by Susan Hughes
“Tails Up. Um … isn’t that your aunt’s grooming and boarding place?”
Kat jumped. She hadn’t noticed that Owen was standing beside her reading the poster. She had been daydreaming again.
“Yes,” she said.
He blushed. She didn’t know why.
“Does she let me … you, I mean …” He frowned. He took a breath. “Does she let you come and pay … I mean, play with the dogs sometimes?” he asked.
Kat tried not to smile. “Yes, she does,” she told him.
Maya was certain Owen got tongue-tied around Kat because he liked her. Megan and Cora thought so, too. A short time ago, they had teased Kat about it and even written her a note with hearts on it. Dreaming about Owen? Of course Kat had been daydreaming about puppies, not Owen. Owen was her friend, not her boyfriend. Kat didn’t mind Maya teasing her, but it wasn’t okay for Megan and Cora to do it. They were trying to annoy her. They only stopped when they thought she was going to show their note to Ms. Mitchell. They didn’t want to get in trouble with their teacher.
They aren’t picking on me as much as they used to. But Megan seems to be teasing Grace more than ever, Kat thought, remembering how Megan had acted yesterday. And today she pretended to forget Grace’s name again. Which is just plain mean.
“That must be fun,” said Owen.
Kat looked at him blankly. Megan, being teased …
“Playing with the dogs. At Tails Up,” Owen added.
“Oh, yes. Yes, it is!” Kat said, hastily. “In fact, I’m waiting for Grace and then we’re going there. To Tails Up. Ms. Mitchell wanted to speak to her first.”
Owen nodded. He wasn’t looking at Kat anymore. He was looking at the poster. He didn’t speak for a moment. Had he run out of things to say? Kat wondered.
“You seem to love dogs so much,” Owen said. When he said the word love, he blushed again.
Kat didn’t know why, but she blushed, too. “I do,” Kat agreed. “Love dogs, I mean.” She felt stupid for blushing. What was wrong with her?
Then Sunjit called out from down the hall, “O-wen. Come on, O. We’re heading out.” He was bouncing a basketball.
Thank goodness. Kat had never felt so awkward. Especially with a friend.
“Well, bye,” said Owen. He put on his hat with the earflaps. He wore it all the time.
Kat grinned. She and Maya thought it made Owen look like a basset hound!
“See you,” said Kat.
Owen stood for a moment without moving.
“O-wen. Come on!” yelled Sunjit.
“Bye,” said Owen again. He headed down the hall toward his friend.
Just then Grace appeared.
“Sorry about that!” she said breathlessly. “Ms. Mitchell made some math sheets for me. She wanted to go over a few problems with me, too.” Grace put on her backpack.
“Did you tell Ms. Mitchell about Megan? That she’s been mean to you?” asked Kat, as they headed outside.
“No.” Grace shook her head. “But I think she noticed yesterday, when I went up to the board to do the math problems. She asked me if I wanted her to talk to Megan.”
“Oh, that’s great,” said Kat with relief. “That’ll show Megan that she can’t treat you that way.”
Grace shrugged. “Well, not really.”
“What do you mean?” Kat asked.
“I said no. I said I would work it out myself,” Grace said.
Kat stared at her. “You’re kidding,” she said.
“No,” Grace said. “I know it’s good to tell an adult when you’re having problems, but … I don’t know. I think it’s better for me to do this on my own.”
“Well, it’s important to stand up for yourself,” Kat said slowly. She knew from first-hand experience how hard that could be.
The girls left the schoolyard and headed down the street. “Maybe Megan’s just not very self-confident and she’s mean to me to make herself feel better,” said Grace.
Kat was impressed. “Maybe,” she said.
“In any case, don’t worry,” said Grace. “I’m sure I’ll be able to work it out. Somehow.”
“Okay. Just let me know if I can help.” Kat grinned. “But in the meantime, the puppies are waiting.”
“And the interview will start soon!” added Grace.
Kat pulled Grace’s arm. “Come on, slow poke! Let’s run. Last one to Tails Up is a rotten tomato!”
CHAPTER NINE
“Here he is. Kat, Grace, meet Bill Bracer. He’s come to speak with us about our bichon frise puppies,” said Aunt Jenn. She led the man into the doggy-daycare room.
“Hello, girls,” said Bill Bracer. He had snow-white hair and a bushy white beard. His back was a little stooped, and he walked with a cane. He had a big smile. But when he saw the three puppies in the kennel, his smile grew even bigger. “Well, aren’t they something!” he said.
Mr. Bracer went right over and looked in at the puppies. He put his fingers through one of the openings. Aimée and Chantal wiggled and wagged. They poked their little noses at him. Bijou sat to the side and watched, curious.
“Would you like to hold one of the puppies?” Aunt Jenn asked. She nodded to Kat.
“This one is a girl. Her name is Chantal,” Kat told Mr. Bracer, pointing. “This is Chantal’s sister. Her name is Aimée.” Then she pointed toward Bijou. “And this is Bijou, the only boy.”
Kat watched closely. Mr. Bracer smiled, but he didn’t even seem to look at Bijou.
“Bijou is quiet but he’s sweet,” Kat added quickly. She couldn’t help it.
“Well, I’m sure he is, but I do so like the look of this little pup here,” Mr. Bracer said, pointing to Aimée. “Seems awfully friendly. Could I please hold her?”
Aunt Jenn nodded. Kat picked up Aimée and handed her to Mr. Bracer. He hung his cane on his arm and took the puppy carefully, pulling her close to his chest.
“Oh, my. You are lovely, Aimée,” he said. “A sweet little handful of fluff!” Mr. Bracer looked into the kennel again. “That other little brown-eyed gal looks very sweet as well,” he said. “May I hold her, too?”
Kat looked at Aunt Jenn, who nodded. She picked up Chantal and handed her to Mr. Bracer.
Kat grinned as the puppies wiggled happily, licking each other’s faces.
“These sisters are good pals,” said Mr. Bracer jovially. “They remind me of my last pair of dogs. They were sisters, too. Pugs. One never went anywhere without the other! Well, Aimée and Chantal, wouldn’t it be nice if I could take you both home with me?”
Grace nudged Kat and lifted her eyebrows. “Both puppies?” she whispered. “He wants both!”
Kat nodded, excited. “Wouldn’t that be great?” she whispered back.
Aunt Jenn cleared her throat. “So, Mr. Bracer,” she said, her voice solemn. “You’ve answered all my questions already, but Grace and Kat have a few more questions they’d like to ask you, if that’s all right.”
“Oh, my, my, yes. I bet they have something to do with what it said on the poster, correct?” Mr. Bracer said.
He looked at Kat and Grace. “So here are your answers, girls. I memorized all the points. They were that important to me.” He winked at them. “Kind and loving? You bet. Willing to go on walks? Rain or snow? Indeedy. Need a very special friend? I should say so.” He hugged Aimée and Chantal close. “You can count on me being a fine owner to these little gals. I’ll treat them like princesses. I promise.”
Kat couldn’t help but think about Bijou. “Mr. Bracer, wouldn’t you like to take Bijou as well? The girls might be lonely without their brother, and Bijou … well, he’s quiet but he’ll grow on you, I know it!” she said.
The white-haired man shook his head. “If I didn’t have this cane, I might consider it, young lady,” he said, gently. “But I think these two are really all I can handle.”
Kat, Grace and Aunt Jenn had a quick, private meeting. All of them agreed that Mr. Bracer would be a wonderful owner for Aimée and
Chantal.
Aunt Jenn handed Mr. Bracer a list of puppy instructions and a kit of doggy items that she had prepared. Tony helped carry the two puppies out to Mr. Bracer’s car.
“I will certainly bring these gals back to visit you kind folks,” Mr. Bracer said. “That’s a promise, too.”
Kat smiled back at him. She was sorry Bijou wasn’t going along. But this was certainly a perfect match. Aimée and Chantal were in good hands.
After Mr. Bracer left, Kat and Grace played with Bijou together. They sat on the floor across from each other and rolled a ball between them. Bijou ran back and forth, chasing the ball. Kat and Grace laughed as the little puppy tried to pick up the ball.
“It’s too big,” Kat told him. “And your mouth is just too small!”
After a while, Grace sighed. “I have to go home early,” she said. “I promised my mom I’d work on my math homework before dinner.”
She said goodbye to Bijou and Kat.
Kat was a little bit pleased. She liked having some time alone with Bijou. She picked up the puppy and cuddled him. She played tug-of-war with him. She practised “sit” with him, giving him a little piece of dog biscuit when he followed her command.
She felt sad putting him back in the empty kennel. “Will you miss your sisters?” she asked.
But Bijou didn’t look unhappy. He curled up in a corner of the kennel, wagged his tail twice, and then closed his eyes.
For a while Kat just stood and looked at him. She worried Bijou might not win anyone’s heart but hers. Today, for example, Mr. Bracer had poked his fingers in the crate and said hello to the puppies. But Bijou hadn’t come over like his sisters had.
Of course, not all puppies were the same. Just like people.
Kat thought about Maya. She was like Aimée and Chantal — enthusiastic and eager from the get-go. Grace was more like Bijou — neither of them jumped into things. It didn’t mean they didn’t like to have fun. It didn’t mean they weren’t friendly. They just took their time to show it.
“Bye, Bijou,” Kat whispered to the sleeping pup. “I really hope someone will show up here who will love you as much as I do!”
CHAPTER TEN
On Wednesday and again on Thursday, Kat, Grace and Maya went to Tails Up after school. They played ball with Bijou. Kat spent more time teaching him to sit on command.
Each day Aunt Jenn told them that several people had called about the abandoned bichon frise puppies, but none of them were the best fit for Bijou.
Kat was getting more and more worried.
But when Kat, Maya and Grace arrived at Tails Up on Friday, Aunt Jenn had a smile on her face. “Good news! A family is coming this afternoon to see Bijou,” she told them. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed that this is a good match! I’ll bring them into the doggy-daycare room when they arrive.”
“Oh, phew!” breathed Maya with relief. She slapped her hand to her chest dramatically. “Now Bijou’s self-esteem won’t be shattered for all time!”
“Maya!” protested Kat. But she couldn’t stop grinning.
A family was coming to see Bijou! A family who had passed Aunt Jenn’s phone inspection. This was the puppy’s big chance!
The girls went into the doggy-daycare room. Kat went to the kennel. When Bijou saw her, he wagged his tail. But he stayed sitting in the corner, as always.
“Oh, Bijou,” Kat said, picking him up. “You are so calm and quiet. You are a very special puppy!”
“I hope the family coming today can see that!” Maya said.
Kat cuddled the puppy and then set him down. “This might be the last time we get to play with you,” she told him. “So let’s have fun!”
Grace dangled a knotted rope toy in front of Bijou, then she threw it across the room. “Here you go, Bijou! Go get it!”
The girls played with the puppy for about an hour. Kat felt happy and sad at the same time — happy that Bijou might get a new home, sad that she might not be able to see him again. She kept looking at the time. She kept waiting for the daycare room door to open.
Then finally it did.
“This is where we keep our boarders,” Aunt Jenn was saying. “And this is where we are keeping Bijou right now.”
Kat scooped up Bijou so he wouldn’t try to run into the hallway. Then she turned to look at the new family. Her mouth dropped open. Then she frowned.
No. No way.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aunt Jenn smiled at the girls. “Kat, Grace, Maya, meet Mr. and Mrs. Fernandez and their daughter Megan.”
“Hello,” said Maya. “Nice to meet you.”
Kat and Grace were too surprised to speak. Megan! It was Megan.
They stared at their classmate. Then they looked at each other. Megan squirmed uncomfortably.
Maya shot Kat a puzzled look, sensing something was going on.
“Do you girls know one another?” Aunt Jenn said, noticing the silence.
“We … we’re in the same class,” said Megan. She gave a little wave. “Hey, Kat. Grace.”
Still the girls didn’t speak. But Aunt Jenn continued on with her introductions. “And this,” she said, pointing toward the puppy in Kat’s arms, “is Bijou.”
“Oh, he’s so sweet,” said Megan. She clasped her hands together. “Look at him, Mom and Dad. Isn’t he sweet?”
“Yes, he sure is,” agreed Megan’s mother.
Megan’s father smiled happily and nodded.
Megan came toward Kat, as if Bijou were a magnet. Her eyes were glued to the white bichon frise puppy.
“Hello there, Bijou,” she said gently. “Oh, you’re adorable!”
“Kat,” said Aunt Jenn. “Can you let Megan hold him?”
Kat glared at Megan, but Megan didn’t even notice. Kat wanted to say no. She wanted to tell Megan that she couldn’t have Bijou, even for a moment.
“Kat?” Aunt Jenn repeated.
Grace nodded at her to follow Aunt Jenn’s instructions.
Carefully, Kat handed the puppy to Megan.
Bijou went very still in Megan’s arms. He didn’t try to kiss her. He didn’t wag his tail.
But Megan didn’t seem to mind. She held Bijou nicely. She rubbed his ears, just the way he liked it. She kissed his little nose.
“He’s perfect,” said Megan, her voice trembling. “Just perfect.”
Next Mr. and Mrs. Fernandez took turns holding Bijou. Then they set down the puppy. He ran to Kat and hid behind her legs.
“That’s okay,” said Megan to her parents. “He just needs to get used to us.”
Megan sat on the floor near Kat. Quietly she held out her hand. “Here, Bijou,” she called. “Come and say hello when you’re ready.”
Kat wanted to scoop Bijou up and hug him, but instead she waited to see what he would do. She had to give Megan a chance. For Bijou’s sake. And in a few minutes, Bijou did go over to Megan. He sniffed her hand and then licked it. In a moment, he climbed right up into her lap and made himself comfortable.
Megan’s parents were speaking to each other. Then Mr. Fernandez turned and said, “We would very much like to take Bijou home with us. We would like him to be our very own puppy, if it’s all right with you.”
Aunt Jenn smiled. “Very good,” she said. “You’ve answered all my questions already on the phone. It’s up to Grace, Maya and Kat now.”
Megan looked down at Bijou. She stroked the puppy’s head. She was clearly uncomfortable.
Kat wanted to ask, “How can we give you a puppy when we don’t think you’re a nice person? Will you stop teasing me about Owen? Will you stop teasing Grace, too?”
But she decided not to. Grace had told Kat that she wanted to work it out with Megan on her own. So Kat would leave it to Grace. This was her big chance. Now Megan could see how it felt when people were mean. Kat turned to Grace and nodded encouragingly.
Megan looked worried. She was biting her lip. She held Bijou close.
Grace fixed Megan in a stare. But all Grace said was, “M
egan. Do you promise to be loving to Bijou? Do you promise to be kind?”
Megan kissed Bijou on the top of his little white head. She took a breath and looked right into Grace’s eyes. Megan’s voice shook a little. “Yes, I’ll be loving. I’ll be kind. I promise.” She looked at Grace and Kat. “I know I’m not always the nicest person in the world. But I promise to be Bijou’s very best friend. I will take very, very good care of him.”
If Megan wasn’t teasing everyone all the time, Kat thought, I might even believe her. She sounds like she means it.
For a long moment, Grace and Megan just looked at each other.
Kat waited. What was Grace going to say? This was her chance to make Megan sorry for the way she had treated her.
But Grace didn’t say anything. And then Aunt Jenn was saying cheerfully, “All right then, Fernandez family. We’ll just leave you for a moment with Bijou. Kat, Grace, Maya and I need to have a quick meeting. Then we’ll tell you our decision.”
Kat followed her two friends and Aunt Jenn into the hallway.
“So, what do you think, girls?” Aunt Jenn asked. She pumped her fist into the air once, twice. “Perfect, right?”
Maya nodded. “They get my vote,” she said.
“I think they will give our sweet little Bijou a good home,” agreed Aunt Jenn. “Kat? Grace? You two agree?”
Kat looked at Grace. But Grace was deep in thought.
“Grace?” Aunt Jenn asked.
Kat nudged Grace. “Go on,” she whispered. “Tell her.”
Grace shook her head.
“What is it?” Aunt Jenn asked. “Is there something I should know? Kat?”
Grace shook her head again at Kat, like a warning.
“No,” Grace said quickly. “There’s nothing. And yes.” Suddenly she smiled. “Yes, I think Megan and her family will give Bijou a good home.” She nodded. “And you do too, don’t you, Kat?”
Kat stared at her friend. “You’re sure?” she asked.
“Yup. I’m sure,” Grace said firmly. Kat was surprised. But it was up to Grace. And even though Grace didn’t always seem like the most self-confident girl in the world, Kat had confidence in her.