Mallory loves playing with her puppy, Chico. They love to run and jump around while they play. They bark, hop, and chase their tails. Mallory and Chico play some pretty silly games together. It was like Chico understood Mallory better than anyone else did.
Mallory
has a baby sister, too. She doesn’t play with Mallory very often. Mallory’s
baby sister was always so busy crying, and making Mommy change her diapers.
Every time Mallory wanted to play with Mommy, or Daddy, they would be busy
feeding her baby sister. So Mallory just played with Chico.
The
two were very close. Chico slept with Mallory every night, at the foot of her
bed. In the morning, she let Chico outside to go potty. Chico listened to
Mallory better than anyone. Everyone else yelled at Chico, too much. Even
Mallory knew that just made him scared.
After
they both were done using the potty, Mallory made them both breakfast. Chico
likes to eat a can of soft food in the morning. Mallory likes having cereal. Every
day the two of them have the same routine. Mallory and Chico wouldn’t have it
any other way.
Mallory
hardly ever gets in trouble, but when she does it’s usually because she and
Chico were playing too loud. Sometimes, Daddy tells them they are being too
loud. Daddy especially doesn’t like when Mallory, and Chico, are barking when
he’s on the phone. He doesn’t like them barking when he has a headache, either.
Mommy
tells Mallory to quiet down, too. She always says, “There are people that live
downstairs, Mallory. They don’t want to hear you two jumping around all day;
believe me.” Mallory knew that people were under her, but she just forgot
sometimes.
One
time, Mallory woke up her baby sister when she was barking like a puppy.
Mallory’s daddy was very mad. He grounded Chico to the doghouse outside for a
whole day. Mallory was lonely without Chico to play with. She didn’t see what
the big deal was, anyway. All Mallory’s baby sister did was sleep.
Mallory
gets babysat by her grandma sometimes, too. Mallory’s grandma has two puppies,
and a kitty. Even Mallory’s grandma has to tell them all to be quieter. Mallory
thinks it’s funny to get both of her grandma’s dogs howling, but it just ends
up hurting grandma’s head, too.
Mallory
knows she being loud, but that is what puppies do. After all, she had never
really seen a puppy that didn’t bark. Even when they were just playing they
were too loud for the neighbors downstairs. Mallory didn’t know how to be a
quiet puppy.
One
night, Mallory had the strangest dream. Mallory dreamt that someone came and
told her dad that Mallory was not being quiet enough. Her dad begged and
pleaded, but the strangers ended up leaving with Chico! It felt so real to
Mallory.
When
Mallory woke up, all she wanted to do was hug Chico. She was so relieved to see
he was still there. What could she do without her best friend? Mallory missed
him when she went to her grandma’s house. She would surely miss him if he got
taken away.
“Oh,
Chico. I’m so happy you are still here, buddy. What would I do without you?”
Mallory asked. She was so relieved to find him lying at the foot of her bed. Mallory
told Chico she loved him, and Chico even smiled a puppy smile.
