting from his chest in a whine. He wrapped his arms loosely around his knees and looked around the park. He and Kota must have slept late, because the park was full. It wasn't a place he'd come often. He looked around, noting all the humans with pets on leashes. That was probably why. Max was a really good listener and Kota didn't want him to be on a leash. A small white dog with tight curls pranced by on a pink leash. It looked over at Max and growled, lifting its lip, and showing him sharp teeth. Max growled back. 

"What is wrong with you?" asked the woman walking the dog before hurrying away. 

Max sighed. He'd get up eventually and find his way home, but for now, he was just going to sit and growl at poodles. His anxiety disappeared and he felt a little bubble of happiness at the plan. 

He felt a hard smack in the back of his head, jerking him forward and slamming his nose onto his knees. He put his hand up to his nose. 

"Ow."

"Oh my god, I am so sorry," he heard a voice say.

He looked up to see a dark-haired woman adjusting her glasses, and next to him... he couldn't barely contain himself, a red Wham-o frisbee. 

"That's okay!" he said standing up, and grabbing the frisbee. "I'm good. Are you playing a game? Can I play?" 

The woman crossed her arms for a moment and narrowed her eyes, obviously trying to decide if he was crazy or just enthusiastic. 

Enthusiastic enthusiastic enthusiastic, he thought at her. 

"Okay," she answered slowly. 

"Yay!" Max cried and leapt into the air. The woman began leading him toward the group of people she was playing with. 

He saw a little boy and girl waiting for her to return.

"Hi!" he said. "I'm Max!" He pointed to the woman. "She said I could play!" 

Both of them smiled. 

"I'm Jordiscy," the woman said, "And I'm imaginary."

 "That's okay," Max interrupted. "I'm a dog." Max threw the frisbee at the little boy who caught it easily. He took his time, turning his body to the side and practicing the arm motion before releasing the frisbee. It went away from their small group.

"I'll get it!" Max yelled, chasing after the frisbee and then bringing it back to the boy. 

"Thanks," he said. 

Max backed away, waiting for the boy to throw it. The next throw went just as wide. 

"I'll get it!" 

He spent the morning chasing after the frisbee until Jordiscy made a "t" shape with her hands.
"Okay, Max," she said. "I need to get my imaginary children home for lunch." Max's shoulders fell. 

"Already?"

Jordiscy nodded. "Sorry, buddy." 

"Okay," he sighed, walking away from his new friends. 

He felt a tug on the back of his t-shirt, his friends had chased him and were holding out the Wham-o frisbee. 

"Here," Jordiscy said. "We want you to have this. You had so much fun."Max took it in his hands, lifting it to his nose and smelling it. 

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. 

"Yes," she answered. 

Max yipped in excitement, and ran away, leaving the group shaking their head in confusion. He threw the frisbee and chased after it, threw it, and chased it. A few dogs thought they'd join in the fun, but a low growl from Max made them pull up on their leashes and rush back to their owners. 

"There you are!" 

"Kota! Look what I got!" Max said, leaping in the air and running at Kota. "It's a frisbee! A red, Wham-O! Want to play?"