The Pillinghood Dogs

Saturday, December 1st

...

I sighed as I watched the crew Caleb's (after eleven days of trying to find out his name my work finally paid off) father put together to renovate the house. They were painting over the peach and puke walls while cleaning the mold and stuff. It kind of made me sad. I've been with these ugly walls since I was about four years old, I wasn't that attached to them but somehow I liked the colors against each other. What was worse was that they were just painting it white, like this glossy pearl stuff you find painted in almost every rental house.

Caleb had Pitbull blasting (at least that is who I think it is because that name was in a lot of the songs) rhymes out of the wazoo, most of them I couldn't even understand. I was right about the living together thing. Only I was expecting to have the room to myself since it was mine for a long time. Only he wouldn't give it up and I wasn't planning to give it up either. Mary, Caleb's mother, suggested I move to the guest bedroom on the lower level but I had clearly stated I wanted the room. She made compromise. The giant room was now split in two by sheets hanging off the ceiling (and no, you could not see the other side thank god). The only downside was that it was not soundproof. I was weirded out how Pitbull didn't freak out or even faze the workers. It sure as heck freaked out Venus though. She was hiding under my new bed in which the Fox family was kind enough to give me.

I didn't know why they were so kind to me. I mean in their eyes I was literally what one might say a 'scumbag' or 'homeless person'. After I said my name they perked up, apologized for their behavior and pretty much gave me everything I ever wanted. Which were pretty much a bed and some clothes. Of course they gave me some other things though. There was this one thing called a TV and I still don't really understand it, there is a bunch of moving colors and if you press a button on some plastic thingy there is a whole other splash of colors, not to mention people's voices. It creeps me out so the TV is off most of the time.

Renovation is pretty much complete. I was surprised that it only took little time figuring this house was a real mess. But I suspected that the Fox family was filthy rich so it was kind of obvious.

"Caleb," a sweet voice said, "open the door. It's Katrina." I was surprised I could hear it over the music. "Caleb-"

"Go to the other door!" I shouted. Caleb's music stopped and I heard a door open. Yeah, Caleb was that insistent. Overall we have six doors in this exact room. We each have our own closet, bathroom and door. It almost makes me laugh. Why don't they just put a soundproof wall where the divider is? Because if you look at the room without everything, it's got two doors, two closets and two bathrooms. Kind of weird don't you think?

"Hey Katrina," Caleb said, "what do you need?"

"What do you think I need?" There was soft laughter then.

Gag, spit and vomit. I knew too many of mommy's magazines for this. Classic yet ultimately disgusting. I left the room right when I heard the making out starting.

I hated the new family. Caleb was classified as 'play/bad boy'. His sister, Ferris, was ok. She was whiney most of the times and quite annoying. She was still big into Barbie and American Doll's. She is twelve. I like that she is a pretty good artist though. She said she was excited about renovations because she could help paint, which is probably what she is doing now. Mr. Fox is rarely there, he has some job as a business man. Mrs. Fox is really the only good one. She can be mean and nice though. I think I'm on her good side.

I left the house and started walking to Al's Pizza Plaza. It was a nice and good local place. Al knew me since I was four; I rarely came here with my mom but when I did he treated us like royalty looking at my mom with such warmness (now, it's just plain weird cuz he does it to me too).

"Yo, what up sugar?" He said when I walked in. Not to mention the nicknames…

"Starving." It was true that I ate microwave food most of the times but I loved coming here too. Now he gave me free pizza's because I came here a lot.

"One medium Meat Lover?" I looked at him.

"You know me too well Al." He laughed.

The pizza came out in record time like it always did. And it was delicious. That was until Mr. Faggot came in. Yeah, his name is Caleb, but boy, how I do love that nickname now. With the girl Katrina of course. Was he following me or something? No, I don't really think he was. This place is popular because everything on the menu is like five stars. I packed up my pizza, realizing that it was no longer my house so there was a big chance that if I stuck it in the fridge it would get eaten, and went to check out.

"Leaving early?" He asked.

"I've got some stuff to do." I said flatly. He raised his eyebrows.

"Like what? Buy microwaveable food?" I could still. They also installed a microwave on my side of the room which gave me like points towards Mrs. Fox.

"It's a start." I said glancing over at Caleb wondering if he saw me already. Al followed my gaze.

"Ah, boy problems?" He asked.

"No not really. I can't go anywhere without those two sucking faces." He tilted his head. I didn't want to chat but this was Al. I told him what had happened.

"Huh." He said thoughtfully. "Well you could always crash at my place sugar!" He smiled warmly…creepily I might add.

"I'll think of it." I said but not really meaning it.

"Great!" He said cheerily. "Bye then!"

"Bye." I left with the pizza in my hands.

While I was walking home I felt uneasy. It was like that feeling that someone was watching you. Then I came to the Pillinghood's. They were almost never home. And they always had two, very hungry German Shepard's waiting to maul anything that drops dead on the sidewalk. There was no fence might I add. Which only made the feeling worse.

"CLARY!" I heard someone shout. I turned to see Hayden sprinting towards me. But I tripped. The pizza dropped out of my hands in the process. I glared at the dogs that were instantly at the pizza. Another thing about the Pillinghood dogs: they love me. See there is this crack in the sidewalk before I turn onto my street. Two out of five times I end up tripping and falling on that crack with either a pizza or microwavable food in my hands. I couldn't hate them though, I loved animals. They even let me pet them sometimes.

Hayden had something in his hands, which I identified as a video camera. He came up to me and hid behind me. The dogs growled at him. See, they love me but they kind of hate everyone else. A girl came up to me and glared over my shoulder.

"Why you little perverted bast-"

"Hello?" I cut in. "May I help you?"

"Yeah, this little-" The dogs barked as a warning. "This little bast-" One dog leaped on Hayden and nipped him. They wouldn't bite him since I was around but they would if I wasn't there. He jumped in shock and started cursing, letting go of my shirt. It didn't mean it didn't hurt.

The girl started to crack up as she plucked the camera out of Hayden's hands and pressed a button on it making it beep. Hayden calmed down frowning at the girl.

"I was just trying to-"

"Shut it Gayden."

"My name is not Gayden! It's Hayden!" Wow. What happened to the cool and collected Hayden?

"Then what's with the picture of Justin Bieber tapped to your wall?"

"I didn't do that!" He protested.

"Riiiiight." The girl rolled her eyes. Then she shifted her attention on me.

"Hey. I'm Abby. You must be…" She trailed off.

"Clary." I finished for her.

"Ah, Clary!" She said. "The one Gayden was talking about!"

"I'm not gay!" I was about to say something about it but Abby sent me a look.

"Shush."

We ended up walking together. Abby and Hayden lived near me. It was really just me and Abby talking because every time Hayden tried to speak Abby made the comment about his name. Then she started talking about something called makeup.

"What's makeup?" I asked.

"Are you serious?" She asked bewildered. "You're a girl and you have no idea what makeup is?"

"No. What is it?" She gave me the look like I was crazy. Hayden was smiling shaking his head a little. She grabbed me by the wrist.

"Wha-? What are- are you doing!?" I asked while she literally dragged me around.

"You're going to learn about makeup." Hayden laughed a little.

"You're in for it." He whispered.

"Shut it Gayden."