by Lisa Yee
* * *
It was almost dark, but no one had bothered to turn on the lights. Instead, Bobby and his sisters and father sat on the couch and stared straight ahead. The nebulizer was off now, and Bobby was breathing normally. Yet he didn’t feel normal — he felt numb.
“What are you all doing just sitting here in the dark?” Mrs. Ellis-Chan asked. She set down her briefcase and flipped on the light switch.
“Rover died,” Mr. Ellis-Chan said.
“Casey killed him,” Bobby added.
“She didn’t do it on purpose,” Annie explained. “She was trying to give him a bath.”
“I’m a bad girl,” Casey said. Her lower lip trembled and her normally sparkly eyes were flat. She began to cry.
Mrs. Ellis-Chan rushed over and embraced her. “Oh, honey, you aren’t a bad girl. You were trying to help.”
“What about me?” Bobby said, rising. “Doesn’t anyone care about me? I’m the one who lost Rover.”
He ran up to his room before anyone could stop him.
Diver Dave swam up and down, up and down as if looking for his friend. “Rover’s gone,” Bobby said to him sadly. “He’s not coming back.”
Bobby crawled into bed without bothering to change his clothes. He pulled the blankets up over himself and held on tight to Mr. Huggums.
* * *
“Bobby? Bobby, wake up.” It was his mother. She was sitting on the side of his bed. Bobby’s pillow was wet. “Honey, how about some dinner?”
Bobby couldn’t even think about food, but he sat up and let his mother hug him.
“I am so sorry,” she said softly. “Rover was really special.”
“He was the best pet ever.”
“Yes, we all loved Rover and …”
“Can we please talk about something else?” Bobby begged. “Anything but Rover.”
They sat in silence. Finally, his mom asked, “How was your speech?”
“Casey’s Princess Becky underpants were stuck to my shirt.”
“Static cling?”
Bobby nodded. He wondered if you could have the worst day of your life twice in one day. “Holly’s the student council rep.”
“Well, you ran a good campaign, Bobby,” Mrs. Ellis-Chan consoled him. “I’m sorry you lost.”
“I didn’t lose, I won. I mean, I got what I wanted,” he tried to explain. “There was a tie. But I knew that Holly would be a much better rep than me, so I let her have it.”
“Oh, Bobby,” his mother said, kissing him on the top of the head. “I am so proud of you. Rover would be too.” She hesitated. “I know I’m not supposed to talk about him, but would you like to have a funeral for Rover?”
* * *
His family was waiting in the backyard under the avocado tree when Bobby finally joined them. He was still wearing Chess’s funeral suit. When Casey saw him, she hid behind her father.
Bobby knelt down so they were the same height. “It’s okay, Casey.” Her eyes were red and puffy like his. “I know you were trying to do something nice,” he assured her. “It was an accident.”
“It was an accident,” Casey repeated. She looked like she would burst into tears again. Bobby reached out and gave her a hug. At first she was stiff, but then she hugged him back, and both didn’t let go for a long time.
Mr. Ellis-Chan handed his son a shoebox with sparkles and hearts all over it. Bobby knew Rover was inside. “Casey decorated it,” he explained. “Would you like to say a few words?”
As Bobby gently cradled the box in his hands, Annie took off her helmet and held it against her heart.
“Rover was the best pet a boy could ever have,” Bobby said. Through his tears, it looked like his family was swimming. “I will miss him every day. I love you, Rover, and I’ll never forget you.”
Everyone was crying.
“I would like some time alone with Rover before we bury him,” Bobby said.
* * *
Bobby couldn’t tell how long he had been outside when the screen door slammed. Casey came toward him, wearing her nightgown. “Here.” She handed Wandee to Bobby.
“Where did you find it?” Bobby asked.
“Under your bed where you hide it.”
Bobby looked at the wand. “Don’t you want to keep Wandee, Casey? I know how much it means to you.”
Casey patted his arm. “I just pretended with Wandee. But with Rover, Wandee really was magical. It should be with him.”
“Thank you, Casey.” Bobby put the wand on top of the box. “Good-bye, Rover,” he said. Then Bobby buried Wandee and his fish in the backyard under the stars.
The next day after school, Holly came to Bobby’s house with a bouquet of daisies. “Your mom told my mom what happened,” she said.
“You should have seen everything Rover could do,” Bobby told her as they stood over Rover’s grave. Bobby had written on a piece of wood:
Holly gently placed the flowers next to the marker. “I’m so sorry, Bobby,” she whispered. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Mom and Dad said they’d get me a new fish,” Bobby said as they stared at the daisies. “But I don’t want another fish. He was my friend, and you can’t just go around replacing friends.”
Holly nodded in agreement.
The rest of the week slogged by in a haze. Some of the boys still weren’t talking to Bobby because of the election, but he hardly noticed. Chess invited him over several times, but Bobby didn’t think he could stand seeing Chess and Wilbur playing together.
At home, Bobby mostly stayed in his room. In class, he stared out the window. At recess, he stood off to the side by himself as he watched the boys play handball and the girls roaming in their wolf packs.
“Is that all right with you, Bobby?”
Huh? What had Mrs. Carlson just said?
“Bobby, is that all right?” Mrs. Carlson asked again. She was looking at him like she expected him to say something.
“Um, sure,” he said, even though he wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to.
Mrs. Carlson held up a paper. “ ‘Rover, the Best Pet Ever,’ by Bobby Ellis-Chan,” she said aloud.
She was reading Bobby’s poem to the entire class? The poem he wrote for creative writing? His private, personal poem? Mrs. Carlson was the only one who was supposed to see it.
No one spoke. No one moved. The silence pushed Bobby farther down into his seat. Right as he was about to hit the floor, an appreciative murmur ran through the class.
Bobby looked up. Mrs. Carlson was holding his poem aloft. It featured a drawing of Rover with wings. Rover was flying through the clouds and smiling as he looked down at the Ellis-Chan house.
St. James leaned toward him. “Bobby, that’s a really good picture,” he whispered. “You should go pro, like draw comics or something.”
Bobby smiled at the thought of it. His heroes, he decided, wouldn’t have names like Captain Marvelous and Super Hero Guy. They’d have the names Rover and Bobby.
Someone was trying to muffle the sound of sobbing. When Bobby glanced over at Jillian Zarr, she was staring straight ahead with her hands folded, but there was a tear running down her cheek.
“Has anyone else had a pet who died?” Mrs. Carlson asked the class.
Several kids raised their hands, and so did Mrs. Carlson. As they talked about their pets, Bobby felt happy and sad. He was glad his teacher had read his poem. Rover would have liked that.
At recess, Jillian Zarr tapped Bobby on the shoulder. “I had a lovebird named Rosalie who died last year,” she said softly. “That was a really good poem.”
“Thank you —” Bobby started to say.
But Jillian Zarr cut him off. “Your shirt’s on backward and inside out again, Bobby. Are you so dumb you don’t know how to dress yourself?”
* * *
On Saturday, Bobby found an envelope with his name on it next to a plate of hot cinnamon rolls. He picked one up and bit in. The outside of the roll was flaky, and the inside was light and buttery
, while the frosting tasted sweet and crunchy with a hint of something familiar Bobby couldn’t quite peg. He licked his fingers and opened the envelope.
There was no signature.
Bobby studied the note. He didn’t recognize the writing. Was it from his father or Annie? No, they were at football practice. Chess would just come over instead of leaving a note. What if it was from Jillian Zarr and she was going to slime him with a bucket of bugs? Bobby shuddered at the thought of it. Still, he was curious.
It was possible that the note was from a spy, or maybe a millionaire. One time he saw a TV show about a millionaire who gave money to strangers. This was an exciting thought. He could use a million dollars. “Mom!” Bobby called out. “What time is Casey’s dance lesson?”
“Ten thirty,” Mrs. Ellis-Chan yelled over Princess Becky’s Planet.
“Can you take me somewhere while Casey’s in class?”
* * *
With Casey prancing around in her Petite Princess ballet class, Mrs. Ellis-Chan and Bobby walked to the corner of Fair Oaks and Mission. They passed van Straaten’s Sports Closet, the Dinosaur Farm Toy Store, and the Bow Wow Pet Shop.
“Who are we meeting?” his mother asked.
“It’s a surprise,” Bobby answered.
“Oh! Surprises are nice.”
Bobby hoped she was right.
They were standing in front of Yo Cup o’ Joe when Holly and her mother strolled past. “Hi, Bobby!” Holly said cheerfully. “What are you doing here?”
“Nothing,” Bobby answered.
“Have you been rock hunting lately?”
“Nope,” Bobby said. He wished she’d leave. The millionaire might not show up if there were too many people around. Or if he did, Bobby might have to split the money with Holly. He had already decided to buy a donut machine or two, and maybe a skate park, and a new blue yo-yo.
Holly turned to the moms, who were busy chatting about their book club. “Is it okay if Bobby and I go next door?”
Mrs. Harper nodded. Mrs. Ellis-Chan added, “We’ll grab a cup of coffee and meet you there.”
Holly started toward the Bow Wow Pet Shop. Bobby hesitated. The last place he wanted to go was a pet store. Besides, he was supposed to meet the mystery millionaire. “I can’t go,” he said, looking around. “I’m meeting someone.”
“I know.” Holly laughed. “I wrote the note!”
“You?” Bobby sputtered. “Why?”
“Because you wouldn’t go with me to the pet store if I just asked you to.”
“Well, I’m not going now.” Bobby crossed his arms.
“Don’t be silly. I’m getting something for myself, not you,” Holly said, fixing her you’d-better-do-what-I-say look on him. “Come with me, Bobby. Please.”
Bobby knew there was no arguing with Holly.
* * *
Inside the store, Mr. Ed smiled. “Hi, Holly! How’s your lizard?”
“Fine, Mr. Ed,” she said. “Lulu got loose last week, but my dad found her in one of his shoes.”
“And, Bobby, how’s Rover?” Mr. Ed asked.
“He died,” Bobby said softly.
“I am so sorry,” the pet store owner said. Bobby could tell that he really was.
“We’re here to get a goldfish,” Holly announced.
“What?” Bobby gasped. “I told you I didn’t want a new fish!”
“It’s not for you,” Holly said. “It’s for me.” She looked at Mr. Ed and explained, “Bobby trained Rover to do all sorts of neat tricks. I want a goldfish that can do that too.”
“Follow me!” Mr. Ed said, striding past the puppies and into the fish section of the store.
As Holly and Mr. Ed looked at goldfish, Bobby hung back in the bird aisle. He couldn’t bear to look at the puppies or the fish.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Holly, beaming. “This is Beatrice!” she announced. Holly held up a plastic bag. Inside was a goldfish slightly bigger than Rover. She was white with orange marks.
Bobby choked up. Beatrice was beautiful.
Just then, Mrs. Harper and Mrs. Ellis-Chan came into the store carrying giant cups of coffee. “Mom, look at my fish!” Holly gushed.
Mrs. Harper shook her head. “Holly, honey, you should have asked first.”
The smile slipped off Holly’s face. “But I can keep Beatrice, right? She doesn’t cost that much. I have the money.”
“Holly,” her mother said in measured tones. “We’d need an aquarium, and those are expensive.”
Bobby looked up. He had an empty aquarium. He could give it to Holly — but the thought pained him.
Holly was on the verge of tears. “But, Mommmm, I can’t give Beatrice back. She’d be so sad. I’d be so sad.”
“I know, sweetheart, but —”
Bobby coughed loudly. “Excuse me!” Everyone turned toward him. Bobby took a deep breath. “What if Holly kept Beatrice at my house? She could live in my aquarium, and Holly could visit her whenever she wanted.”
“Really, Bobby?” Holly squeaked. “Pleeeease,” she begged her mom.
“Well,” Mrs. Harper mused. Holly and Bobby both crossed their fingers. “I don’t see why not. If that’s okay with the Ellis-Chans.”
Bobby and his mother nodded.
“Shall I ring Beatrice up?” Mr. Ed asked.
“No!” Bobby shouted. “Wait. No, not yet.” He took another deep breath. “I may want to get a goldfish too,” he said, surprising everyone, even himself. “That way Beatrice would have a friend to play with and would never be lonely.”
Holly stood by as Bobby took in all of the goldfish in the big aquarium. In one corner, all by itself, was an orange one with brown spots on his stomach. He seemed to be looking back at Bobby.
“That one,” Bobby told Mr. Ed.
As Mr. Ed scooped him up and put him in the bag with Beatrice, he asked, “Bobby, does he have a name?”
“Koloff,” Bobby said. “His name is Koloff.”
Holly turned to Bobby. “That’s a great name.”
“Thank you,” he told her. “And thanks for bringing me here. For Beatrice and Koloff, and for the cinnamon rolls too.”
“Cinnamon rolls?” Holly asked. “What cinnamon rolls?”
WAKE UP!”
Someone was screaming and bashing Bobby over the head with a wand. “Bob-beeeeee, wake up!”
Slowly, Bobby rose up on the bed with a blanket over his head. “I am the ghost of Da-Da-Doo, and I’m going to eat you,” he said in his deepest, scariest voice. “Prepare for your doom!”
Casey gasped, then ran screaming down the hall.
Bobby was still laughing as he peeled off his pajamas and put on his jeans. “Well, hello, you two,” he said to Beatrice and Koloff. He pulled a static-y sock off the front of his shirt.
“Hey, Squirt,” Annie yelled up the stairs. “Get your sorry self to breakfast, NOW!”
“I gotta go,” Bobby told them. “But this afternoon we’ll start on Rover’s famous zig and zag. Meanwhile, practice on your own, okay?”
* * *
Bobby sat down and looked at his breakfast — burnt bacon, or maybe it was sausage, and scrambled eggs, or maybe they were potatoes. It was hard to tell. Just then, his dad set a large platter down in the middle of the table.
“Dad, you make the best cinnamon rolls,” Bobby said as he reached for one. Annie nodded. Even she couldn’t stay grumpy when eating one of The Freezer’s cinnamon rolls.
“The frosting’s my favorite part,” Mrs. Ellis-Chan noted as she licked her fingers. “How did you get it smooth and crunchy and sweet?”
“Butter toffee peanuts,” Mr. Ellis-Chan answered. He poured more milk for Casey and gave her another straw, so now she had four in her glass.
“Butter toffee peanuts?” Annie exclaimed. “The ones from my football fund-raiser?”
He nodded. “Well, I did buy that whole case. I crushed them up and mixed them in with the frosting.”
“Dad, forget footbal
l,” Bobby said between bites. “You’re going to be famous for your cinnamon rolls!”
* * *
After breakfast, Bobby headed toward school. Holly looked surprised when she opened her door. “Do you want to walk with me?” he asked.
Holly lit up. “Sure, I do!”
Both smiled, and then they high-fived with their right hands, high-fived with their left hands, stuck their thumbs in their ears, and wiggled their fingers. “Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!” Bobby and Holly yelled in unison.
“How’s Beatrice today?” Holly asked as they started down the street.
“Great,” Bobby said. “She’s getting really good at flips, and Koloff can almost swim in a circle.”
“I’ll come by tonight after I do my homework,” Holly told him. “Will you tell me what I miss in Mrs. Carlson’s class this morning? I have a student council meeting.”
“Sure,” Bobby answered. “If you save me a donut.”
“It’s a deal!” Holly exclaimed. She was wearing a new dress. “Hey, did you know that Mrs. Carlson is assigning roles for the class musical today?”
Bobby nodded. “I hope I won’t have to sing or dance,” he moaned.
“Why? I think it’ll be fun.”
They quickened their pace when they neared the house with the scary cat.
“Fun?” Bobby asked, as soon as they were safe. “Sure, if you consider torture fun.”
The two friends were so busy talking they hardly noticed the Parting Place just up ahead. As they approached, both grew silent. Then, without saying a word, Bobby and Holly kept right on going, together.
Keep reading for a sneak peek of Bobby’s next adventure in Bobby the Brave (Sometimes)!
DUCK!!!”
Bobby Ellis-Chan flung himself to the ground just in time. One second later and he could have been hit or even killed. Or at the very least, he might have lost an eye. There was no telling how fast that football was going.
“Son, are you okay?” a deep voice boomed.
As he rolled over and squinted up, Bobby could make out a giant silhouette looming over him. His dad was so big that he blocked the sun.
