Sue-Lilly was pulling me forward while Roxy was yanking me backward as she was barking at a squirrel in a nearby oak tree. I shoved my white sunglasses up onto the top of my head while trying to coral them into the green gates surrounding Paw Park.

Paw Park was a small dog park near my neighborhood. My other neighbors that came by our house when we first moved here from Louisville, about a month ago, started rambling on about how their dogs loved to go prance around this park but they never had the time to take them. So, my lovely mother decided it would be the perfect opportunity to meet friends and refused to let me stay home all summer like I did last summer when my dad died from brain cancer.

The next day she called up the two neighbors that she knew with dogs and told them that I would be glad to take their dogs to Paw Park anytime they wanted over the summer, for five dollars an hour. I've never wanted to scream so badly in my life.

But, here I was a month later with Mrs. Roberts white little S***zu, Sue-Lilly and the Tillard's strong black lab, Roxy. I've grown to like the two dogs and took comfort in sitting on the green benches by the chain linked fence and thinking about this coming school year.

It will be my sophomore year and I will be attending it at Tenner High School. I didn't know anyone who went there or anyone at all that was my age. The only person that I could even see as being a friend at all was this boy that looked around my age that always seemed to be at the park.

He had brown hair that was cut short so that you could see his eyes, I haven't been able to get close enough to see what color they were though. Every time I wanted to go ask his name or if the old golden retriever he always brought was his or not, he'd put his headphones in and start tuning everything out. It was very frustrating.

I looked over the front hedges to see if he was there today. He normally stands at the back and plays fetch with his dog. I got on my tippy-toes and look over the fountain in the middle. I was beginning to think that he hadn't come today when he emerged from behind a tall tree with a bright smile and a tennis ball. He threw the ball so hard that his glasses nearly fall off. The Golden Retriever ran as fast as it's old legs could take it and caught the ball in midair. Sue-Lilly and Roxy sure couldn't do that.

After Roxy was done barking I was finally able to get them both through the main gate. I unhooked their leashes and watched them shoot off to go wrestle with each other. I walked over to my normal bench and sat down. While I was making sure they didn't kill each other, I was also stealing looks at the Headphones Guy. I secretly hoped he would be going to the same school as me next year.

             ***
        
As I was walking up my driveway after a morning at the dog park that was a few blocks away from my house, I noticed that my dad's truck wasn't there. I hurried and ran into the house.

I took off Sandy's leash and swung it over the hook by the door. I quickly walked (running wasn't allowed in the house) into the living room where I found my mom sweeping up a shattered vase off the floor.

I knew by the vase and the look on my mom's face, that my mom and dad had just gotten into a fight about the divorce. The papers were sitting on the coffee table, as always, waiting to be signed by my dad. He refused to sign them or move out and my mom didn't do anything about it because she didn't want to make it any harder on the kids, little did she know the constant fighting only made it worst. My dad always left after the big fights. I didn't really know where he went.

I knocked on the side of the wall so my mom knew I was there. She looked up and smiled. "Hey Richie. How was the park?" She asked in an obviously manufactured nice voice.

"It was okay, Sandy and I played some fetch for a while." I replied.

She swept up the last bit of the blue vase and walked over to the trash can in the kitchen to throw it away. "You know, I heard that there was a girl who took them to the park for real cheap. I can give her a call if you want?" She asked as she dumped the vase in the trash.

So, that's who that girl was. I started seeing here around the second week of summer. She was walking Sue-Lilly and Roxy, who were some of my parents friend's dogs. I've been wanting to talk to her but it never seemed like the right time.

"Nah, I like it." I told my mom. "It's how I get away from the constant fighting" Is what I wanted to tell her, but didn't. I began to go upstairs to check on Ronnie, my little brother. He's thirteen and never wants to come with me to the park. He likes to sit on the stairs to hear what they're saying, he likes to know what's going on.

I found him at the top of the stairs. His brown eyes wide with fear. I wasn't going to let him stay home anymore, I've seen those eyes too many times.

I sat down two steps below him and Sandy came up a little while later and licked his hand.  Sandy was both of ours, we got her about ten years ago for Christmas. But, since Ronnie never comes to Paw Park with us she doesn’t really act like his dog anymore.

"It was a really bad one this time Richie." He whispered without looking at me. Sandy snuggled up to him and he started petting her back as he kept looking forward with his wide eyes.

"I know, I saw mom. Listen, I think you need to start coming with me to the park. They're getting too rough for you to have to listen to."

All Ronnie did was nod his head and it broke my heart to see him like this. I wanted to march down stairs and start yelling at Mom and show her what she's done to our family ever since she decided that she was falling in love with someone else who wasn't my dad. I wanted to take Ronnie and run away. But I didn’t, I knew it would only make things worst.

         ***
        
After I dropped the dogs off at their houses, I walked up to my room and put my twenty dollars in the jar that I kept on my dresser. I looked through the small two bedroom, one bathroom house to see if my mom was home for lunch yet. But, I couldn't find her.

She had to work overtime at her new job since she was the only income we had. I was okay with it at first but I missed our everyday lunches we used to have before Dad died a year ago.

I walked back into my room and threw myself onto my fluffy bed. She should be here in an hour or so and if not I would just make a sandwich.

Thirty minutes later, I heard a door open, followed by "I'm home!" I ran downstairs to meet her and give her a big hug. We've definitely grown closer over the past year.

"Where to today? Crumbs?" I asked. Crumbs was an old-fashioned diner downtown that reminded me of the one in Grease.

But to my disappointment, she just frowned and said, "I'm sorry Jennifer. I really wanted to take you to Crumbs but I've got a meeting in an hour. Can we just eat some sandwiches here?"

I sighed and nodded. It was what I was going to do anyway. At least she could come home for an hour.

We walked into our cramped kitchen and I started getting the ingredients and silverware and putting them on the counter and my mom started to make them.

After we made them all and put everything away, we went into the living room and sat on the couch. We've been too lazy to get out our table and besides, we didn't even have room or at least that was the excuse we used.

I shoved my turkey sandwich in my mouth as soon as I sat down, walking dogs was exhausting, especially the ones I was walking. My mom brushed her red hair out of the way and began to eat hers really fast too. I guess full time at the department store was exhausting too.

"So, how were Loo-Lilly and Moxy?" Teased my mom. She knew their names, she just thought it was hilarious to say them wrong and annoy me. "Ha-ha, you should be a comedian." I joked.

My mom laughed and finished off her sandwich. "Well, the Wicked Witch of the West was no better today, she made me rearrange the toys aisle…AGAIN!" My mom growled.

She hated her boss and wanted nothing more than to get a better job but there were no better jobs in Tenner that were open except ones that required a degree which my mom didn't have. She wanted one, but degrees require money and unfortunately we didn't have that either.

"Hey, at least you didn't have to pick up Moxy's poop!" I argued. My mom smiled, I always loved when I could make her smile. She hardly ever did anymore, she stopped crying all the time ever since we moved here. The change of scenery was good for us, it was why we moved. She didn't have to drive by the hospital that he died at every time she drove to work.

She checked her watch and put a hand over her mouth. "Oh no! The Witch is going to make me rearrange the boy's clothing aisle next if I don’t hurry!" She kissed me on the cheek and ran out the door.

I sat there looking at the empty spot on the couch and kept thinking how my life would be so much easier if my dad was still here.

         ***

My parents started arguing again about a week after "The Big Fight."  As soon as they started raising their voices at each other, I took Sandy and Ronnie to Paw park as fast as I could.

She was sitting on the bench like always. Her red hair was tied up in a loose pony tail and her pasty arms were folded together as she watched the two dogs chase each other. She looked over at me and smiled and I smiled back. It’s funny how you can become friends with someone you've never even talked to before.

When we were all the way on the other side of the park, Ronnie pulled my sleeve and whispered, "So, are you going to talk to the pretty girl or not?"

I just stared at him and then at the "pretty girl". I thought about it, what would happen if I did and what I would say.

She would be sitting on the bench and I would swoop in and sit right next to her. She would look at me with her dazzling eyes and say, "Finally." Right as I thought about what I was going to say back to her, I felt the tennis ball in my hand being yanked away.

I was looked down expected an eager Sandy to be trying to get it out of my hand but instead I saw an annoying little brother about to throw it at…THE PRETTY GIRL!?

"NO!" I shouted at him as the ball left his hand and Sandy shot off to go get it. It was a perfect throw, right to her and if it wasn't about to hit the girl I've had a crush on all summer I would've told him needed to join the baseball team.

The neon green ball flew threw the air right into Roxy's mouth. "Uh-Oh." I thought. Roxy didn't look like she was going to drop it anytime soon and Sandy, who was inches away, looked like she wasn't going to let her keep it for much longer.

As I predicted, Sandy began to growl at Roxy and before I knew it Sandy began to claw at her. I saw the girl begin to try and take the tennis ball out of her dog's mouth. Her cheeks were bright red and I knew that I had to do something fast.

I ran across the park like I was Sandy trying to catch the ball before it hit the ground. I got to the dogs in no time. The girl who I still didn't know the name of yet, got out of the way. I quickly pulled the ball out of Roxy's mouth and gave it to Sandy who trotted over to sit by smiling Ronnie. I was feeling quite confident about myself when…

"Thanks. I'm Jennifer." She told me as she held out her hand. I finally found out her name, I hadn't been happier all summer.

"Oh, uh it was no problem, it was my dog." I blurted out. She looked at her hand and then at me. She as smiling which meant she thought I was funny, right? "Oh and uh my name is um…"

"Richard!" Called Ronnie as he walked towards us with Sandy. Jennifer laughed the cutest laugh I've ever heard and shook my hand.

It's funny how things work out sometimes. How strangers become girlfriends and annoying little brothers can do things that seem stupid at the time but actually they change everything.