Barkada

=9= Frank and Mashy

"His bowls are right there near the cabinets," Alexa told Ada. "The blue one is for his water and the orange one is for his food. Don't feed him too much!"

"Okay, okay," Ada replied. She glanced at Mashy, who sat patiently behind the couch, waiting for his turn to bid his owner farewell. 

"And also, if he starts scratching the door, it means he wants to walk," Alexa added, a deep sense of worry shown in her words. She was off to have a family vacation with his cousins, but she sadly couldn't bring Mashy. It's been several weeks since she got Mashy and this would be the first time that they would separate. "His leash is in the cabinet, okay, Frank?"

Kenzie then came up from behind her, resting her hand on Alexa's shoulder, "Don't worry, Bob. Ada will take good care of Mashy. It's only one day. You'll be okay."

Alexa nodded. She then ran to Mashy, who willingly dashed towards her arms. She hugged the pup tight. "I'll miss you, Mashy. Be a good boy with Frank, okay?"

Mashy licks her nose, promising to be a good dog while she was away. 

Alexa gives his head a soft rub and puts him down. She walks over and hugs Frank, "Promise me you'll take care of Mashy?"

Ada couldn't help but smile and return the embrace. Alexa really loved Mashy and seeing her say goodbye to him (even if it was only a day) slightly tugged her heartstrings. 

"Promise, Bob."

》
《
》
《
》
《
》
《

Now it was her turn to be the only one left at home. Everyone had eRrAndS. And for once, Ada had nothing to do on a Wednesday morning. She sat down on the couch, sipping on a hot cup of coffee she made for herself. As for Mashy, he obediently sat down beside her, staring at Ada as she takes each small sip. Suddenly, the puppy begins to whimper. Ada quickly puts down her mug and faces the dog. 

"W-What's wrong, Mashy?" Ada asked, slightly worried about what to do. She never had to take care of a dog all by herself with no one to call for back-up. 

Mashy to twist his legs, rubbing his paws on the seat. His eyes looked at Ada, begging for her to do something. Then a lightbulb pops in her head. 

"Do you wanna-?" she points at the litter box in the corner.

Mashy only whimpers louder. Ada quickly gets up and scoops him up, running towards the litter box. She gently puts him down and heads back to her seat, leaving him to do his business. She leans back and sighs, "This is weird," she muttered. 

》
《
》
《
》
《
》
《

It was night and Ada was still alone at home with Mashy. Jianna had to visit her parents; Kenzie had to work overtime; Cassie was with her sisters; Kirsten was having a short vacation with James, and Alexa was with her relatives. 

Ada was now in her most comfortable clothing, ready to doze off to bed. But then she remembered her favorite drama's latest episode just came out a while ago so she decided to squeeze in some time to watch it. She grabs her phone on the countertop and runs towards the stairs only to hear soft footsteps behind her.

She looks back and sees Mashy, quietly and shyly following her. Ada was already on the fourth step and watches Mashy struggle to climb the first. His tiny paws tried to claw its way up but fell and landed on her back. Her heart softened and she came running back down to pick Mashy up. To Ada's great surprise, Mashy licks her cheek. At first, she was startled by the sudden gesture. But she's Mashy happily wagging his tail in between her arms as she holds him, his tongue stuck out. Ada smiled back at the pup as they head up.

They sat on her bed, Mashy hopping around the big ocean of fluff. Ada quickly prepares the drama, setting her phone on her lap and placing Mashy to her right so he too could watch. The episode starts to play, showing a short clip of what is going to happen. 

The main character faces her best friend. Her best friend began to fidget with her fingers, their matching bracelets clearly shown. She breathes in and says, "I think I like Hyun-Joon."

Ada gasps, startling Mashy. Anger rushes in and she begins to spit out every single swear word she could think of in two seconds. "WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT?! SHE CLEARLY KNOWS THAT SHE LIKED HIM."

She rarely fangirls or rants about her dramas in front of the others but she felt much more confident to do it in front of Mashy. Mashy stares at her, then wags his tail, barking, as if he agreed. Ada sighs heavily and pats Mashy on the head, "Sorry you had to hear all that, Mashy."

Mashy just sticks his tongue out. 

Ada then turns off the phone, a sudden rush of exhaustion coming in. She lost the mood to watch it and she was unusually too tired. She reached towards the lamp beside her and turns it off. To her surprise, Mashy doesn't hop off the bed like how he typically does whenever Alexa had to go to bed. Instead, he curls up beside Ada. Ada gently wraps him in her blanket, hoping the pup won't go cold.

"Good night, Mashy."

That night the house was quiet except for some soft snores. 

From a dog and a penguin.

》
《
》
《
》
《
》
《
"MASHY!!" Alexa squealed as she runs inside the house. She embraces Mashy tightly. Kenzie and Cassie make their way in, hands full of shopping bags and luggage. Kirsten tags from behind then Jianna who happily twirls the car keys then drops it. 

"How was the puppy, Frank?" Cassie asked. 

"He was alright," Ada replied with a cheeky grin. 

Suddenly, Mashy runs back to Ada, knocking her off as she lands on her knees. The puppy excitedly tries to lick Ada's nose. Alexa gaped at the pair, "Aw, it seems like you and Mashy got along pretty well."

"That's so cute," Kirsten remarks, smiling softly. 

"Out of the topic but," Jianna began. "I brought some chicken and waffles from that diner we like. Anyone wanna eat?"

They all ran to the dining room to prepare.

Mashy happily hops along.

》
《
》
《
》
《
》
《