by Clare Hutton
They must be taste-testing a wedding menu, Natalia thought.
Natalia’s mom grinned at her and waved her toward the table. Uncle Brian came out from the kitchen with another plate—this one had asparagus on it.
“We were thinking if we hand the hors d’oeuvres around during the cocktail hour, maybe we could go with a buffet for dinner,” Aunt Amy said to the couple, who were both eating the crab puffs and looked like they were enjoying them. They smiled at Natalia.
Suddenly, a big, fluffy white standard poodle popped out from under the table and put her front paws in the woman’s lap, gazing beseechingly up at her.
“Not for you, Ruby!” The woman pulled her hand away, and the dog craned toward it, her frantically wagging tail jarring the table and making the glasses and dishes rattle. Aunt Amy reached out to steady the wineglasses.
“This is my daughter Natalia,” Natalia’s mom said. “Natalia, this is Ms. Akers and her fiancé, Mr. Cooke.”
“Hi,” Natalia said. “Your dog is so cute!”
“Thanks!” The woman was trying to get Ruby to put her paws on the ground, but every time she gently pushed her paws off her lap, Ruby hopped back up, licking eagerly at her hands. “She thinks she’s a lapdog. You can call us Rachel and Mike.”
“I thought you had two dogs, though?” Natalia asked, looking around.
“We do,” Mike told her. He pointed under the table. Another big white poodle was lying calmly with his head on his paws, his eyes closed. “Bandit is the laziest dog in the world. You’d never guess he was Ruby’s brother.” He and Rachel both laughed.
Natalia laughed, as well. “I guess my sister and brothers and I are all pretty different, too,” she said. She knelt and petted Ruby. Ruby gave up trying to climb into Rachel’s lap and licked Natalia’s face instead.
“Speaking of your sister, where are Zoe and Emma?” Aunt Amy asked. “I thought they were coming to meet Ruby and Bandit, too.”
They would if I had remembered to tell them about it before they made other plans, Natalia thought guiltily. Out loud, she said, “They can’t wait to meet Ruby and Bandit! But Emma had an emergency soccer practice and Zoe had to rehearse for her audition.” Seeing her mom looking a little worried, she added quickly, “They’ll definitely be here later to help walk Daisy and Jasper.” Mentally, she made a note that she had better text them both to make sure they came.
“Well, we’re so glad you and your sister and cousin can help out with Ruby and Bandit,” Rachel said. “Once we check in, we’re counting on you to walk the dogs for the days we’re here. And you’ll definitely have to look after them during the wedding.” She looked at Ruby, who was now trying to get her nose on top of the table to investigate the food. “She can be a little rambunctious.”
Ruby gazed at Natalia beseechingly, clearly hoping she would hand her some food. Her curly fur hung down into her big brown eyes, and Natalia’s heart melted. “You’re a good dog, aren’t you?” she said. “We’d love to take care of her.”
“Are Zoe and Emma on board, too?” her mother asked, looking worried. “Taking care of four dogs is too much for just one person.”
“Of course!” Natalia said brightly. “They can’t wait!”
Or at least that’s how they’ll feel once they see how lovable Ruby and Bandit are.
Sunday morning, the whole family gathered at Seaview House. Uncle Brian was in the kitchen, whipping up breakfast for everyone. Everyone included the Goldsteins and the Warners, who, Natalia and Zoe’s mom had told them, seemed to be enjoying their stay. When their family got to Seaview House, Natalia and Zoe headed into the kitchen to see what was cooking.
Emma was already there, nibbling a piece of bacon as her dad bent to pull something that smelled amazing out of the oven.
“Hi,” she said. “Mr. Warner took the dogs out last night before bed, and I let them out for a little while this morning. But we should take them for a really long walk today.”
“Definitely,” Natalia said, reaching for a piece of bacon of her own.
Natalia had been walking Jasper and Daisy every day after school that past week while Emma had practice and Zoe rehearsed her audition, but she hadn’t taken them out for much longer than they absolutely needed. She’d had after-school clubs a couple days—community service club and student council—and she’d had to hurry home to do her homework. Jasper and Daisy probably could use some real exercise and playtime.
“What’s cooking?” Zoe asked Uncle Brian, eyeing the pan he’d just pulled out of the oven.
“French toast casserole,” he said cheerfully.
“What’s in it?” Natalia asked. The pan had thick slices of French toast on top, but she could see blackberries and strawberries underneath. It smelled deliciously warm and sweet.
“Oh, bread, eggs, cream, fruit, maple syrup, cinnamon,” Uncle Brian said. Natalia’s mouth was watering. “And we’ve got bacon, of course, and I’m making eggs to order. What kind would you like, Natalia? Sunny-side up? Scrambled?”
“We both like poached,” Zoe told him, leaning against the counter and taking a piece of bacon off the plate that Emma was nibbling from. “But if you’re making whatever eggs everyone wants, won’t you be stuck in the kitchen all morning?”
Uncle Brian winked. “That’s kind of my plan,” he said. “I’m hiding from the guests.”
Natalia frowned, confused. “You don’t like them?” she asked. “I thought they were nice.” The Goldsteins and the Warners were always very friendly to her, and would stop to chat whenever they saw her bringing the dogs in or out. Mrs. Goldstein went shopping every day at the little shore-town stores, buying handmade pottery mugs and chocolates and painted shells to take to all her friends at home, which Natalia thought showed what a thoughtful friend she must be, and all four of them had paid her uncle Dean to take them out on a fishing trip on his boat. He had liked them, too, which wasn’t always the case with the tourists he took out.
“They’re good people,” Uncle Brian said. He pulled out a wooden skewer and poked it into the center of the casserole, seeing if it was done. “But it’s like with the restaurant I cooked at back in Seattle. I liked the people who came there fine, but I was much happier staying out of sight and making them something tasty. I prefer that to being out front, schmoozing with them. I’m a back-of-house person.”
“I think I am, too,” Emma said, reaching for another piece of bacon.
Natalia thought that made sense. Emma got nervous meeting new people.
“Natalia’s not, though,” Emma added. “She’s a front-of-house person.”
“Absolutely,” Uncle Brian said. He reached for a knife and began slicing the casserole. “If Natalia worked in a restaurant, she’d be the hostess or a waitress. She’d talk to everyone and make sure they were happy.”
“What about me?” Zoe asked, leaning against the counter. “I don’t want to talk to everyone and make them happy, but I don’t want to stay in the back, either.”
Natalia giggled. “You would have, like, decorated the restaurant to look really cool before it even opened.”
Zoe grinned. “Nice.”
Uncle Brian handed her a platter of French toast casserole slices, Natalia the dish of bacon, and Emma a basket of muffins. “Take these out, would you, girls? Sit down at a table and eat.”
“Okay, thanks, Dad,” Emma said.
The three girls pushed their way through the swinging doors to the dining room. It was sunny and bright, with little round tables painted in pastel colors scattered across the room. Natalia squinted against the sunlight and then followed Zoe over to the buffet to put down the bacon. Their moms had decorated the buffet table with brightly colored autumn leaves and little gourds, as well as some of the dried flowers they had been arranging.
The little tables were decorated with dried flower arrangements, too. Natalia saw the Warners and the Goldsteins sharing a pink-painted table for four and went over to say hi.
“Are you having a f
un visit?” she asked.
“We are!” Mrs. Warner smiled up at her. “We’re going to go down to the dinner theater in Chestertown tonight, and I can’t wait!”
“That’s awesome!” Natalia said. Her class had gone to the dinner theater at the end of the previous year, and she told them all about it.
“Since we’re going to be out late,” Mr. Goldstein added, “we were hoping you girls could take Daisy and Jasper for an extra-long walk tonight, because I’m sure we won’t want to do more than let them out for a minute when we get back. We’ll pay for the extra walk, of course.”
“No problem!” Natalia said. She figured she could run over right before bedtime and take the dogs out. It would be easier for Emma, of course, since she lived at Seaview House, but Natalia knew Emma got up extra-early on Mondays for swim team practice before school. I was the one who agreed to take care of the dogs, so it’s my problem, Natalia told herself, feeling a little pleased with herself for stepping up without being told.
Zoe and Emma had settled at the yellow table where Grandma Stephenson and Abuelita were splitting an omelet. Natalia took her own plate of eggs and bacon and French toast casserole and went to join them.
“The first guests’ stay at the bed-and-breakfast seems to be a success,” Grandma Stephenson said quietly, nodding toward the table where the Warners and Goldsteins were cheerfully finishing off some fruit.
“They’re definitely having fun,” Natalia agreed.
“And there’ll be a lot of people here for the wedding,” Emma said enthusiastically. “It’s a really good start for the business.”
“Speaking of good starts,” Abuelita said, smiling at them. “I’m proud of how you offered to take care of the dogs. It’s good for girls your age to have responsibilities.”
Emma and Zoe glanced at each other, looking a little guilty, Natalia thought. It was true that they hadn’t done a ton of dog taking-care-of, but, after all, Natalia had volunteered them without their consent. It seemed fair for her to do most of the work.
“We’re going to spend all afternoon with the dogs today,” Emma said, half to their grandmothers, half to Natalia.
Natalia was glad Emma and Zoe hadn’t heard Mr. Goldstein asking her to take the dogs out for a late extra walk tonight. She didn’t need their help, and she didn’t want them feeling guilty about that, too. She could handle it herself.
“Good girl!” Natalia watched Daisy chase after the ball. “I think she’s figuring it out.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Zoe said, eyebrows raised, as Daisy ran past the ball and started barking up into the trees as if she expected a squirrel to pop out.
“Jasper’s the smart one, aren’t you, boy?” Emma said, burying her hands in Jasper’s thick black fur. Jasper licked at her hands, then strolled over and picked up the ball from where it had fallen. Daisy chased after him, yapping fiercely.
“She’s like Toto going after the Lion,” Natalia said. “I remember that part from the movie. Now the Lion should go after her like this.” She roared, running across the lawn toward the dogs. They looked at her in surprise, and then Jasper bowed playfully, his tail wagging, and ran toward her. Daisy turned in tight circles of excitement.
“Come on, Daisy-Toto.” Natalia laughed. “Next, Zoe, you should slap me on the nose and tell me I should be ashamed to pick on a little dog.”
“Is that part of the audition?” Emma asked as she and Zoe came over to Natalia and the dogs.
“No, the Dorothy auditions are when she first gets to Oz, and the Wicked Witch auditions are when she captures Dorothy.”
“Are you both ready?” Emma asked, reaching down to pet Jasper. “They’re tomorrow, right?”
“I’m totally ready,” Zoe said, smiling. “Getting together with a whole group to practice a couple times really helped.” She nudged Natalia. “Caitlin was actually great. I can see why you like her.”
Tomorrow. Natalia hadn’t exactly forgotten that auditions were on Monday, but it felt like they’d crept up on her. She’d run over lines a few times with Zoe in their bedroom, and she’d tried to study them when she had a minute, but she’d been so busy.
“Show me your auditions?” Emma asked, tucking her hair back behind her ear.
Zoe and Natalia hesitated. “Okay,” Zoe said, her cheeks turning pink. “I know yours, too, Natalia, so let’s do that one.”
Zoe had memorized Natalia’s audition scene as well as her own? She must really be into the play, Natalia thought.
“Sure,” Natalia said. She shook out her hair so that it fluffed out witchily, and screwed up her face into an over-the-top evil expression. “Wait, I need Daisy!” She reached out and picked up Daisy, who squirmed in her arms. “Oof, she’s heavy. Okay.” She kissed the top of Daisy’s head. “What a nice little dog!” she said, cackling wickedly.
It went pretty well for a while. Zoe had her lines down, and she made a good Dorothy, Natalia thought. And it was fun being the Wicked Witch. Natalia tried to loom over Zoe threateningly, which was hard because they were the same height. She bared her teeth and made her hands into claws. Emma laughed and clapped, and Jasper gazed up at her, puzzled.
But Natalia kept stumbling over her lines. “Um …” she said, hesitating again after trying to take the slippers off Zoe’s feet and pretending they burned her hands.
“I said, Can I still have my dog?” Zoe said. When Natalia still couldn’t come up with the next line, Zoe whispered, “Fool that I am …”
“Right,” Natalia said, crouching and pulling her hands back again as if she’d just discovered that the shoes wouldn’t let her touch them. She made it through most of the rest of the short scene, through Toto’s escape—she put Daisy down gently, and Daisy wandered off to investigate the roots of an oak tree—but then she got stuck again.
“He got away! He got away!” Zoe was putting a lot of emotion into her lines, and it seemed like she was almost sobbing with relief. Natalia absolutely could not remember what came next.
Emma began to look worried. Zoe was opening her mouth to prompt her again, and suddenly Natalia did not want to be prompted.
“I’ll get him,” she improvised in her best witchy voice. She ran a few steps after Daisy, waving her arms, pretending she was wearing a bat-like black cloak. Daisy bounced toward her excitedly. “I’ll get you, my pretty,” she said to the dog. “And your little owner, too! Mwahahahaha!” She broke out her creepiest cackle.
Emma and Zoe both laughed.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not right, Natalia,” Emma said. “I don’t remember that from the movie at all.”
“Close enough.” Natalia shrugged. Zoe raised an eyebrow and started to speak, but Natalia cut her off. “I know, okay? Don’t worry, I’ll study my lines tonight.”
She grinned confidently at her sister and cousin, but her shoulders felt a little tight. Usually, things came out okay, so she wasn’t going to worry, but there suddenly seemed to be a lot of things she needed to do that night.
Study my lines, catch up on homework, take the dogs for a good walk … Natalia drew a shaky breath. It was all starting to pile up.
“Are you a good witch, or a bad witch?” Caitlin whispered.
Natalia frowned at her. “Cait, you’ve gone through all your lines about sixteen times. Could you stop? I’m going to be saying all the Glinda lines by the time I get to my turn if you keep talking.”
Caitlin looked annoyed. “Fine,” she said. “I just want it to be perfect.” She closed her eyes. “I’m visualizing.” Her lips began to move, but she didn’t make a sound. Natalia could read her lips, though: Are you a good witch …
Sighing, Natalia looked away. Everyone was nervous. The theater was buzzing with whispers as all the actors practiced their lines. Some people were too tense to sit in their seats, and there was a constant shifting and milling around.
Natalia herself didn’t feel too confident. She’d read over the lines again a few times last night, but she’d just been so t
ired after finishing her homework and going to take Jasper and Daisy out for one last walk. She looked down at the script in her lap and read the lines over again several times, crooking her fingers into claws and making witchy faces. It’ll be fine, she decided.
On Natalia’s other side, Zoe sat absolutely still. She looked almost calm, but her cheeks were redder than usual, and she was holding tightly to the arms of her seat.
“You’re going to be great,” Natalia told her twin reassuringly.
“Please let’s not talk about it,” Zoe answered, staring straight ahead.
The Community Playhouse, where the kids’ theater club met, was a grand old theater, with red velvet seats and elaborately carved and gilded cherubs decorating the ceiling. It had been around since the end of the nineteenth century, when traveling plays had come through Waverly for a night on their way to Baltimore and cities farther south. That didn’t happen now, but the theater still saw a lot of use for everything from the high school theater program to dance recitals to kindergarten graduation. A local group put on A Christmas Carol for charity every year, and students from the college in Chestertown ran a summer theater festival for two weeks in June.
Natalia loved being there, loved the string of tiny dressing rooms backstage, loved standing in the wings and looking out at the audience. Even when she’d just been there to see Tomás walk across the stage with the rest of his kindergarten class last year, something about the theater itself gave Natalia a feeling of hushed, excited anticipation.
Being the Wicked Witch would be so much fun here, she thought, looking around. Finally having an important role, acting in a place where so many real actors had appeared over the years, would be amazing.
Ms. Andrews hopped up onstage and cleared her throat. The babble of voices quieted.
“We’re going to get started with our Dorothys,” she said cheerfully. “When I call your name, come on up.”
Zoe stopped breathing. She was clutching the arms of her seat so tightly that her knuckles were white.
