Maxi's Secrets

by Lynn Plourde

  YIP! YAP-YAP! Maxi found Abby and leaned in to give her one of her hugs.

  “Boo, you two!” said Abby, hugging Maxi back.

  “What are you doing?” I asked. “You shouldn’t be out in these woods alone.”

  “Oh, Timminy, this is my new trick, and stop babying me like Mrs. Russell does. I love these woods. I’ve been practicing ever since that day I walked in the woods alone at your house. I go a little farther every day. When—if—MIRA visits to figure out where I need a guide dog to lead me, I’ll show them these woods.”

  “Yeah, but you should wait until you get the dog and not be out here alone, even with your cane. You’re braver or crazier than I am, Abby. Which?”

  “Maybe both,” she said. “Not sure there’s much difference between the two—and don’t worry, I always have my phone with me.” Abby pulled it from her pocket. “But come on, you two. We have some pizza and a movie to get to.”

  She started back toward her house. I think it was toward her house. It didn’t seem like the way Maxi and I had just come. Maybe she knew a more direct path back. As I tried to figure out where we were, I realized Abby was already out of sight.

  How could a blind girl walk through the woods faster than me? Short legs! Must be my short legs.

  I didn’t like the idea of Abby walking alone, so I released Maxi and said, “Go help Abby, girl.” Maxi sprinted off and I followed.

  But now I couldn’t hear Maxi or Abby. I stopped and strained to listen. Were they standing still and trying to trick me? I took a few more steps, stopped, and listened again. I still didn’t hear them, but the wind was blowing and fall leaves were raining down. Crinkle sounds were everywhere, but which sounds were Abby and Maxi?

  I turned back the way I thought Maxi and I had come, walked a ways. Still no luck.

  I thought about pushing the controller on Maxi’s pager collar so she’d come look for me. But I didn’t want her to leave Abby. Instead, I took a deep breath and yelled, “HEY! SLOW DOWN! WHERE ARE YOU? IT’S NOT FUNNY! ABBY!” My words seemed to get blown away by the wind.

  Darn! Why do trees have to look alike—covered in bark and leaves? If I got lost in Portland, at least, there’d be street signs to help me figure out where I was.

  I stopped walking. Was I really lost? I’d been worried about Abby and now I was the one in trouble. What should I do? Before I could answer my own question, I heard a familiar sound …

  Vroom-vroom-vroom!

  I headed toward the sound and soon found the wide trail in the woods, which made me feel better. Then I saw Rory on his ATV and I hate to admit it—that made me feel even better.

  I flagged him down, and he squealed to a stop.

  I thought about telling him Abby was lost in the woods and asking if he’d help me find her. But I swallowed my pride and said, “I’m lost. Do you only rescue kids from lockers?”

  Rory gave a snorting laugh. I took that as a hopeful sign. “Climb on,” he said. I sat behind him, trying hard not to touch him, but man, he was big and took up so much space. Plus he revved the engine as he took off. I lost my balance and almost fell off the back, so I did what anyone would do in the same situation—I put my arms around his waist and held on tight.

  I shouted, “NOT MY HOUSE, ABBY’S.”

  He must’ve heard because we vroomed through the woods and in no time screeched to a stop at Abby’s.

  And there stood Abby and Maxi. I climbed off, and Maxi ran right past me, jumped up on Rory, and started licking him.

  “Hey, Little Beast, that tickles,” Rory said to her. “Haven’t seen you since your run-in with the porcupine. How ya doing? Hope my ATV didn’t scare you just now.”

  I said, “Maxi’s deaf. She can’t hear your ATV.”

  “Really?” asked Rory. “Poor Little Beast.” He gave Maxi some extra pats. “I’ll keep my eyes out for her.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “For the ride too.”

  But before Rory could roar away, Abby jumped in, “We’re having a pizza-movie party. Wanna join us?”

  Maxi jumped back up on Rory and woof-woofed her approval.

  Rory looked from Abby to Maxi to me, climbed off his ATV, and said, “Sure, Ab-B-B-B. What the heck.”

  Rory and I must be soul brothers or something ’cause that’s exactly what I was thinking … WHAT THE HECK?!

  • • •

  SECRET #36

  To get through life, sometimes you have to hold on tight.

  CHAPTER 37

  SKENAGO.

  Funny how this strange town with its strange name didn’t seem quite so strange anymore. Since it was a new place, I could try new things.

  Like watching a movie with my eyes closed.

  “Abby, how the heck do you know what’s going on when the actors aren’t talking?”

  She laughed. “Wanna know my secret, Timminy?”

  Rory answered instead. “Just tell him to shut up and open his eyes so I can watch without all this talking.”

  Abby said, “No, you pipe down, Rory, and eat more pizza. We know that’s the real reason you came over.” Rory didn’t argue and grabbed two more slices of pizza, one in each hand, and chowed down, taking a bite from one slice, then the other, back and forth.

  “The background music gives away some of what’s happening, but my real secret …” Abby paused for effect.

  “Yes?” I said.

  “I’m not sure I should be sharing my secrets with you.”

  I grabbed her cane and said, “You won’t get your cane back until you do.”

  She hugged Maxi, who was lying beside her, and said, “Then I’ll use Maxi as my guide dog until I get my own dog.”

  Rory shouted, “You’re getting a guide dog, Abby? When? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Calm down.” Abby laughed. “I was going to tell you later—I thought you didn’t want to interrupt the movie.”

  “The movie can wait,” said Rory, pushing the pause button.

  “What about Abby’s movie-watching secret?” I asked.

  Rory pointed the remote toward me as if he were pausing me too, and said, “Her secret can wait too. Guide dog can’t wait. Now, Abby! Spill your guts.”

  Abby and I laughed at Rory, who then sat stone still as we told him all about MIRA. Abby explained that she hadn’t applied for a dog yet, but her parents said she could soon. Although, there were no guarantees she’d get one.

  Then she showed Rory the MIRA website on her laptop.

  “Aww, Ab-B-B-B!” Rory said.

  “What are you aww-ing about?” asked Abby.

  “Those dogs, Abby. They’re wicked cute.”

  “Cute like what?” asked Abby.

  Rory scratched his head. “Cute like cute dogs, Abby.”

  Abby turned her head toward me.

  I knew what she needed—blind talk—so I said, “They’re Labernese, a mix of Bernese Mountain Dogs and Labs, and they look like a sideways dark-chocolate whoopie pie with extra creamy filling oozing out the middle.”

  “Oooh! That sounds wicked yummy,” said Abby.

  “Wicked!” I agreed, trying to sound more like Abby, the hard-core Mainer.

  “Speaking of yummy,” said Rory. “Any more pizza?”

  “You’re a bottomless pit, Rory.” Abby chuckled.

  We went back to the pizza and movie, and I finally got Abby to spill her movie-watching secret.

  “I only watch movies that I’ve read as books first so I already know the story—although the movie is never as good as the book,” she admitted.

  I hadn’t read the book for this movie so I watched the rest with my eyes open, while Rory ate the rest of the pizza with his mouth open—gotta teach that beast some manners!

  Afterward, Rory asked, “Do you and Maxi want a ride home?”

  “Nah. We’ll walk.”

  “Ya better start wearing orange vests—Maxi too—if you go for walks. Hunting season is starting.”

  I glared at Abby. “Did you hear that, Abby Wins
low?”

  “Don’t worry—I won’t walk in the woods during hunting season no matter what color I’m wearing.”

  “Good! I don’t want to find you out in the woods again alone,” I said.

  Rory rolled his eyes and muttered, “He’s kinda short to be acting like your parent, Abby.”

  She giggled.

  I ignored them and started home with Maxi—down the road, not through the woods.

  I glanced down. Maxi was limping a little. Maybe she’d hurt her paw in the woods earlier. Or maybe it was stiff from lying on it through the movie—my leg had fallen asleep for a while. Or maybe Rory was right. I was a worrywart parent after all.

  • • •

  SECRET #37

  You only worry about what you care about.

  CHAPTER 38

  MIRA, MIRA, on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

  Hopefully, Abby!

  Not the fairest, but the neediest for a guide dog.

  I couldn’t believe she’d heard back from MIRA a week after applying. They were going to visit Abby next Wednesday, spend the day shadowing her at school and at home, plus interview the important people in her life.

  Abby said, “That includes best friends. Will you talk to them, Timminy?”

  “Of course,” I agreed. (Was Abby saying I was her best friend? Probably not since she said friends—plural. But at least I was still in the running.)

  At last, Wednesday arrived and so did Abby’s MIRA person, Mrs. Myers. She asked a few questions, but mostly watched closely, very closely. We could have used her help when we were trying to capture the Booster Seat and Locker Bandit. She sat with us at our lunch table, shadowed Abby in all her classes, even followed her into the restroom.

  Talk.

  About.

  Awkward.

  She interviewed the principal, plus my dad, the librarian, even Rory. She also interviewed Abby’s ed tech, Mrs. Russell, who had pages of notes. But then Mrs. Myers only talked to her for five minutes. Abby said Mrs. Russell seemed huffy afterward (maybe she was worried she’d lose her job to a four-legged creature).

  Mrs. Myers visited Abby’s house before school to see how she got ready and then my house after school since Abby spent so much time there. She watched Abby interact with Maxi. By her smile, I could tell Mrs. Myers thought Maxi was cute. But then she shook her head as Maxi twisted and turned trying to fit and sit on Abby’s lap, and I could tell she knew Maxi was not guide dog material. (That was okay ’cause she was my dog material.)

  Mrs. Myers wanted Abby to show her where she went and what she did outside. Even though we let her borrow an orange vest, we agreed they shouldn’t go into the woods during hunting season. But Abby was honest and told Mrs. Myers she needed a guide dog to help her walk in the woods—it was the place she “felt most free.” She even confessed to sometimes walking in the woods alone.

  Mrs. Myers ended her day by going back to Abby’s house for supper and watching her do homework on the computer. I’d offered to steal their can opener ahead of time so Abby’s mom wouldn’t make a SpaghettiOs supper for Mrs. Myers, but Abby said her dad was going to order pizza.

  Abby called me on FaceTime after Mrs. Myers left. She looked tired, but pleased. “It’s over. Mrs. Myers said she would be in touch within two weeks with an answer. More waiting.”

  “Promise to let me know the minute you find out.”

  Abby smiled. “Oh, I’ll let you know all right. If it’s a no, you’d better get ear protectors because I won’t stop screaming, ‘NO! NO! Oh NO!’ If it’s a yes, I’ve already figured out how to tell you.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “You’ll see. No one else might, but you will.”

  • • •

  Abby was right. The day she found out, I walked into school, saw her, and I did know.

  “Yes! YES! Oh YES!” I shouted as I ran up to Abby in the hallway. I tried to lift her and twirl her around to celebrate. In that moment, I forgot I was small, but I still managed to lift Abby an inch or two off the floor as we both laughed and shouted, “Yes! YES! Oh YES!”

  Everyone gathered around us.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Why are you two shouting?”

  “What’s all this YESSING about?”

  I was bursting to shout the answer, but it was Abby’s news to tell, not mine.

  She decided to toy with everyone and stretch out her news. “What makes you think anything’s going on? Timminy and I are glad to see each other. That’s all.”

  “Abby!” said Becca.

  “Spit it out,” said Carver.

  “If I have to, I’ll have a duel with you, crutch to cane, Abby Winslow, to get it out of you,” said Devon.

  Abby didn’t make them wait any longer. She shouted so loud, I wondered if even Maxi could have heard her.

  “I’M GETTING A GUIDE DOG!”

  What a pig pile!

  Everyone hugged Abby at the same time. I was in the middle, along with Abby. We were all laughing and screaming and cheering.

  A teacher tried to yell over us. “Break it up! Break it up!” She thought it was a fight. But when we separated and stepped back from Abby, I saw Dad put his hand on the teacher’s shoulder and say, “It’s okay. I’ve got this.”

  Then he said, “Resume your celebration, everyone. Congratulations, Abby! And if anyone needs a late pass to homeroom, I’ll have a stack ready in my office.” He turned and left. That’s my dad, I thought. One of Abby’s parents must have told him the news.

  Just then Rory walked up. He towered above everyone and demanded, “What’s going on?”

  Everyone instinctively took a step back, except Abby. She took a step toward Rory, lifted her head proudly, and said, “I’m getting a guide dog, A GUIDE DOG, Rory!”

  Rory did what I could only attempt minutes before. He picked Abby up like she was a teddy bear and swung her around and around and around.

  “Whoa!” Abby said when he put her down, all wobbly.

  “Sorry,” said Rory. “I’m just happy for you, Ab-B-B-B.”

  “Thanks,” said Abby.

  I asked a question I hadn’t dared to ask before. “What’s Ab-B-B-B mean?”

  Rory said, “It’s my nickname for her—the b’s are for blind, black, and … beautiful!”

  Abby smiled the biggest smile. Maybe it was because Rory called her “beautiful.” Maybe it was because she was finally getting her dream—a guide dog.

  I led Abby to her homeroom and said, “See you later, Ab-B-B-B-B!”

  “Why the extra b?”

  “For brave.”

  Her smile grew even bigger.

  That’s how I knew Abby’s answer from MIRA was a yes! Because she was brave enough to come to school without her dark glasses.

  Look out, world, here comes Abby Winslow!

  • • •

  SECRET #38

  What a feeling—when the world finally says yes to you!

  CHAPTER 39

  HOW COULD A yes! turn into an oh no! so fast?

  Maybe it’s one of those laws like “What goes up must come down.” And when your world comes crashing down on top of you, you’re not sure you’ll ever be strong enough to lift it.

  It started like a regular Saturday. I ran errands with Dad to the pet shop to get Maxi more treats and dog food. Then we went to the hardware store to pick up a couple of shovels.

  The first snow of the year was forecast for that afternoon. It was early December and everyone was complaining it was so late this year—the hunters didn’t have a trace of snow for tracking deer during hunting season in November. Last year the first snow had been in October.

  After the hardware store, we went to the grocery store to stock up on “snow food.” We were only supposed to get three to six inches, but since it was the first snow, the grocery store was packed. I guess people in this part of Maine liked to be prepared (or maybe they knew something about snowstorms we city folks didn’t).

  Da
d and I got stuff to make a big pan of lasagna and homemade biscuits—the Winslows were coming to supper. We also stopped at Fudge Fantasy and got two pounds of fudge for dessert. (Mom said it had better last for a week or we’d have bellyaches—she didn’t realize Abby and I knew how to hold our fudge!)

  I was trying to hurry Dad through all the errands. I’d promised Abby I’d make it back so Maxi and I could take her for a walk in the woods before it snowed. We probably wouldn’t get to go in the woods again until spring, after the snow melted. And by then, Abby would hopefully have her own guide dog to take her. Walking in the woods with our two dogs would be fun, but Abby warned me not to hold my breath, “Wintah in this paht of Maine can last fah-evah—ayuh!” (Abby could really pour on the Maine accent when she wanted.)

  As Dad drove back home, it was already spitting snow, and the radio gave an update:

  The storm has intensified and tracked further west than originally predicted. We are now under a Winter Storm Warning and eight to twelve inches of snow are expected by this evening, falling at a rate of one to two inches per hour at the storm’s peak. Travel will quickly become dangerous. Stay tuned for further updates and cancellations.

  Dad said, “Kind of exciting—our first snowfall in Skenago.”

  I nodded. I was anxious to see Maxi’s reaction to snow. I hoped I wouldn’t lose my big white dog in a big white snowdrift.

  Dad continued, “Good thing the Winslows live close enough to still come over for supper even with the snow coming in.”

  As we pulled into the garage, I told Dad I’d be back to help him unload the car in a few minutes. I raced inside and upstairs to call Abby on FaceTime. She didn’t pick up so I sent her an email:

  A—

  Got home later and snow started earlier so no woods walk today. Sorry! See you for supper. FYI, got fudge!

  —T

  I ran back downstairs to help Dad, but he already had the car unpacked and was putting groceries away along with Mom. They shooed me outside to check out the snow with Maxi.

  As soon as we stepped out the door, Maxi looked up as if to say, “What the heck? The sky is falling?” She opened her mouth and snowflakes fell on her tongue. She barked her approval and then opened her mouth again. Snow was already sticking to the frozen grass. She stuck her snout in the snow and then shook it off. She kept leaping from place to place and putting her snout in the snow over and over again. Then she lifted her snout straight up in the air and sent snow flying, like she was tossing white confetti.