The Experimental Dogcatcher

Chapter 7

When the two girls finally made it up to the two boys, Sasha long before ripping off her shoes in frustration, Carlos had scrambled up a tree on the edge of the trail and was squawking  in protest at Ben. The prince had the little pup cradled in his arms with an expression that was somewhere between amusement, confusion and concern.

"What the heck was that about, Carlos?"

"What is it about?! That.....that THING in your hands! It's a horrible, rabid, terrifying predator!"

Ben's lips twitched. He looked down at the dog, than back up at Carlos. "And uh....who told you that?"

At this point Sasha was worried the boy was going to fall out of the tree from panicking so much.   Miraculously though, he didin't. He instead shot the young royal the most incredulous look yet, hugging the trunk tighter.

"My mother!"

Carlos's eyes darted from each of the three faces looking up at him, desperately, almost. He pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and settled with resting his gaze on the ground.

"She's a dog expert- uh, d-dog yeller....er......." he mumbled. His head shot back up to Ben though in a sudden animated realization.

"Wait why are you still holding him?! He's gonna rip your eyes out!!"

The laugh that Ben was none too well hiding finally came out in a hearty chuckle. "De Vil, meet Dude, the campus mutt. I assure you all that my face is going to suffer from this guy is a bunch of slobbery kisses."

To everyone's surprise, Sasha let out a bit of a giggle herself. "Carlos, tiny crrreature cannot even  bark like rrreal dog. Come down."

"But-I-but......I-I-I DON'T DO dogs! Any type of dog! They're rabid vicious pack a-animals!"

She smiled and stepped forward from her position beside Mal then, pointed teeth on full display  in a teasing glint. "Well it is good thing I am not dog, yes? This means I can help you down. Or simply throw you from tree if I find ssssituation more ridiculousssss than funny."

Slowly, but not so slow as to further irritate Sasha to act on the latter of her offer, Carlos unhinged himself from the bark and slid back down the tree, accepting the alien's outstretched claws. She absently brushed the dirt from his vest and straightened said article of clothing.

"Thanks." It was a little a more than a shy whisper. He caught her eyes in his after her hand swept the rest of the offending particles from his shoulder. 

She held onto the gaze for a moment longer than he expected.

"You are welcome."

After this exchange and a very nervous Carlos taking the campus mutt into his own arms, an excited smile spread across Ben's features for quite a few reasons.

"By the way, if you can run like that all the time, I have no doubt in my mind you can be a part of the Tourney team. I have a meeting to go to, but I'll see you around. Hopefully next time with the Coach and in a jersey?"

Carlos grinned. He didin't stop grinning even after Ben walked away, Mal following with an unnoticed knowing smirk at the alien and the boy.

Carlos sat on a fallen tree, growing more comfortable around Dude with each scratch behind the ears. The dog leaned into his affection, enjoying the excitement of a new person. Sasha sat next to him.

"Am I seriously petting a dog right now? Like, I'm not dreaming? Drugged?"

She shifted her gaze from Dude to Carlos upon the slightly rhetorical questions.

"Yes."

He finally decided to look up at her then, eyes wide. They stared at each other. It was hard to say who's eyes flicked down to who's lips the most, or who leaned in first. But they were so close. So, intoxicatingly close.

Dude yapped, and the spell the two seemed to be under broke like Cinderella's right slipper.