Joey clung tight to Mr. Squeaky Beaky, absentmindedly gnawing on the bright red stuffed parrot’s head as she watched the city go by from the car. Bean had given Joey the front seat today, it being her first day at the office and all. Bean and Joey had actually been on speaking terms for more than a week, but even the front seat and a budding friendship with Bean couldn’t calm her nerves.
Luckily, Mr. Squeaky Beaky, despite his name, held his squeaker in his body, so Joey could nervously chew on her favorite toy’s head without attracting any negative attention. On her first day accompanying Mom and Bean to the office, she wanted to avoid negative attention of any kind.
She looked down at herself once again, checking to make sure her green bandana wasn’t crooked. Mom had taken both dogs to the groomers the day before, the groomers let Joey leave with a brand new bandana she had yet to take off. What if they think I’m a showoff? she thought. What if they think I’m full of myself? What if they hate my new haircut?
It seemed to Joey that there were a million ways things could go sideways today. What if she did something stupid? What if she said something stupid? What if she did something stupid after she said something stupid? Joey thought back over the past couple of weeks getting to know Bean. She’d made mistakes for sure. Would the office dogs be as forgiving if she wasn’t perfect on her first day?
Mom parked the car, and Joey clamped down tight on Mr. Squeaky Beaky. She wanted so badly to bring him along. He was the first toy she’d ever been allowed to pick out for herself, and that made Mr. Squeaky Beaky very special to her. Still, she couldn’t risk coming in for her first day in the office holding a toy meant to calm her anxieties. What if someone made fun of Mr. Squeaky Beaky? What if someone made fun of her? Nope. She couldn’t chance it.
Joey followed Mom and Bean since they both knew where they were going. Joey, of course, had no idea where they were going. The parking lot was brand new to her, as were the loud sounds of the city, especially the big four lane street nearest to the parking lot.
Another big truck whooshed by, and Joey froze stiff in her tracks. She felt hot all over. Her stomach twisted all the way up, and she wished the parking lot had some grass for her to chew on. Joey felt herself breathing fast, but she couldn’t do a thing to stop it. She felt sure she would throw up any second.
“Joey, are you okay?” Mom doubled back. “You’re shaking!” She scooped Joey into her arms.
Over Mom’s shoulder. Joey could see their white Jeep. She knew what she had to do. She drew a full deep breath, held it in for a second, and then let out the loudest, yippiest, most urgent barks of her little puppy life to that point.
“JO–OW!” You’re right in my ear!”
Mom set Joey back down, and Joey sprinted away at top speed.
“Joey stop! I’m going to be late!”
But Joey didn’t stop. She ran straight for the Jeep and kept barking at the passenger door until Mom caught up.
“Did you forget something?” Mom asked as she opened the car door. “Oh.” She retrieved Mr. Squeaky Beaky from the passenger seat. “I see.”
Joey stopped barking and trotted off toward Bean, who had decided not to join Joey and Mom in their return trip to the Jeep. Mom carried Mr. Squeaky Beaky across the parking lot and into the office, which saved Joey the embarrassment of carrying a stuffed animal into work on her first day. Just knowing Mr. Squeaky Beaky was close by was enough, for now.
The office building was huge, with a whole elevator and everything. Joey had only been on one other elevator ride in her life, at the hotel on the way home from being adopted. That ride had been scary, but things hadn’t turned out so bad, so Joey told herself she didn’t have to be so scared of her second elevator ride.
They stepped off the elevator into a narrow hallway. Joey followed Mom and Bean to a big wooden set of double doors that mom unlocked, and just like that, she was in the office. Joey scanned the office for all the other dogs Mom and Bean had told her all about, but there were no other dogs to speak of. In fact, there wasn’t another soul in the entire office, canine or otherwise.
“We get in first,” Bean said as she turned to face Joey. “That’s why no one’s here yet. The bosses show up first. It sets a good example.”
“Oh. I knew that.” Joey held her head high.
“No, you didn’t. Your eyes are darting around like you’re hoping to see a squirrel at the park.”
Joey squinted “They are not.”
“It’s okay, Jo. I was nervous my first day, too.”
“I am not nervous.”
“It’s fine. I’m here to help.”
“I do not need your help. I am perfectly fine, thank you.”
“Is that why you had Mom go back to the car and get Mr. Squeaky Beaky?
“Shut up.”
“Suit yourself.” Bean shook her head. “At least take my advice on this one point. Wait for everyone to get here, then go talk to Ellie and Apollo first.”
“Why would I do that?” Joey asked.
“Just trust me, Joey.”
“And what am I supposed to do until everyone gets here? Hide in Mom’s office like a baby?”
The front door of the office opened. Joey bristled and turned toward the sound.
“Joey, it’s okay to be scared.”
“I. am. not. scared.”
“Fine. I’m going to lie on my pillow bed. I’m here if you need any help.” Bean turned and followed Mom into her personal office.
Now alone, Joey set off to make best friends with the next dog to arrive at the office. She didn’t care who they were, or how intimidating or mean they might be, or how much she was shaking on the inside.
What if they are scary or mean? What if they make fun of me? Joey’s thoughts raced as her pace slowed. Lost in her hurry to meet new friends and prove Bean wrong, Joey had forgotten her fears for a moment, but now she sensed only impending doom. She so wished she had been nicer to Bean and taken her advice. She thought about turning back. She turned all the way around and stared at the open door to Mom’s office. No. She would not. She clenched her jaw and turned around to march toward her destiny.
“Watch out!”
Joey’s march was interrupted by the dog she was on her way to see, now skidded to a halt less than an inch in front of her. She found herself face to face with her first official office friend, a tan and brown German Shepherd mix. They looked at each other, close enough to touch noses. Joey took a small step back.
“Hi, I’m Joey.” She smiled as big as she could, trying her best to make a good first impression.
“Could you move please, Joey?” I’ve really gotta pee, and I don’t want to do it in here on the carpet, but I also just told my Mom that I didn’t need to go when she asked when we were coming inside a couple minutes ago because a couple minutes ago I didn’t need to go but now I definitely do, go figure, and I’m worried my Mom is going to be mad at me for not going when I had the chance, and I know she’ll be mad at me if I pee in the office, so I really need to sneak out the propped open door over there, do my business, and sneak back inside before anyone realizes I’m gone, so.” She pushed past Joey and ran toward the door she’d described, looking left then right then left then right the whole way.
Joey stood, dumbfounded. The German Shepherd hadn’t even said hello. Joey didn’t even catch her name. She didn’t even tell Joey her name. That was not how she’d pictured her first introduction in the office going, but she didn’t have time to worry about that now. Someone else had entered the office, and she had a dog as well, and those two were walking directly toward Joey. Her heart pounded with every step they took in her direction, especially when she realized that this new dog - a very serious-looking black French bulldog - was looking right at her and eyeing her suspiciously.
Joey could feel the bulldog’s eyes on her all the way until they got to her and the bulldog stopped.
“You’re new. Who are you? I don’t know you.” Her tone was sharp and demanding. “Where’s Sama?”
“Hi, I’m Joey.” She forced herself to smile.
“Okay. Great. Where’s Sama?”
“Who’s Sama?”
“Who’s Sama??” The bulldog’s eyes bulged. “Sama is my best girlfriend, and she is a shepherd mutt, and I better not ever catch you making fun of her for that, you understand, new kid?”
“Oh. Oh!” Joey smiled for real. “I just met her. She went outside to pee. She should be right back.”
“I have to go check on her.” The bulldog pushed past Joey just as Sama had done.
“Wait what’s your name?” Joey asked.
“Sasha!” the bulldog called over her shoulder as she sprinted for the propped open door.
Sama and Sasha, Joey thought to herself. Okay then.
The morning was not off to a smashing start, but Joey was sure she heard more people shuffle in while she was meeting Sasha, so maybe her luck was about to change. Before that could happen, however, Joey had to find the next dog. The office was big and open with lots of desks and very few dividing walls, so she was able to scan the room quickly. She spotted a big yellow Labrador lying on a dog bed near another desk. Joey had never met a Labrador before, but she’d heard stories of their friendliness. She hoped that this would be better than her first two meetings as she walked across the office to try to make another friend.
As she got closer, though, Joey could tell something was off. The yellow Lab didn’t stir. Were they sick? Joey approached with caution.
“Um, hello. My name is Joey. I’m new here,” she said in the friendliest tone she could muster.
“Go away.” The yellow Lab didn’t raise his head.
Joey recoiled. The first two dogs had seemed anxious and preoccupied, but neither of them had been so outright rude.
“Go away?” she asked. “I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m new here.”
“You said that part already.” He raised his head and looked at Joey for the first time. “My name is Buster. There. We’ve been introduced. Now will you go away?”
“Okay, geez. I was just trying to make friends.”
“Oh sure. And then after we become friends, then what? You’ll just wind up going away forever. That’s what people do, you know. They go away. Forever. No matter how long they’ve stayed, they still eventually leave and never come back.”
“Did somebody leave you and never come back?” Joey asked.
“I won’t want to talk about it.” Buster put his head back down on his front paws. “Now go away.”
Joey did as she was told. On her way back to Mom’s office, she started sniffling. None of the new dogs she’d met were interested in being her friend. She started sniffling, but she couldn’t let anyone in the main office see her cry. It was bad enough she’d bombed as the new kid. She didn’t want to be called a crybaby on top of it all. Thankfully, Mom had her own office, and in that office was Mr. Squeaky Beaky. Once Joey was in that office, she could hold Mr. Squeaky Beaky and cry.
She couldn’t have been more than a few feet from Mom’s office door when she spotted them: a small brown Vizsla running toward her at top speed, with a big, fluffy, white Husky mix ambling behind.
“Hey!” The brown Vizsla stood between Joey and the door. “What’s your name?”
Joey looked at the floor. “I’m just Joey.”
“Oh my gosh! Are you a new dog? Is it your first day? Are you here forever or just visiting?”
“Try not to bombard her with questions, Apollo,” the white Husky said. Now that she was closer, Joey could see she only had one single bright blue eye, and then a scar where the other eye should be.
“It’s my first day, yeah.” Joey kept looking at the floor. She wanted so badly to be in Mom’s office hugging Mr. Squeaky Beaky.
“Well, like Ellie said, I’m Apollo. Welcome to the office, Joey. How’s your first day been so far?”
Joey could answer. Her jaw began to tremble as her eyes welled up with tears.
“Oh dear. Oh, honey,” Ellie said. “Let’s get you into your mother’s office.”
“I’d rather go in by myself,” Joey said, barely loud enough for them to hear.
“Why?”
“Apollo! Don’t be rude.” Ellie booped her little brother’s snoot with her paw.
“I just,” Joey started. “I just want to go in by myself.”
“But we want to help you feel better,” Apollo said.
Joey didn’t know if it was his annoying persistence or her growing desperation, but didn’t care anymore. She needed to get to Mr. Squeaky Beaky.
“I have a toy in there. It helps me feel better when I-” Joey’s little voice cracked. “When I don’t feel good”
“You brought a toy to the office?” Apollo asked?
Joey counted the fibers in the carpet.
“That. Is. Awesome!”
Joey’s head shot up. “What?” she asked.
“Can I see it?”
Joey looked up at Ellie, sure this was all a trick. They were going to make fun of her any second. Ellie stood and smiled down at both of them, and Joey felt no judgment at all coming from the elder Husky.
“We’d love to meet your friend who helps you feel better, Joey,’ she said.
Joey led them inside. Mom and Bean seemed surprised she’d brought two other office dogs to visit. Bean looked even more surprised when Joey walked behind Mom’s desk and brought back Mr. Squeaky Beaky, but she was smiling the whole time as she watched it happen.
Apollo fawned over Mr. Squeaky Beaky and then began describing every toy he had at home to Joey. “So we have the rope. Do you guys have the rope? The rope is so cool. And we have a Kong. Do you guys have a Kong?”
“What’s a Kong?” Joey asked.
“Oh man, you gotta get a Kong.”
To Joey, it seemed Apollo had almost endless amounts of energy, but she was happy to keep up. She was finally making an office friend.
“Hey do you wanna go play outside with me?” Apollo asked.
“Yes,” she replied. “Just let me do one thing.”
Joey carried Mr. Squeaky Beaky and placed him next to Bean’s dog bed, in front of Mom’s desk. Bean nodded her approval. Joey walked back to Apollo and Ellie.
“Okay,” she said. “I’m ready.”
This story was brought to you through the Child and Adolescent Program at Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara.
Author: Derek Cowsert | Illustrator: Mindy Kilgore