all your preppy friends, you just can’t give him that, can you? All he wants is to be a friend, and to have friends.”

“Look, I’m… I’m really…”

“Don’t tell me,” Boris said, “I’m not the one you hurt.”

“Well… where did he go?”

“You want to talk to Balto, you’ll need to find him, ask your boyfriend, he shows up quite often, as if he doesn’t pick on Balto enough in town!”

Boris walked away, clearly angry.

Jenna sighed.

“I’ve got to apologize, but how do I ask Steele?”

Jenna didn’t know, she didn’t know a lot right now. She felt horrible, and the only way to get that feeling to go away was to talk to him.

“But how…”

Jenna stood up and walked back down the alley, toward her friends.

It was late that night, and Jenna was once again sitting beside Steele, listening to him talk.

“.. so I just had to swim you know, and don’t think it was easy…”

“The water was freezing cold and I had two of the members of the team on my back, but I kept going.” Jenna thought, having heard this story, which she suspected was false, many, many times now.

“… the water was freezing cold and I had two of the members of the team on my back, but I kept going.” Steele finished.

Jenna yawned.

“That’s a great story Steele,” She said half heartedly.

Steele grinned.

“Well, I just did what had to be done, it was nothing big.”

Jenna sighed and yawned again.

Steele sensed that he was losing her, and put his paw on her shoulder.

Jena laid down, and Steele laid down beside her.

“I like you Jenna, I really do.” He said. “You’re the most beautiful thing on the face of the earth.”

Jenna didn’t know quite how to respond to this, and kept silent.

Steele looked up.

“The stars sure are beautiful tonight aren’t they?”

Jenna nodded, and was about to speak, when she felt his back leg slide over her back hip.

She jumped back, alarmed, throwing Steele to the side, and destroying the moment rather thoroughly.

“What?” Steele asked, standing up. “What’s wrong?”

Jenna was flustered.

“What… What are you doing?!”

Steele chuckled.

“Well, Jenna, we’ve known each other for a while now, and I was just taking our relationship in the next logical direction.”

Jenna stepped back.

“I don’t want to go anywhere in that direction!” She said.

“What?” Steele asked. “Why not?”

“Because….” Jenna said.

She paused.

“I think it’s time for me to go home now.”

“Jenna…” Steele said, as she walked brusquely away.

Steele was at a loss for words, no one had ever turned him down before.

He watched the place where Jenna had disappeared.

“He shook his head in bewilderment, and turned the other way, walking off.

Chapter 6

Jenna stood up, relaxed for once, and having gotten a fair amount of sleep last night, she felt pretty good.

She decided she would go see Dixie, and headed down the alleyway.

Jenna stepped off of the last step to Dixie’s porch.

“Hmm,” Jenna thought, “I wonder where she is?”

Jenna then decided to go back home, but as she was walking by the alley across from Dixie’s house, she was stopped by a whisper.

“Psst! Jenna!”

Jenna stopped.

“Jenna! Psst! Over here!”

Jenna turned, and saw a small shadow in the alley.

She walked over to it.

“Dixie?” Jenna asked.

Dixie pulled Jenna into the alley.

“What is it?” Jenna asked.

“Jenna, I’ve been looking all over for you.” Dixie said.

“What’s up?” Jenna said, a concerned look coming over her face.

Dixie looked around nervously and sighed with relief as she saw there was no one around.

“I heard about what you did last night, or rather what you didn’t do.”

“Oh,” Jenna said, relieved herself that nothing was seriously wrong.

“What is going through that cute little head of yours?!” Dixie asked.

“What do you mean?” Jenna responded.

Dixie sighed.

“Jenna, Sylvie and I, more so me, have gone through a lot to get you where you are, and now you’re jeopardizing everything we’ve accomplished!”

“Well…” Jenna started, but Dixie cut her off.

“I mean, you’re popular, you’ve got good friends, what more do you want?”

Jenna looked a little irritated.

“Dixie, that…. you know, is something that two, and only two are supposed to share, no one else, and quite frankly, I don’t think that Steele is even close to the one for me.”

“What are you saying?!” Dixie asked.

“I’m saying that I think Steele is so full of himself, that it’s bubbling over on the street, leaving a disgusting trail wherever he goes.”

Dixie swatted Jenna on top of the head.

“Don’t say that!”

She paused.

You still have no idea who you’re talking about, do you?”

“Yes,” Jenna said, “I know now more than ever, who I’m talking about… and I don’t understand what this idiot has done to get this almost godlike power he has over this entire town.”

Dixie looked shocked.

Jenna sighed.

“I’m sorry Dixie, but… it’s the way I feel.”

Dixie took a step back.

“I…. I don’t even want to see him again.” Jenna said. “He had no right to ask that from me, no right at all.”

“So this is how you want things? You know that the other dogs might stop being your friend if you walk out on this guy, right? There’s a price to pay for everything in life.”

Jenna nodded.

“… but that. that shouldn’t be one of them. Like I said that’s a special bond, and not some price for popularity.”

“Alright,” Dixie said.

Jenna hung her head and sighed.

“So I guess I won’t be seeing you anymore, huh?”

Dixie smiled.

“Jenna, no matter what, you’ll always be my friend. I mean… though I don’t understand why…. I respect the fact that you’re standing up for your feelings, “

“Really?” Jenna asked.

“That’s me,” Dixie replied, “as for the other dogs, well I’m not so sure, they may not feel the same way.”

There was a significant pause before Jenna spoke.

“Hey Dixie, you want to meet up with Sylvie, and talk for a while?”

“Sure.” Dixie said. “Let’s go.”

They started to walk forward, and then stopped.

“Jenna,, you’re sure this is the way that you want it?” Dixie asked. “I mean, I can probably fix things with Steele….”

“I’m sure.” Jenna said.

Dixie shook her head.

“I still don’t understand it.” She said.

Jenna smiled.

“Come on,” Jenna said, “let’s go meet Sylvie.

“Alright.” Dixie responded.

There two of them walked toward the old mill, where they were to meet Sylvia.

It was near the end of the day, and Jenna was sitting, once again, on her porch.

She sighed.

Jenna was so confused.

“I don’t know what to do.” She thought. “My mother raised me to believe that… that what Steele wanted was wrong, but…”

Some of her former friends had acted differently around her today.

“Dixie was right…” Jenna thought. “…there is a price to everything…”

Jenna covered her face with her paws.

“I don’t know what to do…”

A voice from in front of her, startled Jenna.

“Are you okay?”

Jenna jumped up quickly.

“Oh,,,” She said, “Hi Drake.”

“So are you?” Drake asked.

“What?” Jenna said.

She paused.

“Oh, yeah, yeah of course I am, why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well I’m no psychologist,” Drake said, sitting beside her, “but I’d say that sitting there sobbing, with your paws over your face means you’re not okay.”

Jenna sniffled and nodded.

“You don’t want to talk about it?” Drake said. “That’s cool, but I’m here, alright?”

He stood up and turned to walk away.

“Steele.” Jenna said.

“What?” Drake said, turning back to her and sitting once more.

“”Steele he… he wanted to take our relationship further than I was ready for.”

“What do you mean?” Drake asked.

Jenna looked at him.

“You know.”

“Oh!” Drake said, “wow…”

Jenna nodded and replaced her head on the porch.

“I’m sorry Jenna, “ he… he didn’t…”

“Huh?” Jenna said.

“Well…” Drake said, “… take it?”

“No!” Jenna said, “no, no, no, of… of course not… do you really think he’d….”

Drake cut her off.

“No, I don’t, but… well, just when you think you know someone…”

“I understand.” Jenna said.

Drake nodded.

Jenna sighed.

“I don’t