like you.”
“You don’t want to be just like me,” Balto said.
“Yes I do,” the young pup said, “you’re a hero.”
Balto looked at the floor.
“Yeah,” he said to himself, “some hero.”
“Hey you’re with Jenna, right?” The young dog asked.
Balto just sighed.
“What’s wrong?” The young dog said. “You must be the luckiest dog in Nome, in all the world, she’s a hot piece.”
Balto’s first thought was one of anger at the young pup.
“No one talks like that about her,” he thought.
“but it’s not your job to protect her anymore,” he told himself, and let it go.
Balto nodded.
It was silent for a long while.
“Well,” the pup said finally, “I’m going into Nome, see if I can find some food, want to come?”
Balto shook his head.
“I’ve got some cleaning up to do,” he said.
“Okay,” the pup said, then he leapt off the side of the boat and ran off toward Nome
Balto wondered back down into the bottom of the boat.
“I wonder if it’s still here,” he thought.
He stopped as he saw a dust covered small box.
He walked over to it,
He nudged it open with his nose and a tear slowly fell out of his eye, as he saw what was in it.
It was a single brick red strand of hair.”
Balto smiled, remembering…
Balto was depressed.
“Even after I do something good, the humans still won’t give me a chance,” He thought, “Maybe Boris is right, I’ll never be a sled dog.”
He thought of the way a popular, beautiful girl like Jenna must think of him.
“Don’t go there, Balto thought, “that’s just asking for more pain in your life.”
Still she’d looked at him a little differently when Rosy had said that he was just showing off for a pretty girl, maybe there was something there.
“What are you thinking Balto,” he said to himself, “she’ the most popular girl in town, and you’re the most un-liked, the reject. She’d be committing social suicide, just to be seen talking with you.”
All of this just added to his despair. Boris tried to cheer him up, but he failed.
Balto’s ears perked up as he heard a voice.
“Jenna!” Little Rosy yelled.
Balto ran toward the sound, leaving Boris behind.
“Maybe she’s in trouble,” He thought.
Suddenly Jenna stepped out of the alley, right in front of him. He slammed on the brakes and slid at her. She too pulled back, to avoid the collision. He stopped just inches before he hit her.
Their noses touched.
“Oh,” Jenna said, surprised, she pulled back a bit, embarrassed.
“Heh, Jenna. . .I er. . .heh,” Balto smiled stumbling over his words.
“Good going idiot,” he thought to himself.
“Jenna,” Rosy’s father yelled. Rosie joined back in.
“Jen, come on!”.
Jenna turned her head toward the sound.
“Now’s your chance,” Balto said to himself, “get out of there!”
He ran under a bucket that was in the alley, and watched as Jenna turned to see him gone.
“I wonder where he went?” She thought. “Poor guy, I really feel sorry for him.”
She sniffed the air, trying to get his scent. Then she walked away, toward the sound of her girl’s voice.
“Way to go genius,” Balto thought, “she really thinks you’re stupid now.”
Boris had caught up to him. He’d seen the exchange between the two,
“There are some things I can’t do for you,” Boris said, “I’m goose, not cupid.”
“Didn’t make the team, Bingo?”
Balto turned around to see Steele and his gang behind him.
“Why them,” he thought, “why now?”
“Don’t listen to him, don’t look at him, live a long life,” Boris said.
“My name’s Balto,” Balto said, an edge coming into his voice.
“But you can call him idiot,” Boris said.
“Oh I’m sorry,” Steele said, “Balto, Balto the half breed.”
His gang all started cracking up.
“Hey old goose,” Steele said, “you a half breed too..”
“Oh no,” Boris said, quiety.
“..part turkey?” Steele said.
He kicked Boris into a roasting pan that was in the alley.
“Good word play dere boss,” Nikki said.
Kaltag started in then.
“You are the wittiest, the quickest. You're the drollest, the cleverest. . . the
sharpest. You're the most hilarious...”
“You crack me up,” Star said.
Kaltag hit him on top of the head.
Balto was furious.
“It’s one thing for him to pick on me, but quite another for him to mess with my friends,” He thought.
“Steele, leave him out of this,” Balto said.
Steele walked toward him.
“I’m gonna get my tail whipped,” Balto thought.
“Oh Balto,” he said, hitting him with his tail as he walked by, “I’ve got a message for your mother,”
He turned his head toward the sky and howled, “Awwwooo,”
The other’s started in too.
“Hey mom!” Kaltag said, laughing. “Hey Balto, translate this for me would you?”
“What’s wolf for go chase your tail?” Star asked.
“That’s it,” Balto thought, “I may not know her, but no one talks about my mom like that.”
He growled and started toward Steele and his gang.
“You’re going to die!” He thought.
Boris grabbed a hold of his tail and tried to hold him back, but Balto just drug him toward Steele.
“Balto stop,” Boris yelled, “woahh!”
“Woah, uh oh,” Kaltag said.
“Get him,” Steele said.
The gang started barking at Balto.
“Get out of here wolf dog, you’d better get back to your pack!” Steele said.
As he finished, some spit came out of his mouth and landed on Balto.
This angered him even more.
Boris stepped in front of him then.
“Maybe it's the unrelenting fear talking, but I'm seeing wisdom in this advice.
Maybe we go now, huh? NOW!”
Boris started to drag Balto away.
Balto finally gave in and turned to walk away.
Steele and his gang started laughing and kicking snow at him. Steele’s paw picked up a rock that hit Balto in the head.
It knocked him into a bunch of trashcans and he jumped up and ran away, hearing Steele’s gang laughing
“Someday I’ll stand up to them,” he thought.
It was later that same day, and Balto was sitting up on the side of the old boat that he called home. He heard a sound and looked over the edge.
Jenna was playing with Rosy on the edge of the frozen field that the old boat was in.
He watched her for a moment.
“Leave it alone,” Balto thought to himself, “She’s the most popular dog in all of Nome, she doesn’t need you to come in and mess everything up.”
But try as he might, he still couldn’t shake the feelings he had for her.
“And what is so interesting?” Boris asked, walking up behind him.
“Jenna.” Balto replied.
“Is love?” Boris said. “So go make move. When the Angel’s balalaikas strum the sweet song of love?” Mambo!”
Boris began doing some stupid little dance.
Balto smiled.
“Nah…” he said “..she’s not my type.”
Balto turned and walked away from the side of the boat, heading for the wheel well where he slept.
“And why not?” Boris asked, “this wolf business again?” And what’s wrong with being half and half I’d like to know? Sometimes I wish like crazy I was half eagle.”
“Why?” Balto asked.
“Better profile for one thing,” Boris responded, “and no one tries to eat you for another.”
Balto laughed and layed down.
Suddenly he felt a stab of pain on the side of his head. He got up and rubbed his head on the ground, trying to get rid of it.
He lifted his head and froze at what he saw on the ground.
It was a brick red strand of hair, just one.
Balto looked at it. He picked it up with his teeth and ran down to the bottom of the boat. He kicked boxes and chairs, and anything else that was in the way over, out of the way, searching for something.
“What’s all the commotion,” Boris said, coming down the steps.
Balto didn’t pay any attention to the goose, just kept searching.
“Balto?” Boris said.
Balto kept digging.
“Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever understand that mutt,” Boris said to himself as he walked back up the stairs.
Balto finally found what he was looking for, a small box that had once held a ring.
He carefully put the hair in it and closed it.
“Jenna” he said, quietly.
Chapter VIII
“Jenna,” Balto said as he closed the box. He went back up to the top of the boat. He set about cleaning the boat up.
It was much later when the young dog returned. “He seems sure he wants to stay here,” Balto thought, “well at least I won’t be lonely.”
Balto had decided to do something tonight that was very dangerous, but he didn’t care.
“I’ve got to do it,” he thought.
“I’ll be back in a little bit,” Balto told the
14085 visits
Report this fanfic 
