by Kristen Otte
“Peach, what do you think? These hamburgers look good, right?”
I hear the lid close, so I turn my head. Nate walks over to the other side of the table. I hear the small tap of a plate placed on the table.
Now is my chance.
I peak my head above the table. Nate walks inside the house. Ben, Lucy, and Hannah are nowhere to be seen. Peach stares at me from the ground on the other side of the table.
I see the plate of burgers. If I take one quick jump on the table, I can reach the plate. I take one more look in every direction. Then I go for it.
Using my all of my pug grace, I land on the table without making a sound. I take two steps and grab a hamburger in my mouth. I turn to jump down when I see Peach’s big eyes.
I take a few swift steps to the edge of the table. I drop the hamburger in front of Peach. She races for it. I return to the plate and grab another in my mouth. I hear the squeak of the door opening. I leap to the bench, then to the ground, and I race into the backyard. Peach follows my lead. We stop running at the back fence and hide behind a tree.
I drop my hamburger on the ground and look to the table. Lucy and Ben are sitting at the table. Hannah and Nate are inside.
Perfect.
I don’t waste another moment. The smell of the hamburger is tantalizing. I take a bite. The hamburger is juicy and soft. It melts in my mouth. Before I can stop myself, I gobble up the rest in four big bites. When I finish the last bite, Peach is beside me. She licks my face.
The sound of voices interrupts our moment. I take a few steps closer to listen.
“Nate, are a few more burgers still cooking?”
“No, I took all them off.”
“How many did you make?”
“Four.”
“Then where are the other two?”
“Huh?”
Nate walks out the back door and looks at the table. He opens the cooking lid, then closes it.
“I swear I made four. Where did they go?”
“I don’t know, honey,” Hannah says.
“Maybe the dogs ate them,” Ben says. All the heads turn to us in the middle of the backyard.
“I don’t think so. They have been playing in the back by the fence,” Nate says.
That’s not true at all. Peach was beside him the whole time he was cooking.
“I’ll throw a couple hot dogs on the grill. They only take a few minutes. It will be fine.”
“Okay,” Hannah says. He hurries inside and comes back. A few minutes later, the family is eating at the table. Peach and I wander to the table and beg for a few bites. Ben sneaks us a few small pieces of hot dog, but it doesn’t compare to the whole burgers we just ate.
After dinner, Nate stays outside.
“Zelda, Peach, come!” he shouts. We run to his side. He scratches our heads. “You two are sneaky little thieves. I will let it slide this time. I should know better than to leave food on the table unattended. But next time, I’m not protecting you from Hannah.” Peach licks his face.
I don’t care if he knows. I ate a whole hamburger and got away with it. This might top outsmarting the greyhound. The one and only pug legend is back!
10
The Final Chapter
When I am in need of an adventure, Vacuum is a sure bet to create some chaos and fun. The tough part is that my family won’t let me into her closet. I need to wait for her to make an appearance.
While I wait for Vacuum, I keep my nose out for anything mysterious or fun. Peach and I play with our toys and run in the backyard. I bark at dogs walking in front of our house. I snuggle with Lucy at night. The days pass, and I wonder if Vacuum will ever come out to play. I am close to giving up hope that she will come out of her closet when I hear the squeak of a door opening.
I sprint up the stairs. Vacuum’s closet door is open! She stares at me from the corner of the bedroom. I bark. Hannah comes into the room.
“Zelda! Leave it!”
No way. I’m not leaving Vacuum today.
I lunge at Vacuum and nip at her.
“Zelda! No!” Hannah shouts. I bark again, so Hannah moves toward me. I run under the bed before she can scoop me into her arms. She sighs. I wait for her to leave, and I plan my next move from the safety of under the bed.
Vacuum rolls to my right. Without a second thought, I dart out from under the bed, barking at her. Hannah grabs me. I squirm, but it’s no use. I can’t get away. She carries me down the stairs and out the back door. She walks back inside, leaving me in the backyard.
That didn’t go well.
A minute later, the door opens. Peach runs outside, but the door closes before I reach it. I wait by the door and look inside. I think Nate is in the kitchen. I bark, but he doesn’t come.
I wait by the door, hoping someone will come. I think about when I ripped off Vacuum’s arm and left it in the closet at our old house. I remember all the times I chased Vacuum through the house. When Nate finally opens the door, I dash into the house.
The smell in the house stops me cold. The smell is different than Vacuum’s usual odor. Something isn’t right with her or the house. I run up the stairs and look for Vacuum. I look through the crack in the door of her closet. She isn’t there, but the smell is everywhere. My nose does all the work. The more I sniff, the more the smell reminds me of one similar to the bright light that burns in the backyard at night.
What happened?
I have a mystery on my paws. It’s time to get to work. I search for clues in the house, but I can’t find anything to indicate what happened to Vacuum or where she went. I can’t solve the mystery without clues. I have to keep my pug eyes, ears, and nose ready to figure out what happened to her.
Peach and I go outside as the light begins to fade. I sniff the corners of the fence and look for rogue squirrels or birds. When Nate calls us inside, I trot to the door. As I trot, I catch a glint of teal and blue from the side of the house.
Wait a minute.
I veer off course from the door to the corner of the yard along the fence and driveway. On the other side of the giant brown can, I see Vacuum. I can’t see her entire body, but she is there.
What is she doing outside?
“Zelda! Let’s go! Inside!” Nate shouts.
I have to go inside. Figures. I was getting close to figuring it all out. Tomorrow, I will find the reason Vacuum is outside and figure out what to do.
I sprint inside. Peach is already in the living room chewing on a nylabone. Nate closes the door behind me. I run into the living room and jump on the couch next to Ben.
I wake up the next morning ready to solve the mystery. I don’t bother waking Peach. I need to do this alone. I run down the stairs to the back door. Hannah lets me outside.
There is a chill in the air, but the sun is beaming down on the grass. It’s going to be a great day. I walk to the corner to get a better look at Vacuum. She’s not there!
I blink a few times. Vacuum isn’t there. Did I imagine it last night? I look again, and I realize that the big brown box is gone too. Where did they go?
I circle the backyard, but I can’t see anything or smell any clues. Defeated, I limp my way to the back door. I go inside and plop on the couch.
The noise of a big truck awakens me from my morning nap. I recognize the noise. The trucks come and stop in front of our house for a moment. They empty the big brown box and continue down the street.
Wait a second! Why didn’t I think of this before?
I jump to my perch on top of the couch and look out the front window. The big brown box rests on the edge of the driveway. Vacuum sits beside the box. The trucks are one house away. I watch the truck stop in front of our driveway. It dumps the brown box in the back of the truck. Then a man takes Vacuum and throws her in the back of the truck. The truck drives to the next house.
Once something goes in that truck, it never comes back.
I can’t believe it. Vacuum is gone. After all this time, I dreamed of her leaving the house,
but now that it has actually happened, I don’t know what to think. She isn’t coming back. My arch nemesis is gone.
I drop down to the floor and curl up in my dog bed. I can’t think about this anymore. I close my eyes, pushing the thoughts of Vacuum away.
I mope throughout the house the next day. I am in shock about what happened to Vacuum.
Hannah spent quite a bit of time with Vacuum. Why would she throw Vacuum away? Something must have happened–maybe a falling out? I bet it has to do with the smell from the last time Vacuum came out. That has to be the reason.
For the rest of the day, I stay glued to Hannah’s side. I sit on her lap while she stares at the big screen. I follow her into the kitchen and clean up scraps on the floor while she cooks. I bring her a toy after dinner. We play tug-of-war until I grow tired. Then I curl up next to her on the couch again. This time I give her face a quick kiss before closing my eyes.
“Aww, thank you, Zelda,” she says after I give her the kiss. She likes the attention that I gave her all day. I’m glad. I don’t want to end up like Vacuum.
The next day is uneventful, so when I wake after the next dark sleep, my worries and sadness are gone. I am back to my spunky pug nature, looking for adventure everywhere I go.
Peach and I go for a walk with Hannah and Lucy in the afternoon. Hannah has my leash, so I don’t have an opportunity to break free or lead the way. I don’t mind. I love the fresh air and the cool breeze. The leaves are falling through the sky. I know leaf piles will appear soon. I can’t wait to run and jump through leaf piles again.
When I return home, Nate is in the living room with a big box. He leaves the room. I walk to the box and sniff, but I don’t recognize the smell. The box is too tall for me to look into, so I jump on the couch and wait.
Nate returns a few minutes later. He opens the box and pulls out a few parts of something. He snaps the parts together in a few minutes. When he is finished, I can’t believe my eyes.
Vacuum is back.
But it’s not Vacuum. It looks similar to her, but there are a few differences. Her colors are different. She has no smell and hasn’t made any noise. But if this Vacuum is anything like the other Vacuum, that doesn’t mean anything.
I stare at Vacuum.
Is it her?
It can’t be her, right? I have to know for sure. Nate pulls a black rope from Vacuum. I wait, knowing what is coming next, even though I won’t like it.
A noise fills the room. The noise reminds me of her, but it is a little quieter. Nate pushes Vacuum across the rug, and then the noise stops. I approach Vacuum and sniff. She doesn’t do anything. She doesn’t make noise or move. Her smell is different.
It’s not her.
I’m not sure if I’m relieved or upset that Vacuum is gone forever. I know it for sure now.
Hannah walks into the room. “Everything okay with the new vacuum?” she asks.
“Yep. Zelda didn’t even bark at it.”
“Really?” Nate nods.
“Did you want me to vacuum upstairs?” Nate asks.
“Only if you want to.”
“Does anybody ever want to vacuum?” Hannah shakes her head. Nate laughs.
He picks up Vacuum and carries her upstairs. I follow him into Lucy’s room. A few minutes later the noise returns. I jump on Lucy’s bed and watch Nate and Vacuum move together.
After a few minutes, I can’t stand it anymore. I jump off the bed and chase Vacuum, barking at her. They move into Ben’s room. I am right behind them. Nate shouts at me.
Peach joins the fun, and we are barking, biting, and chasing Vacuum. It’s a riot. I love it.
When Vacuum stops roaring, our tongues are hanging out. I am tired in the best possible way. Vacuum goes in the closet. I bark at her and then go downstairs. I take a few sips from my water bowl and then collapse on the couch.
Nate comes down the stairs a few minutes later.
“It sounds like the new vacuum has the same effect on Zelda.”
It is a new Vacuum. I was right.
“Yeah. I thought maybe since it was quieter, the dogs wouldn’t bark, but I was wrong,” Nate says.
“Yep. Zelda still hates the vacuum.”
“And we love her anyway,” Nate says.
“Yep, we do,” Hannah replies.
With Hannah and Nate’s words, I jump off the couch. I stand on my hind legs and lick Nate’s hands. Then I run over to Hannah. She scoops me into her arms. I lick her cheek. I am not Vacuum. I can never be replaced.
Hannah and Nate’s words reverberate through my pug brain for the next several days. I think about what’s happened this summer–the creek, the cone, the rain, and the rabbit. I think about my favorite times since I moved in with my family. I made friends with Squeaks the squirrel. I was chased by a goose. My family adopted Peach so I could have a sister. I went to the beach. I even went on a canoe trip. It’s been an incredible ride. Sometimes I go through rough patches, but for the first time, I realize that’s okay. As long as I am with my family, the adventures will never stop, and I will always have them by my side. With that in mind, I look forward to the days ahead as the one and only Zelda pug.
A Sneak Preview into Alien Kid
I stepped up to the plate with a slight tremble in my step. Caden held the red ball by his side. He took a big step forward and rolled it at me. I only had a few seconds to decide. Why did I have to be the first person? The name of the game is kickball, so I have to kick it, right? I kicked the ball as hard as I could. The ball sailed over Caden’s blond head.
“Run!” yelled my classmates.
“Hot Spaghetti!” I shouted as I dashed to the closest base on the left.
Laughter and shouts erupted as I ran, but I didn’t stop. When I was within a few steps of the base, I took a flying leap and landed on it. The first baseman on the other team laughed. I smiled … until I saw the red ball thrown across the field to a different base. My teammates continued to shout, but all the voices and laughter smashed together into a jumble of sounds.
With his foot on the base, Caden caught the red ball.
“Out,” he shouted with a big grin.
“Charlie, you’re out,” Mr. Wells said. He motioned to me, so I jogged to where he stood behind home plate. “You ran to the wrong base. That is third base, not first.” I scratched my head.
“That means we run in a counterclockwise direction for this game,” I said.
Mr. Wells raised his eyebrows. “I suppose so,” he said.
“I thought clockwise was the standard circular direction here.”
“Go wait in line with the rest of your team,” Mr. Wells said.
I shrugged, confused. I knew I wasn’t supposed to use my ability, but I needed answers. I looked at his face and concentrated, but only a few thoughts swirled in Mr. Wells’s brain. What kid doesn’t know how to play kickball? What a strange kid!
I sighed and walked to the end of the line of my teammates. I watched from the sidelines, trying to understand how to play kickball. I didn’t want to mess up again and draw more attention on myself. It was enough that I was the new kid at Silver Lake Middle School.
After four more kids kicked the ball, I followed my teammates onto the gym floor to switch roles in the game. When I’d gone to a baseball game with my dad this summer, the teams did the same thing. That’s it! This game is like baseball. Why isn’t it called baseball kickers?
While I waited on the side, my teammates shouted base names and positions to each other as they took their spots. I couldn’t remember all the terms in baseball like shortstop, or the rules to the game. Baseball and Kickball were two more games I needed to add to my never-ending list of Earthly things to research. Besides sports and games, I needed to study movies, books, television shows, history, and more. I didn’t know how I was going to learn everything in time to fit in here.
I ran to the open space in the back of the gym and waited for the ball. When Mr. Wells blew his whistle to signal the end of the ga
me, the ball hadn’t rolled my direction. I jogged to the locker room. Caden was sitting in the front of the locker room on a bench.
“What planet are you from that you don’t know how to play kickball?” Caden asked. His bright green eyes stared into mine.
“Jupiter,” I said, even though no life could sustain on Jupiter. But life was present on one of Jupiter’s moons …
“You think you are funny,” Caden said. He took three steps closer, so I backed up into the wall. He was at least a head taller than me.
“A little bit.” I grinned. Caden’s smile turned into a frown. “I mean, I want to be funny. I think humor is good for the soul.” I had read that once.
“Let’s go,” Jordan said. “Baker is a weirdo.”
“I know you are new to Silver Lake, so I’ll let you in on a secret. The sixth-grade boys follow my lead, so don’t get in my way.”
“I’m not in your way,” I said as Caden and Jordan walked past me and out of the locker room, slamming the door behind him. The other guys shook their heads as they passed me to leave the locker room. I had no idea what had just happened, but I knew Caden didn’t like me for some reason.
I changed quickly and stepped out of the locker room into the busy hallway of Silver Lake Middle School. I hurried to my locker. Maya Bennett stood at her locker, the one right next to mine. She was in my gym and math classes, but I hadn’t heard her speak a word yet. She was tall and skinny, with brown skin and brown eyes, and her black hair was in long, tight twists. More of the kids at this school had the same white skin that I did, so she stuck out a bit. Before I realized it, I was reading her thoughts.
Why do I have the locker next to the new kid? Where did he come from?
“Cleveland,” I said without thinking.
She peeked her head out from around the locker.
Oh pug. I did it again. I need to control my ability here.
“Did you just say Cleveland?”
“No,” I said and turned away. Lickity split! I’m really messing things up. It’s only the first day, and we’re going to have to move.