Dogs and Glasses

Chapter II

I still don't own National Treasure or it's characters. Or Sweeney Todd! But you should see it (if you don't mind delicious human-pies)

I left it waaay too long since the last chapter, but it's all practice and what-not.

Please leave comments, they'd mean a lot to me. :3

Riley didn't seem bothered by the dog barking at my face as he walked beside me. He wore a cheery little smile as he counted the numbers of the homes we were passing in the tidy neighbourhood.

“Sixty-four, this is it.” The Jack Russell barked one more time and wagged it's tail as though confirming this before attempting to leap from Riley's arms at the bungalow before us.

“Easy, chief, let's be civilised and knock.” He turned to the paved path leading to the bungalow, which was a quaint, well-kept building with an equally nice lawn. Before staring down the path, however, he dropped his smile and blinked at me.

“What if they think we stole the dog and we're bringing him back for a reward?”

“If they have a TV and have ever watched the News, they'll know we don't need any money, Riley.” I waggled my fingers at the dog as I spoke, but it barely paid any attention. “Anyway, we won't be holding out empty sacks with dollar signs on, will we?”

My best friend looked at the ground. “In the school holidays, my friends and I sometimes looked for lost pets just for the reward money.”

“Riley, that's not right.”

“I know, jeez! That's why I'm telling you. I'm apologising.” He gave me an irate look, clearly annoyed that I didn't 'get it'. I gave him a grin back, and he rolled his blue eyes.

“I'll knock.” I said, stepping around him and walking up to the front door. There was a brass knocker shaped like a fox, but also an electric doorbell. Riley decided for me.

“We live in the age of technology.”

“Fine.” I held my finger on the bell for a couple of seconds and stepped back.

After a few moments, the ring was answered by a elderly woman who was a living example of the type of old lady you imagine when speaking about the aged. She was tiny, barely past Riley's shoulders with silver hair in a neat bob, complete with pins holding it in place. The blue apron she wore over a floral dress was covered with flour, which ended up all over Riley as she dashed forward to take the madly wagging terrier from him.

“Maxwell! Whatever are you doing with my dog?” She looked Riley and his casual clothes up and down.

“Uh--”

“He was running about in the street nearby, ma'am and my friend picked him up.” I explained.

The lady's slightly suspicious expression lifted. “He should be in the back garden right now! Oh dear, he must have found a way out.”

She patted the dog and placed it inside the hallway, where it disappeared into the house, then beamed at me.

“Well, I can't thank you enough, you know, but may I bother you for a little more help? Before you go could you help me find how he escaped my garden, it's quite large and I'm not very keen on crawling through the bushes.”

Riley had sneezed as she was speaking, then nudged me. “'s no problem, right, Ben?”

“Of course not, we'll look for you, ma'am.”

“It's Mrs. Lovell, dear. We can go around the side of the house.”

** **

I lightly swatted at a huge solitary bee that emerged from the bush I was ducked behind, but there was no hole in the fence before me or what I could see along either direction of it.

Mrs. Lovell wasn't joking about the size of her backyard: it was like a small park, with a paved path along its length, flower beds and completed with an ornate pond.

“I've found it! A hole-- uh, the dog's dug a hole here--ahCHOO!” Riley's excited call ended with another sneeze, but I could see he was grinning from where he knelt across the garden. Thankful to be out of the foliage, I dusted my knees and jogged over to him and Mrs. Lovell who was already standing by the young hacker.

“Aw, Ben, you have dirt on your new shoes.” He brushed off a little soil from my left shoe, then blinked and looked up at Mrs. Lovell. “Uh, he dug-- it's only a little gap under the fence, we could probably block it for you. Uh, ma'am.”

The old woman leaned down to view the damage and tutted. It was obviously the work of Maxwell, as the freshly clawed away soil allowed a space into the street only the smallest of Jack Russells could fit through.

“What a naughty boy, he's never been one for digging holes before. I suppose I'll have to keep a closer eye on him when he's playing out here.”

“You could squirt him with water if he starts digging.” Suggested Riley. “Or shake a tin with stones in it.”

“I don't want to scare my dog, young man.” Mrs. Lovell said rather flatly.

I had noticed that the pond was ringed with various sized slabs of natural slate and went to retrieve one, not hearing Riley's reply. When I returned with it, I had to assure the senior that it was one of the decorative rocks and not part of the actual rim of the pond, then asked Riley to push the loose soil back under the fence.

Firmly pushing the slab into the soft earth, I blocked the hole and leant back admiring the job.

“Well, there you are, ma'am. Maxwell will have to start a new hole if he feels like being an escape artist again.” I stood up and was quickly taken aback by a kiss on the cheek by Mrs. Lovell. I knew I would be going red and thought I heard a snicker from Riley, but it turned into yet another sneeze followed by annoyed mumbling.

“Ergh...I shouldn't have held that dog for so long...fur all over my clothes, c'mon...Or maybe it was that flour...”

** **

Riley nearly tripped on the sprinkler as we waved a final farewell over our shoulders as we left the bungalow. Mrs. Lovell closed the door and we had to listen to muffled barking from behind it until we were halfway down the street and it faded away.

“Well, that's my good deed for...this season.” My best friend sniffed and dusted down his hoodie. “Still, she didn't really like me, huh, Ben?”

“I didn't actually know you had noticed. I'm going with it's because you dressed too casually today, kiddo.” I chuckled, flipping his hood up onto his hair.

“Yeah, guess I lack the old-lady-attracting aura you have around you.” I lightly shoved him and he laughed. “Hey, do you think she'd have made me into a delicious meat pie if I'd stayed any longer?”

“What?”

“You know: you who eat pies, Mrs. Lovell's meat pies conjure up the treat pies used to be!” He sang, not too poorly, actually.

“Sweeney Todd? You like musicals?”

“Uh, I like the movie. Oh wait, it's Lovett. Never mind, I'm an idiot.” He smacked a palm onto his forehead comically.

“Oh good, I thought we'd have another 20,000 leagues on our hands. Bless you.” I said in advance, hearing him inhale sharply before sneezing.

We reached the car and I slowly sat down, staring at the dashboard. There was very clearly a dusty scuff on the passenger side. On my beautiful Japanese oak. Riley caught me looking.

“It happened when you hit the brakes so quickly-- I couldn't help it! Look it comes off.” He rubbed at it with a sleeve. “Uh, it will come off. Just needs water.”

I pretended to be annoyed, knowing it would rub off, but wanting an apology for putting my poor car in such a state. He called my bluff and managed to get me laughing instead.

We drove home chatting. It was nice. No dogs ran in front of us and we bounced ideas for Abigail's birthday gift off of one another, until we eventually pulled up my long driveway.

“I'll help with the bags, Ben, but is it alright if you drive me home after? I'm hungry.”

“Nah, you're eating dinner with Abigail and myself tonight. I can regale your heroic tale over a deep gravy pie.”

“Who's it made of?

END

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Well there is is. Thanks for reading, NT fans.