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[Saturday, 20th/July/2019, Rex Home, 07:00]
Rakim and the gang had no idea what happened after their narrow escape from rocket fire as after spending a few moments complaining they calmed down. The rest of the Journey went rather smoothly except for the occasional sharp turn by the driver who seemed to be experiencing PTSD. However, they were happy to arrive home in one piece and after giving the driver a hearty tip he drove off with a content smile.
May spent the night in Emma's room as they decided to have a slumber party to which he was not invited. That was not what was on his mind though as the boy in question was now struggling to breathe as something heavy rested on his chest. Opening his eyes he was met with a furry snout as a pair of yellow eyes locked onto his own.
"Good morning, buddy, you missed me?" He questioned as one of his hands sneaked to Zeus's head with practised movements stroking his fur. The 9-year-old German Sheppeard, which they had raised from a puppy was now fully grown and just as intelligent as any of his counterparts.
As a matter of fact, he is trained more than an average family dog should be as Ben, Rakim's father had insisted they take him through police training. And, due to the fact his kids were the ones who asked for the dog, they were tasked with its training as he wanted them to take responsibility. Despite all this Zeus still spent most of his time with their mother and listened to her above everyone else.
That just goes to show how smart he is to have figured out who has the final say in the family and ingratiated himself with her from a young age. (Woof, woof) He barked before proceeding to lick Rakim's face causing the latter to burst out laughing in delight. "haha I get it I missed you too boy," he responded prompting Zeus to intensify his licking seeing his laughter as a que.
Rakim gently pushed Zeus off his chest, trying to catch his breath between fits of laughter. The dog was insistent, his thick, warm tongue leaving streaks of slobber on Rakim's face. "Alright, alright, enough," Rakim chuckled, wiping his face with the back of his hand. Zeus let out a soft huff, as if in protest, but eventually relented, curling up beside Rakim's legs.
The weight of his friend's furry body was comforting in its own way, and Rakim took a moment to just breathe, letting the calming presence of the dog soothe him. "You will have to come with me when I move so I won't be lonely," Rakim muttered as he wrapped his arms around his four-legged friend taking a moment to take in his scent. (woof) Zeus simply barked in acceptance to his words probably only understanding the words come with from his training.
"Oh, you stink, when is the last time you had a wash," Rakim exclaimed in the next second after taking a moment to fully absorb his scent. "Let's go we will both get a wash to start the day right,"
Rakim stood in front of the mirror in his walk-in closet, the early morning light filtering through the tall windows and casting a soft glow across the room. He studied his reflection with an air of satisfaction. Dressed in stylish black Titan-Fit joggers that fit him just right, a crisp white vest that highlighted his adonis-like physique, and the signature GLD diamond-encrusted chain draped around his neck, he felt ready to take on the day.
The chain featured a sleek white tiger pendant, its icy diamonds catching the light with every subtle shift. The pendant gleamed with an almost predatory elegance, fitting his brand and the tone he wanted to set for the day. He was gifted the chain by a fan who wrote him a fan letter saying he loved what he stood for and thought he had earned the GLD.
Normally he wouldn't accept such a precious gift, and his mother would make him send it back but after contacting the guy he decided to keep it. Turns out Rodrick Moore, Jr didn't really lack the money considering he was making bank from his first single Die Young. It turns out that the guy became a fan of football after stumbling on one of his match highlights, which was edited into his song.
Zeus stood at his feet, his thick fur sleek and well-groomed after their morning wash. Despite not knowing what its master was doing Zeus still waited patiently as he eyed some of the shoes on the high shelves, only he knowing what he was thinking. Ignoring Zeus Rakim picked out a pair of Travis Scott x Air Jordan1s to finish off his look. "Alright, let's get downstairs," he stated after sliding on his watch that his dad had just gifted him yesterday. Taking one last glance just to make sure he was still handsome he headed out of the closet with a content smile.
The two of them made their way down the grand staircase, the house unusually quiet. Normally, there was some kind of chatter or movement, even this early in the morning as everyone in his family are early bird, especially his parents. However, today there was nothing, not even the sound of the radio that would usually be running in the morning. Rakim's steps echoed as he descended the stairs, glancing around at the empty hallway. He called out, "Mom? Dad? Emma? May?" No response.
He walked through the house, checking every room, his footsteps growing more confused with each empty space. Zeus following him seemed to share the confusion despite being easily able to find them using his world-class nose if he wanted to. However, neither the pet nor the owner seemed to remember this easy solution at the moment.
The living room, the kitchen, the gym, the sauna, the garden—nothing. "Where is everyone?" he muttered to himself. Maybe they'd gone out early, he thought. But something felt off, they were supposed to celebrate his birthday today so they shouldn't have left without giving him a word. Only having one room left he decided to check the garage after his gaze caught the door that was open by a tiny slit.
He couldn't remember whether it was open when he walked downstairs but he had nothing to lose by checking it. As he reached the door, Zeus sniffed the air, tail wagging cautiously as he followed. Rakim pushed open the door to the garage fully the slightly cooler air hitting his face as he stepped inside. It was a six-car garage but only half of it was being used with each of his family members having one car.
Walking past his mother's Range Rover Evoque that she had swapped in this year he looked at the rest of the room. His footsteps light on the cool pink and white Marble floor as he took in the sight before him. He noticed something that didn't immediately make sense—a car covered with a red tarp, parked neatly in the centre of the room.
It was odd, especially since none of the cars in the garage were ever hidden like that. He paused for a moment, his curiosity piqued, as he seemed to put two and two together excitement bubbling up within him. Zeus, sensing his shift in emotions stopped as well, his ears perking up ready for action.
He slowly walked towards the car only to jump back in fright as the loud voices of his family and May entered his ears as they jumped up from behind the car. A chorus of "Surprise!" rang through the garage as they began singing the Happy Birthday song.