Samantha Smarty was just an average girl at the start of her life. She had her mother and father to keep her company for the few years that she was mostly dependent on them. They went on fun trips like the zoo and aquarium and Sam learned so much during that time.

However, her exciting life came to a crashing halt when her parents left for work when she was almost ten. 

Mr. and Mrs. Smarty were both amazing scientists and engineers that have traveled around the world with their colleagues. They would tell the world about their findings and show off technology of the future that was rather impressive in some countries.

Since they were gone for months on end, Sam was left in either the care of her friend, Mackenzie Ackinson's grandparents or her uncle until she was 15. At that age, the teenager had matured exponentially that her parents knew that their girl was ready to stay home by herself.

Sam started to not actually care about her family abandoning her and took it to her advantage. She would go up into the attic, move some of the dusty boxes to the far walls of the room and create her very own laboratory (and workshop).

She would stay up there for hours on end; conducting experiments and making inventions that could be used to help out her school, Liberty Hills High School. Half of her creations wouldn't pass the testing stage while others would work for a matter of months before either self destructing or creating a plan to attack the world.

The girl, despite all things, remain strong and kept working hard so that one day, she could be just as amazing as her parents. Building things to help people in need and maybe get prizes for her awesome work.

Some people in her school simply thought of her as a crazy dreamer but they would soon cripple in shame to realize that she was the smartest girl in her class. Sam had the best chance of getting her dreams accomplished than anybody else. She would make the best grades out of the ninth grade that some of her teachers were convinced that the girl could simply skip to the twelfth.

Now, you may be thinking that I'm rambling on about Sam too much and that I should just get on to Stitches. Well, if you thinking that, then...you're right. I'm moving on to him right now.

The canine known as Stitches came from, in Sam's opinion, absolute nowhere. He just appeared! Sam simply found the pup on an evening in the midst of June as she was going to the grocery store. 

She was in the middle of creating a oxygen powered cell phone charger when she got hungry and went downstairs to get something to eat. However, she opened the fridge and found nothing but a few onions in the vegetable drawer, a carton of eggs, some milk and one self serve container of strawberry Yum Yum Yogurt on one of the selves on the door. 

She ate the creamy substance before tossing the plastic cup in the trash and left her house. As she walked, Mackenzie happened to follow her and made herself known by falling on top of Sam. She sighed.

Sam Smarty was a peach skinned teen with jade eyes. She wore thick, black rimmed glasses that were perked on the ridge of her nose just before her friend bumped into her. Her long light brown hair was combed and placed into a large bun. She would usually wear a long lab coat that would cover everything up to her ankles, which would be covered by black boots. Instead, she wore a plain white V-neck, pearl studs, jeans and grey sneakers.

Mackenzie Ackinson was a pale skin girl. Her complexion wasn't close to white but it wasn't that dark either. She was a red head and her nappy crimson hair was tied in two sloppily made pigtails. She wore a slightly torn maroon T-shirt with khaki pants that was ripped enough to look like shorts. She wore two completely different shoes however. Her right foot had a dress shoe on with one long pink and white stripe knee sock underneath it while her left had on a light blue sneaker that was covered in a lot or grim and dirt. She also had bandages on her left cheek, right elbow, and left knee.

Her acorn eyes stared at her friend in worry as she stammered. "I-I'm so sorry Sam!" she looked down at her sneaker to realize that her shoelaces were untied and did her best to tie them right. As she struggled, Mackenzie added. "I should have tied these things before I left the house..."

The young inventor nodded before squinting and looking around to see if she could find her spectacles with not much success. The redhead realized her friend's dilemma and immediately found the glasses and placed them back on Sam's face. She blinked and thanked her before getting up and heading back off in the direction she was originally going.

Mackenzie got up and followed her a bit clumsily, almost like a baby when it's first learning how to walk. Her loosely tied laces were beginning to get undone again as she caught up to her fast walking companion. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"To get groceries." Sam simply stated. "I ran out of food."

"What a coincidence! I'm going there too-oooooooooooOOOOH!" 

Before the redhead could finish, she fell flat on her face on the sidewalk. Sam sighed as she bend down to tie her friend's shoe.

"Honestly Mac, you should know how to tie your shoes by now. You fifteen for Pete's sake!"

"Sorry..." Mackenzie sighed as she felt around her face to make sure nothing have broken. Once she made sure everything was in order and her friend had finish tying her laces, the redhead got up and continued walking. As they moved along, she started to move on to a different topic. "Hey, do you think I'm capable of having a pet?"

Sam blinked at the odd question and turned to her friend. "Huh?"

"It's just..." she sighed. "I asked my grandparents for a pet for my sixteenth birthday and even though Granny said yes, Grandpa Jim said otherwise. He said I'm not capable enough just because I can't tie my shoelaces without someone's help and I can't hold money for two days without losing it."

"He makes a valid point." Mackenzie glared at her, causing Sam to roll her eyes and continue speaking. "Remember on your twelfth birthday when Winnie gave you twenty-five dollars so that you can get those light up sneakers you always wanted?"

The redhead nodded as she bowed her head in shame and kicked a pebble that was nearby into the sewer pipe on the curb. 

"Well, halfway to the store, you stumbled on your own feet and tripped, causing the money to fall out of your hands. Before you could get it though,  a unusually large gust of wind blew it away and-"

"I cried all the way home." Mac finished dreadfully.  "I know, I know." 

Sam nodded. "Mackenzie, you'll have to mature a little more in order for your granddad to trust you."

"What? But I AM mature! I'm about to be in the tenth grade and I only stayed back once!"

The caramel haired girl raised an eyebrow. "What grade?"

"Kindergarten..." Mac answered shamefully. Sam gave her friend a blank stare, causing the redhead to look at her angrily and crossed her arms. "What?! Not everyone can be as smart as you-"

Suddenly, in the alleyway that the two were passing by, the sounds of trash bags being ripped open and digging could be heard. Curious, Sam was the first to look in the darkened area before hesitantly walking inside. Mackenzie flinched at her friend's actions.

"Sam! What in the world are you DOING?!" she cried in a hush whisper.

"I want to see what it is!" Sam answered back as she moved her way in. 

The smart teenager had went so far inside that Mackenzie couldn't see her anymore. Scared for her friend's well being, she took a deep breath and ran in, shouting softly. "W-Wait for me!"

Inside the alleyway, several trash cans sat on the side of the walls between two buildings: a pizzeria and a bakery. Moss and vines intertwined on the brick surfaces and the smell of decaying food hung in the air. Mackenzie covered her nose from the awful stench while Sam moved forward, her senses being overpowered by curiosity.

The brunette was the first to notice that at the end of the passage, they was a small animal. It was larger than a mouse and smaller than a bear cub. It was too dark to see its truly colors but Sam knew that it had no fur on its tail, only bone being seen in its place. It seemed to be looking for something in one of the garbage cans; food perhaps.

At the thought of a meal, the smart girl's stomach began to growl. This caused the creature to look up from its digging, reveal a set of crimson eyes. It began looking around frightfully before staring into the eyes of the newcomers. 

Its pupils came from frightful to serious within seconds. He jumped off of the trashcan and began swinging an object at the girls.

"Who are you?" it barked, the voice sounding like an adult male. "What do you want with me?" 

After a few seconds of stunned silence from both Mackenzie and Sam, the creature persisted.

"Talk! I know you can! I have a dead fish and I'm not afraid to use it!" it then started swinging it a few times like a baseball bat for emphasis.

Sam looked down at the creature as it continued to supposedly 'threaten' her and her clumsy friend. She nodded and went over the rim of her glasses and found a small button. She pressed it and the animal was blinded by light. Before the young inventor could even get a glimpse, it ran behind the trash can it was digging into and hissed.

"What is wrong with you?! First you're gonna come up to me unannounced and now you are blinding me with some sort of light! Can't a dog get something to eat in peace without animal control coming up and nabbing me or being chased away with a broom!? I thought the economy had laws set up about animal cruelty?!"

"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Sam exclaimed, putting her hands up defensively before bending down and looking at the trash can that the canine was hiding behind. "We're not animal control and we're not gonna harm you."

The dog stuck his head out of hiding for Sam to see his face more clearly. He was a gray color with stitches running in a curve around his right eye. He had small ears, a wriggling black nose and a cautious twinkle in his red eyes. The girl let out her hand and smiled.

"Come on out little guy. We're not gonna hurt you."

The canine inched himself closer to the her as more of his figure could be seen. His frame was small and thin. He had stitches across the right parts of his chest and back, just below his armpit. For some illogical reason, the dog had the ability to walk on two feet. This surprised and intrigued Sam but left her friend Mackenzie stumbling back.

The redhead began walking backwards until she tripped on her own two feet and fell flat on her back. At the sound of the impact, the other two beings in the lot winced. Sam turned around and noticed that Mac was holding up a thumbs up, signifying that she was okay.

As the klutz got herself back together, the two simply stared at the pup, either in bafflement or in enthusiasm, in which the latter belonged to Sam. 

"Mac..." she whispered. "are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"A magical anthropomorphic dog that's stitched up and has the ability to talk for some reason...?" 

"That...and the fact that he can be my new science project!" Sam beamed at the dog giddily as the animal stared at her like she was insane. 

He then put his hands up defensively and asked. "Woah! I thought you said you weren't gonna hurt me?!"

"I'm not! I just gonna run you through a series of tests that would test you physically and mentally. Oh this will be so great! I'll get an A for sure!"

"And I'll get a nice long trip to a government lab..." the canine grumbled before Sam leaned towards him with a big smile and asked.

"So, what's your name little guy?"

"Well...I've been called Runt, Scamp and You Rotten Little Thief so...my name is probably one of those..."

"I think that means he doesn't have a name." Mackenzie stated as she walked back over to Sam and bend down next to her. She then looked at the pup sympathetically as she patted his head. "You poor, poor thing..."

"Hey! That's not true! I do have a name!" he thought about it for a second before snapping his fingers. "I got it!" he then puffed up his chest confidently and put his fists on his hips. "You ladies are looking at You-Little-Rotten-Thief Runtingscamp."

At the name, Mackenzie snickered while Sam slapped herself. She then slowly stated. "That has got to be the most ridiculous name I have ever heard." 

The dog pouted and crossed his arms. "Well, do you have any better names Ms. Smartypants?"

"It's Smarty thank you very much and yes. I do have a better name for you. Let me think..." she looked the pup up and down before snapping her fingers. "I got it! Stitches!"

"How fitting!" Mackenzie commented with a clap of her hands before turning to the canine. "What do you think little guy?"

"Well..." he thought about it. "I liked the name I gave myself better but...Stitches is much shorter. I'll guess it'll do."

"Great!" Sam piped. "Now come on!" she grabbed Stitches and ran out of the alleyway before turning in the direction of her house. "I gotta take you home right away!"

Mackenzie got up and ran after her friend before she could leave her sight, tripping a bit as she moved along.

***

Immediately after Sam reached her home, she sat Stitches on her couch and pulled out a device similar to the scanners used at supermarkets and grocery stores. 

She aimed it towards the pup like a gun before pressing a small button on the top, causing the contraption to let out a red light that moved up and down his frame. Once it was done, it made a satisfied beep.

SUBJECT: ANIMAL; DOG it said in a monotone robotic voice. GENDER: FEMALE

"I am NOT a girl!" Stitches shouted. "Do you see any girly features on me?" he didn't even wait for her to answer and just added. "I think NOT!"

"This thing still has a few bugs..." Sam sighed as she banged the scanner with the palm of her hand. After about three pats, it beeped again. "There! That should do it!"

GENDER: MALE. STATUS: ILL. SUGGESTIONS-

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what to do." she turned it off with the flick of a tiny switch on the handle before placing it on the small table next to Stitches before sitting down.

Mackenzie then barged through the door and trips on the welcome mat, thus falling to the wooden floor. Sam and Stitches got off the piece of furniture and help the redhead out. She smiled.

"Thanks."

"Does she do this all the time?" the pup asked as he and the young scientist went back to the couch, Mac following.

"Basically." Sam replied before letting out a gasp. "Goodness me! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Samantha Olivia Smarty...or Sam for short.

"You mean SOS..."

"Pardon?"

"Your name is SOS not Sam."

She blinked before rolling her eyes. "No that's..." she sighed. "You know what? Forget it. Just call me Sam okay?"

Stitches saluted. "Whatever you say SOS!" he then turned to Mackenzie. "What's your name?"

"Oh me?" the redhead said, pointing to herself. 

The dog stared at her blankly. "You are the ONLY person in this room that I don't know the name to. Who else do you think I'm talking to? The LAMP?!" he pointed to the lamp behind Mackenzie.

She then pouted and mumbled. "You didn't have to be so mean about it...it's Mackenzie."

"Well, it's nice meeting you two and all but..." he looked around. "where the food in this place?"

The scientist practically slapped herself. "Oh man! I forgot all about buying food!" she looked down at Stitches. "I'm sorry but I don't have anything for you to eat right now." then an idea came to mind. "Let me check the cabinets. I may have something." 

Sam looked through each and everyone of the cabinet only to find spices and sugars until she came across the last one, which had something that could actually be edible. 

"Ah ha! Pancake mix!" she piped as she looked on the back and smiled. "I have everything I need in here! Yes!" she set the box down on the counter before running to the fridge to get the rest of the ingredients before setting to work.

She followed each step on the box diligently as she assiduously made the pancake batter. After she was done, she continued to whisk while also turning on the stove to a small flame.  A few seconds later when she was satisfied that the batter had no more lumps in it, she went under the counter and pulled out a pan, which she set over the fire.

She then ran back to the fridge and frowned to realize that she had no more butter. She then rushed back under the counter and found a bottle of vegetable oil that'll do just fine. She put a few dabs on the pan, causing it to sizzle and move around the metal surface. She then placed some of the batter into the pan and set to work making the pancakes.

Stitches came into the kitchen and sat on the floor, looking at Sam in interest as she worked. He watched as she flipped pancakes with rapid speed, placing all of the finished ones on a piece of china she held in one of her hands. 

After she flipped the fifth pancake onto the plate, she went out of the kitchen and towards the dining room table. She put the china with the food on it there and went back into the kitchen to get the syrup and a fork. Sam ran back to the table, drizzled some of the maple favored substance on the meal, and placed the utensil beside the plate.

Stitches and Mackenzie came into the dining room and watched as the scientist left the area again and returned with a knife. She used that to cut the food into smaller, bite sized pieces. Sam got up and smiled at her handy work as her stomach growled yet again. 

She rubbed her tummy and looked over at the dog before saying. "Stitches, sit at the table and eat your food. I'm going back to the kitchen to make me something to eat too." she turned to her friend. "Mac, stay with him and make sure he doesn't make a mess."

"What?!" the pup shouted in disbelief as he jumped into the cushioned wooden chair and scooted up towards the table. "I'm not gonna make a mess! What do you think I am? A baby?" he scoffed before digging in with his paws and chowing down the pancakes.

The redhead sighed as she went over to Stitches to assist. "No no. That's not how you eat pancakes." she picked up the fork and handed it to him. "You have to use this."

The dog ignored her and continued to eat with his hands. He stopped grabbing the pancakes and just chewed for a few seconds as his eyes twinkled with delight. "This is REALLY good!" he commented with a full mouth. He then returned to stuffing his face.

Mackenzie groaned in defeat as she dropped the fork and sat on the chair perpendicular to him. While she scooted her chair in, Stitches had nearly devoured all of his food. He placed the last few pieces in his mouth before licking his sticky fingers clean. 

"That was delicious!" he piped before pointing at Sam as she entered the dining room. He then said to her. "You are a fantastic chef."

Her cheeks flushed pink as she chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't say that..." she then stopped to look at the dog more closely.

His mouth and hands were covered in maple syrup and, to make matters worse, so was the table. Sam glared at her friend and shouted. 

"I told you to make sure he didn't make a mess!"

"I tried to but he wasn't listening to me." Mac insisted.

Sam then turned to Stitches. "Why didn't you listen to her?"

"Dogs don't eat with forks..." the pup replied before thinking for a minute while adding. "but then again, we don't eat with our hands either...."

The girl with the caramel hair squeezed the ridge of her nose and shook her head. "Okay, look." she said, her other hand directed towards Stitches. She then stopped holding her nose and looked at the dog. "Out in the wild or, in your case, out on the streets, you can do whatever you want. But this is my house and you're suppose to obey by my rules. Got it?"

"Wait, isn't your house on the street?" 

She blinked. "Yes...but I don't see what you're-"

"And I used to live in the streets, correct?"

"That is correct. But still, I don't see what..." she then stopped and thought about what he was talking about. Once she realized what he was saying, she spoke again. "Oh. So you're saying that just because my house is connected with the streets, you can still do whatever you want?"

The pup clapped his hands, allowing some of the syrupy stuff left on them to make his paws stick together for a few seconds. "Exactly! Someone give this girl a sticker."

Sam gave him a blank look while slowly chuckling. "However, that's not how things work here."

Stitches was confused. "Huh?"

"You see, since you are inside my home, the streets are blocked off by the front door and walls. This means your rules from the outside world don't apply here."

"So...if I knock down the doors and walls, I could still follow my rules?"

"I-I guess but-"

Suddenly, Stitches pulled out a jack hammer and smirked. "Alright! These walls are going down!" he cackled and rushed towards the door. 

Both teenagers jumped out of their seats and ran after the dog hysterically. "Stitches! NO!"

And so, with a bit of help from Sam and Mackenzie, this stray dog with truly learn about the customs of living in a home and enjoying the civil life of a pet. But for now, the young inventor will have to deal with fixing the majority of her walls.