Cinnamon Bun Besties Page 2

  “Hey, Marley, look!”

  Suddenly the cutest little black puppy came running toward us. It was coming down the road fast, like a fuzzy bowling ball. I blinked as the puppy disappeared behind a tree.

  “Stop, Luna! Stop! Come back! Whoa!”

  I knew that voice.

  My eyes went from the dog to my next-door neighbor. “Olivia,” I said in greeting, raising my head in a slight nod. “Hey.”

  “Please stop her!” Olivia shrieked to me and Marley. “Help!” Then to the dog, “Luna, come back!”

  Luna stopped to pee on Marley’s lawn.

  Marley and I looked at each other. We weren’t friends with Olivia Dalton, but we couldn’t let her dog run away. That would be mean.

  “Here, Little Lu-Lu,” Marley called. The dog ignored her. I bet she didn’t know her name yet. And even if she did, Lu-Lu wasn’t her name.

  “Let’s block her in,” I suggested. “Chasing a dog just makes them run more.”

  We moved quickly, surrounding Luna as best as we could, but she bolted away before we could grab her.

  “Come back!” Olivia cried. Then she shrieked, “Car!” as a minivan turned onto the street. The car was nowhere near Luna, but we didn’t want to take a chance with the next driver that came home.

  “We’ve gotta get her fast,” Marley said, watching the van disappear into a garage. She told Olivia, “I’ll go left, you go right. Suki, you’ve got the middle.”

  “No.” I had a different idea. “Be right back,” I called out.

  While Marley and Olivia chased Luna, I ran toward my house.

  “Where are you going?” Marley called after me.

  “Don’t leave!” Olivia shrieked.

  There wasn’t time to explain. I ignored them both and kept going. Inside, I grabbed a long piece of string, a jar of peanut butter, and a spoon.

  I was only gone a minute before I ran back outside.

  “How could you ditch us?” Marley asked, glancing from Olivia to me and then to the dog, who was now a black dot at the far end of the street.

  “I didn’t ditch you,” I replied. Music was Marley’s thing. Dogs were mine. “I’d never leave Luna like that.”

  I tossed the string to Olivia. It was a little thicker than yarn. Olivia probably had a leash at home, but we were going to need something right away. When we caught Luna, she could tie an end to her collar to keep her close.

  I sat down on my own porch step and opened the peanut butter jar. I scooped a spoonful.

  “Come, Luna,” I called out in my loudest and most authoritative voice.

  I held out the spoon and waved it in the air so the peanut butter scent wafted toward the puppy.

  She completely ignored me.

  I had to admit to myself that this wasn’t working the way I’d seen it on the Internet. Catching her might be harder than I thought …

  Luna was still pretty far away, so I rose and slowly moved in, getting as close as Luna would let me. My bracelet charms jingled as I waved the spoon around some more.

  “Come, Luna,” I said again in a strong voice.

  Luna dropped a stick from her mouth and sniffed the air. Now I had her attention, but what should I do next? I wanted to take a break, run back inside and watch the video I’d seen online again. The guy, “Doug, the Dog-Talker,” made it look so easy, and since I didn’t have much experience with real dogs, his advice was all I had to go on. I was going to have to try harder with Luna.

  With my hands on my hips, I demanded, “Come!” My tone made it clear that it wasn’t a choice. It was a command.

  She looked at me and took a few steps in my direction.

  Excitement bubbled inside me, but I didn’t let it show. I didn’t want Olivia, or Luna, to think I was uncertain about what I was doing. “Come!” I said again firmly.

  Luna moved slowly toward me, raising her head and, again, sniffing the air.

  “If you want the snack, then you gotta come.” As far as training goes, that was probably too many words, but now I felt like she was listening. I told her, “I’m taking you home.” My feet began moving backward toward Olivia’s house. Marley and Olivia were watching as I confidently rotated on my tennis shoe heel, turned my back to Luna, and walked down the street with the peanut butter–covered spoon hanging down by my side. With a quick look over my shoulder, I saw Luna pause for a second, but then decide to follow me, nose raised, sniffing after the peanut butter.

  When we reached Olivia’s house, I sat down on the grass. Happiness washed over me as I finally let Luna lick the peanut butter. “Good puppy,” I cooed while Olivia attached the string to Luna’s collar.

  “Thanks for getting her back,” she told me. And to Marley, “Uh, thanks for trying.”

  “No problemo.” Marley smiled, flashing her braces. Her rubber bands were red and yellow, same as her drum set.

  “How’d you know about peanut butter?” Olivia asked me.

  “Lucky guess.” I shrugged.

  Marley was the only one who knew about the research I’d been doing. It was our secret. It was part of my plan to prove to my parents, when the time was right, that I could handle having a dog. Today proved that I was ready! With Luna relaxing by my feet, I felt like a dog-training rock star.

  “Hey, girls!” Marley’s mom stuck her head out of the house. She was a barely bigger version of Marley. “Mar, time to go!”

  “Yay!” Marley said, standing up, rolling some invisible drum solo off her wrists. “Marley out.” She waved at Luna and said, “Adios, Suki. See ya, puppy.” She belted out a new rhyme, “Puppies run for fun … and for fun, I run,” as she dashed away.

  Once Marley was gone, it was just me and Olivia. I handed her the spoon, even though most of the peanut butter was gone. I didn’t have anything to say, and we both stayed quiet.

  Olivia was one of the people who’d been a bestie, but wasn’t anymore. I was about to make up an excuse and leave when I heard a voice shout:

  “Oli-vi-a!”

  I looked out to see JJ heading our way. I groaned. He was the other piece of our old bestie group. He and Olivia were still friends. Me and Marley were still friends. The two groups never mixed. And as far as I was concerned, no matter what Mrs. Choi wanted, we’d never work together. Ever. Never. Never.

  I gave JJ a long, bitter stare. He’d changed into a collared shirt and khakis with a belt, and he was wearing the new tennis shoes he’d bought last week. (Not that I’m paying attention. I only knew they were new because I’d heard him talking in the hall.) He looked like he was going to play golf.

  “’Sup, Suki?” he said, seeing me there.

  I quickly stood. “Bye.”

  “You can stay if you want,” Olivia said. I couldn’t stand it when she was so friendly, which was pretty much always. It was like the past didn’t matter to Olivia and she just went on, la-di-da, like nothing had happened.

  JJ wasn’t like that. He wasn’t mean, but if he could beat me at something, anything, he took advantage of it. Mrs. Choi had thrown us together, but he was up to something. I could feel it. I just hadn’t figured out his game yet.

  “JJ and I are going to take Luna for a walk.” Olivia handed me the string, with the dog attached at the end. “Here. Hold her. I’ll get the leash.”

  Before I could protest, I was watching Luna while Olivia dashed into her house.

  JJ and I were standing on the lawn. Just us.

  I glared at him. He glared at me. Neither of us spoke.

  It felt like a hundred years, though it was probably really about a hundred seconds, before Olivia came back. “Let’s all walk around together,” she said cheerily. Bending low, she replaced my string on Luna’s collar with Luna’s purple-glitter leash.

  Did she really think we could go back in time? I shook my head. “No, thanks.”

  “Yeah, Suki’s probably busy,” JJ said. His straight teeth never needed braces. I was getting mine put on over the summer. I double-checked when he smiled. Yep. Fo
r sure, he’d never need them. It was another reason I hated him. “Let me know when you want to talk about the Candy Canes. I can tell you my ideas,” he said coolly, and, again, I wondered what he was up to. How was he planning to show off and make me look bad? It was so frustrating that I couldn’t figure it out!

  “They’re called Cupid Candy Cards,” I said firmly. “C-A-R-D-S.” I spelled it out. “Bye, Luna.” I purposely didn’t say anything else to JJ. Though I muttered, “Just quit already,” loud enough for him to hear me.

  I hurried across the lawn and dashed inside my house, slamming the door with a bang.

  Chapter Three

  PUPPY LOVE

  Tuesday, February 1

  The next day, I managed to avoid JJ all day at school. Until I knew what he was up to, I had to protect myself.

  Marley saw me ducking around and called me a “baby,” but I didn’t care. I wasn’t ready to face the inevitable. Working with him was going to be a disaster.

  After the final bell, I met Marley at the coffee shop across the street from school. On Tuesdays, both our parents worked late, so we liked to hang out there and do homework.

  We each ordered a Cinnamon Bun Swirl. It was an awesome seasonal drink, and lucky for us, now was the season!

  “You were totally right,” I told Marley as we stood by the counter and waited for our drinks.

  I don’t know what she thought I meant, but she liked compliments. Her grin grew almost as big as her hair. Just kidding. That’s impossible.

  I went on. “I’m going to convince JJ to quit working on Cupid Cards. I’ve just gotta do it fast, because there are only thirteen—wait, twelve days before Valentine’s Day.”

  “I never said you should do that.” Marley’s smile faded. “When would I have said that? Mrs. Choi was pretty clear, Suki. You’re supposed to work together. Even if it stinks, that’s what Mrs. Choi said. Besides, don’t you need help?” She groaned. “I thought you were agreeing that you were acting like a baby.”

  I snorted. “Don’t get on his side, Mar,” I said. Maybe I had dreamed that she said, “Get him to quit,” but even if it was just a dream, it was great advice. And, being my best friend, she should have said it, so … I was going with the plan.

  “You really are a baby,” she said, and this time I felt the dig. I didn’t like that JJ was coming between us—again.

  Marley wrinkled her forehead. She tipped her head toward the front of the shop. “Look who’s coming.”

  The shop was a small place with just a few tables and a counter to buy drinks and snacks. Through the front glass door, I could see JJ coming in with Olivia.

  “Hey.” Olivia walked over to us. She was wearing workout pants and long-sleeved t-shirt, no coat. The sun was out, but it was still pretty cold, so I figured she must be going to soccer practice soon. Like JJ, Olivia played soccer pretty seriously. They were both on club teams. “Thanks for your help yesterday,” Olivia said, more to me than Marley. “Luna needs training. My mom called the local shelter, and there’s a puppy class that meets twice a week. I already signed up.”

  I was immediately overcome with jealousy. How come Olivia, who knew nothing about dogs, got to have a puppy, and I didn’t? It was one of those hugely unfair things in the world.

  “Great,” I said, not really even trying to sound happy.

  “I’m getting a new dog, too,” JJ said, tugging the zipper on his jacket. “After seeing how cute Olivia’s dog was this past weekend, my mom agreed we could get one. I went to the shelter and picked a puppy out. Mom promised to pick her up today.”

  Hearing that, I had nothing nice to say, so I pinched my lips together.

  Olivia asked, “Did you decide what you’re going to name her?”

  “Sandy,” JJ said.

  Marley’s eyes went wide. I swear she was about to sing, “Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow …”

  “For Annie?” Olivia asked. I wished we weren’t standing there while they had this conversation, but there was nowhere to go.

  “Actually, it’s for the beach,” JJ told her. “I like to go surfing when we go on vacation. And getting all …”

  “Sandy!” Olivia finished. They both laughed.

  I don’t know about Marley, but I felt awkward and oddly left out.

  Olivia raised a hand to smooth down her tight bun hairdo and told JJ, “We’d better order.”

  JJ leaned in toward me on his way to the counter. “You can’t avoid me forever.” I knew he was taunting me.

  “I think I can,” I said. JJ was leaning in so close, it made me nervous. I could hear my charm bracelet jingle.

  “The cards won’t sell themselves,” he said as my name was called from the pickup area.

  “I’ll take care of everything,” I muttered as I pulled back and turned away.

  He heard me. “Really? Okay, is that how you want to play?” I recognized the competitive tone in his voice. “Are you sure?”

  I was feeling grumpy so I looked him straight in the eye and hissed, “It’s science fair all over again.”

  “If that’s what you want …” he threatened.

  We locked gazes for a stare-down. No one blinked.

  Marley grabbed my arm to pull me away, but I was already swept up in the memory.

  It was during fourth grade that the besties broke up. Before science fair, Olivia, JJ, Marley and me were so tight, we did everything together. Olivia and JJ were even “dating”—but the fourth-grade version of that just meant that when we all hung out together as usual, they sat next to each other.

  JJ and I had teamed up to be partners for the school science fair. Marley and Olivia were another team.

  Together, JJ and I came up with a great idea for a robotic car, and we were supposed to meet up to work on it. I’d spent all week telling him my cool ideas for it.

  The day before the project was due, we decided to get together at the library to build the car. He had the parts. I had the plans. But, when I got to the library workroom, he proudly announced that he’d already done it all without me!

  The meanest part was when he told me he worked better alone, so I’d have to do my own project separately.

  I didn’t understand how he could leave me hanging like that. We were friends! And partners! Anger had bubbled up in me and spilled over. Without asking why he’d decided to work alone, I raised my voice way too loud for the library, shouting “I work better alone, too!” and slammed the door as I left, clomping home through the park. That day, I didn’t even stop at the dog park. I just stomped right by it.

  On my way, JJ and his mom drove past me, and JJ called calmly out the window, “See you tomorrow, Suki.” The project was due the next morning, and I had no time to do something as cool as the car we’d planned. I whipped up a crappy cardboard volcano, just like about half of the rest of the kids at school did.

  I’ve never been so mad in my whole life.

  When Olivia heard what happened, she announced that she supported JJ’s decision to work alone. I knew that she and JJ were “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” back then, but didn’t really think she’d pick him in the fight. It was fourth grade, not like they were getting married. The way she acted was shocking.

  At the time, my last remaining bestie, Marley, backed me up. She and Olivia finished their project together, but never hung out since.

  My ex-friend and partner, JJ, won first place at the science fair. Olivia and JJ broke up after that, but stayed really good friends. Now, Olivia was still JJ’s friend and Marley was still mine. That was that. (And, honestly, this is why I don’t want a boyfriend. When things are going good, dating boys just messes it all up. Why would she have picked him over me and Marley? Boys are what-ever, girl friends are for-ever.)

  Before the science fair memory faded completely, I grabbed my drink from the barista a little too fast, and some hot liquid splashed over the edge onto my hand.

  “Ouch!” I exclaimed.

  “Are you okay?” Marley ask
ed me, concerned. She was more careful in collecting her own cup.

  “I’m fine,” I insisted, licking the drips off my wrist. I pushed aside my anger. “Can we go to the park instead of hanging out here?” I was desperate to get out of there.

  Marley didn’t even look back at Olivia and JJ when she said, “Sure. Let’s drop our bookbags at my house and I’ll get a ball. We can play soccer.” Back in the day, we used to go with JJ and Olivia to play soccer in the park all the time.

  As we passed, JJ said, “Bye,” to us both and then, just to me, sneered, “I work better alone, anyway.”

  Whoa! I knew what that meant! The gauntlet had been thrown down. It was clear what had just happened. JJ was going rogue. Him versus me. Whoever sold the most cards won.

  Fine. I was in for the battle.

  May the best Cupid Cards project win.

  Even Cinnamon Bun Swirl with extra whipped cream couldn’t shake my rotten mood.

  “I hate him,” I assured Marley as we set our drinks on the ground next to a small cement bench. She sat on the bench to tie her tennis shoes tighter. I sat on the ground, by the drinks, to stretch. “He thinks all this is funny.”

  “Do you remember when he won that blue science fair ribbon?” Marley said, not knowing I’d been obsessing about it since the coffee shop. “You were so mad your skin practically turned a matching shade!”

  “Yeah, I remember,” I said, reaching for my toes. “And I also remember how embarrassing it was for me to have my dad call the teacher at home on a Sunday so I could get permission to do the project by myself.” The teacher seemed to already know that JJ had deserted me and was nice about it. I thought that ditching me should have hurt his chance of winning, but it didn’t. His mom wasn’t mayor back then, so I couldn’t even complain that he had an unfair advantage.

  “You were really hurt,” Marley said. I could feel the echo of that pain in my bones. Clearly, so could she.