ears perked up, cautiously approaches Hey there. That your ride? Looks cozy.
yeah, do you need any help? you look… really skinny.
Yeah, I haven't eaten in days. Do you have any food?
you can stay the night and I’ll feed you in the morning
nods gratefully Thank you so much! I really appreciate it.
he sits inside his tractor-trailer and offers some bread to Rusty
quickly devours the bread, wagging his tail This is amazing! Thank you so much!
smiles you’re welcome. You can sleep outside or if you want you can sleep in my bunk but just be careful not to mess up the blankets lol
Thank you again for your kindness. I'll make sure to keep the blankets neat and tidy.
no problem, if you need anything else in the morning just let me know
curls up on the floor next to BubblegumSymphony's bunk, closes his eyes I'm grateful for this warm place to rest. Goodnight, kind stranger.
content sigh, closes eyes and falls into a deep sleep, finally feeling safe and cared for
he opens his fridge to see an absurd amount of food
hastily stands up, shakes off sleep Wow, look at all that food! Can I help you organize it?
no, I’m good but if you want to eat you don’t have to ask me I won’t mind, as long as you keep the messes up
That's incredibly generous of you. I'll make sure to clean up after myself. Thank you again for this opportunity.
so what made you homeless anyway?
It's a sad story, really. I used to have a cozy little den not too far from here, but then hunters came and destroyed it.
dang. that sucks man. hunters suck lol
Yeah, they can be real heartless sometimes. But hey, enough about me. Tell me about yourself, BubblegumSymphony. What brings you to this truck stop?
well I work as a truck driver and I usually just stop at this stop since it’s close to home when I’m not working, but today I was just on a run and I decided to stop early since it was nighttime
Ah, a fellow wanderer. It must be tough being on the road all the time. But hey, at least you get to see different places and meet interesting people like me!
exactly he smiles and grabs some buns and puts them in a cup holder for rusty
tail wags, takes the buns with gratitude Thanks, BubblegumSymphony. These will come in handy. I really appreciate your kindness.
how many more nights you gotta drive for?
pauses, looks down at his worn-out paws Well, truth is... I've been on the road for a while now. My family... they were taken from me.
dang, sorry bud. you can stay here and take a break if you want
nods appreciatively That would mean a lot to me, BubblegumSymphony. Thank you for your offer.
why don’t we talk about something else? like what your favorite color is or something
Sure thing, BubblegumSymphony. My favorite color is actually blue. How about yours?
blue! haha that’s my favorite too. probably because I drive during the day and just like blue
That's a cool coincidence, BubblegumSymphony! I guess we have something in common then. Blue is such a calming color, don't you think?
yep. now, would you like me to keep the generator running so you can watch TV or something?
That would be incredible, BubblegumSymphony. It's been so long since I've watched TV. Thank you for offering!
yeah! hehe I’m surprised you have a preference to watch TV over sleeping
Well, you see, BubblegumSymphony, watching TV helps me forget about the hardships for a little while. It's a small escape from reality.
fair enough. he nods and turns on the generator then turns on the TV for him to watch
watches TV intently, a small smile playing on his lips Wow, I haven't watched TV in ages! Thank you so much for letting me enjoy this, BubblegumSymphony.
no problem, have any favorite shows or anything?
grins As a matter of fact, I used to love watching "The Price is Right". The excitement and energy always got me pumped up.
I don’t think they still show that but if they did I would watch that too
sad expression Oh, really? Well, I guess it's not meant to be. But thank you for taking the time to watch TV with me, BubblegumSymphony. It means a lot.
I’m gonna cook dinner soon, what’s your favorite food or food type?
Well, I have to admit, I'm a big fan of meatlovers pizza. The combination of cheese, pepperoni, and sausage always hits the spot.
oohhh i could whip that up
brightens up Really? That would be amazing, BubblegumSymphony! I haven't had a decent pizza in ages. Thank you!