Jared figured he would have a short ride to the home of this family, which would allow him to escape the moment he had some privacy.
The father had placed him in the compact trunk area of his SUV, which let Jared hang his head over the backseat or turn and look back as the vehicle sped out of the city and into the countryside. The trip took much longer than he expected. By keeping an eye on the dashboard clock, Jared realized that the trip took about 40 minutes. Getting back into familiar territory wouldn't be as simple as a walk of a few blocks distance.
The entire time, Daisy kept distracting him by reaching over the seat and hugging his neck or patting his head. "You will love your new home, boy," she promised.
"Have you thought of a name yet, dear?" Father asked from the front seat as he drove the vehicle along the highway.
"I was thinking Fauntleroy," she answered.
"What? What kind of a name is Fauntleroy?" Jared produced a mild whimpering.
"I guess we could call him Roy," her father suggested.
"No, daddy, it is Fauntleroy," she said. "The whole name."
"That's a big name for a dog, dear," he said. "What about something more...conventional?"
"I am still thinking about it," Daisy said and began to dig her small fingers into the space behind Jared's floppy sheepdog ears. The result feelings of bliss overpowered the transformed teenager's every attempt to stay focused. The incredible response to such a simple gesture, he decided, must be canine kryptonite.
Soon, they arrived at the gate surrounding a massive fenced property sitting on a hillside surrounded by lush green countryside. The father used a button on his key to swing open the gate and drive through. Jared was at his new home, not that he was in any condition to notice at the moment as Daisy kept inducing him to a drooling imbecile with her dedicated scratching of his ears.