by Holly Webb
Zoe nodded. “My friend Becca is going to get a dog soon. Becca said she’d love to come and see the puppies. She’s going to ask her mum and dad if they could come this weekend. That would be OK, wouldn’t it?” Her voice wobbled a little bit. “It’ll only be one more week till the puppies are old enough to go to new homes then…”
Auntie Jo looked closely at her. “Yes, they’ll be about seven weeks this weekend, as far as we can tell. It won’t hurt them to be split up from their litter after eight weeks. It would be lovely for one of your friends to come. Zoe, are you OK, sweetheart?”
“I’ll miss them, that’s all,” Zoe muttered.
“I know you will. Especially Cookie. You’ve looked after her so well. But she can’t stay here, Zo, you know that. It isn’t a good life for a dog, in a little pen like this, however much we love them.”
“I know. But it’s hard to think of someone else taking her home. I wish we could have a dog! I’d look after her so well!” Zoe burst out. Then she added quietly, “Don’t worry, I know we can’t…”
Auntie Jo hugged her, accidentally clanging two stainless steel dishes together behind her back, and making Zoe laugh.
“I’m so excited!” Becca raced up the steps towards Zoe, her mum following behind. She flung her arms round her. “Please can we see all the dogs? And the cats? I know we don’t want a cat, but I’d like to see them anyway. And the guinea pigs!”
“I’ll show you everything,” Zoe promised, giggling. She hadn’t seen her friend so hyper since her birthday party. She took them all round the shelter, saving the dog pens until last.
“You’re so lucky, getting to help here all the time,” Becca told her, cooing at the guinea pigs. Then she looked excitedly up at her mum. “Please can you show us the dogs now, Zoe? Mum and Dad said we might be able to get one really soon. That’s what Dad’s doing today – mending our garden fence so that there aren’t any holes round the bottom of it, and it’s safe for a dog to be in the garden. He said if we found a dog from somewhere like here, the shelter would want to come and check that we’d look after it properly.”
Zoe nodded. “Yes, Auntie Jo and the other staff go and look around everyone’s houses. They wouldn’t let you have a cat from here if you lived on a really busy road. Or if you had small children. You’ll be all right,” she added. “You want a dog and it’s only really small children that are a problem – you know, too small to understand about not pulling tails.”
Becca nodded.
“Doesn’t your dad want to help choose a dog?” Zoe asked curiously.
Becca’s mum smiled. “This is just a first look – so we can think about what sort of dog we’d like. Becca’s dad will come and see them if we tell him there’s a dog we really like the look of. But he started worrying about the fence last night, and he was determined to get it done. He didn’t want us to miss out on a lovely dog because the house wasn’t ready.”
Zoe smiled. It sounded as though Becca and her mum and dad were really serious about getting a dog. They weren’t just deciding to adopt one without thinking it through, like some people did. “OK, look, well here are the dog pens. It can get a bit noisy!” she warned Becca, as several of the dogs started to bark excitedly when they realized they had visitors.
“Oh, look…” Becca whispered, glancing from side to side. “So many! Freddie… Luca – he’s gorgeous, Mum, look! He looks like a German Shepherd. Oooh! Trixie!” Becca crouched down by the little spaniel’s pen. “She’s so pretty…”
She glanced up worriedly at Zoe. “How do people ever choose? She’s looking at me, like she really wants us to take her home, and I haven’t even gone halfway along the pens yet!”
“It is hard,” Zoe admitted. “If you think you really like any of the dogs, tell me, and I’ll ask Auntie Jo if you can go into the pen and meet them.”
“If I did that I’d never be able to say no,” Becca’s mum muttered. “What if we cuddled a dog and then said we didn’t want him? It would be heartbreaking!”
Zoe wrinkled her nose. She supposed she was more used to the shelter than most people. “I know it’s sad. But Auntie Jo and the others do find homes for all the dogs in the end. It does take a while for some of them, though.” She led Becca and her mum along the row of pens. “And these…” she stopped by a pen, “are the puppies we found abandoned.” She laughed as all three of them raced towards the wire of the pen. “The one with the darker brown patches is Choc and that one’s Biscuit…” She pointed to the puppy with the brown eyepatch. “And this one, with the pale brown patches,” she paused, “is Cookie.”
“Oh, wow…” Becca murmured. “They’re all so beautiful!”
“They are lovely,” her mum agreed. “They look very little, Zoe. Are they old enough to be rehomed?”
“Not for about another week,” Zoe explained. “But then it will be fine, although they still can’t go outside for a while after that. All the dogs in here have been vaccinated, but puppies have to have a last lot of vaccinations when they’re about twelve weeks old. Then they can go for walks. They’d be OK in the garden though,” she added.
“You know loads about dogs,” Becca said admiringly. “Please can we meet them properly? Mum, do you want to?”
Her mum nodded, smiling. “Definitely.”
Zoe swallowed hard, and opened the catch on the pen. It was a good thing that Becca and her mum liked the puppies. But it was one step closer to them leaving the shelter, and Zoe.
Cookie scrabbled excitedly at the wire. Zoe had been playing with them that morning, and then she’d disappeared. Now she was back!
But there were other people too. Another girl, like Zoe, and someone else. Cookie had never seen them before. She stopped wagging her tail quite so hard, and backed up a bit as Zoe opened the door. She wasn’t used to different people.
Zoe let Becca and her mum in, and Biscuit and Choc sniffed cautiously at them. Becca picked up the last bit of the rope toy, and whisked it along the ground, right in front of Choc, who quickly pounced on it, pretending to growl.
“He’s so funny!” Becca giggled.
“I think he’s the friendliest of the pups,” Zoe told her. She looked round for Cookie, who was almost hiding behind her, watching Becca and her mum with big, anxious eyes. “It’s all right, Cookie,” she whispered.
Cookie pressed herself against Zoe’s side, and sniffed cautiously at Becca’s mum’s fingers when she held them out. The new people smelled nice, but she didn’t know them like she knew Zoe. She didn’t mind if this lady stroked her though.
“She’s very sweet,” Becca’s mum said. “Is this the one you bottle-fed, Zoe? You can see that she adores you.”
Zoe smiled sadly. She loved it that Cookie acted like her dog, even though she wasn’t. She sighed. Cookie was going to have to learn to love somebody else. Gently, she lifted Cookie up, and put her on Becca’s mum’s lap.
Cookie froze, and sat motionless, her shoulders all hunched up under her ears. She looked round at Zoe worriedly, but she didn’t wriggle off. It was all right. Zoe was still there, very close. The lady stroked her ears, which was nice. She relaxed a little, and licked her hand.
“She’s a tiny bit shy, but she’s very loving,” Zoe said, trying not to mind someone else cuddling Cookie. She took a deep breath. “She’d be a brilliant pet. Any of them would.”
Cookie watched sadly, her ears flattening back, as they all got up. They were going, she could tell. She missed Zoe so much now that she didn’t stay all day the way she used to. Zoe had been here for longer today, but Cookie still hadn’t had her tea. Cookie liked it when Zoe brought her food, and sat with her while she ate. She always ate more when Zoe was there, because Zoe liked to see her eat, and she would tell her what a good dog she was, eating so nicely.
As Zoe was shutting the front of the pen, Cookie raced after her, scrabbling her claws against the wire netting and whining sadly.
“It’s OK,” Zoe whispered to her. “I’ll be back tomorrow
. I promise.”
Cookie didn’t know what that meant, but she understood Zoe’s comforting voice. She stopped whining, and just stood up against the wire, staring after the girls as they walked down the passageway between the pens. She watched until the doors swung shut, and she couldn’t see Zoe any more. Then she dropped down, and sadly padded over to their basket, her claws clicking against the worn lino on the floor.
Chapter Six
“Mum says we can make pancakes for after tea,” Becca told Zoe happily, as they took their coats off.
“I love pancakes,” Zoe said, trying to sound a bit more cheerful than she felt. It was a treat to go to Becca’s house, but she would have preferred to have stayed at the shelter with Cookie and the others for a bit longer. It would be rude to say that, though.
The girls curled up on the sofa and watched a film. Zoe was careful not to let herself think about how nice it would be if there were a little puppy snuggled up between them watching as well. But then, next time there might be. Becca’s dad was still outside fixing the fence. When they’d got back, he’d shown them the shiny new wire neatly running round the base of the old wooden fence. They’d taken him out a cup of tea, and a plate of biscuits, and he’d said gratefully that he thought he was nearly finished. It looked like their whole family was really committed to having a dog.
Becca had gone to get them both some juice, leaving Zoe watching the film – they’d both seen it before – and now she came running back in.
“Zoe! I’ve just been talking to Mum and Dad, and guess what!”
Zoe blinked at her in surprise.
“We’re going to ask your aunt if we can reserve one of the three puppies! Mum’s ringing her now! She’s arranging for them to come and do a home visit too!” Becca was dancing round the room in delight, and Zoe stared at her.
This was good news. One of the puppies was going to have a brilliant home, and be beautifully looked after. Zoe would even be able to keep on seeing whichever puppy they chose. She’d know what the puppies would look like when they were grown up, after all!
But what if they chose Cookie? the voice inside Zoe’s head niggled. Then Cookie would belong to someone else. She stopped herself. This was her best friend, Becca, they were talking about. Cookie would have a brilliant home.
“That’s wonderful,” she told Becca finally, swallowing back the lump in her throat. “Auntie Jo will be really pleased.”
“Oh, and Mum says tea’s ready,” Becca added.
Zoe nodded. That was good. After tea it would be time for her to go home, and she wouldn’t have to go on trying to be happy for Becca. She knew that she ought to be, but she wasn’t.
She was burningly, horribly jealous instead, and she felt terrible for it.
“We went out yesterday to that big pet shop over by the supermarket. Have you ever been there?”
Zoe shook her head.
“I hadn’t either. It’s enormous, and it sells everything! You’d love it, Zoe,” Becca burbled happily. “Your auntie emailed Mum a long list of stuff we’ll need, and we even got some things that weren’t on the list, just because they were so lovely! Lots of toys! The puppies loved playing with those toys they had in their pen at the shelter, didn’t they?”
Zoe nodded. “Yes,” she murmured quietly, burying her head as she got her pencilcase and book out of her bag.
“And we have to make sure that our puppy has lots to do, because they might be lonely without any others to play with. Although I’ll be there, of course. Zoe, are you OK?” Becca added. “You’re ever so quiet.”
“I’m fine.” Zoe tried to sound enthusiastic. “Did you get a rope toy? They really like that old bit of rope they’ve got.”
“Yes! A beautiful one. Much nicer than that ratty old bit they have now.”
Zoe sniffed, trying not to cry. But they like that ratty old bit of rope, she thought to herself. And what if Becca chooses Cookie? Zoe stopped herself. Whichever puppy Becca chose was going to be so lucky.
I’d be a good owner too, she said to herself miserably. I know so much about looking after dogs. I’ve fed those puppies, and cleaned up after them, and washed them when they got themselves covered in Weetabix…
“Did you hear me, Zoe?” Becca nudged her gently, and Zoe jumped.
“Um, no. Sorry. What?”
“I just said that we’re going to come to the shelter on Saturday, and choose the puppy, and then it can come home with us!”
“Oh!” So soon! Zoe swallowed hard. “That’s great,” she muttered. “Um, I really need the loo. Tell Mrs Allan, if she comes, OK?”
Zoe tried as hard as she could to be her usual self with Becca that week, but it was so, so difficult.
Becca clearly knew that something was wrong – she wasn’t stupid. Zoe kept avoiding her, and nipping off to change her library book instead of chatting with Becca and their other friends at lunch time. She spent the whole of one morning break hiding in the girls’ loos, after Becca started telling her about the gorgeous collars she’d seen on a pet website. They had little pawprint designs woven in to them, and space for a phone number, so that if the dog got lost it was easy for someone to call you. It had just made Zoe feel too upset. She’d had to tell Becca she felt sick when the bell went.
Zoe hated lying to her friend all of the time, but she didn’t want to admit how jealous and nasty she was really feeling.
By Friday, Becca had stopped telling her about all the things they were doing to get ready for the puppy. She almost wasn’t talking to Zoe at all. And at lunch she went off and played Chain-It with a group of other girls in their class, without even asking Zoe if she wanted to join in.
“See you tomorrow morning then,” she told Zoe, rather awkwardly, as they got their coats on at the end of the day.
Zoe nodded. “Yes. Bye, Becca.”
And that was that. No running out to the gate together. No promises to call later about homework. Becca just walked away, leaving Zoe fiddling with the zip on her jacket, and feeling totally miserable.
Kyra was waiting for her outside school as usual – the secondary school was just up the road from Zoe’s, and she usually got out later than Zoe did, but Zoe had taken ages that afternoon.
“Are you all right?” she asked. “You look really down.”
Zoe shrugged. “I’m sort of not talking to Becca,” she admitted. “It’s horrible.”
“Did you have a fight?” her sister asked sympathetically.
“No.” Zoe sighed. “It’s all my fault. You know the puppies at the shelter?”
Kyra laughed. “No, Zoe, it’s not as if you’ve ever talked about them at home.”
Zoe swung her schoolbag at her sister, making a face. But Kyra was always good at cheering her up. “She’s going to adopt one.”
Kyra smiled, and then looked confused. “But that’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Zoe said, in a small voice. “I just wish I could too, that’s all. I’m jealous… And worse than that, I’m worried that she might choose Cookie.”
“Oh, Zo…” Kyra hugged her. “Look, I haven’t met these puppies but I can see how much they mean to you. Why don’t we stop off at the shelter, so you can show me them?”
“But you hate dogs!” Zoe stared at her.
“I don’t hate them.” Kyra shrugged. “I think I’m getting better. One of my friends at school has got a really cute spaniel. I even let him sit on my lap on the sofa the other day.”
“Wow, Kyra! That’s great!” Zoe smiled. “Of course I’ll show you the puppies. You’re going to love them, ’specially Cookie – she’s gorgeous. I was going to ask Mum if she could take me over there later, but let’s go now.” She grabbed Kyra’s hand, and practically towed her down the road.
“All right, all right, keep your hair on!” Kyra grinned.
It didn’t take them long to walk across the park towards Redlands and soon they were turning into the driveway.
“I’ve brought Kyra to see the puppies!
” she told Auntie Jo, as they popped their heads round the office door.
Auntie Jo looked up from her computer. “Hi Kyra!” She grinned. “That’s great news.”
“Hi Auntie Jo.” Kyra smiled back. “I just thought I’d like to see them. Mum said they were really cute.”
“They are.” Auntie Jo nodded. “I’ll call your mum and tell her you’re both here. I can run you home in the car if you like.”
“That would be great,” said Zoe. “Come on, Kyra – they’re down here.” Zoe grabbed Kyra’s hand and pulled her down the corridor. “Don’t worry. I don’t think there are any really big dogs in the shelter at the moment,” she added, seeing her sister glancing cautiously into the pens.
“I just don’t like it when they jump against the wire,” Kyra murmured.
“Biscuit and Choc do jump up, but they’re really little,” Zoe promised. “Cookie won’t, not till she’s worked out who you are, she’s a bit shy.”
“OK. Oh, Zoe, are these them?” Kyra stopped in front of the puppies’ pen, smiling at them delightedly. They were all asleep, for once, flopped in a sort of puppy pile in their basket. The pile heaved and wriggled every so often, and as Zoe gently undid the front of the pen, it struggled apart and turned into three hairy, whiskery brown-and-white puppies who frisked happily around Zoe’s feet.
“Do you want me to bring one of the puppies out?” Zoe asked. “Then you could stroke just one – you wouldn’t have them jumping about.”
Kyra nodded, and Zoe picked Cookie up. Cookie nuzzled at her happily. She’d been hoping that Zoe would come soon. She looked around curiously as Zoe carried her out of the pen, leaving her two brothers behind, looking rather jealous. Cookie stared down at them, wagging her stubby little tail.
