My dog Pistachio and I were the best of friends. No matter where I was, he would never leave my side. He slept in my bed. Not at the foot of the bed but under the covers next to me. He snored so loud but I didn't care because I loved him so much.

Every day he would greet me at the door when I got back from school. Whenever I slept over a friend's house or went away  for a couple of days, he would get lonely and start to whimper.

CHURCHILL HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS OF 2017



I graduated from high school with the highest grades in the class. I had been chosen to be the Class Valedictorian which was a big honour. During my speech it suddenly dawned on me, I'd be going away to university and leaving Pistachio behind. The longest we had ever been apart was 3 days.

Pistachio and I had an awesome summer. We went hiking, swimming, and camping together. As much fun as I was having, I knew that once the summer was over I was going to have to leave for school. It was only an hour and a half away but I wouldn't be seeing my buddy every day. While my parents helped load up my friend's truck, I went to find Pistachio.

I walked into the living room to find Pistachio waiting for me with a tennis ball in his mouth. He thought I was there to play fetch. My bottom lip started to quiver as I tried not cry. "I'm going to university so you're not going to see me every day. I'll come home and visit as much as possible, okay?" Tears streamed down my cheeks as I hugged him. Honk! Honk! It was time to go.

Bruiser started to chase after the truck before he realized that we weren't playing a game. I knew he was sitting there watching me leave but I couldn't bear to turn around to see his sad face. For the rest of the drive I sat there in silence staring out the window.

RUSSIAN HISTORY 101

PROFESSOR D. TRUMPSKY

UNIT ONE: COLLUSION

I was both nervous and excited about my first day at university. My first lecture was scheduled for Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. I loved history but I didn't hear a word my professor said. I kept thinking about Pistachio's sad little face. I missed him terribly. He was more than a dog to me. He was my best friend. I felt awful about leaving him behind.

Despite feeling overwhelmed and a little homesick, I made it through my first day at university. I even managed to make friends with a couple of guys in my English class. I was exhausted and wanted to get some sleep when I heard a commotion in the hallway. "Hey everyone! Look, it's a dog!" A dog? What kind of fool brings their dog to school with them?  

"How cute! He's got a book in his mouth. He thinks he's a student." Anxious to see the dog that had wandered into the dorm, I wandered down the hallway. No! It can't be. Can it?  "Pistachio?" He dropped the book from his mouth and leapt into my arms knocking me down as he licked my face. I tried calling home a few times but nobody answered so I decided to let Pistachio spend the night. 

"Okay buddy, I have to go to class now. I want you to stay here until I get back. Dad's on his way to pick you up so don't cause any mischief." The moment I closed the door, Pistachio was able to sneak out and started exploring the campus. At first he was looking for me but soon he was distracted by all of the noise coming from the chemistry lab.

CHEMISTRY 101

PROFESSOR K.A. BOOM

"Welcome to Chemistry 101. Please be careful as there are many dangerous chemicals that could cause a serious accident." Pistachio had wandered into the chemistry lecture and looked up at the professor. "Whose dog is this?" Everybody gathered around Pistachio and started to pet him as his tail shook wildly.

CHEMISTRY 101

PROFESSOR K.A. BOOM

Pistachio's tail accidentally knocked over a beaker which exploded as it hit the floor. Soon a fire had broken out in the lab creating a foul stench that wafted through the halls. The university had to evacuated. I frantically searched for Pistachio as students and staff were fleeing the campus. "Pistachio? C'mere boy!" I called out before being lead outside by a professor.

I tried to run back into the university but the Fire Chief wouldn't let me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a white blur heading down the road. Was that Pistachio? I started to run in his direction but I couldn't keep up. I sure hope that was him and that he was okay. He doesn't know this city though and he's going to get lost. Oh dear!

GULP!

Poor Pistachio was in a strange city and didn't know where he was. I was so worried about him. Once my Dad arrived, the two of us drove around for a couple of hours asking people if they had seen him. An elderly man mowing his front lawn said that he thought he saw a dog matching Pistachio's description run by. Well, at least it gave me hope.