Chapter 1: He Picked Up A Little Puppy [continuation]

Keith went inside his room after. He read an updated chapter of a martial arts fantasy novel he's following. After reading the chapter, he opened his file explorer and clicked a word document. It was his draft. He's secretly writing his own novel. He kept writing but has never published any because whenever he reread his drafts, he kept on finding loopholes on his plot and writing style. Aside from lack of confidence, it must be because of his own self-saboteur.

Then his phone rang. It was a video call in the group chat. They usually just chat there and Keith wasn't that active because he's more interested in reading and being alone in his room but it was the first time they are doing group video call and it's been more than a month since they last saw each other.

The group chat members consist of five members. Four of them were classmates last year and Keith was the only one from another classroom. His best friend and neighbor was one of them, so he automatically became part of their group even though he's not that interactive with them.

He joined the video call while reading his draft. He's good at multitasking, even though most of his attention span was on the computer, he still tried to interact with them.

He was the last one to join and the four of them greeted him as soon as he joined.

Rocky: "Keith, you're already studying? The school hasn't started yet, why're you so in a hurry?"

Jude: "As usual! Hahaha!"

Keith stretched his hands and neck and looked at the screen on the phone. He forced a smile as if he wasn't offended at them being ridiculous with their jokes, "Oh. I'm really not studying. I'm just reading a web novel."

Drake: "Boss!"

Nick: "I heard his mom talk about getting his shit together. He's already top 2, but they're still not happy about it. Look at Rocky here, he's at the bottom of the ranking but he looks so laid back!"

Rocky: "Oh come on! You talk as if you're not in the bottom too!"

Jude: "Fuck the ranking. So, do you think, there are going to be freshmen beauties tomorrow asking for Drake's number?"

They get so energetic when they talked about girls. Keith quietly looked at the screen and corrected some typos. Feeling that his eyes are getting tired, Keith took off his glasses, scratch his eyelids and then wiped his glasses with the hem of his t-shirt. Then he was called by them to get him back to the conversation.

Keith: "Sorry. What were you talking about again?"

Drake: "We're talking about how popular Boss at school too."

Keith laughed awkwardly. He thought, 'What's with that calling… "boss"?'

Jude: "So, what's your type of girl, Keith?"

Keith was about to say, "I don't know." But Jude continued.

Jude: "Like your mom?"

They laughed at it while Keith got pissed at his tone and "joke".

Keith: "HAHA. Don't be an ingrate. My ma flunked that girl who rejected you last year."

Jude even blush as he felt embarrassment when he remembered how he was rejected last year.

Rocky: "Hahahaha… Didn't she say that she has to study first when she rejected you? How did she fail Teacher Lim's class?"

Nick: "It's either auntie's class is hard or just that she didn't actually study at all but just used studying as excuse to reject Jude."

Jude: "Teacher Lim's class is just really hard. Right, Keith?"

Drake: "Yeah, they say Chemistry class is really hard but that girl confessed to me too… So, I guess, studying was just an excuse. And, Teacher Lim actually did you a favor by failing her."

Jude knew about this of course, but Drake was rubbing the fact to his face. He just ended up laughing at it.

Jude: "Yeah sure. I must be thankful to Teacher Lim. But I'm pretty sure, I don't have to thank you at all."

Keith: "Nah, you don't have to be thankful to her. She didn't do it for you anyway. Just don't make jokes like 'your type is your mother' in front of my face in the future. It's disgusting."

Then others exclaimed and felt that they pissed off Keith for real this time. So, they got silenced. It became awkward after that.

Nick: "Why are we talking about Mrs. Lim? You know Keith gets pissed if we make fun of his mother. Let's talk about his sister instead!!! Keith hates her, he won't get mad at all…" Keith's best friend started to share the story instead while Keith shifted his attention more on his draft.

Nick: "… She shouted that she wasn't allowed to date in high school and no one even asked her out. And then she talked shit to the main character in the drama. You know, how a dumb girl get the hottest guys fighting for her, while she was in cram school! She said she went to two schools at once, but not one bastard dared to hit on her. She must be crazy jealous with that main character." he laughed in every sentence taking pleasure in telling another shameful show in Keith's household which is quite tolerable because the one getting dissed at was not him.

Drake: "You know why she can't get a boyfriend in high school?" he smirked.

Jude: "Why?"

Nick: "Why?"

Rocky: "Wow, straight from the mouth of the Campus Prince first runner up, I'm having great expectations from your explanation." They laughed at the unforeseen diss.

Drake: "Fuck you!"

Rocky: "Come on. Tell us why!"

Drake: "She can't get a boyfriend because Teacher Lim will scream at them to death."

There was silence because of the poor quality of joke but when they imagined the scene, they themselves can't help but laugh. Even Keith laughed at this realization.

Keith: "Shit. That's my mother you're dissing."

Drake: "Sorry Boss."

Drake smiled and acted really friendly when he realized that Keith just got mad at Jude before when he made fun of his mother.

Rocky: "Keith! I think you will also can't get a girlfriend because of your mother!"

They laughed again but stopped when they realized that they might get him mad more if they keep on laughing.

Nick: "You're hurting my brother here Rocky!!... You remember that girl in our class last year? Lisa? There was a rumor that she has a crush on him, right?"

Jude: "Lisa? I thought he has a crush on Drake."

Nick: "Well, before that! She first had a crush on Keith."

Keith: "WOW Nick! I also got some dirt on you, you little shit! I'm going to make the dogs bite you in the ass if you dare try to make some gossip about me!"

Keith suddenly turned off his computer as soon as his father opened his door. Everyone also shut up.

"Keith. It's late. Go to sleep. We're turning the wifi off later. Also, make your dogs shut up. They're so loud. And then, don't forget to brush your teeth."

"Pa… Okay, okay. Okay. I know what to do. I got it. Good night." Keith went to the door to close it.

"Good night. Go to sleep, okay. Remember that the key to a productive mind is a good amount of sleep."

"Yes Pa. I got it. Say good night to mama for me too."

And so, his dad left and his friends are there laughing at Keith who's acting like a good boy.

Jude: "Man, he was just cussing and then he said, 'good night pa'"

Keith: "HAHA, what do you want me to do then, cuss my parents. Shit…"

Nick: "But seriously though, your dogs are barking again. They're so loud."

Keith: "They'll shut up soon. There's no need to do anything."

Drake: "I agree with boss. Nick, that Lisa who has a crush on boss, what's that about again?"

Keith: "Fuck you Drake, she's all yours."

Kiara opened the door and disturbed him again. "Keith, your fucking dogs. Make. Them. Shut. Up." She was scary.

Keith glared at her, "I locked the door, how did you open it?"

Kiara simply replied, "Mama wanted to make sure you won't have the audacity to jerk off, I guess. This lock is just for decoration."

Soon, the laugh just exploded.

Keith exploded and calmly he looked at her and said, "Get out. You're out of line." Kiara knew that when her brother is this calm, it means he reached the threshold for his anger management. There was once when he made him angrier when Keith acted so nonchalant, but the next day, the assignments she worked so hard to answer were soaked in water overnight. She was so angry when she told her papers to get them side with her but because he talked to their mother first and explained what she did, she just earned another nagging. Kiara just cursed in her heart, "Ass kisser!" Then, she left.

The group members noticed how heavy the atmosphere around Keith's calm demeanor sitting while looking at his door. So they, stopped laughing.

Keith: "I'll take care of the dogs. I'm hanging up first. See you guys tomorrow."

And he left.

He did as he was told. Even with bad mood, he went outside of their house and the three dogs gathered around him while the others are barking at something outside the gate. Keith looked and there's a puppy by the bin outside. It was wimping sharply and crying for his life. He went outside and looked at the little pup. It doesn't look like a newborn. It's at least a few days old. He carried it at his arms and shushed as he try to observe if it's sick somewhere.

It's not the first time someone dumped a puppy at their house. Some authorities or others who wanted to adopt dogs would then go to their house due to this. As a result, all the fancy and beautiful dogs were given away while the wild stray ones are kept.

The gate was left open and the dogs run wild and barked louder. He reprimanded them without any curse words in his sentences as if he can actually talk to dogs calling them to come back. He didn't know that Nick went to their veranda and turned his phone's camera towards his direction. It was quite a ruckus since he has to run after the naughty dogs. In the end, his dad also helped him sort things out.

Then, Keith closed the gate and fed the pup with milk attentively. It was skinny and small. He didn't put it in the cabin to sleep afraid that the dogs will hurt it. So, he took it to his room and put it to sleep on a cushion beside his bed.

It was just a normal day. The events except the video call were very typical. But it wasn't the case for someone on the other side of the phone.