Sometimes...
7
Ben sat with me in class the next day, the whole week he pretty much sat with me in class, waved when he walked past and talked to me in the hallway if there was time. I was walking home from school the next Tuesday when I took the shortcut through the park, it wasn’t very busy but there was a dog running around. Just as I got near the exit the dog got closer and I recognised it “Peyton!” I shouted and it looked up running over to me.
I crouched down petting him before realising he didn’t have his ball with him “Where’s Ben?” I asked before feeling stupid for asking a dog a question like that, I kept hold of his collar as I looked around but I couldn’t see Ben. There was an old couple and a young family and neither of them would be with him, I stood up keeping hold of his collar (luckily he was big enough that I didn’t have to reach down far) and walked towards Ben’s house.
I got there to see no cars on the drive, I knocked on the door but nobody came; I decided to try next door seeing as it seemed like they were friends with them and they might know where someone was. I knocked on the door and a woman answered it, “Hi I’m looking for someone next-door but nobody’s answering the door, do you know where they are?” I asked and she shook her head.
“The Roethlisberger’s?” she asked and I nodded “No they work later on Tuesdays, Katie just went out with her boyfriend about 10 minutes ago if your looking for her” she said and I shook my head. “No I’m looking for Ben, I found his dog at the park,” I said and she looked at him, “I thought that was Peyton, no Ben’s out I think he has football practise. Hang on let me ask my husband he was talking to him this morning,” she explained.
She shouted him and he came to the door “Do you know where Ben is?” she asked, “Told me he had football practise, why?” he asked confused “She’s found Peyton and nobody’s in, have you tried ringing him?” she asked. “Oh I don’t have his number” I replied and she nodded “Oh well I would say he’s at football practise at the school, do you know where that is?” she asked and I nodded.
“Yeah I go there” I replied “Oh well I’d say he’ll be there then, we’d take him but we’ve got dogs and they’re not so keen on Peyton are they boy?” she said smiling and I nodded “Hang on let me get you a leash you can’t go walking around like that with him, here” she said handing me one and I clipped it on his collar.
“Thanks” I replied and she smiled “So I’d go back to school to find Ben and if anyone comes home I’ll tell them you’ve got him. Hang on what’s your name?” she asked “Jenna Henley” I said and she smiled “Oh you were around the other night weren’t you?” she asked and I nodded “Yeah Samantha said Ben had a friend called Jenna over, well I’ll tell them you’ve got him. Does Ben know where you live?” she asked and I nodded.
“Okay well if he comes back here I’ll tell him to try school or your house then, sorry” she offered “No it’s okay and thanks. I’ll bring this back” I said and she nodded “Tell Ben to give me it later” she said and I nodded “Thanks, bye” I said was I walked off.
For a big dog he was surprisingly easy to walk, he didn’t pull; he just wandered along at your side. I walked back through the park heading to school when I realised I’d have to go to football practise. I got to school to see the janitor by the doors smoking “Excuse me, do you know if football practise is still on?” I asked and he looked at his watch.
“Just, they finish in 5 minutes” he replied and I nodded "They’re on the field, but you can’t take your dog through the school; you’ll have to walk around” he said and I nodded. “Okay thanks” I replied walking off in the direction of the football field, as I got closer I saw a few girls sat on the bleachers watching and talking between themselves.
I recognised 3 of them as girlfriends of the footballers and the others were sat on there own talking, I saw Ben and walked along to sit on the front row behind the barrier to the field. The girls from school looked over at me as Peyton sat at my feet “Good boy” I said quietly petting his head, I’d been sat there a few minutes when the girls stood up as a group of the guys walked over.
I saw Ben talking to one of them at the back before he looked over and saw me before smiling “Jenna are you stalking me now?” he asked and the girls looked over “No but I am returning something you’ve lost” I said tapping the barrier top and Peyton jumped up putting his front feet on it. “Peyton!” he said and Peyton barked at him “What are you doing with him?” he asked “I found him at the park on the way home, nobody was in at yours but your neighbour said you’d be here” I explained as he walked over, he grabbed me hugging me “You’re a life saver, thanks” he said and I smiled.
“Its okay but seriously stop losing him” I replied and he laughed “I never lost him the first time, I just couldn’t keep up; how many times Henley” he said smiling and I laughed “Well this time you lost him” I replied "Yeah but it wasn’t my fault, did they say who was in last?” he asked “Yeah your sister left about 10 minutes before I got there” I admitted.
“I will actually murder her when I get home” he joked and I smiled “So here was me thinking you’d just turned up to see me but no your returning my dog, I’m starting to think you like Pey more than you like me” he replied and I smiled “He is cute, and surprisingly well behaved” I admitted.
“I trained him well didn’t I, good boy going to Jenna. What was he doing?” he asked “Just running around the park, I shouted him and came straight over” I explained “Well he is well trained then, thanks for getting him. I’ve got to go get changed but I’ll meet you out here in like 5 minutes okay?” he asked and I sighed.
“What?” he asked looking worried “I’ve got to look after your dog again!” I joked and he smiled “Yes you have, I’ll be back in a minute” he said walking back to the others and heading inside. The girls looked at me whispering between themselves before walking closer and I wished Ben would hurry up “Jenna” Emily (Craig’s girlfriend and one of the cheerleaders) said and I looked her way.
“What’s the deal?” she asked and when I didn’t answer straight away she looked at the others “Why are you here?” she asked “I was bringing Ben his dog back” I said quietly and she nodded “How’d you know it was his?” she asked “I’ve seen him before” I replied quietly looking for anyone coming and I saw a group of guys appearing from the school.
“So what you miraculously managed to catch it and bring it here?” she asked and I stayed quiet, “Roethlisberger and you? What are you doing?” she asked and I looked down at Peyton. “You dating or something?” she asked and I shook my head “Didn’t think so” she said as the others laughed quietly, couldn’t have just taken Peyton home and waited until Ben came to fetch him could I? I had to come here; I’d brought this on myself.
I crouched down petting him before realising he didn’t have his ball with him “Where’s Ben?” I asked before feeling stupid for asking a dog a question like that, I kept hold of his collar as I looked around but I couldn’t see Ben. There was an old couple and a young family and neither of them would be with him, I stood up keeping hold of his collar (luckily he was big enough that I didn’t have to reach down far) and walked towards Ben’s house.
I got there to see no cars on the drive, I knocked on the door but nobody came; I decided to try next door seeing as it seemed like they were friends with them and they might know where someone was. I knocked on the door and a woman answered it, “Hi I’m looking for someone next-door but nobody’s answering the door, do you know where they are?” I asked and she shook her head.
“The Roethlisberger’s?” she asked and I nodded “No they work later on Tuesdays, Katie just went out with her boyfriend about 10 minutes ago if your looking for her” she said and I shook my head. “No I’m looking for Ben, I found his dog at the park,” I said and she looked at him, “I thought that was Peyton, no Ben’s out I think he has football practise. Hang on let me ask my husband he was talking to him this morning,” she explained.
She shouted him and he came to the door “Do you know where Ben is?” she asked, “Told me he had football practise, why?” he asked confused “She’s found Peyton and nobody’s in, have you tried ringing him?” she asked. “Oh I don’t have his number” I replied and she nodded “Oh well I would say he’s at football practise at the school, do you know where that is?” she asked and I nodded.
“Yeah I go there” I replied “Oh well I’d say he’ll be there then, we’d take him but we’ve got dogs and they’re not so keen on Peyton are they boy?” she said smiling and I nodded “Hang on let me get you a leash you can’t go walking around like that with him, here” she said handing me one and I clipped it on his collar.
“Thanks” I replied and she smiled “So I’d go back to school to find Ben and if anyone comes home I’ll tell them you’ve got him. Hang on what’s your name?” she asked “Jenna Henley” I said and she smiled “Oh you were around the other night weren’t you?” she asked and I nodded “Yeah Samantha said Ben had a friend called Jenna over, well I’ll tell them you’ve got him. Does Ben know where you live?” she asked and I nodded.
“Okay well if he comes back here I’ll tell him to try school or your house then, sorry” she offered “No it’s okay and thanks. I’ll bring this back” I said and she nodded “Tell Ben to give me it later” she said and I nodded “Thanks, bye” I said was I walked off.
For a big dog he was surprisingly easy to walk, he didn’t pull; he just wandered along at your side. I walked back through the park heading to school when I realised I’d have to go to football practise. I got to school to see the janitor by the doors smoking “Excuse me, do you know if football practise is still on?” I asked and he looked at his watch.
“Just, they finish in 5 minutes” he replied and I nodded "They’re on the field, but you can’t take your dog through the school; you’ll have to walk around” he said and I nodded. “Okay thanks” I replied walking off in the direction of the football field, as I got closer I saw a few girls sat on the bleachers watching and talking between themselves.
I recognised 3 of them as girlfriends of the footballers and the others were sat on there own talking, I saw Ben and walked along to sit on the front row behind the barrier to the field. The girls from school looked over at me as Peyton sat at my feet “Good boy” I said quietly petting his head, I’d been sat there a few minutes when the girls stood up as a group of the guys walked over.
I saw Ben talking to one of them at the back before he looked over and saw me before smiling “Jenna are you stalking me now?” he asked and the girls looked over “No but I am returning something you’ve lost” I said tapping the barrier top and Peyton jumped up putting his front feet on it. “Peyton!” he said and Peyton barked at him “What are you doing with him?” he asked “I found him at the park on the way home, nobody was in at yours but your neighbour said you’d be here” I explained as he walked over, he grabbed me hugging me “You’re a life saver, thanks” he said and I smiled.
“Its okay but seriously stop losing him” I replied and he laughed “I never lost him the first time, I just couldn’t keep up; how many times Henley” he said smiling and I laughed “Well this time you lost him” I replied "Yeah but it wasn’t my fault, did they say who was in last?” he asked “Yeah your sister left about 10 minutes before I got there” I admitted.
“I will actually murder her when I get home” he joked and I smiled “So here was me thinking you’d just turned up to see me but no your returning my dog, I’m starting to think you like Pey more than you like me” he replied and I smiled “He is cute, and surprisingly well behaved” I admitted.
“I trained him well didn’t I, good boy going to Jenna. What was he doing?” he asked “Just running around the park, I shouted him and came straight over” I explained “Well he is well trained then, thanks for getting him. I’ve got to go get changed but I’ll meet you out here in like 5 minutes okay?” he asked and I sighed.
“What?” he asked looking worried “I’ve got to look after your dog again!” I joked and he smiled “Yes you have, I’ll be back in a minute” he said walking back to the others and heading inside. The girls looked at me whispering between themselves before walking closer and I wished Ben would hurry up “Jenna” Emily (Craig’s girlfriend and one of the cheerleaders) said and I looked her way.
“What’s the deal?” she asked and when I didn’t answer straight away she looked at the others “Why are you here?” she asked “I was bringing Ben his dog back” I said quietly and she nodded “How’d you know it was his?” she asked “I’ve seen him before” I replied quietly looking for anyone coming and I saw a group of guys appearing from the school.
“So what you miraculously managed to catch it and bring it here?” she asked and I stayed quiet, “Roethlisberger and you? What are you doing?” she asked and I looked down at Peyton. “You dating or something?” she asked and I shook my head “Didn’t think so” she said as the others laughed quietly, couldn’t have just taken Peyton home and waited until Ben came to fetch him could I? I had to come here; I’d brought this on myself.