patted his back and he leaned forward and thrust the top of his head into my palm, so I gave it a good scratch. It was quite nice, actually. Then he sat bolt upright and let out a bark and ran out of the room. I heard the front door open. Oh no. I jumped up and raced after the dog to find the front door ajar and Dad pinned to the wall, the mutt’s front feet planted on his chest. Dad was smiling though, scratching his head. The dog’s, I mean.
Then Mom’s car pulled into the driveway, and she obviously wasn’t looking, because she got out of the car and headed toward the house. You’d think she’d be more wary since what happened last time. The dog stiffened, barked and he pushed off dad, his claws scrabbling against the floorboards until he was out the door and dashing down the steps. Mom looked up just as he threw himself at her. She only had enough time to scream before it was like déjà vu.
***
Chapter Seven
After we hauled the stupid thing off her and locked him in the backyard again, Mom slammed the front door and handed each of us (except for Rory’s friends) a stack of paper. They were ‘found’ signs.
“The pound was practically full and half the dogs there had diarrhoea,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “So, stupidly, I thought we could keep him until we find his owners.”
“Yes!” Rory said.
“Or they free up some space at the pound,” she looked at Rory. “Whichever comes first , Rory. In the meantime, we are putting these flyers everywhere. Flooding the neighbourhood. You understand?”
“Yes Mom.”
“Everyone is going to know we have that thing, so for the love of God, somebody better recognize it.”
She went to the kitchen, muttering to herself something about a headache and needing to lie down.
So the dog had a temporary free pass. I had this weird feeling, I couldn’t decide if I was happy or disappointed. I decided it didn’t matter either way. I dropped my pile of posters on an end table in the living room, right next to the red twine Ty had used as a leash the other day. I went to pick it up, to throw it in the trash but hesitated. I left it there. A small smile crept onto my face - a completely involuntary smile, too. I had to go upstairs and work out my outfit for next Saturday. Sure, it was still nearly two whole weeks away, but I wanted to look good. As I took the stairs back up to my room, I ran my fingers along the digits he had inked into my forearm - his digits - one at a time. The smile drooped as I realized that I still had to get through this Saturday: Ugh, I had Mads and Dev’s group date thing.
Van and I spent the whole of Saturday afternoon raiding Mads’s closet, trying to find her the perfect outfit because in the meltdown mode she was in, she was in no way capable of doing it herself. Something cool, but not too dressy. Had to be casual, but hot. After agonizing about it all week, we still weren’t sure if he thought it was a date-thing or just a group-hang-thing. But he seemed to be looking forward to it. He smiled at Mads and told her as such as he walked passed us at morning break yesterday, and she went all kind of giggly and shy and red. She really liked him.
So we were in Mads’s room, Van and I scrutinizing every top she owned (we’d already decided on the denim mini skirt and strappy sandals) and Mads was kind of pacing, forehead furrowed as she glared at herself in the mirror.
“I’m hideous.” She said, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. “Why am I doing this to him?”
“What are you talking about? Doing what?” I asked.
“This. Tonight, why am I subjecting poor Dev to the hideousness that is me.”
“Oh shut up Mads,” Vanya said. Mads crossed frowned at herself in the mirror and groaned.
“I’m with her.” I nodded at Van as she tossed another top into the ‘hell no’ pile in the corner.
“You’re pretty and nice and sweet and he likes you. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“And you can
Then Mom’s car pulled into the driveway, and she obviously wasn’t looking, because she got out of the car and headed toward the house. You’d think she’d be more wary since what happened last time. The dog stiffened, barked and he pushed off dad, his claws scrabbling against the floorboards until he was out the door and dashing down the steps. Mom looked up just as he threw himself at her. She only had enough time to scream before it was like déjà vu.
***
Chapter Seven
After we hauled the stupid thing off her and locked him in the backyard again, Mom slammed the front door and handed each of us (except for Rory’s friends) a stack of paper. They were ‘found’ signs.
“The pound was practically full and half the dogs there had diarrhoea,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “So, stupidly, I thought we could keep him until we find his owners.”
“Yes!” Rory said.
“Or they free up some space at the pound,” she looked at Rory. “Whichever comes first , Rory. In the meantime, we are putting these flyers everywhere. Flooding the neighbourhood. You understand?”
“Yes Mom.”
“Everyone is going to know we have that thing, so for the love of God, somebody better recognize it.”
She went to the kitchen, muttering to herself something about a headache and needing to lie down.
So the dog had a temporary free pass. I had this weird feeling, I couldn’t decide if I was happy or disappointed. I decided it didn’t matter either way. I dropped my pile of posters on an end table in the living room, right next to the red twine Ty had used as a leash the other day. I went to pick it up, to throw it in the trash but hesitated. I left it there. A small smile crept onto my face - a completely involuntary smile, too. I had to go upstairs and work out my outfit for next Saturday. Sure, it was still nearly two whole weeks away, but I wanted to look good. As I took the stairs back up to my room, I ran my fingers along the digits he had inked into my forearm - his digits - one at a time. The smile drooped as I realized that I still had to get through this Saturday: Ugh, I had Mads and Dev’s group date thing.
Van and I spent the whole of Saturday afternoon raiding Mads’s closet, trying to find her the perfect outfit because in the meltdown mode she was in, she was in no way capable of doing it herself. Something cool, but not too dressy. Had to be casual, but hot. After agonizing about it all week, we still weren’t sure if he thought it was a date-thing or just a group-hang-thing. But he seemed to be looking forward to it. He smiled at Mads and told her as such as he walked passed us at morning break yesterday, and she went all kind of giggly and shy and red. She really liked him.
So we were in Mads’s room, Van and I scrutinizing every top she owned (we’d already decided on the denim mini skirt and strappy sandals) and Mads was kind of pacing, forehead furrowed as she glared at herself in the mirror.
“I’m hideous.” She said, throwing her hands in the air in defeat. “Why am I doing this to him?”
“What are you talking about? Doing what?” I asked.
“This. Tonight, why am I subjecting poor Dev to the hideousness that is me.”
“Oh shut up Mads,” Vanya said. Mads crossed frowned at herself in the mirror and groaned.
“I’m with her.” I nodded at Van as she tossed another top into the ‘hell no’ pile in the corner.
“You’re pretty and nice and sweet and he likes you. You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“And you can
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