Skipping Heartbeats

When she arrived back at her house, it was around noon. She strolled inside hollering for Chuckles who immediately appeared at her feet. Petting his rough head, she walked to her room to change into suitable clothes.

Once she was in shorts and a sporty tank top, she pulled her long hair into a bun. Grabbing her shoes, she walked back to the front door and slipped one on each foot and then stood up. Grabbing the leash off the wall, she heard Chuckles whine but walk to her.

“You’re as bad as Johnnie!” she complained as she snapped the leash on. “I promise we won’t go as far as yesterday.”

Abigail opened the front door and practically dragged Chuckles outside. Once the front door shut, with a spare key in her pocket, she started at a slow walk. Chuckles was an older dog, who had had a lazy owner. Somehow the laziness slipped off onto Chuckles and movement wasn’t on the top of his list.

When she reached the end of the block she started to jog, which instantly made Chuckles start panting like a fat man who ran fifteen feet. After about half mile, Chuckles leash had tightened out and he was almost being dragged behind her.

Slowing to a slow walk, she glanced at her dog that seemed to glare up at her. Wiping sweat off her brows from the heat, she gave in and turned around towards her house. “You know, maybe if you did more than sit there you could make it as far as other dogs can,” she whined.

When they made it back to her house, Chuckles instantly fell to the floor exhausted. “Hope no one robs the house while I’m in the shower. They might get everything out of the house before you’d move,” she murmured walking to her room.



The pancake turned out to be the worst idea he could have imagined. When Johnnie and Anthony returned to the farm, they had the pleasure of witnessing a cow give birth. While the family rushed to see this, Anthony stumbled behind the barn to greet his pancake once again.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he went back inside the barn only to return outside to lose more of his pancake. Maybe staying outside while they finished wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Johnnie whistled when he came around the barn, “I never would’ve guessed you’d have a weak stomach.”

Anthony waved his hand as to dismiss him, but didn’t move in case another piece of pancake felt like meeting the ground again.

“Ya know, school starts on Monday, do you want to see if we could have a camp out tomorrow night as a back to school thing?” Anthony shrugged while standing up and holding onto the barn.

“I could invite Morgan and Abigail too, maybe the twins as well,” he murmured. “That way, you’d know more people before school actually starts!”

“Sure,” Anthony panted.

“Awesome, I’ll ask Morgan tonight after our date and then we can ask the rest right now,” he shouted happily before shuffling off to ask permission.

Walking slowly back to the house, Anthony quickly went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and rid his mouth of the vomit taste. Leaving the bathroom, he could hear Johnnie talking to someone on the phone before he started cheering and promising to call them back with details.

When Anthony entered the kitchen, where Johnnie was, he was met with Abigail and Susie talking about what to name the new born calf. “Abby, do you think your dad would let us use your house for the get together tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, as long as ya’ll help clean it up,” she muttered distracted.

“Deal! What time would it be alright to come over?”

“I dunno, I’d have to ask my master,” she replied annoyed. “I’ll ask when I get home. Now be quiet, we are trying to come up with a good name!”

Anthony sat down at the table and smiled slightly at the two girls who smiled brightly at him for a few seconds. “Antoni, what’s a good name for the calf?” Susie asked.

He sat thinking for a few moments before smiling, “How about Pancakes?”

Johnnie laughed and agreed along with the girls. He might as well get some humor out of the situation.