273- My Hero

    It's very hard to be scared when a dog is licking your toes.

   Well, that's at least what Claire Zacore kept telling herself.

 Pushing against the ancient boxspring mattress, Claire leaned over and glanced at the alarm clock. It blinked stoically back at her in the darkness- the neon blocks the only light beside the street lamp filtering in from down on the street.

   Two small eyes glanced up from the foot of the bed, ears cocked.

 "Don't look at me like that." Claire commanded, her voice low. A jingle of dog collars was the only response as Hero bounded up the length of the bed and firmly planted his face into the crook of her elbow. His tail beat a steady rhythm against her leg as it wagged merrily back and forth.

   "Hero," Claire whined, pushing the Jack Russel away.. He whined back at her, his weight resettling itself on her abdomen and forcing the air out of her lungs.

  "Hero, get down!" She admonished, pushing and pulling the surprisingly heavy dog off her air path and in back to her side. Over his head, Claire could read the clock's new taunt: 2:34.

  Goody.

   Having just moved into the new apartment, Claire had been unpacking all afternoon. She had unwrapped her pictures, arranged her pantry, and set up the entertainment center. Once the mattress had arrived, she had stopped alphabetizing her books and hastily made the bed- eager to show off the new throw cushions she had found on sale at the antique store. Hero had helped by jumping upon her hope chest at the foot of the bed and barking as the sheets arced over the bed in graceful swells of linen.

  Hero had also enjoyed the afternoon of unpacking. She had unrooted him from boxes, tried to keep him from inhaling Styrofoam peanuts and had jumped gleefully on the packing bubbles she had kept her china in. He had been worn out by eight and had fallen asleep on the new couch. Well technically new couch. The slipcover counted.

      However, once she had turned off her movie, washed her face and crawled into bed- Hero had decided he wanted to go out one last time for the evening. Needed might have been the better term. Claire scrunched her nose at the dog's outline in the room.

        Hero had a very expressive face and a very clear whine. She knew when he meant "I"m going to go potty right now if you don't open this door" and when he meant "But there's a squirrel out there....." and he must have had one too many Styrofoam peanuts because he meant business.

    Of course, in the late evening, the cute little neighborhood of Peabody Square became something else entirely. The car backing up sounded like a gun shot in the silence and the sweet couple across the street became a yelling tornado of emotionally fueled rage. The landlord's dog developed a large growling bark and the guy from across the hall may have just been getting his mail but why did it take him so long?

     Claire twisted onto her back and stared up at the ceiling fan as it spun in rapid circles above her. Hero lay his head down onto the bed and yawned- teeth gleaming in the neon glow. He'd be asleep in seconds, Claire grumbled. Lucky dog.

   She had work in the morning and here she was staring at the clock, trying to think how secure the chain on the door was and whether or not the bar stool she had put in front of the back door would alert her if someone tried to get in. The windows were all secure- she felt reasonably secure being on the fourth floor of a complex that didnt have a fire escape.

 Well. She supposed she probably wouldn't feel the same way if there was a fire.

 Claire rolled onto her side, Hero wrenching his eye open, regarded her for a moment before dismissing her action and going back to his beauty rest. She poked him. He grumbled and buried his head further into the comforter.

 Some guard dog.

 A loud noise from outside echoed briefly and Claire shot upright in bed- heart beating a quick staccato in her ears as she held her breath to listen closer. A laugh followed the noise and it slowly faded as its owner strolled on into the evening. Hero continued his oblivion happily beside her.

  Claire lay back down, scrunched her eyes tight and reminded herself that she was a big girl and could handle living without a roommate. She had Hero- he would warn her if someone meant them harm and she knew the apartment building had strict security 24/7.

   Well, Hero would bark at someone but only until they started petting him. Then, he'd roll onto his back and let them pet him to death. She'd never stand a chance.

 Oh well, Claire mused. Her hair escaping from the pony tail she had put it in earlier that day

 . At least she had the kitchen bar stools.