Leopard meets Pug!

## Characters

Summer (Dollythevetpup’s OC) ***I was given permission to use Summer!***

Abby (My OC)

## Story time!

Abby slowly trotted into a green, fenced area. There was a shiny doghouse, and a fresh garden. A house had an entry way to it. A yellow house. This must have been a backyard. *Am I lucky to have found a loose board in that fence!* the leopard dog thought to herself, beginning to wag her tail.

Suddenly, the smells of another dog slammed into her nose like a truck. She tasted the air. *Female—pug—about my age.*

She dashed to the garden, plants and grass rustling at her every movement. But Abby didn’t care. Now she wasn’t stalking prey, she was hiding. As she scooted under a bush, thorns tugged at her pelt, raking her across the spine as she huddled in. She fought the urge to yelp. It didn’t hurt all too bad, but Abby knew it would when she tried to get out. Abby slowed her breathing, hoping to make less noise. She was in no way fond of company, and making friends was very hard for her. Especially since so many dogs had mistaken her for a leopard. Abby thought these dogs were just stupid, but insecurity bubbled in her mind. *Am I really that scary?*

Darkness wrapped around the stray, and soon the feeling of thorns in her pelt and the scent of vegetables vanished from her consciousness. The dream of prey, a nice forest, Abby doing the hunters crouch, brightened in her mind. She was dreaming. She was dreaming of a good hunt in the forest.

The vision flashed out of existence, disappearing as quickly as it came. She blinked her eyes open, confused for a half second on where she was. Then the stray remembered. Then she saw a shadow hiding the sunlight, and two blue eyes peered at her from through the bush. The cheerful expression in the eyes turned to fear, and they pushed their hand into the bush, prodding Abby with a paw.

”Ah!” Abby yelped, trying to get to her paws, only to be pushed down again by the mass of the bush over her head. She tried to scoot her way out but as her face touched the sunlight, thorns snagged her pelt and she couldn’t get out any farther. The pug jumped back, fearful of Abby’s arrival. She could see the shaking that the pug was doing, and for a moment Abby was sad. Nobody seemed to like her.

“Emmm... ah! Please don’t hurt me.. I wanted to make sure you were okay!...” the pug pleaded, wearily backing up more. Abby’s mind flashed with options. She decided to be honest. “I— I’m Abby. I.. wanted to live in this yard to.. steal your fruit and live in the doghouse...” the leopard dog mumbled guiltily. The pug nodded and looked at Abby cheerfully. “I’m Summer! No need to be sorry, you must be hungry. Come, I’ll get you some treats. You haven’t lived till you try them!”

Summer padded to the massive yellow house, waddling a bit as she went, her tail wagging as she quietly hummed a tune. Abby followed, a bit more slow, wary she might walk right into a trap. But the door opened normally, and the barking of two other dogs could be heard. At once, a gray pug bounded up, ramming right into Summer.

“Sorry! How are you, Summer?” the dog, who was also a pug, asked. Abby noticed him blushing, and immediately knew the case. Summer stammered as she responded, looking away to the corner of her eyesight. A brown pug came up after him, and following his brother’s footsteps, he accidentally toppled Abby over. She cried in alarm as she faceplanted, Rolly’s face laying on her’s. Abby immediately scrambled upward and away, with a small limp in her step.

The dog ran to his brother’s side, shaking with fear. But not just of Abby.. he looked scared of something else. He whispered in the black pug’s ear, who looked surprised the instant his brother stopped talking. Summer rolled her eyes affectionately. “This is Bingo and Rolly. Bingo is the one to the left, the gray one. Rolly is to the right, the brown pug.” Turning to the pug brothers, Summer added, “this is Abby!”

Abby looked down at her paws, embarrassed by the meeting with Rolly. Bingo came up and greeted her, Rolly too, but more slowly. “Sorry I... acidentally...” he stared into her eyes as long as he could, but looked away as he continued, much more quietly. “Toppled you over and.... K—kissed you.. It was an accident, I promise! I like someone else!” He looked back into Abby’s eyes, and she could sense the sincere apology in his words. “It’s alright. I don’t like boys, anyways,” she replied. Rolly, Bingo, and Summer looked astonished. “What do you mean, you don’t like boys?? I thought all girls liked boys!!” Bingo exclaimed, for once not knowing more than his younger brother. Summer nodded agreement, anxious to know what Abby would say next.

”I’m lesbian,” Abby said confidentially. Summer tilted her head. “What does that mean?” Bingo, digging deep into his memory, stepped forward. “I think it means that a girl likes another girl... I can’t be sure, though.” When he hesitated, Abby nodded. “Yes. You won’t make fun of me, will you??” Anxious swelled up in her chest. She finally seemed to be close to making a friend, but this knowledge of her could change everything. Would they still like her?

”No, we won’t. There’s nothing wrong with liking other girls! You seem very nice and we want to be your friend!” Rolly barked, wagging his tail again to reveal the old cheerful energy in his bark. Bingo nodded, Summer too. “Want me to show you around town?” She said, looking at Abby. The leopard dog nodded and pushed her way through the doggy door. “Bye!!” The pug brothers called out behind her, jumping and yapping.

On the walk to the park, Abby became more fond of Summer. They grew closer, and once they reached their destination, Abby was sure that she had finally made a friend.

***The rest is a work in progress... To be continued... <3***