Here is a daily look into the life of a high school canine student in and out of campus.

High School Dog

Charell calmly sits in her room with her headphones in her ears listening to music while scribbling away on a pad. The female cattle dog is a current high school student in her third year and she is occupied at the moment with an important exam to turn in for the following day. The young woman chose to pay her mother a visit while she is away from campus to help her on some chores and catch up on some much needed schoolwork.

It didn't take long for the young dog to finish her homework - it only took her around less than 10 minutes. Though the homework is easy, Charell only had a little bit of it to do. The rest of the day was later spent helping her mother out with different chores around the house; she only has limited time before she leaves for campus again.

The rest of Charell’s time was spent packing and getting herself ready for campus once again. She knew she already had some catching up to do with some other people along with other appointments she's made.

~~~~~

Following her arrival to the building, Charell gives one last look at the name above the doors before going inside; the name, in all capital brown lettering, read: “BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL”. This is the facility that Charell enrolled in for the next four years of her life; she will spend these four years on further education that will increase her ability. But there are also several obstacles in her way.

Charell isn't a sociable type of person. This is one of a few main roadblocks through her journey. And she'll have to do much more if she wants to pass with high marks.

Already, Charell is feeling nervous but she soon takes a deep breath and mutters, “Okay, this is it. Time to go in here and face reality.”

~~~~~

Making her way along the hallways, the female canine marches towards her dorm room in order to get reacquainted with the place. Though it doesn't take long for Charell to unpack her belongings, the female canine is able to spend the rest of her prep time setting her things up. And after setting up shop inside her dorm, the female dog is ready for the rest of the school year. No problem.

The following day, Charell is walking to her first class when she notices a fellow male Australian Shepherd student standing idle in the hallway.

“Good to see you again, Austin! How has your time off been?” The Australian Shepherd student turns to see Charell approaching him, leading to an appreciative smile gracing his features.

“I’ve had some busy moments during my time off campus but it's been good. What about you, Charell? Ready for the rest of the school year?” Austin joins Charell in the hallway, walking together to their first class. The Australian Shepherd student is happy to see Charell again, and the appreciative smile and wagging tail are evidence of this.

“Been busy, myself. Thank you very much for asking.” Charell responded casually while walking beside Austin. “Honestly, I am not too stoked about returning to high school, but I am more focused on passing all grades.”

“You and me, both.” Austin giggled softly. “So, any plans for the weekend or do you plan on visiting your mom again?”

Charell hums a bit and considers, “I was planning to attend a girls-only day with Alana and Aleshia. What about you?”

“Football.” Austin flexes his right arm for emphasis, “Gotta keep up my routine as part of the football team. But I also plan on going to the arcade as well as some gardening later on.”

“Sounds good!” The two dogs spend the remainder of their trek venturing to their first class of the day, which wasn't very far.

~~~~~

With Reading being the first class of their day, Austin and Charell had no problem sitting around each other. It was one of the few classes they shared with each other.

Neither dog student found complications with Reading and comprehension. And Algebra was also easy… to an extent. Physical Education, however, found many ways to bring Charell and Austin closer in their friendship.

(🎵 Napa Valley - Road Rash 1995 OST)

For the P.E class, a game of dodgeball is decided for the class. Both sides were separated into two teams - boys vs. girls. The coach for the game and overall class, a Bengal tiger, addresses the crowd of 24 students, “Alright kids, you know how dodgeball works - both sides work together to eliminate the other team. Think of it as a snowball fight - if you get hit, you're out. If you catch the ball successfully, the pitcher is out. The last one standing wins.”

With those instructions, it is very clear what the main goal of the event is - survive as long as possible and be the last one standing. The coach directs the students to a field of dodgeballs lining the court. And after the class splits into two teams does the coach blow the whistle for the game to begin.

The match begins with both sides rushing forward to claim the balls first. Some of them stay back, preferring not to get mixed up along with being hit at close range.

The Bengal tiger coach stays on the sidelines, watching the dodgeball session unfold into a projectile match. Anyone who is tagged by a ball from the opposing team is ruled ‘out’, having to sit on the sidelines. At the same time, those that successfully catch the ball are safe while the opposing pitcher is ruled ‘out’.

The dodgeball match went on for a time, gradually bringing the numbers down from 12 on both sides to 3 against 2. Of the two teams, Austin is the only competitor left on the boys’ team; remaining on the girls’ team with Charell is a female cougar.

With Austin being the only member of the boys’ team left standing, those that were eliminated began cheering. The same cheering erupted for the girls in support of Charell and her cougar teammate.

The two girls double team Austin, both of them throwing dodgeballs at the Australian Shepherd boy. Although Austin dodges one, he ends up getting bonked on the head by another, leading him to be declared out. The Bengal tiger coach blows his whistle to signal the end of the game and points to the remaining two girls still standing; he announces, “This match is over! Girls win!”

Ecstatic cheering erupts from the girls’ side while disappointed groans come from the boys’ side. And on the stage, Charell and her cougar classmate high-five each other in victory.

“Heck yeah! We won! You did a good job, Sarah!” Charell concluded in celebration.

“You too, Charell! You did good, yourself!” The female cougar stated in return.

The dodgeball session ends the period for Physical Education and the students later exit for their next class. Along the way for their next class, Austin and Charell are walking side by side with each other. With the dodgeball match still fresh in his mind, Austin commends Charell on her victory, “That was an amazing match! You did pretty good, Charell! I never expected you and Sarah to be the only ones remaining. You girls did an awesome job working together!”

“You did excellent yourself, Austin!” Charell becomes flustered at first, blushing pink in the face. Yet, she musters up the resolve to speak up in response, commending Austin on his effort. The two canines are walking to their next class for the day when they notice something strange up ahead. A male hyena student appears to be terrorizing a male skunk student, having cornered him in the lockers. Seeing this makes Austin furious while Charell attempts to pull the male Shepherd dog away.

Austin refuses, yanking himself from Charell's grasp. He affirms, “Nobody's getting away with this on my watch! No one gets left behind!”

“Alright squirt, you were supposed to have my lunch money! You forgot to pay up, didn't you?” Unaware of the incoming Australian Shepherd man, the hyena is all in the skunk’s face, menacingly demanding the skunk's tribute. The skunk, however, counters, “I have nothing to give you. You're wasting your time with me.”

“What are you gonna do - spray me??” The hyena sneers at the skunk and claims, “You don't scare me one bit. You are a very ugly creature, by the way. No one would want to talk to you.”

When the skunk senses further movement, he attempts to get a better look by peering around the hyena; at the same time, the hyena student is interrupted by a sudden touch on his shoulder from behind. He turns around only to get walloped in the face by a sucker punch from an angry Austin, who then proceeds to kick the hyena student while he's down. Before the hyena can recover, Austin yanks him up by his collar and slams him against the wall across from the lockers, angrily snarling. Unfortunately, the splattering against the wall makes the hyena recover and he headbutts Austin to force the Australian Shepherd off of him. Austin ends up whining in pain and clutching his head while the hyena laughs, “You don't scare me either!!”

Charell is watching the situation unfold and is set in horror, unsure whether she should jump in, tell someone, or do nothing. But the situation changes unexpectedly when the skunk student uses the distraction to grab the hyena student and bodyslam him to the ground. The hyena student is further winded when the skunk jumps and slams himself against the hyena student again, squishing him against the floor. Both Austin and Charell observe in surprise from seeing the skunk fight back. But the skunk turns to Austin and smiles graciously, “I appreciate the help, Austin, but I got it from here. You and your girlfriend head to class now.”

“Um thanks? She isn't my girlfriend; we’re just friends, Billy.” Austin blushes deep red in the face, suddenly overwhelmed by the assumption the skunk made upon seeing him directly and noticing Charell close by, this making him believe the two are an item. However, Austin denies this, claiming that he and Charell are just friends.

Billy giggles and places his arms behind his head in a casual manner, swaying from side to side. “Ah, I’m just joking, Austin! At the same time, you and that girl do look cute together, so anything goes. Now as for this guy -” Billy directs Austin's attention to the winded hyena who slowly picks himself up off the ground, “- I’m not sure what to do with him.”

Suddenly, the hyena swings at Billy, only for the skunk to duck and deliver a hard elbow to his stomach before delivering a reverse spin kick to the hyena’s face, knocking him against the wall which knocks him out in the process.

Seeing the wordless faces of both Australian Shepherd dogs, Billy rubs his neck and mentions, “Those lessons from the wrestling and boxing classes have been paying off. I'm in the martial arts club if you want to look for me there. I’ve been needing to brush up on my technique.”

The skunk begins to walk away when Austin stops him, grabbing his fluffy tail. “Billy, wait! Maybe we can accompany you to your next class and then meet up later.”

Already developing a mental image of the skunk in a green Karate outfit, Austin begins to back off. However, to his surprise, Billy accepts his offer and shrugs, “Ehh, what's one lonely little escort gonna do against a whole day? Sure, you and your chick friend can join me!”

Charell is blushing in the background while Austin is left flustered again. Billy’s calm approval of the escort is a surprise to Austin in particular. Apart from the awkward silence between them, Austin attempts to break the silence by inquiring of Billy’s martial arts status.

The three mammals start to venture together where Austin finally inquires, “So Billy, you did wrestling and boxing before, right? What level are you in martial arts?”

“Oh, uh, I’m a green belt in Karate.” Billy meekly responds with a nervous laugh. The skunk student rubs his neck while frankly admitting, “I’m still a beginner but I'm getting around pretty good.”

While commendable on Billy's part, Austin remarks, “What you did with that hyena is no beginner stuff. That reverse kick you pulled has to be at an intermediate level. Those moves you pulled were slick!”

The skunk blushes at the praise and recognition of his fighting prowess, but he shrugs it off, claiming, “I guess so. Not like anyone was gonna step up anyways. If he did drop me, I would've told an adult instead - they'd probably do nothing about it anyway.”

“And that's the main problem anyways - bullying.” Charell interjected, joining the conversation. “Half the time these losers wind up with a warning rather than a detention period. And even if self-defense classes are taken, what are the odds of getting busted for doing what you need to do anyways? Let something drastic happen and everyone's gonna be singing the blues.”

Billy retorts, “I may look cute and cuddly, and people can call me an ugly freak if they want - I’m still kicking tail.” When the skunk sees his next class ahead, he picks up the pace and waves goodbye to Austin and Charell, thanking them for their time, “Thanks for sticking with me! We’ll meet again!”

Charell and Austin do likewise, watching the skunk eventually vanish from their sight. Then the two Shepherd dogs leave and later separate from each other, moving on to their next classes.

~~~~~

Time passes by with the Shepherd dogs traversing through their separate classes until the end of the school day. And once the period ends, Charell gives her mother a quick call to update her on her living situation. The call is brief and after a heartfelt exchange between the two, they hang up, satisfied.

Earlier between afternoon periods, Charell and Austin agreed to meet Billy to watch him in some of his training and hang out later on. The young Australian Shepherd woman still has her ‘girls only’ date for the weekend.

Austin wasn't sure if Billy had received his training in a dojo, but with the limited information that was provided through the skunk, the young Australian Shepherd man has a general idea of where he could be.

After leaving the main school building and coming across a campus dojo, Austin and Charell wonder if this could be the spot. They soon get their answer when they enter inside and find Billy practicing different flips, cartwheels, and kicks. The most notable part is the skunk's outfit - an all-green Karategi outfit, belt and all with green footwraps and wristwraps.

The skunk is so focused on his training that when he senses movement nearby, he whirls to face whoever has entered, already in a Karate stance of his own. When he recognizes Austin and Charell, the skunk straightens up immediately, sweatdropping at the sight of the duo.

“Ahh, hey Austin; hey Charell! I wasn't expecting you guys to show up at this time.” Billy nervously laughed, rubbing his neck. “The doors are usually locked at this time.”

“We were about to say the same thing.” Charell noted in return. While she takes one weary glance at the entrance, she begins inspecting the skunk from head to toe. This actually puts a smile on her face, leading her to giggle, “Y’know Billy, you look rather cute in that outfit.”

“You also look like an action star from a martial arts movie.” Austin noted in particular. “I'm in the sports club, so I kinda get the same vibe as you. But I would love to see what you can do against an actual jock.”

Billy scoffs and folds his arms, stepping forward to meet the two. “Oh, please! A martial arts beginner like me against a football jock? You kidding!? No way; I’d get squished if that's the case!”

“But you can still spray in self-defense, right?” Austin wondered.

Billy gives Austin a blank stare. “Austin, if you realize how dumb that question is, you wouldn't be asking me that. You of all people should know how toxic a skunk’s death spray is.”

“Point taken.” Austin turns bright red in embarrassment.

“Duly noted.” Charell understood what Billy is getting at, already knowing the intense stench of a skunk's natural defense.

“But for real, though, I was ready to jump in and pummel that hyena had you not fought back the way you did.” Austin recalled. “Did he really call you ‘ugly’?”

Billy throws his hands up in retrospect, “You heard it yourself. I know I’m not attractive looking but I am definitely not ugly. Trust me, I’d dealt with insults worse than being called ugly.”

Austin gulps nervously, feeling a bit of nausea kicking in. “I don't even want to go there.”

Billy turns his attention to the front entrance while claiming absent-mindedly, “The teacher had some stuff to take care of earlier and said he’ll be back. You would think he'd have locked the doors or something. But he's probably gone home. I doubt he's returning here.”

Charell blinks at the skunk and assumes, “Were you the only student present or were there more?”

Billy stretches for a bit, wiggling around while reporting, “Ah, it wasn't just me as you guys saw just now. There were a few others in here with me that were training. They left; I requested to stay so I could do some extra training on my moveset and technique.”

“Understood, Billy.” Austin remarked softly. “So, are you ready to hang with us or did you need more time?”

“Give me some time.” Billy answered firmly and seriously. “I was in the middle of practicing when you interrupted my routine. I’ll be done soon.”

~~~~~

Following an agreement that was settled by the trio, Austin and Charell observe Billy's training for the next 15 minutes, taking special interest in his technique and moveset. Watching the skunk train brings Austin back to the earlier confrontation with the hyena student where the skunk acted quickly in taking him down.

Once Billy was done with his training, the skunk changed out of his Karate outfit and back into his casual clothes. Then he meets back up with Charell and Austin and leaves the dojo. Upon making it back to the high school, Billy excuses himself to head into the lockers alone, promising Charell and Austin that he’ll be back. But the moment the skunk steps inside to venture towards the lockers, he suddenly pauses and senses movement nearby, his left ear flicking.

Suddenly, Billy tosses his bag aside upon hearing a very familiar voice, “I’ve been waiting for you, Billy Tindall! I can finally have my revenge before I’m expelled!”

Recognizing the voice as the hyena bully from earlier, the skunk lets out an irritated groan. He didn't want to deal with this loser again, not after placing him in time out. The skunk demands, “What do you want this time, Ravi? It's too late for this.”

Ravi the hyena steps out into the hallway from an adjacent corner, sneering at the skunk, “Simple - I want payback in return for you humiliating me. Prepare to be squished!”

“Guess I have no choice…” Billy mutters, annoyed. He didn't want it to come to this but he had no say in the matter - Ravi didn't care. Now Billy is forced to fight back against his bully after putting him in time out and eventual expulsion. But just as Billy gets ready, a glimmer of steel catches his attention. The hyena has pulled a knife out!

“What the?! Ravi, do you want to get arrested?! How did you sneak a knife into school!?” Billy grows increasingly alarmed at having to contend with a knife-wielding student now. Hyenas normally use their jaw strength to literally rip their victims apart. But not in this case.

“Can't you take a hint, pipsqueak? The metal detectors, even the ones the security guards use, aren’t working due to some sort of “technical difficulties”. Now, be nice and still while I carve that ugly face of yours!” After relaying this news to Bill, Ravi grins mercilessly, clutching his bladed weapon tightly.

Billy tries once again to reason with the hyena, “All this over some lunch money?? It's not worth it, Ravi! All you’re doing is throwing your life away! With that knife, you're only making things worse for yourself! What will your parents think??”

Raising his arm, Ravi prepares to throw the weapon at the skunk. “Shut up and leave them out of this! This is between you and me, skunk!”

“Oh, for the love of ~~” Billy rolls his eyes at the hyena's rebuttal. “Seriously, man, it's not worth it! We can settle this without fighting!”

The skunk's attempts at bargaining and pleading with the hyena fall on deaf ears. Ravi, filled with rage, rushes at the skunk with his knife hand drawn, ready to slice the skunk up. Billy, on the other hand, uses the charge as an opportunity to deliver a powerful message. When the hyena is close enough for his liking, Billy leaps into action with a reverse right roundhouse kick to Ravi’s face, pummeling the hyena's left jaw. The impact is so forceful and sudden that four claw marks end up on Ravi's left jaw. The kick also knocks the hyena out cold and destroys his momentum, sending him tumbling to the floor on his side. Thankfully, the knife is also dropped, right at Billy’s pawfeet.

When Billy's fight / flight instinct wears off, he takes one look at the unconscious hyena and shakes his head in sorrow. “Told ya so, Ravi. I tried to warn ya. Now it's not just you who's going to pay.” The skunk then takes out his smartphone and snaps a couple pictures of evidence, one of Ravi himself, and one of the knife at his feet. He then types out a caption for each photo before sending both of them to the school principal.

“I know I'm gonna get in trouble for this but I don't care anymore. It’s about time someone did the actual right thing about this bullying situation.” Billy secures his smartphone and struts out of the school, leaving behind the unconscious hyena and his lost weapon. When he meets back up with Charell and Austin, the latter questions him, “Billy, what was going on in there? I was about to come in.”

Billy sighs in dismay. He pulls out his smartphone and shows Austin and his female friend the photos he snapped of Ravi and the knife. Seeing this makes both of them recoil in fright.

“A knife??” Austin clutches his head in disbelief, knowing he himself would be too scared to fend off an attacker with a knife. “What?!”

“How did he bring a knife to school?! Aren't the metal detectors working?!” Charell is equally horrified by the news.

To the horrified Australian Shepherd dogs, Billy explains in detail, “Apparently, Ravi claims the metal detectors weren't working lately due to some sort of technical difficulties as he put it. That was how he brought the knife to school. But chances are I may be getting in trouble too, who knows.”

While Billy throws a hand up, nonchalant about the situation, Charell's face heats up; and it's not from embarrassment either. She balls her fists and hisses at the skunk, “You're acting like nothing happened when this is a potentially deadly situation! How can you be so calm about this when you don't even know what the outcome is gonna be for either of you!? What if you land yourself in detention for beating him up in the first place??”

Billy dismisses Charell's complaints with a wave of his head. “Try telling that to the countless victims whose cries and pleas for help with bullying went unanswered by the school district. I refuse to be another statistic in the system. You call me ugly - I won't spray you, but I will pummel you into a barbecue flavored potato chip. Likewise with Ravi - why do you think I’m taking self-defense classes?”

Although Billy's reasoning strikes a chord in Charell, and in Austin, the young Australian Shepherd woman shakes her head furiously and growls, “There are teachers and other staff that actually care! I’ve seen it before! Taking matters into your own hands doesn't always work!”

Billy remains unconvinced. He affirms, “As someone who's been constantly ignored when it comes to bullying, even pleading with the staff to do something, then it leaves me with no choice. I see nothing wrong now with getting suspended for self-defense. After all, if people take self-defense classes to protect themselves, why are they always the ones getting in trouble for doing what the higher-ups were supposed to do in the first place?”

The skunk then leaves Charell behind while the female Shepherd dog is set in silence. Billy is nonchalant about the whole thing, having come to the realization that he will have to face consequences too for self-defense, something he has come to terms with. Even Austin sympathizes with Billy and mentions, “Hey Charell, Billy does have a point; he’s right. And speaking from personal experience - I tend to get picked on for being on the football team just because of what I am. Let's just say I had to flatten a few people to get my point across.”

Horrified, Charell covers her mouth in disbelief. “You too!? No way!!”

Austin merely raises his hands in understanding while reaffirming, “Hey, as much as we try to fight it, bullying and self-defense has become the new norm now, sometimes with disastrous consequences. I’ve come to realize that myself ever since my little incident.”

Charell watches Austin walk away when they both hear Billy call out, “Are you two coming or are you just gonna make out??”

At being called out, the two Australian Shepherd dogs hastily rush to meet back up with Billy, who by this time is quite a bit of distance ahead of them.

~~~~~

After a small adventure into the downtown district of the city, the trio of friends camp out at an arcade to spend the rest of their day. One video game in particular captured Charell's attention the most.

Playing a game of Space Zap, Charell is focused on guarding her base from on-screen enemy blasters. And they are popping up from all sides. The more intense parts have her eyes widen considerably from the difficulty.

“Crap!” Charell begins to panic in trying to keep up with the fast-paced defender video game with enemy ships and bullets appearing from all directions at a rapid rate. Though she manages to hold her own, Charell is able to make it to the end of the wave where a satellite materializes and swirls around wildly; the satellite ends up being vaporized by the northbound laser.

Next wave - no problem. Charell fights off the first initial attackers easily. Then the game picks up its fast paced again with enemy ships pouring in from all directions and delivering enemy fire. Charell is barely able to hold her own once more, but in the midst of the chaos, she misses an enemy bullet from the westbound direction which vaporizes her base in a spectacular explosion of pixels littering the arcade screen.

“Damn!” Frustrated at losing her last base, Charell slams her hands down on the arcade cabinet. “I was so close! I almost had it!”

“Don't worry about it, Charell.” Austin assures the woman of her progression and later points to the high score table, emphasizing her progress. “Look at it this way - if we were in a competition, you’d be farther than me and Billy. You even managed to make it to the top 10 on the high score table!”

“This Space Zap game is pretty intense, but not as bad as Asteroids or Asteroids Deluxe.” Billy stated, his tail swishing softly. The skunk withdraws from the two dogs in search of a game he can play. Eventually, he locates two arcade cabinet games side by side with each other - Asteroids Deluxe and Galaxian. With an elated smile, Billy goes on to play Asteroids Deluxe for the time being, leaving Charell and Austin alone.

Charell, meanwhile, has left the Space Zap game behind, having entered her initials into one of the slots for the Top 10. Walking away with Austin, the two soon locate Billy playing Asteroids Deluxe, and he appears to be advancing smoothly through the challenging game. But at clearing the spinning rocks away, a 3D figure materializes, floating across the screen. When Austin notices this, Billy growls and frowns, “I always hated the Killer Satellite.”

“Killer Satellite?? What is that??” Austin inquired while staring at the gameplay.

“It's a type of new enemy that follows you around while you're trying to destroy it.” Billy explained. “It puts me to mind of Yar’s Revenge.”

Billy manages to defeat the Killer Satellite entirely and progresses to the next level. Throughout Billy's gameplay, he manages to make it past a few stages until losing all his lives to either the Killer Satellite or a tiny saucer, ending his gameplay completely at Level 9. His score reaches the Top 10 where he puts his own initials in and he withdraws from the arcade game, stretching his limbs.

Billy yawns and declares, “I think it's time we head back to campus. We can't afford another curfew strike on our records.”

When Austin checks the time on his smartwatch, the young Australian Shepherd man squeaks in panic, “It's 5:30! We need to hurry out of here or else we’ll be late!”

While Austin rushes out of the arcade with Billy in tow, Charell is left picking up the slack in her run to keep pace with the two boys. While still within earshot, she implies, “Is curfew at 6 pm, straight up??”

“Yes it is!” Billy reported while running behind Austin. “Too many kids skipping out and two many incidents off campus! Now if we don't report back at 6 pm, it's an automatic write-up on our records!”

“I don't like the sound of that!” Charell whimpered, worried.

“Well, keep up if you can! This shouldn't take us long to reach the campus!” Austin declared.

True to Austin's word, their little sprint works out in them making it back to high school before 6 pm with only a few minutes left to spare. And from that point on, they were going to make sure they were extra careful not to lose track of time.

Upon making it back to her dorm room, out of breath, Charell takes a moment to catch her breath before calling her mother once more and updating her on her status before carrying on throughout the rest of her school week. And her ‘Girls only’ session is still on for Saturday, which she is still fully open and looking forward to.

To pass the rest of her time, Charell marches to her drawer and removes her sketchbook along with a pack of assorted colored pencils and crayons and begins scribbling, working on a picture of her own to show to her class.

~~~~~

Charell belongs to [url=]KitKadoodle (ToyHouse)[/url] in this medium-length story commission!