Jasmine climbed out of the car and followed her mom into the animal shelter, with Keiko and Sofia trailing close behind them. She couldn’t wait to show her friends around and teach them everything she’d learned as a volunteer.
While her mother went to the room down the hall and to the right, where she treated sick animals, Jasmine gave her friends a tour. She stopped when she reached the doorway that separated the front part of the shelter from the back area, where the kennels were. The door between them was usually kept closed so the barking dogs wouldn’t frighten the cats. But the girls could peek into the room through the glass panels in the door. Keiko took one look at the German shepherd who was in the kennel closest to them and backed away nervously.
“I’m not going in there!” Keiko declared.
Jasmine could tell Keiko wasn’t kidding. “Okay, we don’t have to,” she said quickly. “Let’s go over here instead.”
Jasmine led her friends to a different door. “This is where they keep the younger cats,” she said. She twisted the knob and pushed the door open. “And these are my new friends …”
Jasmine trailed off when she saw Mrs. Wallace and a girl she didn’t recognize crouched on the floor, playing with the kittens.
“Jasmine,” Mrs. Wallace said, smiling up at her, “I didn’t hear you come in.” She got to her feet. “I’d like you to meet our newest volunteer. She lives over in Greenville.” She motioned to the girl, who stood up and faced Jasmine and her friends with a big smile. She had wavy red hair pulled back into a messy ponytail and grayish-blue eyes, and wore a bright green dress covered with tiny yellow ducks.
“Hi!” she said brightly. “I’m Madison Rosen.”
“Hi, Madison,” Jasmine said. “I’m Jasmine, and these are my friends Keiko and Sofia.”
“Awesome dress,” Keiko said. “I love the colors. Are you an animal expert like Jasmine?”
“I’m no expert, but I know a little,” Madison said with a shrug.
“Madison’s being modest,” Mrs. Wallace said. “She volunteered at the shelter in the town where she lives, and she’s been great with the kittens.”
Jasmine peered into the box, where the five kittens were busy batting some neon orange plastic balls back and forth. Each time a kitten tapped a ball, it jingled softly.
“It looks like they’re playing soccer!” Sofia cried.
“You’re right,” Madison said. “Their long tails help them balance.”
Sofia laughed. “Too bad I can’t grow one of those. I’d be the MVP for sure.”
“You named this little guy Tiger, right, Jasmine?” Mrs. Wallace said. “Madison came up with names for the rest of the litter.”
“I call this one Leo because his fur sticks out like a lion’s mane,” Madison said, pointing to the golden kitten tumbling in the box, trying to wrestle the plastic ball away from Tiger. “And I call that one Pepper because of his black speckles …”
As Mrs. Wallace, Keiko, and Sophie crowded around Madison while she listed the kittens’ new names, Jasmine couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed. She had been hoping her friends would help her finish naming them today. But Madison seemed nice, and she clearly loved animals as much as Jasmine did. Plus, Jasmine had to admit the names were good ones. So Jasmine swallowed her disappointment. She squeezed in next to Madison and stroked Tiger, who began purring loudly.
“He really likes you!” Madison said. She grinned at Jasmine, and Jasmine smiled back.
The next Saturday, Mrs. Wallace was waiting for Jasmine and her mom when they arrived for their volunteer shift.
“Good morning!” Mrs. Wallace called brightly. “Dr. Arroyo, you have a patient waiting for you in the exam room.”
“I’ll head straight there,” Jasmine’s mother said agreeably as she pulled on her white lab coat. “You know where I’ll be if you need me, niña,” she told Jasmine as she headed toward the exam room.
Mrs. Wallace smiled at Jasmine. “And I have just the job for you!” she said. “Madison arrived about ten minutes ago. She’s in the yard walking one of the puppies. Maybe you can lend her a hand.”
Mrs. Wallace had surprised Jasmine. She didn’t usually let volunteers their age walk the dogs on their own. She must really trust Madison, Jasmine thought.
“Okay,” Jasmine agreed as she headed outside.
When she stepped into the yard, Madison was trotting around after a large puppy who looked to be part beagle, part terrier, and all trouble! The puppy was on a leash, but he seemed to be leading Madison rather than the other way around.
“Whoa, Frankie!” Madison shouted, her red ponytail swinging. “Slow down!”
“Need help?” Jasmine asked.
“Yes!” Madison said, gasping for breath. “This little guy is running me in circles. He does not know how to heel!”
As if in reply, Frankie cocked his head at Jasmine and let out a short, playful bark.
Jasmine planted her hands on her hips. “Okay, I think I know what we need here. I’ll be right back.”
Jasmine dashed inside and grabbed a small bag from the supply closet. When she got back to the yard, Frankie was still pulling hard on the leash and jumping around Madison excitedly.
“Sit, Frankie!” Madison ordered as she lurched a few feet to the left. Frankie was much stronger than he looked. “Tell me you brought some magic fairy dust that will make him sit still,” she pleaded.
“Better,” said Jasmine. She held up the bag from the supply closet. “Bacon-flavored dog treats!” She pulled out one and held it in front of Frankie’s nose. He immediately stopped bouncing around and stared at the treat as if he were mesmerized.
“Do you want a yummy treat?” Jasmine asked.
Frankie sniffed at it, then licked his snout.
Madison laughed. “I think that means yes.”
“If you want it, you’re going to have to sit,” Jasmine told the pup. She whispered to Madison, “When I say ‘sit’ and hold my hand out flat, you push his rump down gently.”
Madison nodded. “Got it.”
“Okay, Frankie,” Jasmine said, holding her hand flat above his head. “Sit!”
Madison pushed down on Frankie’s behind until he sat.
“Good boy!” Jasmine gushed, and fed him the treat, which he snapped up in seconds. They repeated the routine over and over again until Madison no longer had to touch Frankie’s back to get him to sit. All Jasmine had to do was hold her hand flat and say “sit.”
“Neat trick,” Madison said, impressed.
Jasmine flushed with pride. “Thanks. My mom showed me how to do it when I got my own puppy.”
“So now what?” Madison asked.
“Let’s try ‘heel,’” Jasmine suggested. “Take the leash and a few treats in your right hand. Now put one treat in your left hand, which should be at your waist. Swing your left hand behind you with the treat in it to get Frankie to circle around so he’s right behind your left heel. Once he gets that down, you can try to do it while walking him around the yard.”
Madison smiled. “Let’s do this.”
She and Frankie circled the yard, practicing. As the dog treats disappeared, Frankie became much more obedient. By the end, he was heeling nicely on the first or second try.
“Wow,” Madison exclaimed. “This really works!”
Jasmine nodded and smiled encouragingly.
When Frankie’s exercise session was over, Madison and Jasmine headed back inside. As Madison led Frankie to his kennel, Jasmine’s mom came in.
“Hi, girls,” she greeted them. “I’m just taking Sadie for a checkup. Do you two want to help?”
“Sure!” Jasmine said. She loved watching her mom in action.
Jasmine and Madison followed Dr. Arroyo into an exam room. There, she used her stethoscope to listen to the dog’s heart. Sadie was a very gentle, older Saint Bernard who had arrived at the shelter just before the Arroyos adopted Cookie. Jasmine loved Sadie’s sweet, droopy face, which looked sort of sad in a f
unny way. She had wanted to take Sadie home, but her parents had pointed out that Sadie was too big for their small house and yard.
Dr. Arroyo peered into Sadie’s mouth to make sure her teeth and gums were healthy. Finally, she examined her ears to check for lice and make sure they weren’t infected. Jasmine couldn’t wait to do the same job someday.
“Is Sadie okay?” Jasmine asked as her mother gently moved Sadie’s hind legs up and down and massaged her muscles.
Dr. Arroyo nodded. “Yes, but she does have a touch of arthritis.”
“Poor Sadie,” Jasmine said. “You can fix it, though, right?”
“Well, there’s no cure for arthritis,” her mother replied, “but her case isn’t too advanced. Some physical therapy and diet supplements should help. And she needs a forever home where she can get a little more exercise. I’ll tell Rosa to try to give her an extra walk each day. Would you girls put her back in her kennel?”
“Sure,” Jasmine replied, taking Sadie’s leash.
“Your friend Keiko is in the after-school art class I just started taking,” Madison said. “She’s really talented. She texted me a photo of a drawing she made of a dog, and it was so good.”
Jasmine felt her shoulders tighten. Keiko and Madison were texting? Jasmine hadn’t even known Keiko was in an art class after school. She wondered why Keiko hadn’t mentioned it.
At that moment, Mrs. Wallace came by to check on Jasmine and Madison. “How did it go with Frankie?” she asked the girls.
“Great!” Madison said brightly. “Jasmine helped me teach him to sit and heel. She’s a real puppy whisperer!”
“I just knew you two would hit it off,” Mrs. Wallace said happily. “In fact, I was thinking Madison could help you and your friends with the carnival planning. We need all the help we can get!”
“I’d love to!” Madison gushed eagerly.
“Um, sure,” Jasmine agreed, feeling a little deflated. I thought I was supposed to be Mrs. Wallace’s assistant in planning the carnival, she thought. Still, it would be nice to have more help, and Madison did seem to have a lot of energy. Or was it that Mrs. Wallace thought Madison would have better ideas?
Mrs. Wallace smiled at both girls happily. Suddenly, Jasmine felt foolish for doubting Mrs. Wallace’s confidence in her.
“This will be so fun!” Madison exclaimed as she gave Jasmine a huge grin.
“Yes,” Jasmine said, returning the smile. “And it will be great for the animals, too!”
If working with Madison would raise more money to expand the shelter, then it was worth it, Jasmine reminded herself. The animals were depending on her!
The next Friday, Jasmine sat down for lunch in the cafeteria across from her best friends. She had told them earlier in the week that Madison would be helping with the carnival, and they were excited.
“I’m sure she’ll have great ideas,” Sofia said.
“And I’ve been working on sketches for the WANTED posters,” Keiko told them.
“I can’t wait to see them,” said Jasmine, remembering that Keiko had already texted one of her drawings to Madison. “Hey, why don’t you guys come to my house tomorrow morning before my mom drives us to the shelter? We could work on posters and decorations then.”
Keiko and Sofia exchanged a look. “Oh, we actually don’t need a ride to the shelter tomorrow,” Keiko began.
“Oh, okay,” Jasmine said, disappointed. Did they not want to come? “But you still want to help out with the carnival, right?” Jasmine asked.
“Of course we do!” Sofia cried, a little too loudly.
Keiko shook her head at Sofia. “See? I told you Jasmine would know something was up.” Keiko turned to Jasmine. “I’m terrible at surprises.”
“Surprises?” Jasmine asked. What kind of surprise did her friends have for her?
“Keiko’s said enough,” Sofia said, giggling nervously. “You’ll find out tomorrow!”
“Okaaay,” Jasmine said with a shrug. She hoped it was something good. It wasn’t like her friends to keep things from her.
Keiko patted Jasmine’s hand. “Don’t worry,” she told her friend. “It will be worth the wait. You’ll see!”
When Jasmine and her mom got to the shelter the next morning, Jasmine tried to prepare herself before she went in. What were her friends up to? Had they swapped outfits again like they did last April Fools’ Day? Or maybe Keiko had drawn a portrait of Cookie as a surprise! There was only one way to find out.
When Jasmine and her mom stepped inside the shelter it was completely empty. There was no Keiko and no Sofia. Even Mrs. Wallace was nowhere to be found.
“Where is everybody?” Jasmine wondered.
Then they heard applause coming from the backyard.
Jasmine and her mom made their way outside. Someone was leading Sadie around the yard. Jasmine blinked. That someone was Keiko!
Her friend Keiko, who usually cringed when she came near even the most adorable puppies, was holding Sadie’s leash. Keiko’s grip was so tight Jasmine could see her knuckles turning white, but she had a huge, triumphant smile on her face. Sadie looked calm and happy, too.
Jasmine peered past Keiko to see Sofia, Mrs. Wallace, and Madison standing on the far side of the courtyard, clapping and smiling.
With each lap Keiko made, Madison shot her two thumbs up. “Way to go, Keiko!” she called. “You’ve got this!”
On the third lap, Keiko finally noticed Jasmine standing there. “Jasmine, check it out!” she said. “I’m walking the biggest dog here!”
“Congratulations!” Jasmine cheered, genuinely excited for her friend. But she was confused. When had Keiko decided to do this? Jasmine knew this was a big deal for Keiko. Why had she told Sofia but not Jasmine what she was planning? Jasmine and her friends always did important things together—especially anything involving animals. And why had Keiko and Sofia kept it a secret? Even Madison had known before Jasmine, she realized, her smile fading.
Keiko handed Sadie’s leash to Mrs. Wallace, then ran over and gave Jasmine a warm hug. “Surprise!” Keiko said. “I know how much you wanted me to get over my fear of dogs. So we thought we would surprise you.”
“It’s—it’s wonderful,” Jasmine stammered. “I mean, I’m definitely very surprised! How—how did it happen?”
“Well, I told Madison about my fear of dogs during art class,” Keiko explained. “Then she told me all about how you had helped her walk Frankie. She mentioned that some of the older dogs are so calm and gentle that they almost walk themselves. Then she encouraged me to try it.”
“And it looks like I was right!” Madison said, coming over and giving Keiko a high five.
“Madison met Sofia and me here earlier this week so I could practice,” Keiko continued. “I really wanted to impress you!”
“I’ve been her personal canine cheerleader,” Sofia said, grinning.
“Are you really surprised?” Keiko asked, finally noticing the look of confusion on Jasmine’s face.
“Definitely!” Jasmine said, forcing a smile. She was happy for Keiko, but she still couldn’t help but feel a little like a balloon with all the air let out of it. She’d always thought she’d be the one to help Keiko overcome her fear of dogs. As Jasmine knelt to give Sadie a hug around her big, scruffy neck, though, she realized it didn’t matter who got Keiko past her fear. The important thing was that she’d done it.
“Good girl, Sadie,” Jasmine said, patting the dog’s soft brown-and-white fur. Sadie panted heavily and pushed her big head into Jasmine’s chest—her way of asking for more affection. Jasmine smiled. She scratched behind Sadie’s ears. Then she stood up and smiled at Keiko. “I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing surprise.”
The next day, Jasmine’s friends were coming over to work on carnival decorations. When Jasmine rushed to answer the doorbell, she was surprised to see Madison standing there next to Sofia and Keiko.
“Hey, Jaz!” Sofia said. “Sorry we’re a little late. We stopped to
pick up Madison. I thought we could use an extra set of hands.” Sofia turned to wave at her mom, who honked twice before pulling off.
Jasmine motioned for them to come in. “Definitely,” she said in a friendly voice. “Hi, Madison. How’s it going?”
“Great!” Madison cried as she walked past Jasmine and into the house. “I can’t wait to get started! This is going to be the best carnival ever.”
Jasmine hoped so.
The girls spread out all their art supplies and poster board on the carpeted floor of the living room.
“First we need to make posters to spread the word about the carnival and to advertise the pets who are up for adoption,” Jasmine explained. “Then we can decide on decorations.”
“I had an idea,” Sofia said. “Maybe we can get lots of different colors of crepe paper and twist it into multicolored streamers to hang from the trees. Since it’s a carnival theme, bright colors will work well.”
“Oh, that sounds pretty!” Madison said eagerly. “I love rainbows.”
“I can start drawing some of my dog sketches on the posters if one of you can do the lettering,” Keiko said.
“I’m not great at pictures, but I can do pretty good bubble letters,” Sofia offered.
Madison rummaged around in her backpack. “And I brought a bunch of glitter glue pens!” she said, pulling out a handful of sparkly tubes. “These will be great.”
“All right!” Keiko exclaimed as she began drawing. Soon, Keiko, Sofia, and Madison were all busily hunched over the poster boards, drawing, lettering, and glittering.
Jasmine wasn’t sure what to do. There didn’t seem to be space for her around the posters. So she took out a piece of paper and tried brainstorming ideas for other decorations.
“That looks awesome!” Madison said as Keiko handed her a poster with a drawing of a dog under Sofia’s bold lettering. “I’ll just add some glitter glue, and it will be done!”
“Nice,” Sofia said. “Everything is better with sparkles!”
Jasmine twirled her hair as she looked down at her paper, trying to come up with ideas—and trying to shake the feeling that her friends preferred hanging out with Madison to her.
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