by Daphne Maple
Lily licked my hand and I reached down and hugged her. “I’m going to try to talk my mom into fostering Lily,” I announced. Just saying the words out loud felt great.
“Awesome,” Taylor said, and Kim gave me a thumbs-up.
“Lily would love that,” Alice said, smiling down fondly at Lily. “She has a good life at the shelter, but I know she’d adore being at home with you. I’ve noticed how she watches you when you’re here.”
That made me feel terrific. The only thing was that I had to somehow talk my mom into it. And that was going to be more of a challenge than anyone at Dog Club knew.
The back door burst open and Boxer raced in, followed by Coco, Waffles, Hattie, Tuesday, Popsicle, Daisy, and Tim, whose cheeks were red from running. Last came Caley and Gus. All the dogs were panting happily.
“We came back in because inspiration struck,” Tim said grandly.
Caley rolled her eyes.
“It’s a day of great ideas because you guys will never believe my genius plan for our booth at the craft fair,” Tim said dramatically.
“You might want to be sitting down for it,” Caley said. “But not because it’s good.”
“She’s jealous,” Tim said, waving his hand dismissively. “Since it’s not just going to make the club money, it’s going to make doggy basketball a worldwide sensation.”
“This I have to hear,” Alice said with a grin. The rest of us were nodding as we played with the dogs.
“I’m going to create a beginner’s video to doggy basketball, that comes with a ball, the video, and a basket,” Tim said. “It’s going to be called Legendary Coach Tim Sanchez’s Dog Basketball for Beginners. An instant best seller, am I right?”
I could see that Alice was trying to stifle a laugh.
“I already pointed out the cost of making the video would probably be more than we’d make selling them,” Caley said drily. “And how it’s not really a game that requires a lot of instruction. I’m not even sure what you’d put on a video.”
“Pointers from an experienced coach,” Tim said, like it was obvious. “I’ll share all my coaching secrets.” Hattie had come up to him with a tennis ball, which he sent bouncing across the room for her.
“It might work if it starred Bri since she always beats you,” Caley said with a teasing grin. She was petting Jinx.
“That’s cold,” Tim said. “Though unfortunately true. Hey, Bri, do you want to star in my video?”
“I think I’m more comfortable behind the scenes,” I said, grinning. I knew as well as anyone that my winning streak was due more to luck than anything else. Doggy basketball was fun, but not exactly a real, coachable sport.
“Okay, maybe the whole concept needs some work,” Tim said with a sigh. “But if we’re not going to sell my awesome videos to raise money, what are we going to sell?”
“Good question,” Sasha said. “We want really unique, fun things that people won’t be able to resist buying, and that show the spirit of the Dog Club.”
“And that aren’t too expensive to make,” Kim added. She was sitting on the floor, Missy in her lap and Humphrey snuggled beside them. Taylor noticed how cute it was and took out her camera for a quick shot. We never posted photos of us on the blog or website, since both were public, but all of us had Dog Club pictures up in our rooms and as backgrounds on our phones and computers. This would be a great one for Kim.
Thinking about Taylor’s awesome photos gave me an idea. “What about a calendar?” I asked. “Every month can be a different picture of the shelter dogs.”
“And we have tons of great shots thanks to Taylor,” Sasha said, excited by the idea.
“I bet calendars aren’t too expensive to print up,” Kim said. “And we can have our logo and information about the shelter on them too, so they’ll be pretty and also be an ad for the shelter.”
“I think a lot of businesses would put them up, like in their lobbies and waiting rooms,” Taylor said.
“My mom totally would,” Sasha said. “Her office has one up now from one of the organizations she represents, so I know she’d put up ours in January.”
“We always have at least one up at the Rox,” Kim said. “Right by the register so everyone who comes in sees it.”
“And think how many people love cute dog photos,” Sasha said, snuggling Gracie, who had trotted over to her. “With Taylor’s great shots I bet they’ll sell out.”
“See, now that is a good idea,” Caley said to Tim. “Something easy to make that people will actually want to buy.”
Tim threw up his arms in mock dismay. “It’s sad how no one here recognizes true entrepreneurial spirit when it’s standing right in front of them.”
We all cracked up at that.
But then I had another idea. “Hey, maybe the calendar could be themed, like ‘dogs at play,’” I said. “We can have pictures of dogs chasing toys or running around in a game of dog tag.”
“And a whole month dedicated to doggy basketball,” Tim exclaimed.
“Yeah,” I said, grinning again.
Tim gave me a thumbs-up. “Now that is a great idea.”
6
“What yummy leftovers do you have today?” Taylor asked over the din of the cafeteria.
I smiled as I twisted off the cap of my thermos. “My mom’s spicy sesame noodles,” I said. “Try some.”
Just as I reached over to pass it to her, a group of boys went by and one of them jostled my arm, nearly causing me to drop my thermos. I turned, ready to yell at him.
“Sorry,” he said quickly, holding up both hands. Clearly it was an honest mistake.
In the past I would have taken his head off anyway, but now I took a deep breath, calming myself before I responded. “No problem,” I said.
“Nicely done,” Taylor said, giving me a thumbs-up. I smiled, appreciating that she noticed my efforts to control my temper. And then I handed her the thermos.
“Delish,” Taylor said after taking a bite. “Hey, what did your mom say about fostering Lily?”
My chest tightened at her words. “I haven’t asked her yet,” I said. When I’d gotten home last night my mom had been distracted about a meeting she’d had with her accountant, so it hadn’t been the best time to approach the fostering idea. Not that I was planning to ask outright, of course. My mom would have to be softened up first. The problem was that I wasn’t sure how to do that, though I wasn’t going to tell my friends that.
But Sasha must have noticed the way I was biting my lip. “It can be hard to ask for something you want so much,” she said. “I had to badger my mom forever before she let me get Mr. S.”
“Yeah, you really worked for that,” Kim remembered. “But Bri’s mom will probably be happy to foster Lily, right? I mean she obviously loves dogs since she opened a doggy day care.”
“Um, I’m not sure,” I said, scrambling for a reason why. A reason that I could say to my friends, that is.
But Sasha saved me. “Just because Bri’s mom works with dogs doesn’t mean she wants to own one,” she said. “Maybe she wants a break from animals at night. Or maybe she’s like my mom and gets fussy about keeping a clean house.”
“She definitely cares about a clean house,” I said. That was totally true. I wasn’t sure about her wanting a break from dogs, though. Back in DC we’d lived in a building that did not allow pets. And when we first got to Roxbury Park my mom had been busy setting up her business while we settled in. But she was such a dog lover that I suspected she’d be happy to take one in. The catch was that her idea of what kind of dog to get would be different from mine.
“I can give you some pointers then,” Sasha said. “Guys, remember how I told my mom I wanted a skunk?”
Taylor and Kim burst out laughing. I pasted a smile on my face, trying to cover up my fourth-wheel feeling and confusion about why Sasha had wanted a skunk.
“It was my strategy to convince my mom to agree to getting me a pet,” Sasha explained. “I knew if I asked
her for a hamster, she’d say no. But if I asked for a skunk and then a hamster, the hamster would seem like no big deal.”
“Smart,” I said, nodding thoughtfully.
“So maybe you can do something like that with your mom,” Sasha finished.
“That could work,” I agreed, thinking about it. The problem was that my mom would probably think the worst option out there was an older shelter dog like Lily.
“Another way you can go is by talking about how you’re ready to take on more responsibility and a dog would be a great way to do that,” Kim said. “That worked for Sasha too.”
“Yeah, it was showing my mom how much I wanted a dog and that I could handle taking care of one,” Sasha said. Then she giggled. “But it didn’t go so well at first.”
She and the others started reminiscing about some kind of baking fiasco, but this time I wasn’t worried about being a fourth wheel.
This time I was planning how to approach my mom. And my friends had given me just the idea I needed.
Saturday morning the four of us were meeting on Main Street to put up flyers for the fostering program. It was a chilly day and I had to run back to put on a heavier jacket, which made me a little late. But Taylor was walking up just as I approached Kim, Sasha, and Mr. S in front of Nimsey’s Crafts.
“You guys, it’s freezing,” Taylor exclaimed. She and I both bent down to pet Mr. S.
Sasha laughed. “This is nothing,” she said as a brisk wind scattered some fallen leaves on the sidewalk around us. “Wait ’til January.”
“The worst is February,” Kim said as Taylor shuddered. “That’s when it feels like it’s been cold forever and spring will never come.”
“We’ll have to change our sleepover tradition from milk shakes to cocoa,” Taylor said.
“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea,” Sasha said. “We could make hot chocolate drinks with cinnamon or caramel.”
“Or both,” I said with a grin.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” Taylor said, leaning over to give me a high five.
Mrs. Washington, Gus’s owner, drove by and honked in greeting. We all waved back. Another typical Roxbury Park moment that gave me a warm, cozy feeling despite the cool weather.
“Okay, let’s get going,” Kim said. She had the flyers and we’d all brought staplers and masking tape. “We want the town covered so everyone knows about the fostering program.”
“Should we split up?” Sasha asked. She was twirling the end of Mr. S’s leash absently.
“Yeah, that’ll be more efficient,” Kim said. “Taylor, you and Bri take the other side of the street plus the community center. Sash and I will take this side and the park.”
“Perfect,” Taylor agreed. “Meet you back in front of Sugar and Spice.”
“How about inside Sugar and Spice?” Sasha suggested. “We’ll have earned some candy after all that hard work.”
“It’s a plan,” Taylor said eagerly.
“Is Jasmine working there today?” Sasha asked. Taylor’s older sister Jasmine had a part-time job at the candy store, which seemed like the best kind of job ever.
Taylor shook her head. “She and Tasha are taking an SAT class on Saturdays.”
Kim wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound as fun as working at Sugar and Spice.”
Taylor laughed. “That’s what Jasmine said. But she wants to be a doctor so she’s serious about school stuff.”
Kim and Sasha crossed at the corner. Taylor and I strolled down the street putting up flyers on every bulletin board, telephone pole, and lamppost. We went inside each store and restaurant and asked to put up flyers there too. With Roxbury Park being Roxbury Park, everyone was happy to help out.
“So have you asked your mom about Lily yet?” Taylor asked after we’d hung our second-to-last paper and were headed toward Sugar and Spice.
“Tonight,” I said. “I had to make sure my plan was foolproof before springing it on her.”
“Smart,” Taylor said, the wind blowing her braids and making the beads clink pleasantly. “Parents need to be handled carefully when it comes to a big change.”
“Totally,” I agreed. Though she had no idea how careful I had to be with my mom.
We headed to Sugar and Spice and were surprised to see Kim and Sasha standing outside.
“Don’t tell me you’re canceling our candy stop,” Taylor said, a fake scowl on her face.
Sasha laughed. “No way,” she said. “We earned our candy today. But Kim and I had this really good idea we wanted to tell you guys about first.”
“Does it involve candy?” Taylor asked.
“Yes,” Kim said, grinning.
“Okay, then you have my full attention,” Taylor said, smiling and brushing a braid off her face.
“When we were done putting up our flyers we were walking over here and talking about all the great treats they have at Sugar and Spice,” Sasha began.
“And how much everyone in town loves their candy,” Kim added.
A group of boys on skateboards were heading toward us, so we moved to the side to let them pass.
“Especially since the new owners have added all kinds of fabulous combinations like chocolate peanut butter squares with crispy rice,” Sasha went on.
“Oh, those were so good,” I agreed, remembering the day a few weeks ago when we’d stopped by the store and discovered them.
“I loved the mint chocolate bars with crushed Oreos,” Taylor added dreamily.
We all nodded.
“So we were thinking,” Kim went on, “that we should ask the new owners if they’d be interested in making candy for us to sell at the craft fair.”
“Oh, that’s a terrific idea,” I exclaimed.
“Downright brilliant,” Taylor agreed.
Kim and Sasha exchanged a glance and then looked at Taylor. “We were hoping you’d do the pitch,” Kim said sheepishly.
“You’re the perfect choice because you’re so comfortable talking to everyone,” Sasha added.
For a second I felt stung that they hadn’t asked me. But then I remembered I didn’t exactly have the best history of speaking nicely to people. “Yeah, you’ll do a great job,” I agreed. “Plus everyone loves your Southern accent.”
“Well, when y’all butter me up like this, how can I say no?” Taylor asked in an exaggerated drawl that cracked us up.
Then she opened the door to Sugar and Spice, the scent of chocolate, toffee, and lemon swirling around us in a delicious cloud as we trooped inside. My mouth was watering before the door closed fully behind us. The store was small but cheery, with candy in all shapes and sizes covering the counters, artfully arranged on small tables and set out in a big glass display case next to the register. The walls had a bright mural of a candy village, with gingerbread houses, gummy people, a river of hot chocolate, and rainbow flower gardens made of sour balls and jawbreakers. The back wall and door were decked out with rainbow polka dots.
“Hi, welcome,” a woman said as she walked out of the back kitchen, a tray held in her hand. She wore her long black hair in a complicated twist that I immediately decided to try to re-create for school on Monday.
“Want to try a new candy my sister and I just whipped up?” she asked us. “They’re essentially mini s’mores—chocolate marshmallow squares with a graham cracker crust and little toffee chunks baked in.”
We each took one and I bit into mine immediately. The rich chocolate, buttery toffee, and fluffy marshmallow were heavenly, the graham adding just the right amount of crunch.
“Fabulous,” Taylor proclaimed with a big thumbs-up. We all nodded in agreement. “And actually, we kind of wanted to talk to you about your fabulous candy and offer you guys a business proposition.”
The woman set down the tray. “Um, okay,” she said, sounding surprised. She probably didn’t get business propositions every day, especially from middle school students. “Let me just call my sister.”
“I’m here.” A second woman popp
ed out of the kitchen. She had dark eyes and tan skin like her sister, but she wore her thick black hair in a sleek bob. “What’s up?”
“We are the Roxbury Park Dog Club,” Taylor said, then introduced us each by name.
“I’m Carmen Lopez and this is my sister, Marisol,” the woman with the long hair said. “What kind of business proposition do you guys have in mind?”
“And what is the Roxbury Park Dog Club?” Marisol added.
The four of us filled the sisters in on the club, the craft fair, and our new fostering program.
“I wish I could take in one of the dogs,” Carmen said wistfully. “But my husband is allergic.”
“And my building doesn’t allow pets,” Marisol said. “I’m sorry we can’t help out more.”
We exchanged a look. “Actually, you can,” Taylor said, straightening up for her big moment. “We were hoping you might consider creating a candy for us to sell in our booth, something like little chocolates in the shapes of dogs to go with the theme of our booth.”
The sisters made eye contact in a way that let you know they were having some kind of unspoken communication, and after a moment Marisol nodded once.
“We’d love to if we can afford to do it,” Carmen said. “Let us crunch some numbers and then get back to you.”
“Okay,” Taylor said. I could tell she was disappointed and I was too.
“We like the idea a lot,” Marisol reassured us. “But our business is just starting out and we have to make sure we have the funds to do it before we commit.”