Pugs and Kisses

by J. J. Howard

  “That’s a very weird—and oddly specific—scenario.”

  Phoebe waved a hand dismissively. “I’ve been doing this screenwriting thing online. That’s not the point. The point is, this isn’t, like, a terrible lie.”

  “Maybe not at first. But then I kept on telling it. And then I told lots of other lies that got all tangled up in the first one. It’s a mess.”

  Phoebe patted my arm. “You already know what you have to do.”

  I let out a sigh. “Yeah. I know. I guess I just needed to hear somebody say it.”

  “I’ll always be your somebody,” Phoebe said. “Now come on, Charlotte. Let’s figure out how you’re going to break the truth to Calvin.”

  IDEA #4:

  Text alerts for liars.

  Functions: Interactive database of lies and sub-lies flagged by key words.

  Add: Voice recognition function—when liar says one of the key words, send an alert to phone. Maybe an electric shock.

  Working-title ideas:

  Liar Alert

  Liar, Liar, Phone’s on Fire

  *Note: The functionality for this is not something you can actually create with your laptop. Maybe just start telling the truth???

  Phoebe helped me plan out what to say to Calvin, and I decided I’d talk to him at the park, away from school. I thought it might help if I had Osito with me, so Calvin could see, and remember, how much I loved that dog, even though he wasn’t actually mine.

  I nodded to myself, pleased with this idea, as I walked home from school. As soon as I turned the corner, though, I spotted an ambulance parked outside our building. I immediately felt a stab of fear. I raced inside and took the stairs two at a time. Halfway up the stairs to the fourth floor, I nearly collided with an EMT.

  An EMT who was helping to carry Mrs. Ramirez on a stretcher. She was awake, I was relieved to see. She reached out a hand to place it on my arm, and the two men who were carrying her obeyed her plea for them to stop for a moment.

  “Oh! Thank goodness, mija! I was hoping to find you!” Mrs. R said in a thin voice.

  “Are you okay, Mrs. Ramirez?” I asked frantically. “What happened?”

  Mrs. R shook her head weakly. “I had another fall. Listen, Ana. I called my daughter but she cannot come until Saturday. Please, mija, can you take Osito for me? Just until Saturday when my daughter gets here.”

  I stood staring at her in shock. My mother would never say yes … would she? The EMTs started moving again, and Mrs. R called out, “Please say that you will keep my Osito, Ana!”

  And then I heard myself yelling after her, “Yes, Mrs. R. Don’t worry! I’ll take good care of him. I promise!”

  I heard Mrs. R say, “Thank you, oh, thank you!” But I kept standing there frozen, my heart thumping so loud it seemed to echo in the empty stairwell.

  What was I going to do? I’d just promised Mrs. R that I’d take Osito home with me for the rest of the week. There hadn’t been anything else to do. The poor lady was being carried off to the hospital, and she was so worried about her dog. Of course I’d said yes.

  And I had to try to convince my mom that we could keep Osito for a few days. Even in the middle of the quince craziness.

  First, though, I needed to walk poor Osito, who was probably very upset and nervous upstairs after everything that had just happened with Mrs. R.

  I shook myself and ran up to the fifth floor. I reached for my key, but the door was unlocked. When I walked in I called Osito’s name, but he didn’t come running like he usually did. My heart started pounding again—what if he’d run out the door in all the confusion with the paramedics? I started racing through the apartment, yelling, “Osito! Come here, boy! Osito! Where are you?”

  I stopped yelling when I heard a small whimper. I followed the direction the sound had come from. I walked into Mrs. R’s bedroom and heard the sound again. I knelt down on the worn brown carpet and peered under her bed. I couldn’t see him in the dark, especially since he was all black, but I heard him again. I stretched out a hand and a few seconds later I felt a little wet tongue gently lick my hand.

  “Come on out, boy,” I cooed. Slowly, he wriggled out from under the bed. I picked him up and it made me sad to find that he was shaking very hard. I sat on the floor with my back against Mrs. R’s nightstand and held Osito close against me, whispering that everything would be okay. After what seemed like a long time, my little bear finally stopped shaking.

  I carried Osito out to the kitchen and put his supper in his bowl. He ate a few bites but then stopped, sat down on the floor, and stared up at me with his huge, round, black eyes. I felt like my heart was being squeezed tightly in a fist. Osito seemed like he was trying to tell me something.

  I thought that it was probably “Don’t leave me.”

  I took him outside so he could take care of his business. I didn’t walk him all the way over to the park, since I knew I needed to tell Mom what had happened, and she was probably home from work by now.

  I carried Osito upstairs and unlocked my door, trying to control my nerves. I had to ask Mom—I didn’t have a choice. What else could I do with Osito until Mrs. R’s daughter came on Saturday?

  Mom turned around at the sound of the door and immediately spotted Osito.

  “No, Ana, you know the rules. Take him back upstairs this minute. This apartment’s barely big enough for the four of us, let alone an animal.”

  “But Mrs. Ramirez just had to go to the hospital this afternoon—in an ambulance! She begged me to look after Osito …”

  Mom frowned. “What happened to Mrs. Ramirez? Is she all right?”

  “Well, I don’t know; she’s going to the hospital, so I think probably she’s been better.”

  Mom gave me a look. “Ana, let’s try that again without the sarcasm?”

  “I’m sorry.” Ugh, what was wrong with me? I was supposed to be talking Mom into letting me keep Osito for a few days. Maybe I should have asked Tali for help. Tali knew how to bring out our mother’s sweet side. Somehow, no matter how hard I tried, I always seemed to end up bringing out the other side. I took a deep breath.

  “She said she fell again,” I explained. “And she begged me to help her, Mom—what could I do?”

  Mom’s expression softened a bit. “I hear what you’re saying, Ana, and I suppose I understand why you made such a hasty promise. But that doesn’t change …” Mom was shaking her head, and I knew she was about to say no, in spite of everything.

  I sat down heavily in a chair with Osito in my arms. Now what?

  “Ana? Are you listening to me? I’m sure if you explain the situation to Dr. Medina he’ll give you a break on the boarding fees. If you don’t have enough from your allowance I can help you.”

  I stared at Mom, my mouth open. She was actually telling me to take Osito to the vet’s office one block over and pay them to put him in a kennel until Mrs. R’s daughter came to town.

  “You understand why you need to help pay the kenneling fees, don’t you, Ana?” Mom said. “You are the one who made the promise.”

  “Do you think I care about paying the money?” I stood up, still clutching Osito to my chest. “How can you even—I just told you what happened to his mom. I found him shaking under her bed. And you want me to just take him to a kennel!”

  “Ana, calm down. You knew the rules before you made her that promise. I’m sorry about Mrs. Ramirez’s fall, I really am, but that doesn’t change anything about our house rules.”

  Now I was so mad I was shaking. I knew that Mom didn’t feel the same way about Osito as I did. But I still didn’t understand how she could be so cruel to him. Or to me.

  “I’m not taking him to a kennel. I’ll find someplace else—someplace where they actually care about animals—and people!”

  I opened the door and walked out before she could say anything else. I slammed the door as best I could one-handed, since I was still carrying Osito. I walked quickly down the stairs, my heart thumping just as hard as it ha
d on those same stairs a little while ago.

  I walked all the way outside before I realized I didn’t actually know where I was going. I knew for sure I wasn’t going to take Osito to Dr. Medina’s place. The thought of my poor little bear sitting alone all night in one of those little concrete stalls at his clinic made my heart hurt. Phoebe would always be my first call in a crisis, but I knew her dad was majorly allergic to dogs and cats.

  And then I thought of a possible answer. I put Osito down beside me and started walking toward the park. I realized that the odds of Calvin being there now were pretty slim; it was later than the time we usually met. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and started a text, but then I had no idea what to say. Besides, a text might not seem like an emergency, but if I called him …

  I decided to go for it, hitting the call button before I had time to think any more about it.

  After four rings, Calvin answered.

  “Hey, Ana,” he said, sounding only a little bit surprised that I was calling him.

  “I’m so glad you answered!” I burst out. “Can you … could you meet me at the park? I have a situation and I really need … I’m hoping you can help me.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Calvin said.

  I felt a surge of relief. I got to the dog run, let Osito off his leash, and watched him sniff around. I sat on a bench, holding my phone, trying to figure out what to say to Calvin when he got there.

  I should just come clean and explain the WHOLE situation to him, was my first thought. But what if he got mad that I’d been lying to him—so mad that he refused to let Osito stay with him for the next four days? That idea seemed far from impossible.

  The little bear was back from sniffing, and started pawing at my leg, wanting to be picked up. He’d had a hard day.

  He was also looking up at me with the exact expression he’d been wearing before. His eyes were speaking to me clearly.

  Don’t leave me.

  “Ana! Are you okay?” I looked up to see Calvin standing in front of me, without Pancake. He sounded out of breath, like maybe he’d run here.

  I met his eyes, and wanted so much to tell him the truth. But how could I risk it? When I looked down at Osito once more, I knew that I couldn’t.

  I took a deep breath and let it out, and then I started lying again.

  “I didn’t know that Mom was having the apartment fumigated,” I said to Calvin, while a small piece of my soul died. “I guess with all the quince madness she forgot to tell us.”

  I hated that I was lying. Again. But I’d decided to suck up feeling like dirt and do what was right for Osito.

  Next I explained that we were staying with my uncle Victor, which was a ridiculous lie, since he lives in Philadelphia, but Calvin didn’t know that. I said that I couldn’t bring “my” dog with us because my cousin Mateo was allergic to all dogs. That part at least was true, not that it mattered. I didn’t figure that one accidental truth in a giant sea of lies would win me any points at this stage of the game.

  “Where do they live?” Calvin asked. “Your uncle’s family.”

  I blinked at Calvin. “Oh, in the neighborhood.” I waved a hand in the air. “I can walk there. So, what do you think?” I asked him, holding my breath. “Do you think your parents would say yes? If you don’t mind asking, that is.”

  “I don’t see why they wouldn’t. And of course I’ll ask them. I can see you’re really upset about this.”

  I felt another sharp stab of guilt, this one in my heart. Calvin was so kind and thoughtful. And I was being basically awful. I looked down at Osito’s little face to remind myself why.

  “I know I could take him to a kennel or something. That’s what my mom said to do. But I just … can’t. He’s never stayed in one of those places, and …”

  “Say no more, I gotcha. So, hey—do you want to come to dinner at my house? That way you could get Osito settled and everything before you had to go back home.”

  I felt a smile spread across my face. That meant more time with Osito … and Calvin.

  And more time before I had to go back and face Mom. I knew I’d be in trouble for walking out like that.

  “I would love to!” I said. “If you’re sure your parents won’t mind …”

  “They won’t, I promise.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Calvin. I’ll just text home to tell them.”

  He held out a hand and I realized he meant for me to give him Osito’s leash and harness. I did, and then glanced down at my phone. I had a bunch of texts from Tali asking where I was and what had happened with Mom.

  Calvin kept holding Osito’s leash while I texted my sister back:

  I’m ok will explain later. Tell Mom I’m finding a place 4 Osito and will be home later.

  Tali immediately texted back:

  What happened??? Mom seems mad but she wouldn’t tell me.

  Also where r u going??

  I wrote back quickly:

  To Calvin’s 4 dinner but don’t tell her that. Be home soon. XO A.

  I turned off my phone then. I didn’t want Tali—or worse, Mom—to keep calling and texting me. My only thought right now was to get Osito settled somewhere he felt safe.

  When we got to Calvin’s apartment, Calvin set Osito down on the floor and called out for Pancake. She came running fast—almost as fast as she’d been chasing that squirrel.

  The two pugs shared their usual effusive greeting, though to me it seemed Osito still wasn’t quite himself.

  “Aw, it’s like he knows you’re going to have to leave him here,” Calvin said quietly beside me.

  “I know,” I said, feeling miserable.

  “It’ll be okay!” Calvin said in a louder voice. “You can visit him every day.”

  What I couldn’t say then was that this would be my last visit since I was probably going to be grounded until graduation.

  High school graduation.

  I followed Calvin into the kitchen. Mr. Palmer was doing the cooking this time. Calvin’s mom was in DC on a business trip, and Chelsea was back at college.

  “We’re having white bean chili and homemade corn bread,” Mr. Palmer said.

  “Mmm, my favorite. Ana’s going to join us,” Calvin said.

  “Cool,” Mr. Palmer said. “I made a ton of chili.”

  “He always does,” Calvin told me. “We end up eating it for, like, a week. It’s good you’re here to eat some of it—might give us one less chili day!”

  Mr. Palmer chuckled. It seemed to me that the atmosphere at Calvin’s house was a lot more relaxed than it usually was at mine. Plus, no one was having a quince in this family. I felt a twinge of jealousy.

  “Hey, Dad?” Calvin added. “Is it okay if Ana’s dog, Osito, stays with us for a few days? Her apartment’s being fumigated.”

  I felt an enormous wave of guilt as Mr. Palmer nodded. “No problem,” he said. “Pancake will be thrilled, of course. Does Osito need any special food or medicine?”

  I shook my head, still guilt-stricken. “He can eat what Pancake eats for now, but I’ll bring over his food next time,” I managed to say. Then I thanked Mr. Palmer and Calvin and I set the table for dinner.

  Mr. Palmer brought out the pot of chili, the corn bread, and a container of butter, and Calvin came in with a pitcher of lemonade. We sat down and I took a bite of chili. Calvin was right; it was delicious. I felt a warm rustle of fur against my leg and peered down under the table to see Osito. As usual, Pancake was glued to his side.

  What would happen now that Mrs. R was in the hospital? I’d found a place for Osito until Saturday. But what would happen when Mrs. R’s daughter arrived?

  I was afraid I already knew the answer to that. Mrs. R’s daughter would probably take Osito, and Mrs. R when she was well enough, back to Baltimore with her.

  “If you don’t like the chili, Ana, I can make you something else,” Mr. Palmer offered, his voice breaking into my thoughts.

  “No!” I shook my head. “It’s really yummy.”<
br />
  “You were just kind of stirring it, staring off into space,” Calvin observed.

  “I’m sorry. I had a fight with my mom, and it’s just …”

  “Say no more,” Mr. Palmer said. “And I’m sure you’ll make up with your mom when you go back home. Once everyone cools off after a fight, it’s much easier to say you’re sorry and move forward.”

  That was the problem, though. I wasn’t sorry I’d left, or found another option for Osito.

  And I also knew that Mom wasn’t sorry for her part, either. So where did that leave us?

  * * *

  After dinner, I hugged Osito tightly and kissed his furry head, then told Calvin I didn’t need him to walk me home. It was still light enough outside to go alone. Plus, I was pretty sure I was about to cry, and I didn’t want Calvin to see.

  When I got home, I stood at the door to our apartment, hand hovering over the doorknob, afraid to go inside. This was new territory. I’d never really gotten in trouble. Sure, Mom and I argued pretty often, but it was always over little stuff. I’d certainly never run out of the house like that, and stayed away for three hours. I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew for a fact that it wasn’t going to be good.

  Okay, Ana, time to quit stalling and face your consequences. I took what was quite possibly my last gulp of free air, turned the doorknob, and walked inside.

  The apartment was strangely quiet. I looked around, then jumped a little when I saw Mom sitting at her place at the kitchen table, waiting for me.

  “Hi,” I said in a tiny voice.

  “Is that all you’ve got to say?” Mom asked.

  I shook my head. “I was waiting. For the yelling to start.”

  Mom frowned and opened her mouth, but then she closed it. She exhaled and waited a few more seconds before speaking again.

  “I’m not going to yell. Your father and I had a talk.”

  Had Papi taken my side?

  “You know he had that dog growing up. Boneyard or something.”