Piper Morgan to the Rescue

by Stephanie Faris

  “Who?” Miss Pamela asked when she got to me. “Are you okay, Piper?”

  I didn’t answer that. I just pointed at the empty cage.

  “Taffy’s gone!” I yelled.

  “Oh.” Miss Pamela put her hand on her chest like she was able to breathe again. “I thought something was really wrong.”

  “Something is wrong. Taffy’s gone!” I said again, because she must not have been able to hear me. “She’s gone! It’s a huge emergency.”

  That was when Miss Pamela’s face changed. “Taffy found a new home,” Miss Pamela said gently. “It’s great news.”

  No. It wasn’t. Taffy was supposed to find my home.

  “You were attached to Taffy, weren’t you?” Miss Pamela said softly. She looked at the cage, thought a minute, and then turned back to me. “I used to get attached to the animals here too, and it was really hard. Almost every dog and cat you see here will leave us. That’s the goal. We want to get them out of these cages and into a good home. Understand?”

  “But I want them to come to my home,” I said. “We wanted to take Taffy to stay with us.”

  Tears were coming to my eyes now, and Miss Pamela’s face got even softer. I probably should have told her that Mom and I were only going to borrow Taffy and Mom might not have even let me keep her. She probably wouldn’t. This was the better thing for Taffy, but it wasn’t the better thing for me.

  “I didn’t know you wanted to adopt a pet,” Miss Pamela said. “We can find you a great pet. The perfect pet for you and your mom. We’ll just decide what you want and we’ll look around.”

  “Pamela?” Mom called from the front. “Mr. Sheridan is here to see you.”

  “Mr. Sheridan!” Miss Pamela said. She looked down at me. “He’s Taffy’s new owner. Do you want to meet him?”

  I wanted to shake my head no. It would just make me sad. But maybe the new owner would see how sad I was and decide to bring Taffy back. Or maybe . . .

  Maybe . . .

  Maybe he was bringing Taffy back!

  “Okay,” I said. Miss Pamela was holding her hand out and I took it. She led me out to the lobby, where an older man was waiting.

  Hey! I knew that old man. He was Shelby’s grandfather!

  “I remember this young lady,” the man Shelby had called Grandpop said. “This is exactly whom I came here to see.”

  The grandfather had a big, smiley face. Big, smiley faces brought big, smiley news. Like that they were bringing puppies back to see you.

  “I wanted to thank you for showing us Taffy,” he said. “She has made Shelby so happy. You see, Shelby’s been really sad lately because she lost her best friend.”

  “Lost her?” I asked. “Like a lost dog?”

  The old man laughed. “No, like a friend who says she doesn’t want to be your best friend anymore.”

  Oh. I knew how that felt. I was always trying to ask people to be my best friend and it was really hard. Since leaving home, I’d only had one real best friend—at the circus—and I’d had to leave her.

  “It’s hard to find best friends,” I said.

  “But Taffy is helping Shelby feel not as lonely,” Shelby’s grandfather said. “So, thank you.”

  The grandfather turned toward the counter and started to say something to Mom, who was standing behind it. But then he turned back to me, and for just a second, I thought he might tell me I could keep Taffy, after all. As a gift. For being such a nice helper.

  Instead he said, “I just thought of something. Why don’t you come over for a sleepover? You can hang out with Taffy and get to know Shelby a little better.”

  Hang out with Taffy? And a sleepover? This day had just gotten bunches better.

  Fur Fact #8

  Best friends are great, but animals can be even better. Dogs are the best best friends of all. Here are a few reasons why:

  #1 If anyone ever comes to your door, your dog will protect you and bark at the person. Even if the person is just selling cookies or delivering packages.

  #2 Dogs are always there for you. They’ll hang out with you on a Saturday and watch movies or sit beside you while you read.

  #3 Dogs are always happy to see you come home, even if you’ve only been gone for a few minutes.

  #4 Petting a dog is good for your health. Studies have proven it.

  CHAPTER

  9

  I knew instantly that Shelby would be the best best friend ever because her house was not far from mine. You could count to a hundred and you’d be there. That’s how close she was.

  I had my best PJs in my backpack, along with my favorite books and my toothbrush and toothpaste. I also had some clothes to wear home the next day. It had been a long time since I’d had a sleepover, so Mom had to remind me to take my toothbrush.

  My heart was all fluttery as I walked up the steps to her house. Mom was standing beside me, so I shouldn’t have been nervous, but I was. What if Shelby didn’t like me? What if she was mean?

  “Well?” Mom asked, making me realize I’d been standing there for a long time. “Are you going to ring the doorbell?”

  The doorbell glowed like a night-light. I wanted to reach up and press it, but I knew when I did, that door would open and I’d know, once and for all, whether Shelby was going to be nice to me or not.

  “Don’t be nervous, Piper,” Mom said, reaching over and pressing the button. “I’m sure you will have a great time.”

  Ding-dong.

  BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK-BARK.

  I looked up at Mom with a big smile on my face. Taffy! I’d almost forgotten that I got to spend the night with Taffy, too. Even if Shelby was really mean to me, I’d have Taffy.

  The door started to open, then shut again.

  “Shelby, come get this dog before she runs out into the street!” a man’s voice yelled out.

  I took a deep breath. I heard footsteps on the other side of the door, then a few seconds later the door opened. Shelby’s grandpop was smiling at us.

  “Little Miss Piper!” the man said with a big grin. “Welcome! I know you girls are going to have a lot of fun.”

  He looked down at the spot next to him, then got a confused look on his face. Then he looked behind him. I could see little Taffy’s head popping around the old man’s arm, and I wanted to reach out and pet her.

  “Shelby!” the old man gasped. “What are you doing hiding back there?”

  “I don’t know,” a timid voice squeaked.

  “Come on out and say hi to Piper,” the grandfather said. Then he looked at me.

  Slowly, Shelby peeked around her grandfather. I saw the top of her head, then her forehead, then finally her whole body.

  I gave her a big smile. She stood near her grandfather. She didn’t smile back yet, holding Taffy really close.

  “I think she’ll be in good hands here,” Shelby’s grandfather said to Mom once I was inside. Shelby’s grandpa stepped out onto the porch. That meant they were leaving Shelby and me alone.

  That was when the nervous stuff really happened.

  Luckily, we had Taffy to make it easier.

  “You can pet her if you want,” Shelby said. She pulled her away from her chest a little.

  I reached out and pet Taffy’s back. That made me feel happy. Taffy closed her eyes and sniffed the air, so I could tell she liked it.

  “You want to see Taffy’s bedroom?” Shelby asked.

  I looked up at Shelby, surprised. “She has her own bedroom?” I asked.

  “Yes, well . . . sort of. She mostly spends time with me, though. Come on.”

  We went up a really tall staircase with lots of stairs. They seemed like they were going to go up forever and ever. When we got to the top, we went to the left. First we saw Taffy’s room. It was a little room with white walls and toys all over the floor. The perfect room for a dog.

  Then we went to Shelby’s room, which was magnificent. There was lots of pink and prettiness. There was a big pink fluffy rug in the center of the room and
a matching pink bedspread. There was also a big picture of a puppy.

  “That’s my old dog, Jake,” Shelby explained. “He died last year.” Jake was a different kind of dog from Taffy, but he wasn’t the kind of dog I’d seen before. He looked like a nice dog. I thought for a minute.

  “It must be hard when a dog dies,” I said.

  She nodded. “I miss him so much. But Taffy helps.”

  I saw how happy Taffy looked. If dogs could smile, I was pretty sure Taffy would have the biggest smile of all dogs ever.

  “Want to hold her?” Shelby asked.

  I smiled. “Can I?”

  “Of course.”

  She handed Taffy over and the puppy settled into my arms. It felt so nice to hold Taffy again, but I was sad in a way because I knew Taffy couldn’t be mine. Ever. She had a new home.

  “Where does Taffy sleep?” I asked.

  “Right here next to me,” Shelby said, patting the bottom left corner of the bed. I pictured Taffy all snuggled up at night, curled in a ball at Shelby’s feet.

  That was when I knew. Shelby was happy.

  I saw a big dog bone and a couple of toys scattered around the room. Taffy had a really fun life here. She would have had an amazing life with us, too, but . . .

  That was when I realized what my mom had been saying. We moved lots right now and that wasn’t good for a dog. All I’d been thinking about was me and how happy a dog would make me. I hadn’t thought about the dog. Or that other people needed a dog maybe more than I did.

  Miss Pamela was right. What we did at the rescue shelter was important. We helped dogs and cats find good homes—homes like this one. Homes with people who would give them a comfy place to sleep and a room full of toys. When Mom and I settled into our forever home, we’d get a dog from a rescue shelter like the one Taffy came from. Then we’d give that dog the best life ever.

  Until then, I’d just have to have lots of sleepovers with Shelby.

  Fur Fact #9

  Pets should be treated like princesses (or princes). They should have a comfy home and owners who love them and pet them every day. But there are some things owners do that might not be so good for a pet. They include:

  #1 Letting the pet ride in a car without a seat belt (Pets should be in a crate).

  #2 Letting the pet eat human food.

  #3 Hugging the pet (animals don’t understand or like hugs).

  #4 Giving the pet too many treats or too much pet food.

  #5 Not letting the pet explore when you go for a walk.

  CHAPTER

  10

  There was a new animal at the rescue shelter. She was a pretty Persian kitten and I loved her.

  She wasn’t Shelby’s favorite. Shelby’s favorite was a little corgi named Mack, short for Mackenzie. We got to name him because he came in one day when we were working there. After the best sleepover ever, Shelby and I had become best friends. Now we worked at the shelter together and sometimes even had sleepovers at my apartment.

  “Shelby, Piper, come out here!” Miss Pamela said one afternoon when we were cleaning cages. “I need your help.”

  We looked at each other and smiled. Helping was our favorite thing ever. It made us feel grown up.

  A lady was standing at the counter. Miss Pamela introduced her as Mrs. Maley.

  “Mrs. Maley wants to adopt a new little furry friend,” Miss Pamela said. “Why don’t you show her around?”

  I held open the door and Mrs. Maley walked through. She smiled down at us as I showed her my favorite dogs and cats. I even showed her Tootsie, my favorite kitten.

  “This is the best one of all,” I said, pulling Tootsie out of her cage. “She’s Persian. She’s from Europe. Persian cats are really quiet.”

  I was attached, but that was the funny part. Now I knew that I was just taking care of the animals until a nice person came in who would take them home and take really good care of them. That made me feel happy.

  In fact, it was always easier to show guests my favorite dogs and cats. They almost always picked them to go home.

  “I think I’ll take her home with me,” Mrs. Maley said. “She seems like the perfect cat to keep me company.”

  I smiled at Shelby, who was watching, wide eyed, behind me. She still couldn’t believe that every time I picked a favorite, that was the next pet to be adopted.

  Once Mrs. Maley and her new kitten were out the door, Miss Pamela told us that Mrs. Maley was lonely, and hoped having a pet in the house would help.

  I smiled. Tootsie would definitely help Mrs. Maley be less lonely. I knew she would.

  Later I saw Miss Pamela come through the adoption area with a new dog, one a woman had brought in. This one had big, sweet eyes that made me just want to give it a big hug.

  “His name is DJ,” Miss Pamela said. “Do you want to help me find a good home for him?”

  Did I? But first I wanted to play with him and walk him and pet him lots and lots.

  “Why don’t you and Shelby walk him close by?” Miss Pamela asked. “Maybe you’ll meet some people who will give him a good home.”

  I liked that idea. “And maybe we could take him to the park Sunday too and we can all talk to some people?” I asked. “There are usually families there. Maybe we could find him a home with kids.”

  Miss Pamela smiled. “That sounds like a plan to me. His treats are over there.”

  I grabbed a dog’s leash and potty bags, then put the leash on him. I had this part down. My job was to go out in front of the store and walk him on his leash—always where Mom or Miss Pamela could see me. Then I’d come back in and trade him for another dog that needed to go potty.

  We were walking DJ on the little patch of grass near the store when Mom pulled into a parking space. She’d left to get milk shakes for everyone. She got out of the car and watched us for a second before walking over to us.

  “New dog?” Mom asked.

  “Yep,” Shelby said. “His name is DJ.”

  “He’s my new favorite,” I added.

  “We all know what that means,” Mom said with a laugh. “Looks like DJ will have a new home soon.”

  As we followed Mom back toward the building, guiding our new four-legged friend, I realized it had been a long, long time since I’d asked Mom if we could have a new puppy. I had something better than a forever furry friend. I had a forever human friend, and that was good enough for me!

  Turn the page for a sneak peek at Piper’s next adventure:

  PIPER MORGAN MAKES A SPLASH

  The funny man on the TV was yelling at me.

  “Summer is coming! It’s time to buy a pool! We have inground pools, aboveground pools, hot tubs, and tanning beds!” As he showed us all the different pools, the salesman was wearing a funny float in the shape of a flamingo. He looked like he was ready for a fun pool day!

  I pressed the minus button on the remote control. That much noise wasn’t good for anybody!

  “Piper? What did I tell you about watching too much TV?” Mom yelled. She marched into the living room and blocked my view of the TV.

  I thought for a minute. I stared up at the ceiling. I think staring at the ceiling helps me think better sometimes.

  “Um . . .”

  I had nothing.

  “That’s enough TV for today,” she said. “We have a lot to do. I need you to get dressed.”

  My mom has a new job. Again. So “a lot to do” means doing errands and going food shopping for the week so my nanna doesn’t have to cook for us all the time. We started staying with Nanna when Mom got a job at a school nearby, and then moved away when Mom worked at Bark Street, a pet rescue place. But now Mom has a job that is only two minutes away from Nanna’s house, and it is magnificent.

  “Magnificent” is a new word I learned. It means “really good,” or “excellent.” I’m trying it out. Mag-nif-i-cent!

  My mom has worked a lot of different jobs as we try to find our own forever home. It is hard sometimes to leave behind the new fri
ends I make, but it also means I get to have new adventures all the time, like being in the circus, helping at a school principal’s office, and helping at the pet shelter with lots of really cute puppies! (The principal’s office is more adventurous than you’d think!)

  Mom told me I was dawdling and she wasn’t going to wait around all day, missy. Plus she had a surprise for me. Surprises were good. Surprises maybe meant we were stopping by my favorite store with all the smell-good soaps and lotions.

  “Come on, Oreo,” I called out to Nanna’s dog, a little black-and-white terrier that Nanna says is a “terror.” He reminded me of my favorite little dog at the pet rescue center, Taffy. I ran down the hall to my room with Oreo on my heels. If I was really good, Mom might let me come help out at her new job again!

  SPLASH FACT #1

  Grown-ups always say watching too much TV is bad for you. How do you know if you’re watching too much TV, though? Here are some clues:

  #1 You think about your favorite TV show all the time.

  #2 You know more about the people you watch on TV than about your own friends.

  #3 You skip fun things because you don’t want to miss your favorite show.

  #4 You ask your mom to bring you things so you don’t have to take your eyes off the screen.

  #5 You compare all your friends to characters on your favorite shows.

  Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing. When she isn’t crafting fiction, Stephanie is indulging her gadget geek side by writing for online technology sites. She lives in Nashville with her husband, Neil.

  Lucy Fleming has been an avid doodler and bookworm since early childhood. She studied art and practiced drawing every day, and in no time, went on to graduate from the University of Lincoln (UK), having specialized in illustration. She leaped straight into a career as a professional children’s book illustrator and hasn’t looked back since. She lives and works in a small town in England with her family and a little black cat.