“Try again.”
She dribbles twice and arcs the ball perfectly into the net.
“Not bad,” I joke. “For a grandmother.”
“Let’s see you do it.”
I grab the ball and back up until I’m at the three-point line. I shoot. Air ball. It doesn’t even get near the net.
“I’m going in,” I say. “I can’t do anything right.”
“Stay,” Gran says. “I think we need to talk.”
“About what?” I pick up the ball.
“It’s been a rough couple of days.”
I shoot from right under the basket. The ball goes in. “It’s been a horrible couple of days.”
“I’m sorry Dinky died. He was the sickest of all the pups.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You’re angry at me because I’m letting the other kids volunteer.”
I don’t answer. Instead I make a layup.
“You’re angry at me because you’re grounded.”
I dribble behind my back and make a jump shot.
“I bet you’re angry about Zoe, too.”
I shoot too hard and the ball bounces over to Gran. She holds it. “Talk to me, Maggie.”
“It feels like I don’t live here anymore,” I say with a sigh. “There are all these—these people everywhere, and you’re mad about school, and my teacher thinks I’m not trying when I really am. It’s been so busy, we haven’t been able to talk, and I’m really, really upset about the puppies. Can’t we just forget that test? I’ll do better on the next one, I promise. Tell the kids you don’t need them, give Zoe a ticket to L.A., and help me find the puppy mill.” I try to steal the ball from her, but she holds on tight.
We stand for a second, both of us clutching the ball. Then Gran lets go.
“You’re right,” she says. “It’s been such a zoo around here I haven’t had a chance to think about what all this means to you. Tell you what. We’ll keep the kids around until the puppies are healthy and your extra-credit report is done.”
“But—” I begin. Gran raises a finger.
“But nothing. You have to do the report. The faster you do it, the faster you’re back in the clinic. Maybe one of the kids could help you. They’re all pretty nice.”
“Ummm.”
“OK, Maggie. Once the report is in and the puppies recover, the other kids go home. Happy?”
“What about Zoe?”
Gran’s jaw tightens. “Rose and I talked this evening. We decided it would be best for her to stay until school gets out.”
“But that’s nearly three months! I thought it would be, like, three weeks.”
“So did Zoe. But she’s putting a good face on it.” Gran smiles. “She says maybe she’ll train one of our animals to be a movie star.”
“Yeah, right.”
“She seems determined. Reminds me of you in that way.”
I dribble back out to the three-point line. “OK. I do the report and the clinic goes back to normal. I’ll be nice to Zoe, and she’ll go away, in a while. What about the puppy mill?”
“I’ll call the sheriff and give him the information we have, but I doubt it will be high on his list.”
“We’ll find the creep. I know it,” I say, then turn toward the basket. “She shoots!” I release the ball and it swishes through the net. Perfect. “She scores!”
Chapter Twelve
T he next morning I wake up feeling better. By the time I get dressed, I have a plan. I know how I’m going to find the puppy mill. The trick is to get Gran to the farmer’s market.
When I go downstairs, Zoe is already in the kitchen looking in the pantry.
“Don’t you guys eat around here?” she asks. “You don’t even have any flour. If you had flour, we could make pancakes. Ethel taught me how. Of course, you don’t have any maple syrup, but we could have put jam on them . . .” She stands lost in thought, looking at a box of Cheerios. I take the box and pour myself a bowl.
“Gran isn’t much of a cook. I can’t remember her ever making pancakes. We eat a lot of take-out.” That doesn’t sound good. “We’ll probably go to the store today.”
Zoe puts a piece of bread in the
She dribbles twice and arcs the ball perfectly into the net.
“Not bad,” I joke. “For a grandmother.”
“Let’s see you do it.”
I grab the ball and back up until I’m at the three-point line. I shoot. Air ball. It doesn’t even get near the net.
“I’m going in,” I say. “I can’t do anything right.”
“Stay,” Gran says. “I think we need to talk.”
“About what?” I pick up the ball.
“It’s been a rough couple of days.”
I shoot from right under the basket. The ball goes in. “It’s been a horrible couple of days.”
“I’m sorry Dinky died. He was the sickest of all the pups.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“You’re angry at me because I’m letting the other kids volunteer.”
I don’t answer. Instead I make a layup.
“You’re angry at me because you’re grounded.”
I dribble behind my back and make a jump shot.
“I bet you’re angry about Zoe, too.”
I shoot too hard and the ball bounces over to Gran. She holds it. “Talk to me, Maggie.”
“It feels like I don’t live here anymore,” I say with a sigh. “There are all these—these people everywhere, and you’re mad about school, and my teacher thinks I’m not trying when I really am. It’s been so busy, we haven’t been able to talk, and I’m really, really upset about the puppies. Can’t we just forget that test? I’ll do better on the next one, I promise. Tell the kids you don’t need them, give Zoe a ticket to L.A., and help me find the puppy mill.” I try to steal the ball from her, but she holds on tight.
We stand for a second, both of us clutching the ball. Then Gran lets go.
“You’re right,” she says. “It’s been such a zoo around here I haven’t had a chance to think about what all this means to you. Tell you what. We’ll keep the kids around until the puppies are healthy and your extra-credit report is done.”
“But—” I begin. Gran raises a finger.
“But nothing. You have to do the report. The faster you do it, the faster you’re back in the clinic. Maybe one of the kids could help you. They’re all pretty nice.”
“Ummm.”
“OK, Maggie. Once the report is in and the puppies recover, the other kids go home. Happy?”
“What about Zoe?”
Gran’s jaw tightens. “Rose and I talked this evening. We decided it would be best for her to stay until school gets out.”
“But that’s nearly three months! I thought it would be, like, three weeks.”
“So did Zoe. But she’s putting a good face on it.” Gran smiles. “She says maybe she’ll train one of our animals to be a movie star.”
“Yeah, right.”
“She seems determined. Reminds me of you in that way.”
I dribble back out to the three-point line. “OK. I do the report and the clinic goes back to normal. I’ll be nice to Zoe, and she’ll go away, in a while. What about the puppy mill?”
“I’ll call the sheriff and give him the information we have, but I doubt it will be high on his list.”
“We’ll find the creep. I know it,” I say, then turn toward the basket. “She shoots!” I release the ball and it swishes through the net. Perfect. “She scores!”
Chapter Twelve
T he next morning I wake up feeling better. By the time I get dressed, I have a plan. I know how I’m going to find the puppy mill. The trick is to get Gran to the farmer’s market.
When I go downstairs, Zoe is already in the kitchen looking in the pantry.
“Don’t you guys eat around here?” she asks. “You don’t even have any flour. If you had flour, we could make pancakes. Ethel taught me how. Of course, you don’t have any maple syrup, but we could have put jam on them . . .” She stands lost in thought, looking at a box of Cheerios. I take the box and pour myself a bowl.
“Gran isn’t much of a cook. I can’t remember her ever making pancakes. We eat a lot of take-out.” That doesn’t sound good. “We’ll probably go to the store today.”
Zoe puts a piece of bread in the
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