Cinnamon Bun Besties Page 7

  “We’re set,” Rotem told me. “All we need is you to dribble Swirl out and around the park, then we can set out treats to bring Cinnamon Bun close enough to smell the peanut butter.”

  “He’s a genius, right?” Marley beamed.

  “Uh, sure.” I was a little distracted. I really wanted to get Marley away and alone for a second. I wanted to tell her what had happened at the coffee shop.

  While Rotem scooped peanut butter into a spoon, Marley beat out a rhythm on the side of the wooden dog trap. “We’re looking for a dog so sweet. Four feet and no defeat.” She threw back her hair and laughed. “My new hit. I’ll call it ‘Ode to a Dogcatcher’!”

  “There’s no such thing,” I told her. “It has to be an ‘Animal Control Anthem.’”

  “‘Canine Cage Chorus,’” Marley said, getting into the groove.

  “‘Bow-wow Band—’” I started, when a flash of golden fur caught my eye.

  Cinnamon Bun was here!

  Chapter Ten

  DISASTER

  Saturday, February 5

  “We aren’t ready! Suki hasn’t spilled any of the drink! Abort mission!” Rotem shouted. “New strategy!”

  Of course he had a backup plan. But what was it?

  I found out when, quick as a flash, Rotem grabbed a net out of the big bag. It was like one of those butterfly nets on a long stick.

  “Rotem looks like an animal control … catcher!” I laughed.

  By the look on his face, I’m pretty sure he didn’t think I was funny. “Bring the dog this way,” he told me in a calm voice. “Forget making a perimeter. Drip your drink to make a path, and I’ll net her!”

  That seemed like a practical idea. But I decided to go with my own idea.

  I was pretty close to Cinnamon Bun, so I figured I should just go for it and grab her. It wasn’t what the Dog-Talker, or any other expert, might say to do, but this was my show now.

  I set down my cup on the ground and took off the lid.

  “What are you doing?” I heard Rotem ask. “That’s not the plan.”

  “New plan,” I called out.

  “No new plan,” Rotem shouted to me. But I was already charting a new course of action.

  Cinnamon Bun stood near the bushes, watching me cautiously. If I didn’t play this right, I knew she’d be through those bushes and gone in a blink.

  I sat down so I was less threatening. I jiggled the cup, and said softly, “Come on, you know you want it. Come.”

  She seemed to nod, and moved in closer. I poured out some drink, and she lapped it up with her cute pink tongue. A little foam settled on her nose. Cinnamon Bun was the most adorable dog ever! Happiness swelled inside me.

  “Good girl,” I said. This was better than the dog treat or robot plan. She was so close—I reached forward, ready to hug her tight, when, suddenly, Rotem shouted “Gotcha!” from behind me, and leapt forward with the net, swinging it through the air.

  He missed the dog. I heard him mutter, “Didn’t account for wind.”

  Cinnamon Bun, of course, was scared by the shouting and the swinging net. She looked at me like I’d betrayed her, and made a dash toward the bushes. I knew what would happen next. It had happened twice before.

  I knew what I had to do. It was bold and daring—and kind of dumb, because I forgot for a second about the stitches in my hand.

  There wasn’t time to go around the bushes. Cinnamon Bun went under them. So I backed up a few feet and dove over them.

  I landed with a painful thud on the other side, using my hands to break my fall as I rolled onto the sidewalk. Ouch! I looked at my injured hand and could tell it was bleeding.

  There was no time to think about it. I scrambled to my feet and started running after that speedy little golden blur.

  “We’re coming!” I heard Marley behind me.

  “I have the net,” Rotem put in.

  “We’ll go around,” Marley said, as they reached the bushes.

  I chased Cinnamon Bun down between two buildings. I’d forgotten how many apartments were over in this area.

  The dog passed a big swimming pool and then slowed down on the other side of it. She glanced over at me, then rushed toward a short building where the first-floor apartments had small backyards. I could see patio umbrellas peeking over the top of what I imagined to be little grassy areas. Up higher, the apartments had balconies.

  “Cinnamon Bun!” I called out again, realizing that actually wasn’t her name. Did she even have a name? I tried “Come!” and “Sit,” though those commands hadn’t worked before. No name. No training. This was discouraging.

  I was out of breath and tired. I didn’t know how to catch her and she seemed to have endless energy. Marley and Rotem weren’t there to help yet. They probably lost me around the pool.

  A quick bark brought my attention back to Cinnamon Bun—and then I saw her duck through a hole in one of those apartment yard fences and disappear from sight.

  Ha! That was actually the best thing that could have happened. Cinnamon Bun had gotten herself trapped! All I had to do was block up the fence on my side, and she’d be stuck. I found a cardboard box in a nearby dumpster and hurried to cover the hole. I stuffed the box into the opening, smiling the entire time.

  Next, I would knock on the door, explain that my dog was stuck in the backyard, and go get her! The leash was still in my backpack in the park, so I’d have to carry her with my cut hand, but it would be worth the pain!

  I walked slowly to catch my breath while I went to the path that led around the front of the building. That’s when Marley and Rotem caught up.

  “Sorry the trap didn’t work,” Marley said. She was in way better shape than me and wasn’t breathing heavy at all.

  “Had you both kept to the plan, it would have worked,” Rotem said between gasps. “The calculations were perfect.”

  “Too bad the dog doesn’t do math,” I replied with a chuckle.

  When he fully caught his breath, he said, “That could be the project that would win me the Nobel Prize! If I can teach a dog math …”

  Marley gave him a friendly shove. “Ridiculous!”

  “Maybe I can teach the dog to count the beats in music,” Rotem suggested. “It combines math and musicality. You’d like that, right?”

  “Can you do that?” Marley’s eyes brightened. She smiled. “But how would Cinnamon Bun hold the drumsticks?”

  Even I laughed at that.

  We reached the front of the apartments. I had counted the backyards and the front doors so I was certain we were at the right place.

  Marley and Rotem stood behind me.

  I knocked.

  A tall, thin, very familiar-looking woman answered the door.

  “Can I help you?” She looked at my hands as if I was selling something. I hid my bloody fingers behind my back.

  “My dog ran through a hole in your fence,” I explained. “I trapped her in your yard.”

  “Oh?” She looked back toward a long glass door behind her. “Hang on.”

  I heard her shout to someone, “Sweetie, there are some kids here who say they trapped their dog in the yard. Can you look and see if there’s an extra dog out back?”

  There was a moment of silence, then footsteps. I saw the shadow of a boy go out the back door. I watched as he scooped up a golden furball and walked into the light.

  Yes! It was Cinnamon Bun.

  And—wait. The boy carrying her was Joshua Juaquin.

  That was why the woman looked familiar. She was his mom. The mayor!

  “The only dog in the yard was Sandy,” JJ told his mom before realizing it was me at the door. “Suki?” he asked, nestling the dog—his dog—closer to his chest. He peered behind me. “Marley? Rotem? What are you guys doing here?”

  Marley hadn’t caught on yet, but I had. She started saying, “Suki’s dog, Cinn—”

  I kicked the side of her foot.

  “She must have gone a different way,” I said, feeling a choke in m
y throat. “She’s lost.”

  “Want me to help you find her?” JJ offered. “I can go grab some shoes.”

  “No,” I said. “Thanks.” I stumbled backward. I couldn’t even look at the dog in his arms. JJ’s dog Sandy was Cinnamon Bun. This was a disaster.

  I muttered something like, “There’s a hole in your fence.” And then I swept past Marley and Rotem, and, holding back my tears, rushed quickly away.

  Chapter Eleven

  TRICKY TRAINING

  Rotten Saturday, February 5, the worst day ever

  When I got home, I shut the front door so quietly, it made my mom come running. Seriously, that woman has the best hearing.

  I had one foot on the steps to go up to my room when she touched my arm.

  “Suki? What’s going on?” Mom asked, taking a long look at my face. She was still in her teaching clothes—bra top and stretchy shorts. It would have been embarrassing if we were in public. I was secretly proud of my mom’s passion, but I’d never tell her that.

  I felt so weak and messy. If I had to answer, I knew I’d start crying again.

  “Come on.” She led me upstairs and tucked me into bed. With gentle footsteps, she left the room. Then with the same quiet steps, she came back carrying a cup of hot tea.

  I sat up and took the steaming mug. For a long moment, I just stared into it. How could this have happened? Not only was Cinnamon Bun not a stray, she belonged to—of all people—JJ! Argh! She’d been JJ’s dog all along. His yard just had a hole in the fence. I couldn’t believe it.

  I remembered JJ talking about getting a dog from the shelter the day that we met Cinnamon Bun. Which meant that she actually might have been a stray at some point before he picked her out. But then she got adopted by JJ, my sworn enemy! Couldn’t I have found her earlier?

  Not that I would’ve been allowed to keep her.

  I thought I’d had other worst days before, but this one was the new worst.

  JJ had won the science fair. He was Mrs. Choi’s favorite for Cupid Cards. And now he stole my dog!

  I pushed the teacup into my mom’s hand and flopped back into my pillows. I felt like a building had crashed on top of me. It hurt that much.

  Mom said softly, “We can talk when you’re ready.” She got up again and went into the bathroom. Bringing back a wet washcloth, Mom cleaned off my bloody stitches and re-bandaged my hand.

  I breathed heavily. It would help to talk about it.

  “Mom,” I said at last. “There’s this boy at school.”

  Her eyebrows raised.

  I went on. “Not like that. He …” I blurted out the only thing I could think of. “I hate him.” Then went on. “And there’s this dog.” Slowly, I told her the whole story, from the Cupid Cards to finding Cinnamon Bun in the park to chasing her back to JJ’s house.

  I expected her to say, “You couldn’t have had a dog anyway, Suki.” Instead, Mom said, “Some things happen for a reason.”

  That was frustrating. I said angrily, “This happened for no good reason. Nothing positive will come out of it.” I wiped away a small tear that leaked out of my eye. “Everything is ruined forever.”

  Mom handed me a tissue off the nightstand and stood. “Forever is a long time. Open your heart, Suki. You’ll see …”

  Ugh. So cheesy. Then Mom kissed me on the forehead and told me when dinner would be ready. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching videos about dogs online and organizing the stuff I’d bought for the Cupid Cards. I even made some nice decorations for my own sale table. And I did some homework. By the time I went to sleep, I was exhausted.

  Sunday morning, I wouldn’t have gotten out of bed if I hadn’t agreed to work at the shelter again. I was already late from pressing SNOOZE a million times. I got dressed quickly, changed the bandage on my hand, and grabbed a granola bar on my way out.

  The sunlight felt blinding.

  “Suki!” Ben called my name from Marley’s garage. What was he doing there?

  I was already late to the shelter, so I figured another couple minutes wouldn’t matter. Plus, I’d just tell Mrs. Ryan I was with her son. Parents usually forgive stuff like that.

  I walked slowly over to Marley’s driveway. I wanted to move faster, I really did. I was just feeling so completely blah.

  “Hey,” he said, setting down a guitar and coming out to meet me. “Thanks for telling me about the band. Marley said I could join.”

  “Cool,” I said, without emotion.

  Marley and Rotem were warming up. She was on drums and he was playing keyboard. I knew Rotem played bass guitar, so keys was probably new. But knowing him, he’d likely learn the clarinet, ukulele, a harmonica, and the tuba next. He’d be great at all of it.

  Marley rushed over, pushed past Ben, and gave me a hug. “Sorry about Cinnamon Bun.”

  “Yeah,” Rotem said, not raising his head from the keys.

  I realized I’d left them to clean up the mess from the dog trap. I apologized to them for that, too. They’d worked really hard on it.

  “That’s okay,” Rotem told me. “We can use the parts for something else.”

  “Like what?” I wondered.

  He shrugged. “When I know, I’ll tell you.”

  “Isn’t he clever?” Marley said, looking at him with a grin. Suddenly, I realized that maybe there was something up between them. I’d missed the signs: the close talking, the endless planning … and Marley’s newly sparkling eyes. Now it seemed so obvious!

  I was so absorbed in my own problems, I hadn’t seen that Marley liked Rotem! I also think he liked her, but I wondered if he realized it. I was happy for them. I could now see them as a really cute couple. I wondered when it would become official and if they’d mind having me drag along as a third wheel. Would they do anything special for Valentine’s Day?

  “Suki.” Ben dragged back my attention. “When you see my mom, can you do me a fave?”

  “Sure,” I said, adding, “as long as it’s not gross or scary.”

  “You’re a wimp,” he said. I noticed his t-shirt. It said Bloody Heart, and showed what looked like a heart that was ripped in two and dripping blood. I assumed Bloody Heart was a band, but the shirt was super creepy.

  He caught me looking. “Bloody Heart is one of my favorite bands. I wish this band had a name that was anywhere near as awesome,” he told me. “I know this is only my first practice, but I’m already dreading telling people I’m in the Happy Little Llamas. It’s horrible! How are we going to get any rock-respect with that name?”

  I shrugged, not sure what to say. Luckily, Ben went back to asking the favor. “Don’t tell my mom I told you about the money problems at the shelter. I think she’d be mad if she knew I told you.” He leaned in and lowered his voice. “I only know because I was there when the mayor came to get a dog the other day, and I overheard them talking.”

  “The mayor?” Ah, crud-potatoes. That must have been when she went to get Cinnamon Bun. The thought felt like a sharp pain.

  “She needed photos of her doing something nice for the community, so she brought a camera crew when she came to adopt a dog for JJ,” Ben said. “I heard my mom tell her about the money problem, and the mayor said she didn’t have the budget to help, still, they’d try to figure out something.”

  “I’m sure she will,” I said sarcastically. I wouldn’t depend on JJ’s mom to solve this!

  “Just don’t tell Mom, okay?” Ben said. I agreed, and an instant later, Marley called him for practice.

  “Ben! No more yapping!” She smiled at me. “No offense, Suki, but I need him now.”

  I laughed. “I’m late anyway. Adios!”

  As I walked away, I heard Ben try to sway Marley on the band name. “How about a compromise?” Ben said. “We could be the Bloody Little Llamas.”

  I didn’t have to hear Marley’s response. I knew exactly what she’d say.

  When I opened the door to the animal shelter, Mrs. Ryan wasn’t mad that I was late. She did want me to hu
rry, though.

  “Suki, I need you to go to the puppy class.” She pointed the way through a side door into the open classroom area. “The regular assistant is home with the flu. Ask Alexandra what to do.” Alexandra was the teacher. We’d met once before.

  The puppy class was twice a week. Once on Wednesday evening, the time I’d first come into the shelter, and a second time on Sunday mornings.

  I’d forgotten that Olivia and Luna were in the class until I opened the door.

  “Hi,” Olivia greeted me. Did she already forget what she’d said at the coffee shop? The thing about me being jealous when she dated JJ? I couldn’t believe she thought that. Ew.

  Luna began pulling on the leash, trying to get to me. I walked over and squatted down. My feelings toward Olivia weren’t Luna’s fault.

  “Hey, Lu,” I said, petting the dog’s warm head.

  Luna pounced forward and licked my face. She was all over me as she stood on her hind legs and bounced.

  Olivia pulled back on the leash. “Ouch!” she exclaimed as she held the leash tight. It was then I noticed that Olivia’s fingers were red and rough. They looked blistered.

  “Back. Down. Luna, No.” Olivia tried every command, as she shifted the leash in her hand to make it hurt less.

  “It’s all right,” I said, pushing Luna off me and standing up. “I’ll find out what we are doing today. I think she’ll be an easier dog if you can teach her to sit and stay.” She also needed to learn not to jump on people.

  Walking away, I felt okay about how I behaved with Olivia. I wasn’t friendly, but I wasn’t not friendly, either.

  The instructor, Alexandra, was young, a little round, and had the nicest smile.

  “We are going to work on ‘Come’ and ‘Sit’ commands today,” Alexandra told me, while stuffing her pockets with little chewy treats. “And we should review crate training for puppies, because I’m sure that there are a few people who let the dogs sleep on their beds.” She shook her head. “It’s a big no-no.”

  I had spent a lot of time learning about dogs, but working with them in reality was hard. I listened to Alexandra’s lesson and then helped with everything she asked me to. She was working a lot with Luna, and I helped a German shepherd puppy sit by pushing down his tushy when his owner, an older woman, gave the command. I also helped a super adorable bulldog puppy, who had such a fat little body. When he sat, it looked like he had no legs. I couldn’t always tell if he was sitting or lying down.