"No," Jennifer says with a slight sigh. "I think I'd better go home. Tonight's chicken and rice for me and I don't wanna miss out on that."
"Aw, lucky!" Daniel says with a toothy grin. "All I got is Alpo."
"I know. Why do you think I want to go home?"
"Well, at least I can walk you home."
"I think I'd like that," Jennifer smiles as she walks over to the door and steps out, Daniel following behind eagerly.
"Hey, Dad!" Daniel barks as the two trot down the stairs on all fours. "I'm gonna walk Jennifer home, be back in a bit!"
"Don't stay out too long! I don't want to have to bail you outta the pound again!" Dad calls back.
"Daaad! That was only one time. I'm wearing my tags."
"Good. I know you forget sometimes."
"Bye, dad!" And then they're out of the door, walking towards Jennifer's house.
***
The warm evening air brings all kinds of scents and sounds to our canine lovers, and they marvel in all of them. Hot dogs on the grill. Frogs in the pond. Gunter, the little dachsund they've been friends with for years. Both Jennifer and Daniel give Gunther a short bark of greeting, which he returns.
"Y'know," Jennifer says as the two trot down the sidewalk at a brisk pace, "Already I can hardly even remember what it was like to be human."
"I can remember it okay. It sucked compared to this," Daniel answered. "I mean, I know we don't get all of the privileges normal people do, we don't eat at the dinner table and we aren't allowed at restaurants and stuff, but the perks outweigh the negative stuff."
"Yeah. I don't even remember what it was like to eat at the table anyway. Besides, I'm a pretty good beggar. My sister gives me table scraps like, all the time."
"Man. I really gotta eat over at your house more often."
"Not tonight, though. You know how my mom wants to get things ready before you come over."
"Yeah. Guess I'll just have to eat my Alpo alone tonight."
"Oh, stop whining. We'll play hooky tomorrow, go exploring around town."
"Really? That would be great! You sure we won't get in trouble?"
"Why would we? We're dogs, pretty much. Why can't we act like dogs for once? Why do we need school? You're just gonna go work in the fire station when you get old enough and I'll probably just live wherever you do and raise the puppies."
"You really think we can have puppies?"
"Why not? My aunt and her husband have puppies."
"Yeah, that's... wait. Your aunt's a dog like us?"
"Well... oh, wow! She is! Holy crap! How far did this curse go?"
"I don't know... uh... I seem to remember another member of your family being a dog too..."