Roxbury Park Dog Club #6

by Daphne Maple

  And that’s when I realized my mistake: Kim was the one picking up Waffles and I was supposed to get—actually, I didn’t even know who I was supposed to get. This was a disaster!

  I fumbled around in my backpack, located my phone, and called Kim. “I went to the wrong house,” I wailed the second she answered. “Which dogs am I supposed to get?”

  “Missy and Hattie,” Kim said right away. “Taylor’s getting Jinx and Gus, so she’s not that far from the Wongs’ house. I can call and ask her to pick up Hattie there, but do you think you can get Missy? I don’t think she can handle being walked with three other dogs yet.”

  “I’m on my way,” I said, clicking off my phone and shoving it in my pocket as I took off running toward Missy’s house. I was sweating when I arrived and flew up the steps two at a time. And not the good kind of sweat that came from dance: this was clammy and sticky, making my hair a soggy mess. But I had bigger things to worry about because when I walked into Mrs. Benson’s house, there was no sign of Missy. Unlike at Waffles’s house, though, her leash was still on the front table in the hall. And I suddenly realized that my race up the steps of the house had scared poor Missy off.

  I sighed, unable to believe I’d messed this up too. But I knew the only thing to do now was find Missy, so I began to look around.

  It felt weird to wander around my English teacher’s house but I didn’t really have a choice. I searched for Missy in the living room (where I learned that Mrs. Benson was a very tidy housekeeper and had subscriptions to National Geographic, The New Yorker, and ESPN Magazine, a funny mix). There was no sign of the little dog in the kitchen, which was also sparkling clean, or the dining room. I so didn’t want to go into my teacher’s bedroom, but luckily I heard a scuffling sound in the back bathroom and finally located Missy, who had stuffed herself behind the sink.

  “Hi, sweet Missy,” I said gently, squatting down and reaching out my hand for her to sniff.

  It took another ten minutes but I managed to coax the skittish Yorkie out of the house. Despite my eagerness to get to the shelter, I let Missy take the lead and she went slowly, sniffing carefully at mailboxes, trees, and shrubs as we made our way into town and arrived at Dog Club at last.

  We were over half an hour late, and a game of doggy basketball, Tim’s creation that involved a laundry basket, an orange ball, and a lot of running, was in full swing. No one but Mr. S even noticed that Missy and I had shown up. I unleashed her and then bent down to hug Mr. S, who wriggled in delight. He always made me feel better.

  I leaned against the wall snuggling Mr. S and watching the game. Bri, whose undefeated streak as a doggy basketball coach was legendary, at least inside these four walls, was cheering on her team of Daisy, Gus, Boxer, and Lily. Tim, the opposing coach, was encouraging Waffles, who had the orange ball in his mouth.

  “Go, Waffles, make the basket!” Tim shouted, gesturing furiously to the laundry basket that sat in the middle of the floor.

  But Waffles decided that running in circles with the ball and being chased by his friends was more fun and he took off in the opposite direction.

  “Take the ball, Hattie,” Tim yelled desperately to the small sheepdog who was nearby.

  Hattie was a top scorer. She loved dropping the ball into the laundry basket. But Hattie had just spotted Missy and pranced over to say hello. Meanwhile Waffles let go of the ball, Boxer grabbed it, and moments later he scored two points for Bri’s team.

  “Victory is ours!” Bri shouted, raising her hands over her head and pumping her fists.

  Tim slid down to the floor with a groan. “We were so close,” he told Humphrey, who came over and settled on his lap.

  “Not really,” Bri said breezily. She loved rubbing her wins in Tim’s face.

  “Hey, Sasha,” Taylor said, coming over from where she and Caley had been playing fetch with Popsicle and Jinx. She had out her camera and paused to take a quick shot of Boxer, who had jumped inside the laundry basket to celebrate his win.

  Kim, who had been petting Big Al in his cage, popped out when she heard Taylor say my name. “Sash, you made it,” she said, coming over to us.

  “Yeah, and I’m so sorry I messed up the pickup schedule,” I said. I turned to Taylor as Mr. S headed over to play with Gus. “Thanks for getting Hattie.”

  “It was no big deal,” Taylor said.

  Her words helped, but I still felt bad. It was the second time in two days she’d had to come to my rescue. I really needed to be more on top of things.

  “Sasha, we should set up reminders for you on your phone,” Bri said, as if she’d been reading my mind. “That way you won’t forget things so much.”

  I knew she was just trying to help, but I was getting tired of the way her help seemed more like criticism.

  “I just have a lot to do right now,” I said, my voice sharper than I’d intended.

  “We’re all busy,” Bri said, her tone just as sharp. “But we have to pull our weight and take care of the dogs.”

  I knew she was right about me pulling my weight, but I also knew that we weren’t all the same amount of busy. No one in the club, least of all Bri, was as swamped as I was.

  “Today was no big deal,” Taylor said quickly.

  “And we know it was just because you had to text that new client,” Kim added loyally.

  Bri was about to respond when we heard a loud bark followed by a low growl. We whipped around only to see Violet, the orange ball in her mouth, bearing down on Lily. The fur on the back of Lily’s neck was standing up and Violet’s ears were flat against her head, both signs that the two dogs were not happy with each other at all.

  Bri raced over to Lily, but before she could do anything, Kim was there, soothing Violet and resting a comforting hand on Lily’s back. Bri reached out to touch Lily too, but Kim stopped her.

  “Hang on a second, Bri,” Kim said, not taking her eyes off the dogs. “Let me just get her calm before you pet her.”

  “She’s my dog,” Bri pointed out, hands on her hips.

  “I know,” Kim said, sounding puzzled. “I just want to make sure everyone’s okay first.”

  Bri rolled her eyes but stepped away from the dogs. Kim spoke to them in a low voice and after a moment Lily pranced off cheerfully. Violet, clearly soothed, picked up a stray orange ball and Kim threw it for her. The pair began an easy game of fetch, though I saw Kim’s eyes dart in Bri’s direction.

  Bri’s expression was stiff as she headed over to throw a tennis ball for Lily and Boxer. Hattie, Gus, and Mr. S joined them. Taylor was throwing a yellow Frisbee for Jinx, Waffles, and Popsicle, and Missy went over to where Tim was snuggling Humphrey, so I decided to check on Big Al. The small pup had burrowed into the fleece blanket in his cage but gave a happy yip when he saw me.

  “Hi, big guy,” I said as I sat down next to him and scratched behind his ears.

  Everything appeared okay, but I knew it wasn’t. Kim was still looking uneasily at Bri, who was clearly ignoring Kim. I could tell by the way Taylor’s shoulders were rigid that she felt worried, and I was still bristling from Bri’s remarks, as well as feeling guilty about my mistake, which had started everything in the first place. So things weren’t fine, not really.

  I was about to suggest a game of doggy tag outside. The weather was kind of damp, but running around would probably cheer all of us up. But just then Alice leaned out of her office.

  “Sasha, the Golds are calling for you,” she said. Today she was wearing the T-shirt with rainbow-colored paw prints across the front.

  “Okay,” I said, trying not to sigh as I gave Big Al one last pat and stood up.

  I knew it would be good to confirm Dixie’s trial visit. If both Boris and Dixie worked out, our club would finally be full again and I’d have one less thing to worry about.

  But as I headed to the office to spend time on the phone instead of with the dogs yet again, I wasn’t feeling relieved.

  I was feeling fed up.

  6

&
nbsp; The next day Kim and I wolfed down our lunches and then headed to the library to get more work done on our reports. Since I’d learned all about what Mongolians didn’t eat, it was time to learn what they did consume, along with finding out about their culture. I was way behind on my research and eager to do some catching up.

  “How are dance rehearsals going?” Kim asked as we walked down the quiet hallway. Today we were both wearing our Roxbury Park Dog Club T-shirts, something that always made me happy. Alice, Tim, and Caley had surprised us with the shirts when the club first began.

  “Okay, I think,” I said. “We still have some work to do and my solo definitely needs more practice, but we should be ready for the performance.” I hoped so, anyway.

  “I know you’ll be great,” Kim said, patting my arm.

  Her confidence felt good and with a pang I realized that it had been ages since we’d been alone, just the two of us. I adored Taylor and liked Bri a lot when she wasn’t giving me a hard time, but Kim had been my best friend for years. She was the one who comforted me when my parents split up, and I’d been there for her when her dog Sammy died. History like that was important, and as we turned the corner past my locker, I realized how much I wanted to tell her what was on my mind. Because if anyone would understand, it was Kim.

  “I’m starting to feel like things at Dog Club aren’t really fair,” I said, pulling on a curl that had fallen out of my ponytail.

  “What do you mean?” Kim asked immediately, her brown eyes shining with concern as she looked at me.

  “It’s just—I know you work hard on the Dog Club Diary, and Taylor’s always taking great pictures for the blog,” I said. “And I guess Bri’s stuff with the website design takes time too. But with all the calls I have to make, managing all our old clients and scheduling new ones, it seems like I do more work than anyone else.”

  Kim nodded. “Yeah, I guess that’s true,” she said. “But now that you have the Golds and the Santagelos scheduled it probably won’t be quite so busy.”

  “Yeah, but there’s still the rest of the wait list,” I said. “And if one of those dogs isn’t the right fit for the club then I’ll have to work that out too.” I suddenly felt like I was whining, so I stopped talking.

  “They both sound like they’ll work out, though,” Kim said. We reached the library and headed for a table in the back. “I mean, we set up the website and the blog so owners and potential clients can see exactly what we do every meeting. And if they’re still interested after seeing that, it’s a safe bet they’ll be a good fit for the club.”

  It was true that after a couple of dogs didn’t fit in at the shelter, we’d learned to be very clear about what our club did and didn’t offer. But it seemed like Kim thought that meant a lot less work for me, and in reality it didn’t. I opened my mouth to explain this and then hesitated. We’d reached our table and Kim’s eyes were now on Ms. Cho, the librarian. I knew Kim needed every minute we had to get work done, and honestly I did too. So I closed my mouth and let it drop so we could get started on our research.

  But I also let it drop because it didn’t seem like Kim really understood how unfair my workload was, compared to everyone else’s. And maybe she was right—maybe once things settled in with two new club members, the calls and scheduling wouldn’t be so hectic all the time.

  So as Ms. Cho came over to offer more help, I tried to push down my doubts about the club and focus on Mongolia.

  Saturday afternoon I stayed after dance class to practice my solo with Madame Florence. I was feeling good about the rehearsal when I got home, but as I began to pack my overnight bag for the sleepover at Bri’s, I could feel exhaustion creeping into my muscles. I looked longingly at my bed: an afternoon nap would have felt amazing. But my friends were expecting me, so I called Mr. S and the two of us headed over to Bri’s house.

  Bri’s mom was there to greet me at the door, along with Lily, who barked joyfully when she realized that Mr. S had come over to play. Bri’s mom smiled affectionately as the two dogs ran around the front hall and then took off for the kitchen. “I don’t know who’s more excited about this sleepover, you girls or the dogs,” she said.

  I laughed. “I think it might be a tie.”

  It was great to see her gaze so lovingly at Lily. She’d had her doubts at first about taking in an older shelter dog. But Lily, with her warm brown eyes and sweet manner, had won Bri’s mom over, and now she adored their family pet.

  “Hey, Sasha,” Bri said as she came into the foyer, Kim and Taylor on her heels. Behind them was a man with short black hair and a big smile who I knew must be Mr. Chen.

  “I take it you’re the other founding member of the Roxbury Park Dog Club,” he said in a hearty, dadlike way. For a moment I missed my own dad, who lived in Seattle, and the goofy dad things he always said when I visited.

  “Yes, I’m Sasha,” I said, holding out my hand.

  He shook it firmly. “It’s my pleasure to finally meet you,” he said. “And now I’m off to be the assistant chef for the feast being prepared in the kitchen.”

  “Your dad is really nice,” I told Bri after her parents had left.

  “Thanks,” Bri said, her cheeks pink with pleasure. “And here are some slippers for you.”

  I’d already taken off my shoes, since that was something my mom insisted on at our house, but I was surprised to see Bri holding out a pair of red felt slippers.

  “It’s a Chinese custom,” Bri explained, and I saw that Taylor and Kim were already sporting their own red footwear. “We keep a supply of slippers for guests to wear when they come over. And don’t worry, we wash them after every use.”

  “This is a really good idea,” I said, stepping into them. On a cool day it was nice to wear something warm on my feet. “I’m going to tell my mom we should do it too.”

  “Let’s bring your bag up to my room and see what the dogs are up to,” Bri said, leading the way through a living room as clean as the one in my house, then up the stairs.

  The dogs were waiting for us in Bri’s room, playing together with a thick rope toy.

  “Too cute,” Taylor said, flopping down on Bri’s bed, which had a satin comforter in the same shade of aqua as her curtains.

  “Totally,” Kim said, rubbing her knuckles on Lily’s head before settling on the floor by the dogs. I put my bag in the corner next to Kim’s and Taylor’s and then claimed the beanbag chair. Taylor made room for Bri to sit on the bed next to her.

  “So our parents were out late last night,” Taylor said to me.

  My mom had been out the night before, but she hadn’t told me she was with Taylor’s dad. “My mom didn’t get home until after my bedtime,” I said. “I didn’t even know who she was out with—she just said someone from work.”

  “That someone was my dad,” Taylor said, taking a moment to fluff her pillow. “I guess they’re working on a case together.”

  That made sense, but I was surprised my mom hadn’t said anything about it—she knew I liked to hear about Taylor’s family. Though of course maybe she had said something and I’d just missed it, the way I seemed to be missing a lot of things these days.

  Bri had moved from the bed to her desk and was searching for something on her computer. “I want to show you guys this new graphic I made for our website,” she said.

  We crowded behind her and saw that she’d reworked the font and size of the club name. The letters seemed to be three dimensional and she’d managed to get little dog prints running across them. The effect was definitely pretty cool, but I was surprised when Taylor squealed and Kim clapped her hands together as if Bri had figured out a way to end world hunger or something.

  “It’s incredible,” Taylor said.

  “I love it,” Kim gushed.

  “It’s nice,” I said. Bri glanced at me. “Really nice,” I added quickly. “How did you get the paw prints on the letters like that?”

  Bri launched into a long description and after a moment I was lost. I had
no idea what raster images and PPIs even were, and I was feeling too tired to ask. Kim and Taylor nodded along, though.

  “You should take a class in graphic design at the art center where I take my photography classes,” Taylor said when Bri was finally done. “They have advanced courses that would be perfect for you, and the teachers they get are really good. They treat you like a professional, not just a kid with a hobby.”

  Bri’s eyes lit up at this suggestion. “That sounds awesome,” she gushed. “I’m totally going to ask my parents if I can do it. And then I can design even more stuff for our website.”

  Kim and Taylor nodded like this was the greatest thing they’d ever heard.

  I cleared my throat. “The Santagelos are bringing Boris to the club on Wednesday and I can’t wait to meet him,” I said. It was true that I was excited to play with a new puppy, but I was also ready to change the subject, and I knew all of them, especially Bri, were eager to get the club full again.

  So I was surprised to see the three of them exchange a look.

  “Actually,” Kim began, not quite meeting my eyes, “we were talking about this before and we’re wondering if maybe we should put off the visitation, just for a week or two.”

  “What?” I asked. My voice came out louder than I’d intended, but I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

  “It’s just, with Violet having issues getting along with the other dogs, now might not be the best time to bring a new dog to the shelter,” Taylor explained, looking at me with a pleading expression. “It’s not that we don’t want the other dogs, it’s just that it might be better to wait.”

  “You remember what happened with Violet and Lily,” Kim reminded me. I saw Bri scowl slightly at her words. “And Violet might have an even bigger problem with a new dog.”

  “My mom said Dalmatians are high-strung and need structure,” Bri added in a tone that was a bit too bossy for my liking. “And so she might find a new dog disruptive.”

  “You understand, right?” Taylor asked, putting a hand on my arm.