Benji Page #3

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This is my favorite, Sleeping Beauty.

There's a lot of kissing.

Look,

Benjamin Franklin had a dog.

He thought they were more reliable

than people.

That's not very interesting.

Yeah, but what about Benjamin,

as his name?

Mmm... What about Benji?

He does look kind of like a Benji.

He's old and new at the same time.

Yeah.

Good boy. Good boy.

Dad would let us keep Benji.

Carter...

I don't wanna say goodbye to Benji.

I don't like goodbye.

Promise me we won't have to.

Hey, I promise you, Fritter.

I love you, guys.

I love you too, Frankie.

And now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord for this dog to keep.

And that I will do incredible

at my recital.

And that my spelling teacher will quit

her job forever and never come back.

And that Mommy

will not have to worry so much.

And that I'll never have to eat

any more mushrooms as long as I live.

Amen.

Good night, Benji.

I don't know what to do, you know?

They're getting so big,

and they're so smart,

and they catch on to things and...

And I'm trying

to keep everything together.

It's like I'm nothing but a nag.

All of a sudden, I'm so serious.

Every day I feel like I'm messing them up

and letting them down.

I don't know how to be

in three places at once.

So, feel free to give me some advice

or one of your lame science jokes, or...

a carton of ice cream and bingeing...

'cause I could really use it.

Just a quick kiss

before I go to work.

Good morning, Mom.

What is that?

A stuffed animal.

An animatronic one.

Okay. All right.

I'm on to you two.

This is why you guys

were being weird last night.

He's cute. Mom, look at him.

You know what?

I expected Carter to lie to me

because he's almost a teenager, but you?

Mom, we're not lying.

We just didn't tell you yet.

Where did he come from?

Uh, he kind of found me.

On the street, we saved him.

On the street?

No. Okay.

All right, I got it.

You're cute, but you are a dog

and you poop everywhere,

and you mess everything up,

you chew on things,

you keep us up at night.

He loves you, Mommy.

No. Okay? I can barely keep

the three of us afloat.

It's not happening.

Mom, you don't have to worry.

We'll take care of him.

I don't have the money or the time.

It's not happening.

I'm taking him to a shelter.

They murderkill dogs there.

You can't take him there.

No, they don't.

Are you kidding me?

A shelter?

They won't even give him three days.

I won't let them hurt him.

Yeah, you will. You don't care.

He's a good boy,

and you won't even give him a chance.

Carter, no, okay?

I'm sorry... I don't...

I can't take care

of one more thing right now.

He's not a thing. He's Benji.

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