An excerpt from In a Dog’s World. If you’d prefer, you can start with Chapter 1, return to the previous chapter, or skip ahead to the next chapter.
They drove down to the breakfast place in Old Town that Daria said was so popular. There was indeed bacon in everything they ordered.
The restaurant clattered with the sounds of silverware and conversations, but Katasha and Dominic were quiet. Dominic didn’t have any more news from home, and Katasha still didn’t want to talk about her week on the hiking trip. Mostly, she wanted to be near her brother and soak up every last vestige of the connection he gave her to her old home.
When Dominic dropped Katasha off on campus again, he said, “If you don’t call or send any messages, Mama and Papa are going to think that you’re wasting all your time playing chess. ‘Cause, that’s all I’m going to tell them about.”
Katasha’s long black tail curled, and she said, “Right. I’ll keep that in mind.” They said goodbye, and, as Katasha watched Dominic drive away in the Cherry Racer, she felt completely hollow. Her life was driving away with him and receding from view.
She walked back to Greene, trying to collect herself as she walked. The first feeling that struck her was — to her surprise — excitement. Saying goodbye was hard, but now that it was over, she felt lighter. She could really start her life at college now.
With a spring in her step, Katasha walked down the first floor hall of Greene to Claire’s room. She mustered the courage to smile and wave at other new students as she passed. They returned her waves. Though, often, they looked too overwhelmed by their half un-packed rooms and their parents and littermates awkwardly hanging around to smile.
This time, when Ivy answered Claire’s door, Katasha was ready for her: “Do you mind if I wait for Claire?” she said. She looked around the room. Claire’s half was already set-up; Ivy’s half was still in the process. There weren’t any parents or littermates obviously at hand. “I could help you unpack,” she said. “I live on the second floor,” she pointed upward, “And my brother and roommate already helped me get set up.”
Ivy couldn’t turn that offer down. As they worked together, Ivy explained that her parents had to leave quickly, because she had a brother moving into a different college a few hours away. They had to get him set up today too. “I know he’s their favorite,” she said. “That’s why they’re taking him to college last. I don’t mind. It’s just that it’s so obvious.”
Katasha blinked. Did Ivy’s parents really have favorites among their litter? That wasn’t something she’d ever faced in her own home. Sure, Papa seemed to connect best with Dmitri, but that never really bothered Katasha. Now that she thought of it, though, perhaps Dominic was somewhat bothered. Maybe Papa didn’t have a favorite kitten, but he did have a favorite son.
“Do your other littermates mind?” Katasha asked, thinking about Dominic driving home. He was the only kitten that Papa and Mama had left living with them.
“I don’t have other littermates,” Ivy said. “Donathan and I were a small litter.” She went on to tell stories of how Donathan was a scramball player, and she’d been given ballet lessons. Katasha had trouble picturing this short-legged dog she was talking to performing ballet. While Ivy was as tall as Katasha, all that length was in her long torso. Her arms and legs were quite stout. Besides, her ears were so large, they almost made her look like a bunny when she was facing Katasha straight on. When she turned to the side, the length of her canine muzzle was more pronounced. Regardless, she was not an elegant dog.
“Have you ever done ballet?” Ivy asked.
“No…” Katasha said. She was about to tell the story of Corina taking ballet classes for less than a month when they were kittens so small they’d barely started school. However, she did not mind at all when she was interrupted by Claire opening the door.
Claire was followed by Turtle, Jimothy, Preston, and an extremely angular, medium-sized dog girl who Katasha hadn’t met before.
“Katasha!” Claire said.
“You missed the hike,” Turtle said. “There’s a stream over at the Brenton Field Station that’s the perfect habitat for turtles. Oh my,” he added, “You still haven’t seen my aquarium full of turtles! Jimothy was kind enough to let me take up a little extra space in our room to fit them in.”
“We went looking for you before leaving,” Jimothy said. He still had his deck of cards. Still shuffling. But then the shuffling suddenly stopped — the angular dog, who looked like a Basenji, had cupped her paws around Jimothy’s, stifling the movement of his cards. It was a strangely familiar, even flirtatious gesture. Well, then, this dog was going to be disappointed when she found out about Jimothy’s girlfriend.
“You’re so nervous,” the Basenji said. She was slightly taller than Jimothy, and she was wearing a long, printed dress. It was an unusually feminine style for a new college student from what Katasha had seen today. Mostly, they were dressed in lightweight tunics and pants.
Jimothy smiled and touched the tip of his leathery nose to the Basenji’s. “This is Kimber,” he said to Katasha. “My girlfriend. I was telling you about her.”
“I’m still in high school,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m dating a college boy now!” She cuddled herself up against Jimothy, and once again Katasha found herself looking at an adorable dog couple struck with how perfect a pair they made. Just like Claire and Turtle.
She thought of the digitally edited picture of her and Howell that was still hidden in her breast pocket, and the insides of her ears started to burn. She’d never be like them. She needed to finally ditch that picture the first chance she got.
“Which dorm is Howell in?” Katasha asked, before she could stop herself. Oh well. These friends wouldn’t jump all over her for asking the question, analyzing exactly why she’d asked it from every possible direction. She’d have to be more careful mentioning Howell around Daria though.
Jimothy pointed toward one of the walls. “He went off that way.”
“That’s the direction of the rec center,” Claire said.
“Oh, right,” Jimothy said.
Kimber shook her head while looking at her college boyfriend affectionately. “Silly Jimmy.”
“The upperclassmen had to pack up all the camping supplies and make sure they’d be ready for next year,” Preston said. “That’s why he went to the rec center. Mirabelle wants us all to consider leading our own hiking groups next year.”
Katasha shuddered. As much as she’d enjoyed the hike, it had been a week of hard work in the wilderness. Besides, the friendships she’d forged there were with the other new students. Not the upperclassmen. So, she suspected it wouldn’t be nearly as valuable to her from the other side.
“So… What’s the plan for tonight?” Katasha asked. She was thinking about Cheshire Suite and their plans for a “last night before classes” celebration.
After some deliberation, her hiking friends came up with a slightly less exciting plan: “The dining hall has sack lunch dinners available. That’d be easy,” Jimothy said.
Katasha flattened her ears. “We can do better than that,” she said.
The dogs looked at one another. Preston shrugged. Jimothy cut his deck of cards. Claire looked at Turtle, and Turtle said, “Hey, I’m up for anything.”
“I have to leave soon,” Kimber said. “My dad doesn’t want me spending the night with my college boyfriend.”
Katasha rolled her eyes. This “college boyfriend” routine of Kimber’s was getting old fast. “I have an idea,” she said, “Why don’t we pick up the sack lunches and then find some place on campus to have a picnic.”
At this point, Ivy stepped forward. She’d been standing back ever since Claire had arrived with her whole contingent of hiking friends. Katasha could see how the group must be intimidating to her. This was, after all, Ivy’s very first day on campus. The rest of them had a week on her.
“That sounds fun to me,” she said. “In fact, I know how we can get up on the roof of the library.”
“Oh really?” Katasha meowed, terribly intrigued.
“I have a cousin who went to Isleywood,” Ivy said. “He told me all these stories and even about some secret places. He told me one story about a professor of human studies…”
Ivy was cut off by all the hikers groaning.
“Yes,” Preston barked. “We know that one.”
Ivy’s ears flicked sideways in a very familiar gesture to a cat. She took a step away from the group, looking horribly rebuffed. She seemed to be an unusually emotionally sensitive dog.
“We don’t know how to get on the roof of the library though,” Katasha said, trying to sound positive and encouraging. She could see that life would be a lot easier if she could get Ivy to where she felt comfortable and included. If she wanted this group of friends to have anything like what Cheshire Suite had, they’d need a place to hang out, and Claire and Ivy’s room was an awful lot closer to her own than Turtle and Jimothy’s. So, that meant Ivy needed to be part of the group.
Continue on to Chapter 23…