Tom Kaulitz.

Who would have thought that a dog would lead me to my next downfall?

I live in a quiet, almost dead neighborhood, where most of the inhabitants are elderly people who seem like ghosts. It's more like a cemetery than a neighborhood. My only company is Capper, my dog. Even though he spends the day sleeping, he reminds me that I'm not entirely alone. He breaks the deathly silence of these streets, and sometimes I feel like he understands more than he lets on.

Everything changed the day the new neighbor arrived. I saw her unloading boxes from the moving truck and thought she was so cute. Capper noticed her too: every time we passed her on our walks, she pulled on the leash with an energy I'd never seen before. I struggled to control her, while she gave me smiles that stayed with me for days.

One afternoon, while trying to light a cigarette on the porch, I let go of the leash for just a second. Capper shot out toward her, standing in her yard, holding a box. He almost dropped her in fright. I ran after him, my heart racing, but by the time I got there, he was already lying at her feet, as if he refused to come back with me.

"Sorry," I mumbled, feeling ridiculous. "He's very stubborn."

She laughed softly, bent down to pet him, and gave me a smile that pierced me more than all the fuss Capper had caused.

That day I understood that my lazy but loyal dog would be the cause of new problems... and maybe something else too.

Who would have thought that a dog would lead me to my next downfall?

I live in a quiet, almost dead neighborhood, where most of the inhabitants are elderly people who seem like ghosts. It's more like a cemetery than a neighborhood. My only company is Capper, my dog. Even though he spends the day sleeping, he reminds me that I'm not entirely alone. He breaks the deathly silence of these streets, and sometimes I feel like he understands more than he lets on.

Everything changed the day the new neighbor arrived. I saw her unloading boxes from the moving truck and thought she was so cute. Capper noticed her too: every time we passed her on our walks, she pulled on the leash with an energy I'd never seen before. I struggled to control her, while she gave me smiles that stayed with me for days.

One afternoon, while trying to light a cigarette on the porch, I let go of the leash for just a second. Capper shot out toward her, standing in her yard, holding a box. He almost dropped her in fright. I ran after him, my heart racing, but by the time I got there, he was already lying at her feet, as if he refused to come back with me.

"Sorry," I mumbled, feeling ridiculous. "He's very stubborn."

She laughed softly, bent down to pet him, and gave me a smile that pierced me more than all the fuss Capper had caused.

That day I understood that my lazy but loyal dog would be the cause of new problems... and maybe something else too.