Goldie Blox and the Best! Pet! Ever! (GoldieBlox)

by Stacy McAnulty

  “Did you miss that?” Zeek rubbed Ace’s victory in their faces. “Anyone who blinked missed it, really. You still have time to watch us in the obedience competition.”

  Zeek called Ace over, and they walked toward the gym.

  “I don’t want to watch,” Goldie moaned. “But I also want to watch.”

  “Let’s go,” Ruby said. “I like to size up the competition.”

  The Gearheads, including Nacho, took a seat on the bleachers. Zeek and Ace stood in the middle of the gymnasium. A list of the commands was written on a board.

  Zeek spoke. Ace obeyed. They got another perfect score. Some people in the stands even threw flowers at their feet.

  “Good for them,” Goldie said, trying to mean it.

  “Ace is perfect,” Val said, nibbling leftover waffles. “Even his name is perfect. Ace aces everything.”

  Zeek looked over at the Gearheads and gave them a little wave.

  “It’s almost Nacho’s turn. We should head to the obstacle course,” Goldie said. She wanted to get out of there before Zeek tried to taunt them even more. But as they hurried down the bleachers, they were stopped by Butler Phone.

  “I have a message from Master Zeek,” it said. Then Butler Phone played a recorded memo. “Hello, Goldie and her loser friends. I’ve been thinking about a name for the animal shelter. I can’t decide between Useless and Pathetic. I mean, why would anyone adopt a disgusting animal when they could have a pet like Ace?”

  “Message received,” Ruby said. “Now go away.”

  “But there’s more,” Butler Phone said, and he continued playing the memo. “Maybe instead of naming the shelter, I’ll just close it down. They’ll let me do that. My dad is the mayor. We’ll be one step closer to a clean, smart, animal-free Bloxtown.”

  “Can you record a message from us?” asked Ruby, grabbing the hovering phone.

  “Don’t hurt me,” Butler Phone squealed.

  “It’s okay, Rubes,” Goldie said. “Let it go. We can still win.”

  “Fine.” Ruby let go of the phone, and it flew off toward its owner.

  Goldie led them down the bleachers, out of the gym, through the crowded hall, and to the check-in table. Nacho happily followed because Val had a pocket full of waffle pieces that she kept dropping.

  As they stood in line, Goldie grabbed Li’s arm and pulled him aside.

  “I don’t know if Nacho can beat Ace, the wonder robot dog.” Goldie wanted Li to be ready in case the worst happened.

  “I know, G. It’s like asking a horse to beat a car or a bird to beat a plane. He’ll do his best.” Li took a deep breath. “And I know my mom would have been proud of both Nacho and you. He’s a good dog, and you’re a good friend. The best.”

  Goldie slugged him in the arm. “Don’t get all mushy on me, Li Gravity. At least, not yet. You can save it for the end when we win this thing.”

  “But you just said—”

  “Whatever. Don’t distract me.”

  “Okay.”

  “Nacho is going to do great in the obstacle course,” Goldie said.

  “How?”

  Goldie pulled her idea notebook from her pocket and a pencil from her hair. “I can engineer that!”

  After drawing up her plans, Goldie explained her idea to the Gearheads.

  “We don’t have much time. Val, I need you to snap a photo of the waffles you’re eating.”

  “There’s not much left, but okay,” Val said.

  “Ruby,” Goldie continued, “can you turn your minicomputer into a hologram machine? You only have about five minutes.”

  “I only need two,” said Ruby, pulling out her computer and getting to work.

  “Li, I need to get over the obstacle course. Nacho’s helicopter helmet can’t lift me. So I came up with this.” Goldie showed Li her design with ropes, levers, and pulleys. “I just need something to attach it to.”

  “The flagpole,” Li suggested.

  “I bet they have most of what we need in the storage closet.” Goldie smiled. “And I promise we’ll put it all back when we’re done.”

  Li ran to get supplies. Val took a picture with her cell phone and uploaded it to Ruby’s computer. Ruby projected a hologram of a waffle with butter, syrup, and sprinkles.

  “I added the toppings,” she explained. “I thought Nacho might like it.”

  “I think he does.” Goldie pointed at Nacho, who was licking his lips.

  “Will Nacho Blox report to the starting line,” a voice boomed over the loudspeaker.

  Val and Ruby took Nacho. Goldie borrowed the minicomputer and went to find Li, who was putting the finishing touches on the contraption.

  “I didn’t have time to test it,” he warned her.

  “No sweat.” Goldie got into the harness. Li pulled the rope, and Goldie flew over the obstacle course.

  “Ready!” she shouted to Ruby and Val.

  “On your mark, get set, go!” said the judge.

  Goldie turned on the minicomputer and the waffle hologram. She projected the image onto the obstacle course. Nacho ran straight for it.

  “It’s working!”

  Li moved Goldie. Goldie moved the hologram. And Nacho raced through the obstacle course, finishing with the second-best time of the day.

  Ruby and Val met him at the finish line. Val gave him a real waffle.

  “Way to go, Nacho!” Goldie cheered.

  Li helped her down. She high-fived him.

  “We still have a chance,” she said.

  Next up was the obedience competition. Li and Goldie joined Val, Ruby, and Nacho outside.

  “Do you have a plan?” Val asked.

  “Absolutely.” Goldie pulled out her notebook. “We’re going to make some changes to Ruby’s tuxedo.”

  “We are?” Ruby asked. “You’re not talking about adding polka dots, right? Because polka dots are out this season.”

  “Nope,” Goldie said as Val pulled the tux from a bag. “I want you to add some vibrating buttons.” Goldie marked the spots where she wanted the buttons sewn in.

  “And we need to work them remotely,” she continued.

  “On it!” Li said.

  They got to work and had the new and improved outfit ready in no time.

  Val picked up the tuxedo. “Is it going to give Nacho a massage?”

  “Nope. It’s going to tickle him. I call it the Tickle Tux.” Goldie pointed to one of the hidden buttons. “You see—”

  “G, you don’t have time to explain. Nacho is up,” Li said.

  Ruby helped the dog get dressed and then Goldie and Nacho ran to the center of the gym. The crowd giggled at the well-dressed pooch.

  The judge told them to perform the commands written on the whiteboard.

  “You ready, Nacho?” Goldie whispered to her dog. He looked up at her with his big eyes. She knew he’d do his best.

  “Sit, Nacho.” And he did. That was the one command he knew well.

  “Stay, Nacho.” She held up her hand and walked away. He started to follow, so she said it again. This time he stayed.

  “Good dog! Now speak!”

  Nacho didn’t move. Goldie nodded at Li. It was time for the Tickle Tux to help out. Li flipped a switch that made the hidden button sewn into the bow tie vibrate.

  Nacho barked.

  “Good dog!” Goldie stepped closer and rubbed his fluffy head. Then she told him to lie down, and Li used the remote to activate the buttons on the belly of the tux. Nacho dropped to the floor.

  It’s working, Goldie thought.

  Nacho finished the contest. He did all the commands. Some took two or three tries. But eventually, he got them.

  “Well done,” one of the judges said. “And I like Nacho’s tuxedo. Very handsome.”

  “It wasn’t just for looks,” Goldie admitted. “We sewed in tickle buttons to help him learn his commands. Hope that’s okay.”

  “It’s genius,” the judge said. “And well within the rules.”

  �
�Thanks.”

  The Gearheads waited patiently for Nacho’s score. They watched another judge write it on a piece of paper and raise it over her head.

  “I’m so nervous. I can’t look.” Val put her hands over her eyes.

  “You can look,” Ruby said. “He got a nine!”

  “That’s the third-highest score behind Zeek and a parrot!” Li cried.

  “And our best is yet to come,” Goldie said.

  “What’s Nacho doing for his talent?” Val asked. “Eating? Napping? Slobbering?”

  “He’s good at all those things.” Goldie laughed. “But he’s going to do what he does best. Help me.”

  Suddenly, Zeek shoved his way into their circle. “Not bad for a simple dog,” he said. “But you still aren’t going to win.”

  Goldie wasn’t certain, but she thought Zeek sounded a bit nervous.

  “We’ll just have to wait and see,” she said.

  “You better hurry. Nacho is onstage next,” Zeek said. “I needed to recharge Ace, so I had the judges change the order. Good luck. But I don’t mean that.”

  An announcement came over the loudspeaker. “Nacho Blox, report to the main stage now!”

  Goldie and Nacho ran to the theater and onto the stage. The rest of the Gearheads sat in the second row, right behind the three judges.

  “I need two seconds,” Goldie explained. She dragged a table to the center and laid out broken odds and ends on top of it. Then she put her toolbox near the stage door.

  “How about some music, Rubes,” Goldie called to her friend.

  “You got it.” Ruby used her minicomputer to fill the room with rock music.

  Goldie picked up a belt and a wheel. Then she looked at her dog.

  “Screwdriver,” she said.

  Nacho bolted across the stage to the toolbox. He pulled out a red-handled screwdriver and brought it back to Goldie.

  “Thanks,” she said, wiping off his slobber. “Hammer.”

  Nacho found the hammer and delivered it to Goldie. They did this again and again as the music thumped. Goldie tinkered, and Nacho fetched tools. The crowd watched with their heads bobbing along to the music.

  “One last adjustment,” Goldie said. She sent Nacho for a wrench and more nuts and screws. She tightened a final bolt.

  “And voilà!” she said, setting the invention in the front of the stage and nodding for Ruby to cut the music.

  The crowd murmured, and Goldie knew they weren’t sure what exactly they were looking at.

  “It’s a Treadaffler!” she explained. “It’s a waffle maker powered by a treadmill.”

  Goldie poured some waffle batter into the back of the contraption. “You can make waffles when the power goes out or while camping. My dog, Nacho, will demonstrate.”

  Goldie pointed to the platform, and Nacho jumped on. He started to jog, and the machine lit up.

  “It takes about three minutes,” Goldie said. “Keep going, boy.”

  Nacho ran for three minutes. His tongue hung out of his month. The Treadaffler rang and a waffle flew out like a Frisbee. Nacho caught it in his jaws. He hopped off the Treadaffler and began to munch.

  Everyone clapped and jumped to their feet. Goldie looked at the judges. They held up three scorecards: 10! 10! 10!

  Goldie and Nacho bowed. Then they joined the Gearheads in the audience.

  “That was great,” Val said, hugging Goldie and kissing the top of Nacho’s head.

  “Look!” Li pointed at the scoreboard. “Nacho’s in the lead.”

  “Yeah,” Ruby said. “But Zeek and Ace still have to perform.”

  “And that parrot,” Val added.

  “Well, Nacho did his best. We’ll just wait and see.” Goldie smiled. “Or we could go wish Zeek good luck.”

  They found Ace and Zeek standing by the stage steps. Butler Phone hovered nearby.

  “Break a leg, Ace,” Goldie said. She didn’t actually mean for the robot to get hurt.

  “What is Ace doing for a talent?” Li asked.

  “He’s winning, that’s what he’s doing.” Zeek’s face was red and sweaty.

  “Ace will be reciting Shakespeare,” Butler Phone answered.

  “No!” Zeek snapped. “That’s what he was going to do. We’ve got something even better.”

  “We do, Master Zeek?”

  Zeek turned his back on the Gearheads and whispered to Butler Phone. Goldie slid closer so she could hear.

  “We need something grand and legendary. Crack the code! Find out the hardest thing that Ace can do.”

  “Yes, Master Zeek.”

  A judge called Ace onto the stage. Zeek looked over his shoulder at Goldie. “Be ready to lose.”

  Ace and Zeek walked to the center of the stage. The audience and judges leaned forward in their seats. Butler Phone stayed in the shadows.

  Li rocked back and forth on his feet. Goldie had never seen her friend nervous before. Not even when they’d invented the world’s largest skateboard ramp. She wanted to tell him that it would be okay, but she didn’t know that for sure.

  The robot dog sat. Zeek stood.

  “You may begin,” a judge said.

  “Um,” Zeek muttered. Then he turned to Butler Phone and gave a mean stare.

  “Your master looks mad,” Goldie said.

  “Oh dear,” Butler Phone said. “I’ve almost got it.” The phone screen flashed with code.

  “We’re not exactly rooting for you,” Val said.

  “Got it!” Butler Phone flew out onto the stage and whispered in Zeek’s ear.

  An evil smile spread across Zeek’s face. He looked down at his robot dog.

  “Ace, begin Operation Wipeout!”

  Ace’s eyes changed from a green glow to red. He stood up and started barking and snarling. Zeek stepped away from his robot pet.

  “What’s happening?” Goldie asked. “Ace is going crazy.”

  “I don’t know,” Ruby said. “I’ll try to find out.” She tapped on her minicomputer.

  Ace jumped off the stage and chased down the other animals. Then he ran after the judges and the audience. Every person and pet jumped to their feet and started to run.

  “Bad robot dog!” Zeek yelled.

  Ace turned and locked his eyes on Zeek.

  “We have to help.” Goldie raced toward Zeek, but Ace had him cornered.

  “Butler Phone, turn Ace off!” Zeek yelled.

  “I don’t know how, sir.” Butler Phone flew toward the exit. “But as soon as I’m safely outside, I’ll begin researching that.”

  “Do something, please!” Zeek begged Goldie and her friends. They were the only ones who hadn’t run off.

  “Ace, sit!” Goldie said. She knew the robot dog was usually very good with commands.

  But Ace didn’t sit. Instead, he swung his head and growled at her.

  “Ruby, have you found anything?” Li asked.

  “You better hurry,” Val said. “Before Goldie becomes a robot chew toy.”

  “This is all I found.” Ruby read from her minicomputer. “ ‘Operation Wipeout is a command used to evacuate a building in case of an emergency.’ Ace is just trying to get everyone to safety.”

  “But how do we shut him down?” Goldie asked. She stood still, trying not to draw any more attention from Ace.

  “We just have to say the secret command,” Ruby explained. “Which I’m trying to find. They don’t just post secret commands online.”

  “Maybe he has an OFF button,” Goldie said. “If we can just get close enough.”

  “If you get any closer, he might bite your leg off,” Val warned.

  “Good point.”

  “I have an idea.” Li grabbed his hoverboard and rode it in front of Ace. The robot dog snapped its powerful jaws but missed.

  “Is your idea to get eaten?” Val yelled.

  Nacho whimpered and shook.

  Ace chased Li on the hoverboard. That gave Zeek a chance to escape.

  “See ya,” he said as
he ran out.

  Ruby continued searching for the secret OFF command. Goldie grabbed a hoop, a broom, a mop, and a tutu and engineered a giant telescoping net.

  “Look for the OFF button. There has to be one.” Goldie handed Val a pair of binoculars.

  “Li,” Goldie called out. “Get him back onstage.” She held out her net, ready to capture the robot dog.

  “I’m heading your way!” Li yelled to Goldie.

  He zoomed across the stage. Ace followed close behind. Goldie ejected her net, but she missed. Ace turned and growled. His metal teeth gleamed under the lights.

  Goldie stepped back and tried to reload her net. Ace moved in her direction.

  Out of nowhere, Nacho leaped between them. He barked like a mad dog. He was louder and angrier than Goldie had ever heard him. But Ace kept moving toward him and Goldie.

  Goldie put a hand on Nacho’s head. She needed to say something before they were both destroyed by a crazed robot. She didn’t have much time.

  “Nacho,” she began, her breath catching. “What would I do without you? You’re such a good dog.” And just like that, Ace stopped snarling and sat.

  Operation Wipeout was over.

  “What happened?” Goldie asked.

  “You did it!” Ruby joined Goldie onstage and read from her minicomputer. “ ‘Say ‘good dog’ to stop Operation Wipeout.’ ”

  Ace wagged his tail. His red eyes changed back to green.

  “Seems harmless now,” Val said with a nervous laugh. “But I think I’ll still turn him off.” She flipped the switch on the robot’s belly.

  “There’s only one good dog here.” Goldie squeezed Nacho as tight as she could.

  The judges decided to continue the pageant even after Ace chased away most of the contestants. Goldie, Nacho, and the Gearheads waited outside as the final pets finished. They watched as Zeek tried to get Butler Phone to enter as a pet.

  “It’s not too late,” Zeek said.

  “Master Zeek, I keep telling you. I’m not a pet. I’m state-of-the-art technology.” Butler Phone hovered just out of Zeek’s reach.