Cerridwen Plays Dotty
Part One: Cerridwen and Daisy

I wanted to punch somebody or something. I wanted to scream and throw a chair and break a window. I wanted to bite somebody. I don't know what was more embarrassing the costume or the fact that my boyfriend had been selected as the one to play my handler. I was just about to let my temper get the best of me when I felt a gentle hand stroke the top of my head.

For a moment I felt my cheeks starting to flush, and I did blush and slowly I turned my eyes to the side. There standing beside me was a tall boy, lean as a bean pole but strong as a horse, his long golden blonde hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and he wore a fading pair of jeans and a white button down shirt and a pair of sneakers that had seen better days.

“You know this should have been you.” I said, sighing as he kept running his hand through my hair.

“You look adorable in it.” He said blushing a little. “Plus, it's rare to see you blush. I kind of like it when you blush.” He said in a teasing tone of voice. “Who is a good little puppy? Who is a good little puppy? Who a good little puppy?” He repeated as he kept petting my hair.

“I'm going to bite you.” I said as I heaved a sigh. You see, I had volunteered to play Dotty, a popular PBS cartoon character and star of 'The Adventures of Dotty, the Dalmatian Princess'. For those not in the know it was a long running cartoon series about a Dalmatian puppy and her many misadventures. I think the show had been running for about twenty something years and new episodes were still being made. Jesus, twenty years. I was only fifteen going on sixteen. That meant the show had aired four years before I was born.

“If you bite me, I might have to spank you with a rolled up newspaper for being a bad puppy.” Daisy said grinning as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pink leather collar, attached to collar was copper name plate that engraved with the name 'Cerridwen'. I would get to keep the collar and the nameplate after this silly little stunt was over.

“I might like that.” I said, smiling a little.

“I'm sure you would.” He said, sighing as he shook his head as he fitted the collar around my neck. “This is weird though.. I never expected you to volunteer for this. Nor did I expect to get roped into helping with it. This is weird.”

“You're playing Dotty next. There's no way you're going to get out of it. Taylor has volunteered, Madeline has volunteered, Jamie has volunteered, and now I'm volunteering. You're next.” I said as I watched him tighten the collar.

“I'm a guy.” Daisy said with a sigh.

“But you can make a cute girl.” I added with a little grin.

Daisy then went silent and then he started to blush.

“Come on. I know your alter ego. Daisy Isabella Bell.” I said teasing a little. “And I'm sure she would love to come out and play again. And I'm sure she could raise a lot of money.” I added.
“I doubt it.” Daisy said, blushing a little. “And plus, 'Daisy Isabella Bell' was just a random name I came up with on the fly. Nobody would donate if she played Dotty.” Daisy said.

“Oh yes they would.” I said, grinning a little. “Your uncle knows the editor of the 'The Mississippian Episcopal NewsLetter' and can get you an interview with them. According to your uncle there are eighty three Episcopal parishes in Mississippi with a total membership of twenty five thousand. If each member gave just one dollar you would shatter the record held by Jamie, who raised close around three thousand dollars.” I said moving in a little closer.

“I'm going to spank you with a rolled up newspaper.” Daisy said as he started to back away a little.

“That is not counting the donations that would come from other small businesses around town. Oh darling, my little darling, when we get through with you, you will be the toast of the town. I mean with a PR team headed by Lily Potter, the social butterfly of Benton, and chaired by Jamie Potter, Madeline Brewer, and me. We will make sure you get all the donations you deserve.” I said grinning.

Daisy rolled his eyes again.

“I believe your last ghostly encounter has left you a little unhinged.” Daisy said in a flat tone of voice. “Not that I believe a word of it. I don't believe in ghosts.”

It was now my turn to blink and blush.

“I swear I saw the phantom nurse!” Cerridwen said. “And her evil twin!” I added as I marched up to Daisy, Daisy and I are around the same height. So I could look him dead in the eye if I wanted too. Heck I might even be a little taller than he was. Or she depends on his mood.

“Listen!” Daisy said, sighing. “Cerridwen, what I believe you saw was nothing of the hallucination that was brought on by your fever.”

“Oh right! So what about you? When are you going to have your own encounter with the fable nurse? I mean let's look at the record shall we, your mother, Isabella Daisy Bell. Was the first nurse to start writing down reports of 'Nurse Mindy'. Your older sister, Susan Elizabeth Bell had an encounter with her, Madeline encountered her, Jamie encountered her and now your girlfriend has had her own encounter. So, tell me, Mr. Scholar, how do you explain all of our encounters?” I said pointing my finger in his face.

“Simple. Mere hallucinations brought on fever, stress and medication. My sister, Susan for example was suffering from pneumonia when she had her encounter and was running a high grade fever. Jamie likewise was suffering from pneumonia when she had her encounter. Both of their encounters took place at the height of pneumonia season. Late October. Roughly around the same time too around Halloween.” Daisy said, sighing.

“Madeline's encounter is a bit harder to explain. But she had just been moved from the ICU ward. She was still pretty bruised up from the wreck that claimed her mothers life and was wrestling with issues. Issues that I'm not privy too. But I take the stress, the guilt and the painkillers the doctors were pumping into her that caused her to conjure up an hallucination of a phantom nurse.” Daisy added.

“You, you had a touch of Covid. I know you did. A few days before going into the hospital you were complaining about not having any sense of taste, nor smell. And you were running a high grade fever the night your mom drove to Jackson. Again, I'm going to assume that what you saw that night was a hallucination brought on by a mixture of painkillers, antibiotics and your own overactive imagination.” Daisy said, smiling as he leaned over and kissed me on the forehead. “And yes, I love you overactive imagination so that was not an insult.”

I blushed as I felt his lips touch the top of my head.

“I bet Nurse Mindy would love to meet Daisy Isabelle Bell.” I said, smirking a little. “Maybe next time you're in the hospital, you should try to meet up with her, unless you're a chicken!” I said grinning as I stepped away from him and folded my arms across my chest.

“I'm rarely sick enough to go into the hospital.” He said in a flat tone of voice. “Despite being prone to colds. I can normally shake them off. Hell, I think I might have had Covid once or twice.”

“Did you get tested?” I asked.

Just then the door to the dressing room slowly opened and there in the doorway stood Madeline. “Hey! Listen, I hate to break this up. But we have people waiting to see Cerridwen. So go ahead and hook the lease to her and bring her out on stage. And guys, keep your flirting down.”

“Hey Madeline! Can Daisy play Dotty next month?!” I shouted before Daisy had a chance to say anything. Madeline blinked and looked down at her clipboard. She then rolled her shoulders. I could hear her pen making a scratching sound as she wrote something on the piece of paper.

“Done. Next month.. that thirty days from today. Also Cerridwen I think you would be pleased to know that you raised close to around two thousand dollars. So good for you!” She then turned upon her heel and walked out of the room.

“Hey!” Daisy said looking to Madeline who was leaving the room to me. “Don't I get a say in this?” He said as he started to turn his head from Madeline to me, before turning back toward Madeline. “Like don't I have to feel out some papers and stuff? Like a permission form?” He muttered.

“I'll give you a form to fill out when it gets closer to your time. Anyway clip the lead on Cerridwen and get her out on stage NOW chop-chop Mr. Boyfriend! People donated extra to see Cerridwen get gunged by her boyfriend. And that crowd is growing reckless by the moment.” Madeline said as finally left the room.

Daisy blinked and blinked again as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a neon pink leash. Slowly he walked up to me with trembling hands. He clipped the leash to a metal ring that was attached to the collar I was wearing.

“You know. If this was not for a fundraiser. This would be kind of kinky.” I said as I looked down at the collar and the leash that it was attached too. “Weird but kinky.”

Daisy looked like somebody had smashed him across the face with an iron skilled at that very moment. He quickly dropped the leash and took a dozen or so hurried steps back. I could not help myself. I had to giggle a little at his reaction.

“Do you ever think before you speak?” He said as he peered toward. “I mean it? Do you just take a moment to pause and think about what you're going to say before you say it?” He said blushing deeply as he peered toward me.

“You know, my mom says the same thing. She says one day I'm going to put my foot in my mouth. And that one day my mouth is going to write a check that my bottom can't cash.” I said giggling a little as I walked up to Daisy. “But I say, life is too short to worry about a few words. And it's way too short to go around picking around them too.”

Daisy just blinked.

I smiled and then leaned over and then I licked his cheeks. Since I was supposed to be roleplaying as a puppy and puppies showed affection by licking, I decided licking his cheeks was better than kissing them. Not that I would have minded kissing him. We've kissed before and he's a pretty good kisser. Heck he was the first one to french kiss me. And just the memory of that magical night brought goose pimples to my arms.

“Five minutes till show time!” I heard Madeline yell from behind the wooden door. “You two cut the flirting out and get a move on. Or I'm going to get a water hose and blast both of you here to kingdom come!” She threatened.

“Woof!” I responded! “Woof! Woof! Woof!”