by Susan Hughes
Megan’s parents were speaking to each other. Then Mr. Fernandez turned and said, “We would very much like to take Bijou home with us. We would like him to be our very own puppy, if it’s all right with you.”
Aunt Jenn smiled. “Very good,” she said. “You’ve answered all my questions already on the phone. It’s up to Grace, Maya, and Kat now.”
Megan looked down at Bijou. She stroked the puppy’s head. She was clearly uncomfortable.
Kat wanted to ask, “How can we give you a puppy when we don’t think you’re a nice person? Will you stop teasing me about Owen? Will you stop teasing Grace too?”
But she decided not to. Grace had told Kat that she wanted to work it out with Megan on her own. So Kat would leave it to Grace. This was her big chance. Now Megan could see how it felt when people were mean. Kat turned to Grace and nodded encouragingly.
Megan looked worried. She was biting her lip. She held Bijou close.
Grace fixed Megan in a stare. But all Grace said was, “Megan. Do you promise to be loving to Bijou? Do you promise to be kind?”
Megan kissed Bijou on the top of his little white head. She took a breath and looked right
into Grace’s eyes. Megan’s voice shook a little. “Yes, I’ll be loving. I’ll be kind. I promise.” She looked at Grace and Kat. “I know I’m not always the nicest person in the world. But I promise to be Bijou’s very best friend. I will take very, very good care of him.”
If Megan wasn’t teasing everyone all the time, Kat thought, I might even believe her. She sounds like she means it.
For a long moment, Grace and Megan just looked at each other.
Kat waited. What was Grace going to say? This was her chance to make Megan sorry for the way she had treated her.
But Grace didn’t say anything. And then Aunt Jenn was saying cheerfully, “All right then, Fernandez family. We’ll just leave you for a moment with Bijou. Kat, Grace, Maya, and I need to have a quick meeting. Then we’ll tell you our decision.”
Kat followed her two friends and Aunt Jenn into the hallway.
“So, what do you think, girls?” Aunt Jenn asked. She pumped her fist into the air once, twice. “Perfect, right?”
Maya nodded. “They get my vote,” she said.
“I think they will give our sweet little Bijou a good home,” agreed Aunt Jenn. “Kat? Grace? You two agree?”
Kat looked at Grace. But Grace was deep in thought.
“Grace?” Aunt Jenn asked.
Kat nudged Grace. “Go on,” she whispered. “Tell her.”
Grace shook her head.
“What is it?” Aunt Jenn asked. “Is there something I should know? Kat?”
Grace shook her head again at Kat, like a warning.
“No,” Grace said quickly. “There’s nothing. And yes.” Suddenly she smiled. “Yes, I think Megan and her family will give Bijou a good home.” She nodded. “And you do too, don’t you, Kat?”
Kat stared at her friend. “You’re sure?” she asked.
“Yup. I’m sure,” Grace said firmly. Kat was surprised. But it was up to Grace. And even though Grace didn’t always seem like the most self-confident girl in the world, Kat had confidence in her.
When they went back inside and told the Fernandez family the news, Kat saw Megan’s face light up.
“Thank you,” she said to Aunt Jenn and Maya.
Megan approached Kat and Grace. “Thank you,” she said to the two girls. “Very much.” She hugged Bijou close. Her voice was shaky again. “I never thought I’d be able to have my own puppy, especially one as sweet as Bijou.”
Kat sighed with relief. Bijou had a home and a best friend. And Megan actually seemed like she would take really good care of him.
Maybe this girl is different than she seems on the outside. Just like another girl I know, Kat thought, thinking of Grace. She grinned. And just like a sweet little bichon frise puppy I know, Kat thought, thinking, of course, of Bijou himself.
Maya, Grace, and Kat sat on the floor of Kat’s bedroom.
Grace was sticking photos of the bichon frise puppies into the Puppy Collection scrapbook. Kat was drawing a picture of them.
“How’s this?” Maya stuck the pencil behind her ear and read aloud: “Chantal, Aimée, and Bijou are bichon frises. They are two months old. Chantal and Aimée are sisters. They are lively and outgoing. They like to be together! Bijou is their brother. He likes to take his time getting to know people. He is quiet and very sweet.”
“Nice,” said Kat. “Just right.”
“So, which of you is going to tell me what was going on this afternoon?” Maya asked. She raised her eyebrows.
Kat looked at Grace.
“Go ahead,” Grace said, grinning.
So Kat told Maya the whole story. “That was your Megan?” Maya asked. “Megan from your class?” Maya’s mouth dropped open as she listened. She knew Megan had been mean to Kat, but she didn’t know Megan had been mean to Grace too.
“She’s so annoying,” said Maya, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you both agreed to give her Bijou! You could have told Aunt Jenn that Megan was mean. She’d never have given Bijou to her.”
Grace grinned. “Yeah, I know,” she agreed. “But I thought we should give her a chance. Not just judge her because of the way she is to us. She was able to see right through to the sweetness inside Bijou. I thought we should try to do the same for her. I have a feeling she’ll be wonderful with this puppy.”
“Maybe,” Maya said slowly. “Maybe you’re right.”
But Kat said firmly, “Well, I know you are. Good call, Grace.”
Grace began to blush. So Kat quickly said, “And now, you lucky, lucky friends, I have a special treat for you.” Her eyes twinkled. “Not only are you invited to have dinner with me tonight, but you also get one more joke for today!”
Maya rolled her eyes. “Oh no!”
Grace laughed. “Really. It’s not necessary,” she protested.
“It is absolutely no problem. I know how much you both like these,” Kat insisted. “Here goes: what kind of dog loves to take bubble baths?”
“No. No,” Maya said, groaning. “I refuse to listen.” She slapped her hands over her ears.
Grace giggled.
Kat tried to look offended. It was difficult when her mouth kept wanting to smile.
“Okay, okay, put us out of our misery,” said Maya. “What kind of dog loves to take bubble baths?”
“Why, a shampoodle, of course!” announced Kat.
“So, so bad!” moaned Maya.
“So, so, so bad!” groaned Grace.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Susan Hughes has written over thirty books—both fiction and nonfiction—for children of all ages, including Earth to Audrey, Island Horse, Four Seasons of Patrick, Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools around the World, and Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science. She is also a freelance editor and writing coach. Susan lives with her family in Toronto, Canada, in a house with a big red door—and wishes it could always be summer. You can visit her at susanhughes.ca.
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