It started like any ordinary Friday morning in the sleepy town of Willowbrook. Birds chirped, neighbors sipped their coffee, and nothing seemed amiss, until two suspiciously fluffy figures were spotted in a pickup truck that appeared to be... moving on its own.
Meet Athena, the elegant, stubborn, and mischievous one-year-old husky, nicknamed Princess (and occasionally Miss Pants, when the situation called for it). With a coat of shimmering black, grey, and white, and eyes like a poem, one a glacial near-white blue, the other a molten chestnut, Athena is no ordinary canine. Her hobbies include leaping entire couches in a single bound, treating garden flowers like a personal excavation site, and wrapping herself in blankets with all the drama of a Victorian duchess. (Provided, of course, she doesn’t have to step in wet grass, that’s a tragedy reserved only for special occasions like walking for miles through mud.)
Beside her, None other than her partner-in-crime, the enormous, clumsy, affectionate Malamute named Obito, also known around town as Mr. Toe Beans or simply Love Bug, At just nine months old, Obito had recently grown into his horse-sized body, though his brain hadn’t quite caught up. He navigated the world with wet, sloppy kisses, a permanently goofy grin, and the grace of a new-born giraffe on roller skates.  
The trouble began when their human, trusting them for five whole minutes while she ran inside for a forgotten coffee thermos, left the truck idling in the driveway. Five minutes was all Athena needed.  
Witnesses say Athena, in a fit of noble curiosity (or perhaps divine mischief), leapt gracefully into the driver’s seat, her tail proudly sweeping across the dashboard controls like a parade flag. Obito, tail thudding happily against everything in sight, squeezed himself into the passenger seat, his giant paws pressing every button available.  
Somehow, no one is exactly sure how, a combination of paws, fluff, and stubborn enthusiasm bumped the gearstick into reverse.  
With a low groan and a lurch, the truck began to roll backward down the slight slope of the driveway, gaining momentum.  
Chaos Ensues:
Neighbor Jill Henderson recounts,  
“I was watering my roses when I looked up and just saw this majestic husky staring dead ahead, looking more serious than any driver I’ve ever seen. And there was a Malamute beside her, tongue out, wagging like he thought he was going on vacation.”
The truck rolled slowly but dramatically into the neighbor's prized geranium patch. Athena, maintaining a level of composure usually reserved for astronauts during re-entry, attempted to paw at the steering wheel.  
Obito helpfully honked the horn. Four times.  
"Obito looked, very serious about it. Athena seemed to be his getaway driver," a stunned witness reported.  
By the time Officer Ramirez arrived on the scene, both dogs were still proudly perched in the vehicle: Athena sitting bolt upright, looking out the windshield with an air of importance, while Obito had half-fallen into the footwell, his enormous back legs kicking like a lazy frog.  
“I'm just glad they didn't make it onto the freeway. Though part of me thinks they had a destination in mind, probably the dog park,” said Ramirez, still chuckling as he gently coaxed Athena out of the driver’s seat with a biscuit. (Athena accepted only after an appropriate amount of stubborn hesitation to make it clear she was doing it on her terms.)
Their human, arriving in a full sprint with a leash in each hand, reportedly shouted,  
"I leave you for FIVE MINUTES—!"
before dissolving into relieved laughter at the sight of her fluffy criminals.
The entire incident was caught on three separate Ring doorbells, two smartphones, and one extremely confused Uber driver’s dashcam, turning Athena and Obito into instant local celebrities.  
Within hours, the hashtag #TruckFluffTakeover was trending. Athena, regal as ever, was nicknamed "The Ice Queen of the Open Road," while Obito earned the affectionate title "Captain Toe Beans."  
In a statement to the press (delivered while Athena proudly wore a blanket as a cape and Obito attempted to eat the microphone), their human said,  
"I guess if they want to take a road trip next time, I’ll just have to drive them myself."
Both dogs have since been rewarded with an entire new pile of snuggly blankets and a giant bone each but have been firmly banned from behind the wheel.  
At least... until their next great adventure.
By Daisy McFluffington, Local Reporter.

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©️Lainey Green – Intwined.blog