stop, just

"Jump across the highway!"

The Greyhound looked annoyed at the Akita Inu who wouldn't stop jumping around him. The former growled at him and then walked away, sighing. 

The Akita Inu looked at him. "Don't you want to go to the racetrack? Do you like it? Aren't you a grey? That's what greys did. I mean, isn't that what's going on? I mean, how's it done exactly? Please, please, let me know. Please!"

"No!"

The Akita Inu screamed with laughter. "Because you're so big and famous. Because you are!"

"Because I want to race on the gravel roads. The track is frustrating. It's old. I want to move on. I've been racing since the beginning of time it feels like. Hey what have you done? Who are you? You're nothing more than a Akita whatever that has nothing to do with the races. You probably lie down all day, not doing anything. Hey you eat dog food while i get fed the real stuff. Beside me, you got nothing. Please--just leave me alone. You don't matter."

"Okay..."

The Akita Inu cooked his head. "You're tired of something you're bred to do? Well, I'm tired of your pride!"

The Greyhound lay down. "You're exhausting!"

The Akita Inu yapped that he wasn't the one to get picked on. I'm not just a pet. I have the right to tell you to close it. It's not just me. You're ugly, too. He said ferociously.

The Greyhound sighed and got up. "You know, I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just wishing for someone who would be a calm friend. I mean, just let let me rest. Please. I'm tired. I don't have it in me to do this right now. Just leave me alone. You're not always right , you know? Stop talking. You're so annoying. You think you can all that time because you know everything. Well," the grey yelled, " YOU DONT!"

The Greyhound didn't let the Akita Inu know but he was envious of him. With his curious nose snooping everywhere from the rotting trashcan to the nice warm bowl of dog food, the Akita Inu was...worth being for once. Perhaps for a while--

"What do you mean?"

The Greyhound sighed. "Well, I just don't see how I can live my life if I'm just doing the same thing everything. I--"

"Hm. Well, I wish I had your energy. I just sniff and bark. I'm constantly running off, trying to go fast. But I don't see how I can. I mean," the dog shrugged. "I wish I could. I'm tired of sniffing all the time. It gets old."

"Hm." The Greyhound smirked. "Thought it'd be heavenly. Licking the air, getting a taste of that sweet pepper or juicy hamburger. Or cold ice cream."

The Greyhound's mouth was salivating. "Just think of all that stuff. Especially at restaurants!"

The Akita Inu shrugged this time. He noted how the grey's eyes and his eyes were green or white whenever they fought. He also said the Greyhound had white hairs and his own fur had green hair whenever they fought.

"Didn't know smells out of the trashcan would triumph the runners of Hawaii!"

"Well, they don't anymore." The grey put his mind to ease with memories of the good days when he was a runner. Smiling warmly to himself, he closed his eyes.

Galloping like horses thundering around a race track, the Greyhound strived to outrun numerous other racers. Some of them snarled to get out of the way, and one of them tripped the grey.

"Hey! He--"

But the Russel Terrier who had blown the whistle had flagged him down, and he was taken off the track. Running again, the grey bounced back, galloping as hard as he could. Winning felt good. But he had won other times, and wanted to see someone else try for once.

"Hey." He trotted up to the other Greyhound who had cheated. "What's the rush?"

"Shut up! Just because it's a race, doesn't mean I can't enjoy myself."

"Enjoy yourself?" The grey was careful to judge. He had pushed every dog who had tried helping him train to run away. Because Grey's were the best. That's why he wanted to retire. So he could live in his memories, basking in his glory.

"Whatever!"

"You're upset. And I'm upset. Hey--"

The Greyhound interrupted the Akita Inu, putting his paw up. "just get under my paw!"

Grumbling, the grey ignored the Akita Inu's wise words about his contempt for those not like him. Even if they were Greys, this one trotted away, head held up high and letting all the other dogs get a whiff of his success. He sighed. What'd he give to be a racer again! Maybe the memories just tortured him.

Getting up, he told the Akita Inu to lose it.

"Maybe if I did, you wouldn't care that I have been known to do some detective work. Yes, I know all about you. You're just trying to get me to applaud you!"

The grey crinkled his nose. "How--"

Seasons went by before the grey's stuff neck loosened to one that nodded. When the two came together, the Akita Inu hoped the grey learned. He told him he had come from Japan, and had moved to America.

"So you're a hypocrite!"

"Huh?" The grey's eyes spazzed. "You saw me cheating one time?"

"Yeah! You do it again, and I'm arresting you!"

The grey shook. "No, please. You don't understand. I can't lose it all. I'll go jump off a bridge."

The Akita Inu stood there with a half grin on his face. "Nah. We're fine. I just hope you learned your lesson."

The grey looked him with narrowed eyes. The Akita Inu narrowed his back.

Closing his eyes, the Greyhound sighed in tiredness as the Akita Inu lay down, his jaw and chin on the grey stomach of the dog, facing southwest. The grey faced west, his face facing the same. 

A little while later, the two were sleeping. 

Soundly.