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“No Dogs” by Kirisis “KC” Alpinus

A sensitive but outgoing puppy encounters bigotry, bullying, and learning what it means to be a minority in a world that was built to punish her and ultimately learns to resist, all while enjoying her latest Stacy Bark books.

Today’s story is “No Dogs” by Kirisis “KC” Alpinus, aka @Darheddol & @SwirlyTales on Twitter, who has published several anthologies and short stories with many incredible authors, but for now, she would like for you to say their names: 

George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,  Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, Alton Sterling, Eric Garner, and Emmett Till. 

#BlackLivesMatter.

Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

Transcript
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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.

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I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and Today’s story is

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“No Dogs https://www.sofurry.com/view/1423021” by Kirisis “KC”

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Alpinus, aka @Darheddol

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& @SwirlyTales on Twitter,

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who has published several anthologies and short stories with many incredible authors,

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but for now, she would like for you to say their names:

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George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,

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Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland,

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Tamir Rice, Philando Castile,

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Trayvon Martin, Alton Sterling,

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Eric Garner, and Emmett Till. #BlackLivesMatter.

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“No Dogs”

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by Kirisis “KC” Alpinus

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Come on, Taissa. We don't wanna be late for your first day!"

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The small Staffordshire terrier shouldered her bright, pink bookbag

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and hurried to catch up to the older, brindle terrier.

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Why did her mom have to walk so fast?

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Stubby puppy legs weren't made for chasing down adult terriers!

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As Taissa looked over her shoulder, she saw the other neighborhood pups just getting up:

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a diminutive Doberman feeding the hens, a plucky Rottweiler blinking sleep-laden eyes and fetching the milk,

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and a Mastiff lumbering towards the outhouse.

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Taissa wished that she could be going to their school,

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but her mother's stubborn determination had ensured that she wouldn't be going to the school around the corner this morning,

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or any other morning, for that matter.

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"If you're early, you're on time,

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and if you're on time, you're-"

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"-late." Yes Momma, I know," Taissa

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said, rolling her hazel eyes and brushing a floppy, gray ear out of her face.

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"Good. I want you to make a good impression for these dogs.

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Okay, baby?" Dominique looked down at her daughter,

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who yawned and scratched behind an ear.

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"Yes, Momma," Taissa repeated,

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hopping over a puddle,

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taking care to keep her dainty paws dry.

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As she followed her mother, she noticed how there was more grass and less concrete the farther they walked.

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She wanted to go over and give it a good sniff,

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maybe roll around in it,

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but she knew her mother would nip her for the offense.

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"I just want you to know

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that today might be a little rough,"

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Dominique said, placing a paw on her daughter's shoulder

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as they stopped in front of the schoolhouse,

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"but remember that you're here to make a difference, okay?

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I want you on your best behavior.

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Make your Momma proud."

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"I will, Momma." Taissa buried her square muzzle into her mother's blouse,

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the smell of this morning's breakfast biscuits enveloping her.

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As she looked over her mother's shoulder,

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she saw the other dogs whisper behind their paws at her,

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their faces accusatory,

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but Taissa just took it as a sign that she should be getting to class.

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She broke away from her mother,

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wagged her tail once,

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and walked into the building.

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As Dominique watched her daughter pad off, she shivered,

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the staring and whispers beginning to get to her.

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Looking down at her watch,

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she noticed that she had less than an hour to get to work.

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Shaking herself, she began walking in the direction of the office buildings, before she felt the sharp jab of a baton in her back.

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"What you doin' on this side of town, girl?"

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Dominique wheeled around to see a police shepherd,

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his pointed ears as rigid and unyielding on top of his head as his demeanor.

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He seemed young, about as old as her son Frederick, but like all his kind, he stuck his chest out and seemed to want to assert himself over the older terrier.

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"I was on my way to work,"

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Dominique replied, her ears pressed against her head and her eyes downcast.

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"You got some ID?" he spat,

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the edges of his muzzle wrinkling in disgust.

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"Yes sir, right here in my purse.

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purse." Dominique fumbled with the clasp of her bag,

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but despite her shaking paws, she managed to grab the thin piece of laminated paper

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and held it out to the officer. He snatched it away from her and read it,

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his eyes narrowing as they glanced over each line.

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"Well you best go on then," he said, shoving the piece of plastic back at her.

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"Don't let me catch you wandering around here with no business, you hear?"

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"Yes, sir" Dominique mumbled,

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but the cop had already begun his stroll back down the street.

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Once he was out of earshot,

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she snorted in his direction and then

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hurried off towards the bus, not wanting to be late to work. #

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"Haha, stupid puppy!" "Give it back, Robbie!"

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"No way, curly hair! You're not even a real dog 'cause dogs have fur and you've got stupid curly hair!"

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Taissa lifted a floppy ear,

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listening to the goings-on of the playground while keeping her muzzle buried between the pages of a book.

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With her free paw, she gnawed on a massive hambone,

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a prize she'd won off her older brother the night before in a game.

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Taissa wanted to share it with the other pups,

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but like most of her day, it was refused

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and derided. "Small, weak poodle!"

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This made Taissa look up,

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a soft growl on her lips.

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She hated when dogs teased her,

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so a flash of anger coursed through her when she saw a chubby Golden Retriever and a Dalmatian shoving a smaller,

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curly-furred poodle.

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Without a second thought,

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Taissa tossed her book to the side

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(something she'd whine about later)

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and charged at the two larger puppies.

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"Hey! Back off!" The boys turned,

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the Dalmatian growling at her, while the retriever wrinkled his muzzle and snapped.

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"What are you doing?

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This is none of your business, terrier!"

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"You're being a bully and my momma always told me to stand up to bullies, so that's what I'm doing!"

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Taissa stood in front of the poodle

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and squared her paws,

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her smaller, agile body poised and ready.

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The retriever smirked

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and crossed his arms across his chest,

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his eyes narrowed.

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"What would you know about bullying, you pibble?

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You and your kind aren't even worthy of being known as dogs.

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My father says that you're savages,

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almost wolves!" From behind her,

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Taissa heard the poodle gasp

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and even the Dalmatian recoiled from his words.

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"You're the dog that's pushing other pups around and being a

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fat bully. Seems like you're closer to being a wolf than I am!"

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Two things happened at once:

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the retriever clenched his fists and swung, and the science teacher stepped into the middle to find out what happened.

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The blow of the retriever pup didn't do much by way of hurting the science teacher,

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but he wasn't pleased about being hit.

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"Robert Duckfetch, did you just hit me?" "I

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-uh well, she started it!"

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Robbie pointed to Taissa,

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who recoiled and wrinkled her muzzle in her own defense.

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"I didn't do nothing!"

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"I'm all for this integration and mingling of pups, but if this is how your kind acts,

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I think we may be mistaken!"

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The science teacher

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reached for Taissa's scruff, but suddenly the poodle girl was there,

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her eyes wide as she came to Taissa's defense.

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"She didn't do anything, Mr. Barker!

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It was Robbie who pushed me and started this.

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She saved me!" The teacher looked from one pup to the other,

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but then he sighed and folded his arms.

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"Well Alice, I know that you would never involve yourself in a fight, and judging from the dirt on your dress,

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I'm inclined to believe you.

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Robbie and Arthur,

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you two will meet me after school for detention.

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We're training you both to be good dogs,

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not bullies." Both boys groaned

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and kicked at the dust,

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but Alice brightened,

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giving Taissa a quick hug around her middle.

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The teacher, however, wasn't finished.

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He rounded on Taissa,

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his ears erect on his head

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and his tail straight behind him.

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"Now, I know you're new here and I don't know what they allow at that school of yours across the tracks, but we don't tolerate that here.

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If you're going to be around well-bred dogs,

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you will act as such, you hear?"

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Taissa whimpered a 'yes'

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and shrank in on herself.

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Satisfied that all parties had been thoroughly chastised,

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the teacher grabbed both boys by their scruffs

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and dragged them inside, leaving the terrier

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tilting her head,

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ears wilting. She hadn't started the fight,

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but why did it feel like she was chastised as well?

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A snuffling sound made her turn

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and look down. It was the poodle, Alice,

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her jacket returned

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and a smile on her face.

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"Nobody has ever stood up for me.

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Thanks for that. My name's Alice."

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"I'm Taissa and uh yeah,

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no problem," she said,

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padding back towards her reading spot with Alice in tow.

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The poodle seemed

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unsure around her, but the moment Taissa

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pulled out her book, she brightened and started chatting incessantly.

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"Is that a Stacy Bark book?"

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Taissa looked at the front of the floppy-eared book

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and raised an eyebrow.

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"Um, yeah. My old school gave me this before summer break."

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"That's nice of them,

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but that's one of the old ones.

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My momma and papa buy me one every time we go to the market 'cause I get good grades in school.

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I'm waiting for the new one to come out."

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Taissa stared at the poodle,

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her muzzle agape.

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Books for simply getting good grades?

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Momma and Poppa were proud of her grades in school,

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but books were far too expensive for her family to splurge on every week.

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Who were these people that they could afford books every week?

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"That's one of the old ones,"

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Alice said, matter-of-factly,

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touching at the folded-over corners of the book.

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"It's new to me," Taissa

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said, jerking the book away,

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feeling the fur along her spine rise.

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"I'm sorry, I meant-uh, well,

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would you like to read some of the ones that I've finished?

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I've got loads of them!"

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"Um-I-" "I'm sure my mom won't mind!"

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"No, I'm-" BBBRING!! Both pups perked their ears at the klaxon-like wailing of the bell.

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There were groans and scuffling as the other pups scurried towards the doors,

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their tails wagging behind

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them. Alice looked as if she wanted to say more,

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but the barks of the science teacher made her wince.

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"See you after school?"

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she asked, bounding off before Taissa could respond.

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Shoving her book into her bag, the sanctity of her lunch broken,

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she trudged into the school.

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She received a quip from the teacher about being the last one inside of the classroom.

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Her ears burning,

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Taissa slid down into her seat,

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grateful to be seated at the back of the classroom so she didn't have to have more of her classmates' eyes boring into her.

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Why'd Momma have to put her in a school with such mean-spirited teachers and students, where everyone else looked

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different? # "It's gonna be rough

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and we might get tired, but we just

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have to press towards the mark.

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We're fighting against something that's greater than me,

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you, and even you, Sister."

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The terrier had been pointing a blunted claw at the other dogs that had gathered in the small, homey church

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until it landed on Dominique.

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She'd been stewing on the day's events,

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especially with that rude poodle from work and her stereotyping, but when James elbowed her in the ribs, she huffed

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and looked up to see the entire congregation staring at her.

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Before she could stammer out a reply,

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the congregation murmured and nodded their heads, agreeing with his words.

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Feeling the warmth flood her cheeks,

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Dominique buried her muzzle in the center of her bible and tried to remain unnoticed for the rest of the service.

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"You shoulda been paying attention to him,"

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James said, shoving his bible into his briefcase. "I know he's

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on the young side,

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but the man can move people with his words.

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I think this boycott of his will work."

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"I know," Dominique huffed,

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shoving her arms into her woolen jacket,

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"and I shoulda been listening, but I had a lot on my mind today."

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"Like what?" "Just work and

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sending Taissa off to that school.

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I'm wondering if we did the right thing sending her and not

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JR or Marcus." James eyed their two eldest children,

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a pair of rambunctious boys

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and then stared at his wife.

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"You mean the same JR or Marcus who aren't even five seconds away from me sending them to sleep outside?

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Boy, don't you put that in your muzzle!"

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James stormed away to separate his sons and give the elder JR a thorough shaking of his scruff before returning to Dominique,

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who smiled despite herself.

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"Sorry baby, but I swear that we can't leave them alone for a minute before they're chewing on everything.

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But what was I saying?"

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"You were talking about my job and sending Taissa to that school."

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"What? Oh yeah, yeah.

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Well, it's all for a good cause, 'Nique.

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We chose Taissa to be the one to go 'cause of her good grades and being smart as a whip.

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If anyone can get through to them,

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it'll be Baby Girl. 'Scuse

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me, baby, I gotta get them."

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Dominique lifted an eyebrow and sighed

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while watching her mate

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corner their two boys once more and threaten to make them sleep outside for the evening before she turned back

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to gather her hymnal and her purse.

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While she packed up,

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she felt a presence near her and, thinking it was James,

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began rattling off her feelings.

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"I know you said Taissa would be the one to get through to them,

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but I just don't know.

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I mean, she's just one girl and

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they don't want her there anyways.

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Are we setting her up to be picked on by them, James?

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Are we doing the right thing?"

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"Change ain't easy, Sister, but it's gotta come sometime."

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Dominique jumped and turned,

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making the young reverend laugh

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and toss his floppy ears. "I

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-uh-I'm sorry, Reverend. I thought you were my husband,

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James. My apologies."

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"I get that a lot.

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You sound a lot like my wife when she's telling me about our pups.

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pups." He laughed. His voice was mild and soothing, like a cup of tea with a dollop of sweet molasses, just as

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smooth and easy to take.

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His dark, chocolate fur seemed to add a regal air to him, despite his young age,

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but the look in his eyes sent a jolt through Dominique.

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This terrier seemed like one

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to not be deterred from his mission once he set his mind on it.

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"Thank you, Reverend. I just

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-I just want to be doing the right thing and I don't want my baby girl to get hurt because of a few angry people."

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The Reverend nodded,

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brushing a paw against the thickened fur of his muzzle.

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"Yeah, we all feel that way.

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I understand that we're asking a lot of ourselves and our children, and sometimes

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we wonder if the cost is worth it."

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When Dominique nodded,

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he continued.

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"But during times like these, we have to ask ourselves:

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do we want our pups to be safe

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or to be respected as full citizens?

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What's a good, safe life

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if it's a life spent

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groveling, begging for scraps from dogs whose only difference from us

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is the texture of their fur? They bleed

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just like we do." The Reverend laughed,

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the light growing in his eyes before he grew somber again.

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"We have to ask ourselves, 'is

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that the life we want our pups to live'?"

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Dominique looked away,

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feeling abashed from having this question asked of her.

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All her life, she had watched her parents, her grandparents, and other family members bow and scrape in the houses of the nearby poodles and retrievers and for what?

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To be kicked whenever they felt like it?

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To have to cower before them,

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lest they be deemed too uppity and summon the Night Catchers,

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who left only ashes and despair in their wake?

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"I hear you, Reverend,

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but who am I to change this?

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Why my baby Taissa too?"

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"We are all called to a higher purpose, and fight it as we might,

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we cannot deny it.

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It's hard now, my sister, and it may seem like an uphill battle,

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but I know we're doing the right thing.

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I know that if I can give my pups, and your pups, and all of our pups the ability to stand,

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not just before the poodles and the retrievers,

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but to be counted as an equal among them,

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then I know that all of our labor will not be in vain."

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Dominique wanted to speak with the Reverend more,

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but his attendants and confidants

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came forward, citing urgent matters for him to attend to

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as they ushered him off.

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Dominique was left standing there,

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mulling over his words until a soft whine

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spilled into her ears.

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"Momma, are you okay?"

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Dominique blinked

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and then looked down, jerked out of her thoughts by her daughter.

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Shaking herself, she took Taissa's paw and squeezed it, nodding.

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"Yes baby, Momma's okay." # "Momma!"

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Taissa stood in the middle of the sidewalk,

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her bookbag slung haphazardly over her shoulder with her arms crossed over her little chest.

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A tiny fang peeked from underneath her jaws

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as she stared down her mother.

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Dominique crossed her arms across her chest too

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and tapped her paw,

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her ears pressed against her head.

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"I'm not telling you again, pup.

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We've gotta run before it rains."

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"But I wanna ride the bus!"

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"I said 'no,' Taissa! We're not riding the bus anymore."

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"Whyyy?" Taissa dragged the last syllable out,

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the tone grating on Dominique's already brittle nerves.

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"Because we have to prove a point.

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No one is riding the bus until they start treating us better.

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Now come on 'fore it starts raining!"

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Dominique grabbed her daughter by the paw,

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but the pup resisted.

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Growling, she snapped at the stubborn girl's shoulder,

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forcing her to move with a whine.

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Why today, of all days, Taissa

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decided to show her stubborn side, Dominique would never know,

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but if they were late in getting home,

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she would be late cooking James' dinner and Lord help her

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if she had to hear that dog whine about a late dinner.

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Just as she was getting her daughter to move,

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she felt a drop land on her muzzle.

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As she looked up,

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a massive thunderclap sounded,

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making Taissa yelp and clutch Dominique around her waist.

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Dominique opened her muzzle to chide her daughter,

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and the sky opened,

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catching the pair

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in a characteristic thunderstorm.

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Grabbing each other's paws, they ran,

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Dominique praying that she wouldn't slip in her pumps

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and Taissa squealing behind her,

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until they came to rest under the roots of a massive oak tree.

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As she stood there,

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she noticed her pup shivering

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while she tried to lick the water off her fur.

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"See what happens when you want to be a stubborn cur?

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And I don't have my umbrella, so we'll have to wait under this tree until this passes,"

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Dominique chided,

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stripping off her sweater and wrapping it around Taissa's thin shoulders.

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Heaving a sigh, she stared up,

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hoping that they could go into the nearby store, until she saw the sign.

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NO VICIOUS DOGS Dominique choked off a growl

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and felt her paw clench around her purse.

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Damn them, she thought,

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her eyes glistening when she looked upon that sign.

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As a pup, she'd never questioned the signs that barred her and dogs of her breed from entering certain establishments.

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It had always been that way for the Rotties, the Bulldogs, and her kind, the Terriers.

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Why were they judged based on their appearance and breeding, despite their intelligence and personalities?

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Why were she and dogs like her, judged and mistreated based on stereotypes that weren't true? HONK!

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HONK! Dominique lifted her muzzle to see a small car in front of her,

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with the annoying poodle woman, Betty from work, and her daughter inside.

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Her daughter had her head out of the window,

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barking enthusiastically at them.

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"Mom! Mom, that's her!

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That's the girl that helped me with Robbie and got my jacket back!"

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"Taissa..." Her daughter tucked her tail between her legs when her mother looked down at her,

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but the poodle interrupted them.

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"Wow, small world! Dominique, right?"

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Dominique nodded, wrapping an arm around Taissa's shoulders

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and moving in front of her.

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These were poodles,

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and this Betty had already insulted her a couple of days ago, but still,

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they had at least stopped to speak once they spotted her and Taissa huddled underneath the tree.

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"Yes'm. This is my daughter, Taissa.

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I'm guessing our girls have already met."

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"I'm glad they did.

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That Duckfetch pup has been a right tick in our ears,

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but thanks for standing up for her.

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By the way, what are you doing in the rain?

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You want a ride?"

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"Please Momma, can we?" Taissa's

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furiously wagging tail threatened to knock the puppy off her feet.

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Dominique stiffened,

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her tail straight behind her.

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She'd never ridden in a car with a poodle before,

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and she still felt mistrustful of the poodle because of her actions at work,

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but Taissa's whining got the better of her.

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"Alright, alright," she sighed,

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watching her daughter bounce up and down before darting into the newly opened car door.

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Grabbing her things, Dominique hopped into the passenger seat and was surprised to see how nice the car was.

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Besides riding on the area bus,

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Dominique didn't get to ride in vehicles much.

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Betty seemed to take note of this and grinned as she put the car into gear and began speeding towards the area where Dominique lived.

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The quiet settled between them while Taissa and Alice chatted in the background about the newest Stacy Bark book,

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but as the rain splashed down on the windows, the silence began to weigh the adults down.

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Moment by moment,

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it grew, like water being held back by a dam,

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until Dominique sneezed,

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bursting it. "Ah,

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so any reason why you two aren't taking the bus?

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It's thunderstormin' and I could never just see myself walking into the rain like that with my pup." Betty turned

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to look at Dominique,

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who had been staring out the window but turned one of her ears in acknowledgment.

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"Perfectly good buses out there and

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I'm not going to tell you how to spend your money because I wouldn't let anyone tell me how to spend mine,

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but catching a bus would have been much better than-" "Sometimes,

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it's better to walk in the pure, sweet rain,

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than to be treated like scum on an old, rickety bus."

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Betty recoiled as if she'd been hit.

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"I'll have you know that the buses are always in pristine condition,

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though some dogs just don't know how to appreciate the nicer things.

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My husband says that it's like they don't know how to act-"

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"Why wouldn't they know how to appreciate the nicer things?

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And what 'nicer things'?

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The buses that they send across the tracks have holes big enough to fall through

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and our own park has more concrete than grass,"

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Dominique shot back,

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now turning to look at Betty.

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"But who put those holes there?"

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Betty said, her eyes darting to the pit bull that was seated next to her.

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"I'm not trying to be mean,

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but some of you dogs can be very aggressive and ill-trained.

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I know it's your breeding and you don't know any better

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but-" "Stop the car!

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Taissa, get your things.

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things." Dominique pawed at the door, preparing to dart out as soon as the car stopped.

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"Hey now! What are you doing?

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I'm not saying that you're like that, just some dogs-"

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"Just some dogs that look like me!"

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Dominique snapped.

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"It's the same thing with all of you poodles,

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retrievers, and collies.

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You don't even know us,

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but you'd rather keep your paws on our bellies just to make yourself seem better.

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Y'all bleed the same blood as the rest of us dogs 'cross the tracks, but still act like you're better than us."

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Dominique opened the door

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and hopped out, grabbing Taissa by her paw.

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Before storming away, she looked Betty in the eyes

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and growled. "Before this boycott,

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dogs like you would have never seen dogs like me if it didn't directly benefit you.

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Funny how you see us now 'cause it directly affects your pockets." #

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Taissa and Alice sat back-to-back,

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both of their muzzles buried within their books.

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They had avoided each other for the next couple of days after their respective mothers had their argument,

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but like two best friends, they found their way back to each other, laughing and giggling,

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despite the disapproving stares of their teachers.

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"Did you read the part where she found the rat hiding in the wall?"

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"I did! I would have been so afraid to have it just burst out on me!"

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"Me too! I would have run."

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"I wouldn't run. I would face it."

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"How are you always this brave?" Alice asked,

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her eyes wide underneath her mop of curly hair.

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Taissa looked at her,

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one ear flopped backward as she tilted her head to the side.

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"Huh? Brave? I'm not brave."

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"Yes, you are. I mean, you stood up to Robbie and his stupid friends,

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but you also always know all the answers in class, even though the teacher calls you a 'know-it-all'."

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Alice heard Taissa sigh

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and looked at her friend who,

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for the first time that semester,

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looked worried. "Did I say something wrong?"

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For a few tense moments,

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Taissa didn't respond.

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She sat there, her tail no longer wagging in the dirt as she looked towards the schoolyard.

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"No, it's not that,

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it's just- well, I'm tired of the teachers and everyone else treating me differently because I'm from across the tracks.

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I-I sometimes hate being a terrier.

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Everything I've read or seen,

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besides Stacy of course, showed dogs like me as

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monsters, and poodles, collies,

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and everyone else havin' all sorts of fun.

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I'm-I'm not a monster.

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I'm just a puppy, and I want to have fun too."

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Alice whined and reached out with a shaky but determined paw

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and put it on Taissa's shoulder.

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"Why-why would you want to not be a terrier?

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You're not like me, but

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-but you're not a monster either, you're my friend!

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Anyone who says differently will have to face me!"

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Alice folded her arms across her chest and snorted,

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causing Taissa to wag her tail in glee.

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Alice was weird and not one of the friends she knew from growing up across the tracks,

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but she was a friend,

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despite her odd looks.

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"I've gotta say, I never knew that a poodle or anyone that wasn't from across the tracks could be so cool.

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Momma always said it was hard to trust ya'll because you sniff and bite tails at the same time."

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Alice tilted her head

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and looked at her friend,

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clearly puzzled. Taissa laughed,

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clutching her book to her chest

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at her friend's bewilderment.

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"She says it means that it's hard to trust ya'll because

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ya'll turn your backs on folks 'soon as it suits you."

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"I would never do that.

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Mama says that only bad dogs bite everyone like that."

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"You're right. I don't want dogs to treat me differently because they don't know me,

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and now that I think about it,

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I shouldn't treat you any differently, either.

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Let's treat each other the same, Alice.

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I'll be your best friend

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if you'll be mine.

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mine." Taissa had extended her paw for a firm handshake,

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but Alice jumped into her friend's outstretched paws

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and they tumbled to the ground, laughing and giggling

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in the pale winter sunlight. #

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The shove in the center of her back caught Taissa completely off-guard.

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Her paws splayed on the tile while her books and papers scattered in front of her.

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As she tried to figure out what had happened to her,

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she heard snickering,

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interlaced with low growling.

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Turning around, she saw the retriever, Robbie,

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from earlier, with Arthur and another young dog behind him.

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His face was twisted in a cruel smile, despite the wagging tail behind him.

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"Looks like you got in my way, terrier."

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In a flash, Taissa was on her paws,

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ears pressed against her skull and teeth bared. "What'd

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you do that for, Robbie?"

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"Because you're a stupid terrier and 'cause I could,"

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he sneered, gathering more chuckles from his friends.

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"Why don't you go back across the tracks and be with your own kind?

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We don't want you here, stinking up the place, thinking you're better than anybody."

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Taissa clenched and unclenched her paws into fists,

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feeling the anger surge inside of her.

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"You don't tell me what to do."

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"Yeah, I can," Robbie said,

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nibbling at a patch on his shoulder.

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"My father owns the factory where your daddy works,

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and I could get him fired if I wanted to, so you'd better watch yourself."

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"You're not the boss of me or my daddy!"

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Taissa barked at him, her voice shrill with emotion.

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There was a crowd gathering around them now, but Taissa didn't mind them,

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her focus was on the retriever and his taunting words.

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"With your daddy working for mine, it means I am.

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am." He laughed, pushing her again.

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The anger welled up in Taissa once more,

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so she stuck one of her paws out, just as Robbie tried to walk past her.

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His resulting collapse brought a grin to her face.

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As Robbie shrugged off his friends,

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his pale flesh coloring

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underneath his golden fur,

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his face twisted into a snarl.

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"How dare you disrespect me, you-you filthy pibble!"

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There was an audible gasp from the crowd as he rushed towards her,

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pushing past his two,

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opened-muzzle friends

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to shove Taissa again, hard.

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She yelped and did the first thing that came to her mind:

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bite. She sank her teeth into Robbie's shoulder

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and held on, despite the nips and bites that attacked her little body.

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Just when she thought her strength would give out,

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she felt Robbie being pulled off her

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and pushed back. It was the science teacher again,

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his eyes blazing.

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"Fighting? In this school?"

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"She-she started it!" Robbie

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whimpered, holding up his arm that, for all his whining,

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only had a few hairs missing. "Nu

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-uh!" Taissa cried before a growl silenced her.

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"But Mr. Barker, he-he called her a p-"

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The teacher rounded on Alice,

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eyes blazing, before returning to the pair.

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"Robert, go to your mother's classroom

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and let her know what you've done.

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As for you, Little Miss Biter,

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we'll be having a chat with your mother.

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This is the second time I've had to deal with you in as many weeks, and I'm sick of it.

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I knew this entire experiment was wrong."

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He grabbed Taissa by her shoulder

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and dragged her along,

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leaving a slew of bewildered dogs standing in a crowd behind them. #

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It had been a couple of days since the car ride and work had been irritating, to say the least, but Dominique managed to stay away from the poodle and other dogs.

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Despite their whispers and stiffened postures when she passed by, they tended to give her a wide berth.

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That was for the better, as dealing with their bigotry and ignorance daily kept the fur along her spine raised,

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and that didn't include the treatment they'd been receiving at the park and bus protests.

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How James managed to tolerate it six days a week was a mystery to her.

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Brrring! Dominique flicked an ear towards the front door

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before she got up to investigate.

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She didn't have to travel far before her youngest pup nearly knocked her over,

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barreling toward her room where she slammed

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the door. Bewildered, Dominique stormed back after her,

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ready to read her daughter the riot act,

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until she heard whimpering coming through the door.

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"Taissa?" Dominique said,

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scratching gently against the door before turning the knob

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and walking into the room.

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Taissa's room was as immaculate as ever,

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a clear deviation from her two older brothers.

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Dominique found her curled up in a corner,

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her paws grasping at her floppy ears.

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"Baby, what's wrong?"

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"GO AWAY!" Dominique jumped,

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not expecting this from her usually bright and bubbly daughter.

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Frowning, she opened her muzzle to reprimand Taissa,

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but when she caught a glimpse of those red-rimmed hazel eyes with tears streaming from them,

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she dropped to her knees,

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her ears touching her head

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as her tone softened.

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"Taissa, talk to me, sweetie.

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Who hurt you?" Dominique didn't receive a verbal response,

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but a slip of paper eased from the clenched paws of her daughter

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and landed at her paws.

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Dominique grabbed the sheet of paper

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and as her eyes scanned the slip,

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she felt a snarl building in her throat.

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Dear Parent, Your puppy was involved in a fight today at school.

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As a reminder, violence of any kind will not be tolerated and as such, your puppy

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has been suspended for the following days:

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2. After such time,

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we expect to see you for a Parent/Teacher conference to discuss your puppy's future at our school.

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Regards. "Fighting?

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Taissa, now I know your father and I raised you better than this, but fighting?"

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Dominique said, swallowing the spittle that was collecting at the back of her throat.

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"It wasn't my fault, Momma.

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Robbie Duckfetch started it!" Taissa curled in deeper on herself,

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the tears freely flowing.

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Dominique choked off a growl at the mention of that name.

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Among the old families that lived in town, the Duckfetches were the ones she and her family wanted the least to do with.

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From owning the kibble packing plant to being the Assistant Mayor,

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the Duckfetches had that town within their jaws for the past two hundred years,

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with no intention of disrupting the status quo.

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"Come here, baby." Dominique wrapped her paws around her daughter

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and clasped the little head to her chest, scratching between the ears.

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"You shouldn't be fighting in school, but no one should put their paws on you,

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regardless of whether they're upper-crusty mutts or regular dogs like you and me." "Th

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-that's not even the worst of it, Momma.

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Momma." Taissa whined, nuzzling into her mother's soft fur,

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the scent of fresh soap,

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cooking dinner,

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and vanilla enveloping her

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as Dominique ran her soft tongue

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over her daughter's face.

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"Oh? What else happened?"

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"He-he called me a p

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-pibble." The words struck her with all the intensity and frustration of a slap.

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The slur, a misnomer for all Staffordshire and American Terriers with defined muscles and a tenacious countenance,

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was used to classify them as vicious and controlled every aspect of their lives.

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Though they were long removed from the stockyards and open plains,

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they were often denigrated for their ancestors' courageous fighting spirit.

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"He what?" "He called me a p-" "You don't need to repeat it. I heard you the first time,"

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Dominique said, her words short as she felt anger course through her.

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"So, was he suspended too?"

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"No," came the angry reply,

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"they just sent him to his mom's classroom."

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"Is that right?" Taissa looked up to her mother,

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who pulled her close,

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the anger vibrating off her short coat.

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"Momma, why wasn't he punished and I was?

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Why do they hate us?"

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"Because they're afraid of change,

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of new things happening to them,

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of losing their lot in life because new ones are made."

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"But I'm scared going to this school and I-I miss my friends,"

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Taissa whimpered, burrowing deeper into her mother's arms.

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"I know, pup. I'm scared too."

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Dominique's face was hard,

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the single tear rolling down the corner of her blazed muzzle her only movement. Taissa

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reached out with a shaky paw to wipe it away,

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to which her mother gently grabbed the paw

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and rubbed it against her head.

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"You're scared?" Dominique nodded,

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her heart heavy as she prepared to watch the last vestiges of her daughter's innocence fade from her.

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"I'm scared for you,

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for how they'll treat me,

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and how they'll treat you 'cause I'm protesting.

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I worry that this boycott will be for nothing, and I might lose my job." "I didn't

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know you got scared, Momma,"

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Taissa said, cuddling closer to her mother,

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her eyes drying. "I do,

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like all parents,

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but I want you to have a better life than I had, without being shunned for being who you are like I was.

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I resist their ugly, hateful ways because someone must show them how to be better.

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better." When Taissa didn't reply,

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Dominique looked down into her daughter's eyes and it almost broke her heart to see the change,

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a certain hardness of character that had grown there.

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It pained the older dog to see that change come upon her daughter,

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and for a moment, she felt helpless until an idea came into her head.

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"I'm not happy about your suspension, and as I've said before,

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I don't condone fighting because

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they'll look for any reason to make you into an animal and I refuse

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to let you give it to them.

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But I'm not going to let a bully get the best of you.

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I refuse to fight bullies

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for a seat on a bus or life within the park,

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while you have to fight them in school." Taissa

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looked at her mother,

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the determination gleaming in her eyes,

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and hugged her harder.

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She felt a little sickness in her stomach

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for what might be coming,

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but she was glad that her momma wouldn't let her be treated unfairly by adults

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who were afraid of a puppy. #

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"I really don't understand why we're here.

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I'm a very busy woman and have better things to attend to,"

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a Golden Retriever female said,

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her tail rigid behind her

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and jewel-laced collar gleaming with every movement.

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Taissa sat on the chair beside her mother,

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fidgeting with the buckle on her dress.

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Beside her, Dominique sat stock still,

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her keen eyes trained on the muzzle of the corgi seated in front of her.

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His glasses had inched their way down his long muzzle,

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which he currently rubbed his paws along

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as the retriever's snobbish voice snapped at them.

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"My son Robert would never be seen fighting

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and degrading himself like a vicious

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dog from across the tracks.

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To think that you, Principal Trotter, would accuse him of this!"

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"Mrs. Duckfetch, please,"

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the corgi sighed,

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now rubbing his temples, "if you would please sit so we can allow the children to discuss what's happened."

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Mrs. Duckfetch huffed,

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the air blowing out roughly through her clenched muzzle

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while muttering about 'uppity mongrels'

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and crossing her arms in front of her.

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The corgi turned a sympathetic eye towards Taissa and Dominique,

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waving for Taissa to speak. "I

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-I was just tryin' to go to class when R-Robbie pushed me from behind-" "Nu

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-uh, that's not true!" Robbie interrupted,

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his brown eyes flashing.

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"She just charged up to me, growling and snapping for no reason.

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You can ask Arthur and Tommy Lee

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and they can tell you exactly what happened."

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"I think my daughter was trying to tell her side of the story first, son-"

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"Excuse you,

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but Principal Trotter wanted the children to explain, not you.

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I'm not sure of how you dogs handle issues on the other side of the tracks, but we civilized dogs let others finish speaking before rudely interrupting them,"

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Mrs. Duckfetch snapped,

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her soft, wavy coat whipping around her

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as she pressed her ears back. "Honestly Kevin,

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I don't know how you deal with the likes of them."

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"I-I don't, that's-that is to say

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that I want to hear the entire story, irrespective

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of where any one dog comes from and I'd prefer no more over-talking from either side,"

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Principal Trotter said,

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his eyes darting between parents.

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"Now, continue on, Taissa."

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Taissa splayed her ears,

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hunkering down in her seat underneath the withering gaze of Dorthea Duckfetch,

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but with a gentle nudge from her mother,

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she found her words again. "Robbie

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shoved me, making me drop my books,

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and then he called me a really

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nasty name," Taissa said,

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her ears lifted atop her head.

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"And he shoved me again,

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which is when I tripped him. I-I didn't mean it but-"

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"But you still put your paws on my son, you filthy-"

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"There's no need for name-calling, ma'am,"

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Dominique said, her words coming out evenly,

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though her body was still

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and alert. Dorthea narrowed her eyes at the older terrier

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and when she spoke, her words were clipped,

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as if she were holding something back.

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"Still, sticks and stones never hurt anyone and if she has such a rabid temper,

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perhaps this social experiment of those

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loose-collar dogs in Congress

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was a failure after all."

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"No, but it wasn't just a name that your son called my daughter.

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My daughter has a tougher hide than that

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and speaking of social experiments and manners, what kind of mother of refined breeding would allow her son

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to just bully on a younger dog like he has?"

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The retriever's ears

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shot up, and she was on her feet,

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growling once more.

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"To think that you,

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a common dog from across the tracks

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and of disreputable breeding, would accuse my son of such abhorrent manners is nothing short

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of an affront to me and my family!

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I'll have you know-"

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"Dorthea, please! Calm yourself!"

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Principal Trotter said,

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standing to his paws and barking. "I would expect better of you!"

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"Oh please, Kevin! You've always been soft on these types of dogs, and it's downright dishonorable for a dog of

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your pedigree to take the barking of an ill-bred terrier

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over the words of a Duckfetch!

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Besides, it's her word against his and my Robbie

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would never do anything like this

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unprovoked." Principal Trotter looked

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imploringly at Dominique and Taissa.

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It was true, it was Taissa's words against his

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and they had nothing to refute his claims.

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"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hunter, but it is just her word against Robbie's, and we don't have any proof of his doing this before,

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while we've had a report from Mr. Barker that said that your child did provoke Robbie previously.

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I'd hate to say this,

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but it might be better if Taissa went back to her old school, where

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she would be accustomed to learning with dogs of her own kind and temperament." Taissa's

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whines filled the room

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while Dominique's muzzle lifted,

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revealing a single canine

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in defiance of what he said.

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"Principal Trotter, with all due respect,

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I think this is a tad unfair,

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and I'm not just saying this from a parent's view,

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but as an adult. You're making it seem as if my daughter is singling this one pup out

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to fight right in front of his two friends

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and only this pup.

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It sounds as if you're falling for the same prejudiced notions

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that have me and dogs like me protesting in the streets and boycotting the buses and parks.

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You haven't even given her a chance to defend herself,

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yet you're ready to expel her?"

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"I-well-" "That's where I knew you from!"

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Dorthea pointed at Dominique,

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her lips curling.

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"You're a part of those rowdy hooligans who've put so many hard-working dogs out of work with your ways.

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Why can't you dogs accept that we're separated for a reason?

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You and your kind can't help but be savages, starting from puppyhood!"

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This time, Dominique was on her paws,

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her snort making the retriever take a few steps back and the corgi shrink down in his seat.

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For a moment, Dominique felt like tearing the place apart, but then she paused,

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choked the growl off and shook her coat.

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Taissa was better than this,

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she was better than this,

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and she wouldn't allow this bigotry to bring out the worst in her,

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especially when that was exactly what this retriever was looking for

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to discredit them both.

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She stood, motioning for her pup to follow her out the door.

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Pausing, she turned

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and look back at them,

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the smug look on Dorthea's muzzle making her want to growl again,

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but she swallowed it because when they decided to be craven and low,

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she, her pup, and dogs like her,

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would go high. Fighting them in their own doghouses would bring her down to their level,

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where she would surely lose.

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"You can call us savages all you like,

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but we're not the ones making pups out to be vicious or judging a dog's breed against their character.

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C'mon Taissa." Dominique snatched open the door to see Alice and Betty, standing there in front of them.

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The younger poodle yelped and hopped back,

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her little ears pressed against her head.

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Betty whined at her daughter and nosed her forward,

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along with taking a step forward herself.

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"I hope we're not too late,

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but I think my daughter has something to say.

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Go on, Alice. Tell them what you told me."

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The pup clutched at her mother's dress and looked around,

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her eyes wide and twitchy.

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When they landed on the worried face of her friend,

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she swallowed hard but stepped away from her mother's skirts.

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"Taissa didn't start the fight.

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Robbie did. He took my bag and without Taissa's help,

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I wouldn't have gotten it back.

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He also pushed her first in the hall while we were walking

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and laughed at her."

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Dorthea took a step back,

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her face contorted with fury, as she stammered out a retort.

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"B-Betty Waterhound!

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To think that you would force your daughter to lie against an upstanding pup like Robbie, in defense of

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these dogs? The nerve!"

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"What nerve, Dorthea?"

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Betty asked calmly,

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her curly, white fur shaking lightly.

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"The nerve to stand up to your son's bullying and even yours?

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I'm tired of being afraid of your family's

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influence and strong-arming of the local dogs to stay on top.

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It may not be much, standing up for this sweet girl and others like her,

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but it's a start!"

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Dorthea's muzzle opened

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and closed rapidly, before she snorted and grabbed her son by the shoulder,

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yanking him out the door with her.

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"My husband will hear of this, Betty!

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I won't stand for this, and neither will he!"

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The door slammed in their wake,

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causing Principal Trotter and the pups to shudder.

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When he recovered,

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he peered from around his desk and came to stand next to Betty and Dominique.

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"I'm sorry for all of this as well, ladies.

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The Duckfetchs are a powerful bunch and I

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-well, I shouldn't have cowered to Dorthea.

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But Taissa," he said,

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peering over his rimmed glasses

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at the terrier pup,

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"I'm sorry for this.

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I hate to admit it,

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but I too let some of my preconceived notions get the better of me.

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Will you accept my apology?"

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He held out a paw,

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which Taissa shyly took,

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nodding as she shook it.

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Above the trio, Betty smiled at Dominique and lowered her voice.

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"I wanted to apologize for the way that I spoke to you when I offered you the ride home.

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I was speaking from a place of ignorance,

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and I ought not have said the things I said."

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Dominique tilted her head.

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She'd never had a poodle apologize to her before.

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"Are you sure you want to do that?

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Won't it offend the other 'ladies' seein' you apologize to me?"

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"I couldn't care less what they thought,"

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Betty said. "The other day while my husband was driving me home,

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I saw some of you all protesting and asking for better treatment.

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At first, I thought everybody got the same treatment,

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if they put in the hard work and kept their paws clean,

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but after talking to you and seeing pups out there, fighting to just be regular pups, well,

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that got me to thinkin'."

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Dominique was frozen,

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stunned that she would ever hear something like this come from the muzzle

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of a show dog. "I-I, yeah,

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we are fighting for what we believe in.

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We're tired of being treated like second-class dogs."

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"After thinking it over,"

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Betty began, "I figured that I should do something-"

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"But you have no dogs in this fight. It's not-"

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"Yes," Betty replied firmly, "it is necessary.

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I've been given a better lot in life than some others,

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and to see dogs fighting to just be able to work like I work and

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be respected as a regular dog, without being judged for things

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they'd never do it

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moved me. So, I've decided to help you in your boycott.

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It ain't much,

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and I don't 'spect my husband to like it,

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but I can't keep sitting around ignoring suffering and injustice.

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I want to do my part to make it right."

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Betty considered Dominique's eyes

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and those amber pools softened

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and a slow smile dawned on Dominique's face,

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as pure and as bright as the first rays of sunshine after a long winter.

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"Well, I expect now's as good a time as any,

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but glad you came on 'round to it."

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"Ahem," Principal Trotter coughed,

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looking up at the pair.

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"I'm glad that I could help facilitate a meeting of the minds,

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but I do believe these two young girls need to get back to class.

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Ladies?" Dominique and Betty

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shared a chuckle

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and waved the pups out of the office.

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The two poodles padded out of the office, their tails wagging,

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leaving Dominique and Taissa to follow.

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Dominique had taken two steps when she felt a gentle tug on her skirt.

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"Yes, baby?" "Thank you for standing up for me today," Taissa

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said, her tail wagging behind her.

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"I didn't know that you could be so brave."

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Dominique kneeled

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and hugged her pup tightly,

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the corners of her eyes glistening.

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"No, thank you for being so brave.

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You showed your momma how to stand up for herself

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and what she believed in,

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which is more than I could ask for in a daughter."

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Taissa didn't respond,

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just lifted her tail a little higher

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and hugged her mother before scurrying off

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to catch up with Alice,

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ready to discuss the next Stacy Bark book.

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This was “No Dogs”

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by Kirisis “KC” Alpinus, read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion.

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You can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

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or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog

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About the Podcast

Show artwork for The Voice of Dog
The Voice of Dog
Furry stories to warm the ol' cockles, read by Rob MacWolf and guests. If you have a story that would suit the show, you can get in touch with @VoiceOfDog@meow.social on Mastodon, @voiceofdog.bsky.social on Blue Sky, or @Theodwulf on Telegram.

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About your host

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Khaki