Secondhand Horses by Lauraine Snelling

can’t argue this time. Really. I mean it. I have to show Uncle Dave and my parents that I can actually finish something, so if you two are arguing, I know I’ll get distracted.”
    Vee glared up at her. The Vee Stare full force. “I wasn’t arguing. I was giving my opinion.”
    “Well.” Sunny felt deflated. She lowered herself back into the seat. “You get what I mean.”
    Esther took a bite of apple and winced. “These are sour.” Suddenly she giggled. “Sunny, I promise I won’t be sour like this apple. I’ll crunch along with everyone else and help you finish stuff.”
    Throwing an arm around Esther, Sunny surveyed the girls. She loved the Squad. She really did. Who else would give up free time after school and for two weekends to work hard? She frowned. Hmmm. Unless they didn’t know how hard they were going to work.
    She finished the list a few minutes later and showed it to the girls. Vee said it was a great list.
    “On to make dinner!” Sunny announced, springing up from the chair.
    Dinner was hot dogs cooked in a frying pan on the stove with not-toasted buns. Although Sunny’s mom always toasted the buns under the broiler, the girls had agreed that it might not be a good idea to use a strange oven on night one. A microwave pan of macaroni and cheese—much more fancy than box-style—rounded out the meal. Sunny took in a plate on a tray for the sleeping Uncle Dave to have whenever he awoke.

    “After the creepy carnival guy left, the zoo got friendly,” Aneta said after dinner, picking up their empty plates and heading toward the sink. “So now we do not have to un-grump them like Sunny said.” Vee joined her and together they rinsed the dishes and silverware and placed them in the dishwasher.
    “And we were washing them, too. Other than Which Way, they might not have liked it, but they weren’t grumpy about it,” Vee said.
    “Like I said, this has been the easiest rescue ever. Now we need to see what each animal is good at so we can tell people.” Esther set her fork down and pushed her not-quite-empty plate away. “That might help them find homes. After homework.”
    The girls started on their homework at the big pine table as they had promised parents. Every time Sunny started to daydream, she’d receive a little kick on the left foot. Vee sat on her left. If she stared at her paper and book too long, a nudge from Esther jabbed her in the ribs. She wished the girls were staying every day; it sure made school faster. She didn’t mean to disappear into her head; it just kinda happened, so it helped to have reminder friends.
    Soon after the last book snapped closed, Esther’s dad picked up the girls and Sunny was alone. She checked on Uncle Dave. He looked like he was going to sleep all night on the couch. Mom said he might for the first few nights and to let him. She took the tray back. Maybe a forkful or two of mac and cheese. The hot dog was untouched. Poor Uncle Dave.
    “You and the ranch are going to be just fine. I’m so sorry I made you fall and break your ankle. You’ll see.
I’ll finish everything
,” she said, even though she knew he was dead asleep.
    When she began yawning, it was time to put the zoo to bed. On her way to the barn, she saw the mini standing at the rails as though waiting just for her. And the goose perched on the little horse’s back! Funny.
    “You looking for a free ride, Which Way?”
    The tiny brown-and-white goat standing in the barn opening bleated softly. Which Way flapped off the mini and ducked under the lowest rail to follow her. As Sunny walked past the paddock into the barn, she noted the pig had already put himself to bed, wide side heaving up and down with each snuffly snore. One of his long ears flipped this way and that batting away a fly. The mini entered through the paddock door and headed to his stall. The pygmy goat joined him, even though he had a stall of his own.
    “Good night, Piggles.” She breathed in deep, looking at the barn