I sat along the shore line watching the set. The colors of the sun fading as the colors of the dark sky pushed them away. "Beautiful," I said to myself. After a while the moon rose above the blackish blue ocean. Its relfection shining into my eyes.  I looked down at the crytal necklace dangling from around my neck twinkling like the stars. I felt at home here, safe, relaxed. The ocean's calm waves swished lightly then died as a nights wind blew. A couple hours passed and I decided to head home.

The streets were empty as I walked home. A rattle in the dumpster startled me. "Found me some dinner." I heard someone say from inside the dumpster. The voice sounded quite familiar as it rang through my head. "Axel?" I asked hoping I wouldn't be wrong and have someone staring at me as if I was crazy. Luckily I wasn't wrong. At the call of his name he shot his head up and smiled friendly at me. "Oh Hey Kalona. What are you doin' out here this late."

"Nothin'. The question is, what're you doin' in a dumpster?"

He giggled. "Lookin' for food."

I smiled at his weird laugh. "You know you could always come to my house."

He shrugged and picked up his food. "Mmmmm. Mmmmmm, mmmm." He looked at to see if I understood but I didn't. I stared at him with a puzzled look on my face.

"Take the meat out of your mouth and maybe I'll understand you."

He dropped it and licked his muzzle. "I said, that you're never really there." He was right. I wasn't home in the morning or most of the night. "Well you could always come to the beach and find me."

He nodded. "I know." A loud scream echoed through the alley from a house across the street. A happy laughter got closer as the shouting of a man ended. "Gets easier everytime-" A black shadow  stood no less than one foot away, stopped and stared at me and Axel. Axel stood with his head cocked and eyebrows pulled together in confusion. The shadow walked closer and became visible in the dim street light. He glanced over to Axel then focused back on me. His one green eye and one blue eye twinkled as he scanned my face. "Um.. Hi," I said breaking the akward silence. At the sound of my voice he dropped his food and smiled a somewhat nervous boyish smile. "I'm Kalona and you are?"

"Kalona," He whispered to himself not thinking that it was quite loud. "I'm..I'm Doren." 

"Nice to meet you."

He smiled boyishly again. "You too."

"I'm Axel..." I giggled at Axel, knowing he probably felt left out. Doren stared at him blankly. "Yeah...uh..nice to meet you too."  Feeling quite akward at this time I decided to head home.

"Well... I gotta go. See ya Axel. Nice meeting you Doren." I smiled nicely at both of them then walked away.

"See ya Kal." Axel called.

As I walked home I heard footsteps behind me. I turned and saw Doren. I smiled akwardly. Is he following me. I thought. "Oh hey Doren," I greeted him akwardly. "You alright?"

He layed his ears flat on his head and smiled shyly. "Um..Yeah..I just...uh wanted to ask you something." 

"Yeah?" I countinued to walk and reached my porch, Doren sat next to me biting his lower lip.

"Can I show you around my town?"

"Your town?"

"The forest! I live out in the wild." He smiled boyishly down at me with a sense of hope in his eyes.

I wasn't really the one to hurt others feelings. So my answer was "Sure." He smiled and his tail wagged happiy. "Great can you meet me at the beach?"

"Okay. Sure." `

"See you tomorrow?" He said making it sound like a question.

"Yeah. See ya."

When he left and I layed my head down on my paws and smiled to myself. "Wow. Smiled once and he fell head over heels for me. I must be really good looking!" I praised myself.

The next day I began walking over to the beach. "Hey Kal!" Someone called and I turned to see Axel running over to me. "Hey Axel!"

"Where ya headed?" He asked slowling his pace to match mine. "Well...uh...Doren asked me to meet him at the beach." I was afraid to tell him. I always knew Axel liked me, I was afraid he might get up set. His happy smile faded and his happy tone died along with it. "Oh...I see."

"If your angry I get it but-"
He shook his head. "No...No its alright. I gotta go. I'll see ya later. I guess." He walked away slowly. "Axel..." I tried to call him back but he was already gone.

When I made it to the beach Doren was sitting there watching the sun set. He turned to see me and he smiled as I approched. "Hey! Sorry I'm late." I smiled.  "Its okay." His boyish smile made me giggle.

"May I show you my town, now?" He smiled steeping aside to show me a large group of trees.

"Why you may."

As we walked around the beautiful forest he showed me everything and told me everything about it. When the sun set and it was to dark to see anything, we walked by moonlight back to the beach.

"That was amazing!" I said as I stumbbled out of the darkness. "Yeah its nice."

 We joked and laughed and a bright red flashed across the sky and was soon met by green.They washed over the sky like water washing up on the beach. "Beautiful." I said and smiled at the dancing lights. "Well.. I wouldn't say that with you standing here. Compared to you... its alright."

I lowered my head as I felt my cheeks flush. I looked back up into his eyes as he stared into mine. I felt my heart flutter as he leaned closer. The lights ended and left us in darkness.

When  I woke up the next morning I was at home. I don't remeber what happened last night. Just that I was at the beach with Doren, then I wake up and I'm home. I looked around and I saw no one.

"Hey Kal!" Someone called. I turned and I saw Doren with my favorite boyish smile on his face.

"Hi Doren. What's up?"

"Just came to see you." He smiled and kissed my cheek. He forwned at my expression. "What's wrong?"

"Um...what exactly happened...last night?" He explained everything and I was taken aback. "So...what your saying....is that...I could be...pregnant?"

He nodded once. "There's a possiblity..." I felt sick, like I was going to pass out.

"I'm so sorry.... I-" He hung his head and shut his eyes in pain. I put my head under his chin and lifted his head back up. "It's...It's not your fault."

"Yes it is, I'm the cause of all the pain yout feel! I'm the one who got you pregnant..."

I licked his cheek and smiled warmly, "Its okay, I'm perfectly fine." I was lieing what I really wanted to say was "Its okay, it may be true... it is true... and I feel fine...actually I feel like I'm going to faint but...its...well...its alright" But there was no way I was going to say that, besides I didn't feel like sounding like a moron at the time...

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine Doren."

"Thats good but you won't be when you have to tell Axel."

That was so true. I knew it will kill me inside if I made Axel mad. "Then I won't tell him."

"Your gonna have to tell him when nine weeks from now you-"

"Fine I'll tell him tomorrow..." I sighed I knew exactly how he would take it. I hoped he would faint, then  when he woke up I would tell him I was joking or act like I never told him.

I woke up next to Doren but he was still asleep. He was on his back and his paws were up to the air. I smiled at his weird way of sleeping and gently licked his ear. I was going to tell Axel. I was going to tell him and I wasn't going to be afraid. I was going to walk straight up to him and tell him everything. Or...maybe tell him and watch him pass out, then when he woke up if still remembered I told him, face him yelling at me, if he didn't, just walk away.

Walking toward his dupster I was feeling quite nervous. I knew how he would take it, yellin at me or fainting, and both ways would reuin our friendship. Seeing his tail flick from side to side from underneath his dumpster I felt my heart race. Walk away and when the pups are born make something up. I thought then scolded myself for even thinking that.

"Um...Axel...can...can I talk...to you..."

He came out from underneath his dumpster and frowned at me, "Whats wrong Kal?"

"Okay, if I tell you this...promise me you won't get mad..."

"Okay...but what are you talking about?" He said his facial expression becoming more serious.

"I think...well, I think that... maybe... I might be..." I took a deep breath. "Pregnant." Please faint, I thought, Fainting will help me out a lot. To my disadvantage he didn't. His facial expression didn't change. It was like I hadn't spoken, wasn't even there. His stare seemed glassy, as if he couldn't see me anymore. I stepped infront of his face and stared into his eyes. They had an thousand yard stare, this would have been a good time to