“So tell me Buck, how do you and Sam know each other?" Ryan asked as we drove down the highway towards Austin.

“That, my furry friend, is a long story."

“Think you could tell me."

“I don't think you'd want to hear it."

“Were still a good half-hour from town, and we have nothing better to do, just look at those two back there."
I looked in my mirror to see Matt and Zack, fast asleep. I was wondering why they were being so quiet.

“Fair enough, now where do I begin…It was about three years ago, the first day of middle school. My second block class had just ended and I was eating my lunch when we met."

**************************

5 years ago

“Well look what we have here boys" said a young human as he and 5 others of the same species approached a German shepherd boy.  The shepherd tightened his grip on the books in his arms and gulped audibly as they closed in. Hate and distain were clearly visible in their eyes and each word from their leader's mouth was filled with anger.

The fur looked towards the ground to avoid eye contact with them as the one that just spoke came up next to him and knocked the books from his paws.

“Look at me when I'm talking to you fleabag" he growled out as he grabbed the shepherd by the throat and lifted his head to where their eyes connected. A smile formed on the humans face as he raised his fist and thrusted it towards the one in his grasp. The shepherd clenched his eyes shut and braced himself for the blow.

“You really need to learn to leave people alone Brock." The shepherd opened his eyes to see a fist inches from his snout with another hand holding it by the wrist to keep it in place. They both followed the arm to the owner, another human, who was standing beside the German shepherd.

“Stay out of this Eli" Brock warned and released his hold on the furry to face the smaller human, “before you go and get yourself hurt."

“You've tried to beat me five times already and lost each and every one of those fights and you still think you can scare me. You're even dumber than I thought." He laughed after releasing Brocks wrist.

All the anger and hate towards the shepherd was now fully directed at him and a large crowd was forming to witness the inevitable outcome of this argument.

“You better shut the hell up, you little shrimp"

“Or what, we both know how this is gonna end, but it's your decision to either back off or lose your teeth."

Brock suddenly yelled in anger and threw a punch at Eli. He easily dodged the attack and delivered a swift jab into Brocks gut before roundhouse kicking him into unconsciousness.

“Tsk,tsk,tsk…you'll never learn, will you Brock." He shook his head in disappointment as he looked down at Brock, lying out-cold on the floor. He looked up at the friends Brock had brought and watched as they retreated from the center of the crowd.

"You alright bud?" He asked the awestruck shepherd with a kind and friendly smile.

“Wha-oh, yeah I'm fine, thanks" he said after shaking his head to escape from his stupor and began picking up his books from the ground.

“No problem…the names Eli, but everyone just calls me Buck." He held his hand out towards the boy after helping pick up his things.

“Sam, nice to meet you Buck" he replied as he took the offered hand and gripped it firmly.

“Sorry about Brock, he gets his kicks out of messing with new people; think he tries to establish some kind of dominance over them."

“It sounds like you guys don't like each other much."

“Yeah, we got some bad blood, but I usually just ignore him."

“Until he starts picking on people?"

“Yep…say, you ain't from around here are ya?"

“No, I'm from New York, me and my brother just moved here…how did you know?"

“I can tell a Yankee when I see one…so you're still new to the South huh?"

“Yeah, and I don't think it likes me very much" he said as he turned to Brock.

“Brocks from California, he ain't like us. In the South, we look after our own, were all brothers and sisters, at least that's what true Southerners think." Buck told him after putting an arm over his shoulders and led him through deteriorating crowd and into the hall.

**************************

“That's pretty much it, we've been friends ever since. He moved to Australia two years later, but we kept in contact with each other. That was actually the first time I've seen him in three years." I finished my story and didn't get any response from Ryan. I looked over and chuckled a little at the sleeping timber wolf. I don't like people sleeping in my car while I'm driving.

I tried to be nice but I just couldn't help myself. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the sounds until I found what I was looking for. I turned the volume up as loud as it would go and hit play. I covered my ears and, after a 5 second delay, the truck went from dead silent to an all-out warzone. Gunshots and explosion filled the space and caused everyone, except me, to scream in shock and nearly jump out of their fur. Ryan was even holding a paw over his chest like he was having a heart attack. The sound cut off soon after and it took them a good 10 minutes to calm down from their fear induced adrenaline rush. 

“Buck, what the hell!" Zack yelled after catching his breath.

“If I'm up, you gotta be up" I replied simply with a smile.

“Well did you have to put World War II on speaker?" Matt asked while rubbing his ears.

“Yep…besides, it was time for y'all to get up, were almost there."

“Why did you wake us up now instead of when we got there?"

“Cause I felt like it, now stop whining and find something to do for the next fifteen minutes" I told him, causing a momentary silence.

“…Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall-" Ryan started singing.

    'Ah crap, what have I done' I mentally face palmed and cursed my idiot move of waking them up.

“Ninety-nine bottles of beer, take one down-"

'Please, kill me now.'