Daisy

(This is a story I made and am planning on entering it in a competition — let me know what you think!)

I was so hot! The sun was shining brightly, warming my back as it streaked through the tall tree’s branches. 

Oh, hi! I’m Daisy, the Corgi. My owner, Oliver, is the best! In my opinion, I’m a good dog…well, most of the time. Sometimes I roll in the mud; I admit it. Other times I chase after other dogs or squirrels…. Oh! There’s a squirrel!

Hey, I’m back. Sorry, I got distracted. Where was I? Oh, yeah.

But Oliver still loves me! We always play fetch together, play tug-a-war together, and go on walks together. We basically do everything together! But sometimes Oliver has to do – What do humans call them? Oh, right! – chores because his parents tell him to. That makes me kind of sad, honestly. Hey, you can’t blame me! I love hanging out with Oliver! Thankfully, I still have lots of time with him! 

Now, back to the present moment!

One hot summer day, Oliver and I were on a walk through the neighborhood when an idea struck him.

“Hey Daisy!” he exclaimed, looking down at me. “Maybe we could go to the lake today! It is extremely hot.” I barked in agreement and jumped up and down. I was excited and couldn’t wait to get my fur wet! I love the water. So much so, that when we arrived at the lake, I ran into the water and started splashing around. 

But I quickly stopped and cocked my head. What was Oliver doing? His mom was lathering him in something…I think they call it “sunskeen” or something.

Finally, when Oliver came into the water, I splashed him with my paws, kicking at the water. He laughed. “Daisy!” He splashed me back. The water kind of stung my eyes, but I didn’t mind. 

“Arf! Arf!” I barked playfully, wagging my tail.

Soon it was time for lunch, and Oliver’s parents called us over. I happily dog-paddled my way to them.

Oliver’s mom gave me my regular food in a bowl, and I devoured it! Hey, I was hungry! (She put some peanut butter in there, too…yum!) I also lapped up my bowl of water. The sun was sweltering hot, so I was thirsty! 

I was anxious to get back into the water. But I waited for Oliver. He took awhile to eat, and, after he ate, his mom had to put that white stuff on him again. But, still, I sat and waited patiently.

Once he was lathered up with “sunskeen”, we raced into the water. I didn’t understand why Oliver’s mom never came into the water…she just laid on the beach on a towel with her sunglasses on. Oliver’s dad came in a few times though. He would throw a football, and Oliver and I would race after it!

By 2 PM, I was exhausted! I was warm, too. I bet Oliver felt the same. We loaded up the family’s blue car and headed back home. The windows were open, so I stuck my head out. The wind felt nice against my warm face. I stuck my tongue out, and it flapped, kind of like a flag! It made Oliver laugh – mom and dad, too.

When we arrived home, it felt so nice to just chill in my bed in the living room and feel the cool air-conditioning pumping through the vents. I shut my eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep.

“Daisy, you want some dinner?” My eyes flashed open. Oliver was kneeling right there in front of me. Did he say dinner?! I jumped out of my bed, wagging my tail. I followed Oliver to the kitchen, and he put a scoop of food into my bowl. I barked once in appreciation and then dug into my meal.

After Oliver let me outside (hey, don’t laugh, I had to go!), he and his parents all sat down on the couch. I knew that I wasn’t allowed on the couch, but I could try…again.

“Arf!” I pawed at the couch. I want to come up, too!

“Daisy, no!” Oliver’s mom commanded.

Uh-oh. I whimpered and went over to my bed, squeezing my eyes shut. Oliver’s mom was mad at me now. Great. Although, since when was she not mad at me?

Then I felt a gentle hand on my head. “Oh, Daisy.” It was Oliver’s soothing voice. I opened my eyes. “You wanna come watch the movie on my lap?”

I didn’t exactly know what he said, but I got out of bed and wagged my tail anyway. Oliver sat cross-legged in the living room and called me over, patting his legs. I hurried over to him and curled up in his lap, placing my head on his leg. 

“I love you, Daisy,” he whispered in my ear. 

I breathed deeply, and right before I fell asleep, Oliver, again, whispered in my ear, “You truly are a kid’s best friend.”