Radiant Eclipse

When we arrived in Maine I was the only one that chose not to waste my time with sightseeing, seeing as how I'd viewed the same lighthouse or museum four other times before. Instead, I ignored their cautions about how the rough waterfront rocks were dangerous, and pulled on jean shorts, a sweatshirt and black high tops with red tongues and laces and sped off for them. I climbed down a good fifty yards from the dull cliff side, which was barely steep at all, and smiled as the rocks brought me a challenge worth forcing myself to do.

It was high noon, the sun warm but the northern winds bringing a refreshing cold breeze along with it, whipping my hair around in random outbursts of patterns. I was approached by a stray dog, a mix between what looked like a golden retriever and a yellow Labrador. His large brown eyes viewed me curiously before a big dopey smile enveloped his face and he licked my outstretched hands. I giggled, patting his soft warm head gently as I took an awkward seat on a jagged rock. "What are you doing out here, you big galoof?" I laughed, scratching a spot behind his ear as he heaved in enjoyment.

"Where's your home, doofus?" I wondered.

He let his tongue hang limply out of his mouth as I continued to scratch a spot behind the second ear. Without really thinking about how the guys might take it, I explained, "I think you should come home with me. I'll feed you puppy chow."

He set his head to one side.

"Fine," I stated. "Iams."

He went back to drooling happily, letting me add,"And now we must name you, dog. Unless you would like to be named Dog. Maybe with two G's so you'll seem gangster." He tilted his head. "Fine. How about....Doofus?"

His head still hung to one side.

"How about Galoof?" I asked enthusiastically.

He barked happily as I got to my feet and let him put his front paws on my shoulders. "Let's go, Galoof," I laughed, as he followed close behind me and occasionally helped me to cross rocks, and I helped him in return, as well. When we got back tot he road, he staid right beside me, my hands pressed lightly to his head so I felt he was still there. "Come one, Galoof," I giggled, running towards the buses as the large dog headed after me like most canines did.

"Who are you calling a galoof?" asked Brad as I appeared around the other sides of the vehicles.

"Galoof," I replied, patting my legs as the dog jumped and barked, kissing my hands as I patted his sides lovingly. "Galoof? Meet Brad. Brad? Meet Galoof," I introduced the two.

"Did you find him?" Brad asked worriedly.

"Yes," I answered, taking a seat on the paved road outside of a small tourist spot. Galoof lied on top of me, his head in my lap as I hugged him and kissed him gently. "I found him down by the rocks and he and I decided we were going to hitch."

"Cute dog," came Johnny's voice from behind.

I looked up at him, leaning backwards, and smiled. "Ain't he? He's so pretty. His name's Galoof. I plan on keeping him. Doesn't matter what anyone says."

"What about the guys?" Brad asked angrily.

Looking at him humorously, I said, "What about them?"

"They might not want to keep a dog on the bus, Vickie," he scorned me, as if I was a four year old or a little kid. "Not to mention, he may be someone else's dog. What if a family is missing him, Vick? I know you wouldn't let them miss him that much. You're too good of a person do that."

"There's no tag on him," I snapped. "And who knows? Maybe the family that owned him if someone owned him, beat him. Maybe that's why he ran away and found me. You never know. Maybe I will be the only owner who will actually love him. So my word is final. I keep the dog."

"I don't mind it" was the initial reaction of everyone on tour, as I took him for a run through of the people with me. He especially liked Johnny because he'd brought a dog with him as well, a female black lab with bright green eyes that were adorable. "She's pretty," I said cutely as I knelt down to be level with Galoof and Johnny's Trixie.

"I generally attract the pretty," he said, as I glared up at him, a smirk across his face. "That was a compliment."

"I know," I told him, standing up. "And I have a question about that."

"Shoot,"he said.

"Why do you keep trying to flatter me?" I wondered suspiciously. "I don't fall for it, so why keep trying to gain points with me?"

"I can't just let you know you're attractive?" he asked.

"You can," I said. "But it's the motive that I question."

"Not every guy is after the same thing."

"Not every guy is smart, either," I said. "So why the points?"

"I like you," he confessed. "I guess I just figure that maybe you would give me a chance. But you may be just a little too tough and rough for me to handle, apparently. Maybe that's why I like you, though. I don't get all lovey dovey and tell people my life story, and neither do you. It's pretty much a match set game."

"So my stubbornness and insecurity and self-hatred and loathing actually makes me attractive to you," I laughed. "I never thought you were a creep, but apparently you proved me wrong."

"Not a creep," he argued. "I just like weird things about odd people. So...How about we go for ice cream when we get to New Jersey?"

"Only if I can protect myself with a knife," I said. "Jersey's gross."

"Pretty much," he agreed