Sometimes someone just needs to wake us up….

Kevin, a grey Great Dane, an orange haired Afghan Hound named Patricia, and a neon green cat named Applebee, walked together from their Geography class out towards the lunch tables outside. The lunch bell had just rung. As the two shed their book bags on the ground around the cement table, only Applebee seemed to show any discernible emotion. It was finals week for their school, and their hardest subject’s final had just been taken. Kevin and Patricia, both brother and sister, felt the side-effects of their days of studying come back to them. The recoil of all their memorization had apparently scrambled their brains, giving their face no expression to turn to but an emotion-less one.
Applebee smiled, reached into his backpack and pulled out two Milk Bones, waving them closely in front of both the dog’s noses. Patricia and Kevin both looked at their treats, but kept their heads down on the table, resting upon their forearms. That didn’t stop Applebee. Climbing halfway over the table, the cat grinned widely and brought his tiny nose as close to Kevin’s as he dared, chuckling to himself as he looked deep into Kevin’s eyes. The tall dog did nothing but flick Applebee in the nose, who stood up on the stone bench and held his face.
“Hey!” He said.
“Just because YOUR solar powered,” Kevin said, looking out at the spring day around him, “doesn’t mean you can transfer that to either of us.”
“Oh, I think I can try!” Applebee said, getting down close to Patricia, putting his fingers to his temples, crunching his face up to where it looked like a raisin, then finally let his tongue roll out and touch Patricia’s nose, who instantly sat up, exclaiming.
“Hey! That’s gross!”
Applebee’s fists shot up triumphantly as he stood. “It worked!” Applebee said, achieving only the distaste of Kevin, who had stood as well. Slowly, though, Kevin smirked, then sat down, holding his head up with his right hand, elbow propped up on the table.
“Alright Apple, you got us. We’re awake now.” Kevin said, moodily chewing on his Milk Bone. “Thanks for this, by the way.”
Applebee sat down and nodded, then looked over at Patricia. Patricia had her hands on her facial cheeks, trying not to blush or look impressed. But she had to admit, finally, as she picked up her Milk Bone and bit into it, “Thanks for waking me up.”
Applebee nodded and smiled, practically shining with the sun of the afternoon. Mission accomplished.