“I liked my school too,” said Dash. “When I was young, I went to a show dog academy. We learned lots of important skills.”
“What about you, Leopold?” I asked. “Have you ever been to school?”
“I’m what you might call homeschooled,” said Leopold. “I’ve learned everything I know right here.”
“Me too!” I said. “I learned how to read in the Furry Pages. I started with beginner books, like Go, Dog. Go! But now I can read chapter books, like Henry and Mudge, with a little help.”
Every Saturday, Dad and Jake host a class called the Furry Pages, where children read aloud to an animal buddy. I love the Furry Pages. If Cassie’s class was anything like that, we had nothing to worry about.
“I think school will be fun,” I said.
Ding-dong!
Mom came downstairs to open the door. It was Martha, the Animal Inn groomer.
“Good morning, everybody,” said Martha.
“Hi, Martha,” said Mom. “Listen, we need to add a few customers to your schedule today. The Tyler pets all need a brush and a trim.”
“No problem,” said Martha. “What’s the occasion?”
“School visit,” said Mom, heading for the stairs.
“Sounds exciting,” said Martha.
Ding-dong!
“I’ll get it,” called Martha. She opened the front door. It was our good friend Sheila the shar-pei, here for a shampoo.
“Hello, cuddly Coco,” Sheila whispered as she passed by. “Nice to see you, wonderful Whiskers. Good morning, darling Dash. Greetings, lovely Leopold. What’s new, shimmering Shadow? Hi there, beautiful Blub.”
Sheila followed Martha into the grooming room.
“Get ready, Whiskers,” Martha called back to the Welcome Area. “You’re next!”
CHAPTER
6
“Who knew hamsters could make such a mess?” said Mom, coming down the stairs. She wiped her arm across her brow.
“They do like to hide food in funny places,” said Sierra.
Ding-dong!
Mom answered the door.
“Hello,” said a man. “I’m Andrew Patel, and this is my new dog, Lucky. He’ll be staying with you for a few days.”
“Yes, we’re expecting you,” said Mom. “Welcome to Animal Inn.”
Lucky was a medium-size hound dog. I love meeting new friends. I walked over to say hello.
Woof-woof-woof-woof-woof!
Lucky barked and barked.
“I’m afraid Lucky’s not that good with other dogs,” Mr. Patel said over the loud barking. “He’s a rescue pup.”
Woof-woof-woof-woof-woof!
“Maybe a treat would help,” said Sierra. She slowly walked over to Lucky. Then she bent down and offered him a Doggie Donut. “Here you go, my friend,” she said calmly.
Lucky took the treat.
“It’s yummy, right?” I whispered to him.
Lucky nodded and lay down at Sierra’s feet, chewing happily.
“That’s amazing,” said Mr. Patel. “Lucky can get a little nervous, but he calmed right down with you. You’re so good with him.”
“Yes, Sierra is our incredible intern,” said Mom. “Why don’t you go ahead and give Lucky to her. She can get him settled in his kennel.”
“I’ll bring Coco, too,” said Sierra. She grabbed my leash from the hook by the door. “Looks like Lucky could use a friend.”
“Bye, Lucky,” said Mr. Patel, reaching down to pat his head. “Be a good dog. I’ll be back for you soon. It’s only for a few days.”
Sierra, Lucky, and I headed outside. It felt good to get a little fresh air.
“I’m Coco,” I whispered to Lucky. “Welcome to Animal Inn. You’ll like it here. We promise to love you as much as your owner does.”
“Which one?” Lucky asked.
“What do you mean?” I said.
“Which owner?” said Lucky. “My first owner moved to a new apartment and couldn’t have a dog. He gave me back to the shelter. My second owner didn’t have time for a puppy. So she gave me back to the shelter. My third owner turned out to be allergic to dogs. He gave me back to the shelter. Mr. Patel is my fourth owner. Lucky is my fourth name. And now Mr. Patel’s leaving me here,” he said sadly.
“It’s only for a few days,” I offered.
“That’s what my last owner told me.” Lucky said.
Sierra slid open the barn door. Today our only barn guest was an Angora goat named Toni. She was so fluffy.
“Hi, Toni,” I said as we passed by. “This is Lucky.”
“Pleased to meet you, Lucky,” said Toni.
Sierra walked us to the back of the barn and opened the door to the kennels. She got Lucky settled in his enclosure and gave him a whole handful of Doggie Donuts. She filled his water bowl and fluffed up the dog bed in the corner. Then she opened the door to his outside run.
“Your owner will be back for you soon,” I whispered to Lucky. “I’m sure of it.”
CHAPTER
7
When we got back to the Welcome Area, Sierra hung up my leash. Then she went to find Mom.
Sheila the shar-pei was just leaving. She looked very stylish.
“Toodle-loo, cuddly Coco,” Sheila whispered as she followed Martha to the door. “Always a pleasure, wonderful Whiskers. See you, darling Dash. So long, lovely Leopold. Are you back there, shimmering Shadow? Bye-bye, beautiful Blub.”
“You’re next, my dear,” Martha said to Whiskers. She gently picked him up off the sofa and carried him back to the grooming room. Whiskers did not look happy.
“How’s Lucky doing?” asked Dash.
“Okay,” I said. “Did you know that he’s had four families? His owners keep giving him away.”
“Poor chap,” said Leopold.
“I’m just happy we don’t have to worry about that,” I said. I settled down on the floor and closed my eyes. Even dogs like catnaps.
When Martha brought Whiskers out a little while later, his coat was brushed and very shiny.
“You look handsome,” I whispered to Whiskers.
“I need to clean up the room a bit,” Martha said. “Then it’s your turn, Shadow.”
“Humph,” I heard from behind the sofa.
Just then, the front door opened. Dad was back. “I’m home,” he said.
“How did it go?” Mom called from the party and play room.
“Great,” said Dad, going to join Mom. “Everyone will be included.”
Included in what? I wondered. I sure hoped Fuzzy and Furry came back with some answers.
Suddenly, we heard a loud voice. “Can I please have your attention? Would Dash Tyler, Leopold Tyler, Coco Tyler, Shadow Tyler, and Whiskers Tyler report to the principal’s office.”
“Immediately!” said another voice.
We all froze. Even Dash and Leopold looked a little nervous.
Then we heard a giggle. And another giggle. Fuzzy popped out of the heating vent with a grin. Furry followed close behind.
“Did we get your attention?” asked Fuzzy.
“Just a little something we heard at school,” added Furry.
“I thought the plan was for you to take the bus home,” I said.
“Dad ended up chatting with Cassie’s teacher for a while,” said Fuzzy.
“We had plenty of time,” added Furry.
“What did you find out?” asked Dash.
“Brace yourselves,” said Fuzzy.
“Stay strong,” added Furry.
“The entire school . . . ,” said Fuzzy.
“Is nut free!” added Furry.
“Well, there were a least two nuts there,” snickered Shadow.
“And we saw a poster,” said Fuzzy.
“For a gigantic spelling bee,” added Furry.
“Imagine,” said Fuzzy. “A gigantic bee.”
“That can spell!” added Furry.
“My dear friends,” said Leopold, “a spelling bee is a competition, not an insect.”
&
nbsp; “That’s right,” said Dash. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Then worry about this!” said Fuzzy. “We heard Denise, the school nurse, talking. One of the kids has a bug. . . .”
“In her tummy!” added Furry.
“Guys, focus,” said Dash. “What about Cassie’s classroom? Did you find anything there?”
“They have an aquarium,” said Fuzzy.
“It is very soothing,” added Furry.
“None of this information is very helpful,” said Shadow.
“I have to agree,” said Leopold. “Was there anything else?”
“Yes,” said Fuzzy. “We saw Cassie’s teacher throw this into the recycling bin.” Fuzzy pulled a small square of folded paper out of the heating vent.
“It’s part of a note,” added Furry, “going home in folders today.”
“I can read it,” I said.
Fuzzy and Furry worked together to unfold the strip of paper. Then they ran back and forth to smooth it out.
“ ‘Dear First-Grade Families,’ ” I read aloud. “ ‘Please join us tomorrow (yes, TOMORROW!) as we meet the pets of Animal Inn. We will be . . .’ ”
“We will be . . . We will be . . . what?” asked Whiskers.
“That’s all it says,” I told him. “The page is torn.”
“Figures,” said Shadow. “I knew I should have gone with them.”
“What now?” I asked.
Dash looked at Leopold. Leopold looked at Dash. “We’re not sure,” they both said at the same time.
“Well, I plan to be absent,” grumbled Whiskers.
“But being part of a school is fun,” said a tiny voice. It was Blub again.
I padded over to his bowl. “Do you think you can join us tomorrow, Blub?” I asked.
“I’d better stay here in case my owner comes to pick me up,” he gurgled.
“He’ll be back for you soon,” I whispered.
I had just said the same thing to Lucky. I sure hoped I was right.
CHAPTER
8
“Shadow,” called Martha, “it’s your turn.”
Shadow darted behind the sofa.
“Look what Sierra gave me,” said Martha. “Your favorite.” Martha sprinkled a line of Kitty Krisps on the floor.
“Too . . . yummy . . . to . . . resist,” Shadow whispered between mouthfuls. Martha quickly scooped her up.
“Drat,” Shadow muttered as she was carried away.
When Shadow returned a little while later, she wore a new collar with a tinkling bell. “Now everybody will know where I am,” she huffed under her breath.
“Coco, your turn,” said Martha. “Dash is on deck. And last, but certainly not least, will be Leopold.”
Martha gave me the works—bath, brush, and blow dry. I love the smell of Martha’s shampoos.
When I was finished, Martha walked me back to the Welcome Area. I found a sunny spot and settled down for an afternoon nap. I soon fell into the strangest dream.
All the pets were there. I was driving the bus to school, but I didn’t know which way to go. Fuzzy and Furry said they could help with directions. They would be my GPS—Gerbil Positioning System.
Whiskers kept telling me to slow down, but Shadow kept telling me to go faster. Dash and Leopold were leaning out the open window, enjoying the wind in their fur and feathers. Driving the bus was so cool! Vroom! Vroom! Vroom!
“Wake up, Princess Coco,” Cassie said in a soft voice. “Wake up.”
I slowly opened my eyes. I saw Mom and Dad and Jake and Ethan and Cassie. The kids were home from school! I wagged my tail.
“Hi, Dash,” said Jake.
“Hi, Leopold,” said Ethan. “You guys look nice.”
“Shadow and Whiskers look great too,” said Jake.
“I love Shadow’s new bell!” cheered Cassie.
“Everyone is spiffed up and ready for the visit tomorrow,” said Mom.
“And listen to this,” Dad said. “Mr. C. and I had an idea. Animal Inn is going to donate a pet to the class.”
“What does ‘donate’ mean?” asked Cassie.
I was glad she asked, because I didn’t know either. I was hoping “donate” had something to do with “donuts.”
“It means to give,” said Ethan.
“More specifically, it means to give away,” said Jake. “Like a present.”
What? Give away a pet?
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Mom.
She did?
“And I know just the pet,” said Dad.
He did? Was I still dreaming?
“My school friends are going to love my animal friends,” said Cassie. “Shadow, you are going to love Lucy. She might even scoop you up and take you home with her.”
What? Was Cassie going to let Lucy take Shadow?
Cassie skipped over to Dash. “Dash, you and Helena are both very helpful. And Helena always wanted a dog.”
Was Cassie going to give Dash to Helena?
“Leopold, you are going to love Mattias,” continued Cassie. “Mattias won the first-grade spelling bee.”
So it was a spelling bee and not a bumblebee. At least that was good news.
But how could the Tylers give Leopold away?
“Whiskers, you and Seiji are going to be fast friends,” Cassie said. “Seiji gets a little nervous too. He’ll take good care of you.”
Was Seiji going to take Whiskers?
Then Cassie skipped over to me. “And Mr. C. will just love you, Coco. He loves anything chocolate. He might just eat you up.”
Gulp!
“Who’s ready for a snack?” asked Mom.
Jake, Ethan, and Cassie raced upstairs. Mom and Dad followed.
Usually, I followed too. Cassie always shared her afterschool snack with me. But this time, I stayed just where I was.
I had lost my appetite.
CHAPTER
9
“Are they really giving one of us to Cassie’s class?” I asked.
“Donating,” said Leopold.
“It’s the same thing,” Whiskers insisted.
“Let’s slow down,” said Dash. “What exactly did Dad say?”
“I’m afraid I heard the same as Coco,” said Leopold. “Animal Inn will donate a pet to Cassie’s class.”
“And Dad knows just the pet,” I said sadly.
“Who do you think it is?” asked Whiskers.
“Well, we know it’s not Dash,” said Shadow. “Dash is a dog-show champion. And Mom’s had him for, like, a million years.”
“I’m not that old,” said Dash.
“I doubt it could be me,” said Leopold, nervously preening his feathers. “I believe a macaw is too sophisticated a pet for your average first grader.”
“Well, it can’t be me,” said Shadow. “You can’t have an outdoor cat as a classroom pet.”
“But I’m an indoor cat,” Whiskers whimpered.
“Calm down, Little Brother,” said Shadow. “Mom and Dad would never separate us.”
If it wasn’t Dash or Leopold or Shadow or Whiskers, that left . . . me.
Just then, Fuzzy and Furry popped out of the heating vent.
“We hear Shadow has a new collar,” said Fuzzy.
“We can literally hear it,” added Furry.
“Very funny,” said Shadow. She tried to shake the collar loose, but it only made the little bell ring more. “Drat,” she muttered.
“Could it be Fuzzy or Furry?” Whiskers asked.
“Could what be Fuzzy?” asked Fuzzy.
“Or Furry?” added Furry.
“Mom and Dad are giving one of us away to Cassie’s class,” I said.
“But we’re Jake and Ethan’s pets,” said Fuzzy.
“We’re not Mom and Dad’s to give,” added Furry.
“Well, it’s not going to be me!” cried Whiskers.
“What are we going to do?” I asked. I didn’t care how much Mr. C. loved chocolate things. I didn’t want to be
given away. I didn’t want a new family.
“Maybe they meant temporarily,” said Fuzzy.
“Like only for a few days,” added Furry.
Gulp!
That’s exactly what Lucky’s last owner had said.
CHAPTER
10
That night, I couldn’t sleep. Usually I feel safe and cozy, snuggled at the foot of Cassie’s bed. Instead, I tossed and turned. Would the Tylers really give one of us away?
I could hear Leopold in his sleeping cage in the corner of the room. He was talking in his sleep. It sounded like he was having a bad dream.
I wondered about Dash at the foot of Jake’s bed, and Shadow and Whiskers in Mom and Dad’s rocking chair. Were they as worried and confused as I was?
When I came downstairs the next morning, the other pets were already in the Welcome Area. It didn’t look like anyone had slept well.
Cassie, on the other hand, seemed to have slept just fine. But something was odd. She didn’t have her backpack and she was still in her pajamas, the footie ones covered in dancing lambs.
“I can’t believe it, Princess Coco!” Cassie sang. She skipped over to me and tickled me behind the ears. Then she bounced over to the sofa and plopped down next to Whiskers.
“I just can’t believe it!” Cassie sang again. She held Whiskers’s front paws and did a little dance. Whiskers did not look happy.
“Leopold,” Cassie said with a smile, “can you believe it?”
“Leopold cannot believe it,” Leopold squawked from his perch. Cassie had taught him that.
“This is going to be the best day ever!” cheered Cassie, giving Dash a hug.
“Cassie!” Mom called from upstairs. “You still need to brush your teeth, even if you’re not going to school.”
“Coming!” sang Cassie. She ran back up the stairs.
“Cassie’s not going to school today?” Whiskers asked.
“I hope not,” said Shadow, stepping out from behind the sofa. “Not in those lambie jammies.”
“At this rate, she’ll never make it to the bus on time,” said Leopold.
Just then, Jake and Ethan came downstairs. Mom and Dad followed. Mom was carrying a big cardboard box. It looked heavy.
The Bow-wow Bus Page 2