It's a Dog's Life

Scarlette Noir sighed for the hundredth time. She was in the car with her parents on the way to the pet rescue centre. It was about an hour away from her house and she was incredibly bored. Sure, she wanted a dog, but it was just taking a long time. Her parents were getting her a dog for her 16th birthday and she was excited.

She put her headphones in and started to play a new album she had brought. It was by a band called My Chemical Romance. They were pretty new, but they were an awesome band. The singer, Gerard Way, was incredible. His voice blew her away the first time she heard Honey, This Mirror Isn’t Big Enough For The Two Of Us.

“Scar, we’re here.” Her mum said around 20 minutes later. She sighed. One of her favourite songs, Headfirst For Halos, was just starting. Oh well, now she could choose her new dog.
They walked into the place and the place was filled with at least 30 dogs barking. They were soon looking at all the dogs.

They had a really wide range. Alsatians, corgis, poodles (who wants a poodle?), spaniels, jack russels, beagles, all different breeds. She knew her parents didn’t want a big dog, so she was looking at the smaller dogs.

Then she came across a dog smaller than the others who was laying down in the corner of his own. It was a jack russell puppy, no more than a year old. She asked if she was allowed in the pen to have a look at them and they let her in. She was bombarded by all the dogs there, but she went over to the puppy. He looked up at her and she smiled. He was a chocolate brown colour with a white patch over one eye and another white patch over his ear.

“Hey boy.” She said, stroking him. He shied away at first, but then he looked like he enjoyed it. He stood up and tried jumping up on her lap. She laughed.

“Is this the one you want then?” Her mum asked her. She nodded. “Come on then.” Scarlette grinned.

I picked up my new dog and we walked out of the pen. They found out that the dog was around 7 months old, making it’s birthday around October. She hadn’t yet decided on a name, but she would think of one very soon. The way back in the car, the dog sat on her lap.

She finished listening to the My Chemical Romance CD before she decided to listen to the other CD she had brought out with her. It was a Misfits album. When they got home, Scarlette decided to take him out for a walk straight away. She took him over to the field that was hear her house and he walked obediently beside her. They were walking down the lane back home.

“What should I call you?” She said to herself. “Patch? No, too common.”

How about Frank?” She heard someone say. It was a man’s voice, with an American accent. She looked around but there was no one there.

“I must be going crazy.” She murmured. “There’s no one there.”

“Except me.” She heard the same voice say.

“Who’s there?” Scarlette asked.

“You… you can hear me?” The voice asked.

“Yeah, now where are you?” There were bushes all around her, someone could be hiding there.

“Look… just look down.” She looked down at the dog and he stuck his tongue out, panting. “Hi.” She let go of the lead. ‘My dog is talking to me.’ She thought.

“Holy shit…” She said, backing away slightly.

“Oh my God, you can hear me.” He said.

“You can’t be talking to me. You’re a dog, you can’t talk.”

“Well believe me, you’re the only one who’s been able to hear me so far.” He said. She sat down on a log.

“This is way to weird.”

“Well imagine waking up one day to find you’re a dog.” He said. “I’m actually a human, but a few months ago, I woke up and found myself like this.”

“So, you’re actually human?” She asked.

“Yeah, my name’s Frank and I’m 20. I live in Newark, New Jersey. In America since we‘re in England right now.” Her jaw dropped.

“Oh my God… You’re Frank Iero!” She exclaimed. “Bloody hell!”

“You know who I am just from that?” He asked.

“Yeah.”

“Wow.” He said. He sat down. “So I take it you listen to My Chemical Romance?”

“I was listening to it in the car… But, how can…”

“I have no idea how there can be a Frank Iero in Jersey and how I can be Frank Iero too, but I know that I am.”

“Ok, this is really weird, but I do believe you, strangely enough.” She said. “My name’s Scarlette by the way, Scarlette Noir.”

“Nice to meet you.” He grinned, well as much as he could being a dog.

“Come on, we should get back.” She picked the lead up again and they walked back to the house.

“Hey Scar, have you decided on a name yet?” Her dad asked her.

“Yeah I have. I’m gonna call him Frankie.” Frank barked in agreement.

“Thank you.” He said, then he and Scarlette froze. What if her dad had heard him, but he made no recognition that he did.

“It sounds good. Now take him upstairs and you can get his basket ready.” Frank followed her upstairs and into her room.

“I guess I am the only one that can hear you.” She said. I put the basket in the corner of my room next to my guitar and he barked with excitement.

“You play guitar? That’s so freaking cool.” He said.

“Yeah, have done for a few years.” She replied.
She put her CD player on and she and Frank talked until she decided to go to bed. She had a shower and changed in the bathroom because she knew that Frank was actually a guy.

When she came back in, she turned to light off and got into bed. Then she felt something jump on the bed.

“Cheeky.” She said.

“Oh well.” He replied. “Good night Scarlette.”

“Good night Frank.”