by Holly Webb
Emily smiled to herself, imagining taking a dog on some of her favourite walks – along by the edge of the stream that ran past Maya’s house would be great. It would be even better going on her own, without Toby and James fighting and splashing and trying to push each other in, and Mum panicking about Sukie’s pushchair getting stuck in the mud.
And a regular walking job would earn her some money, too, Emily realised suddenly. She’d put how much she would charge down on the leaflet, of course, but she hadn’t really imagined having the money. She could save up for a dog of her own, perhaps. Surely one day she’d be able to persuade Mum?
Quickly Emily took out the bits she didn’t need, and made the photo of her and Billy a bit bigger to fill up some of the space. Then she hit print, and crossed all her fingers together into complicated knots…
Emily had been hoping that as soon as she had delivered her leaflets (Maya came with her, and they counted the number of houses where they could hear barking, which was quite a lot), that there would be phone calls and emails. Lots of calls would be nice, but she’d get at least one or two, surely?
But there weren’t any, and Emily gloomily supposed that her leaflets had been thrown away, or maybe pinned up on a board like her mother’s, just in case. It was very depressing, especially as Maya and the others kept asking if she’d heard anything and she had to say no.
At least she still had the shelter to go to. Maya and Emily arrived early on Saturday, and Lucy beamed at them.
“I’m really glad you two are here already! Twinkle’s desperate for a walk. She’s whining like mad. Some of the other volunteers have been taking the dogs out during the week, but I think she really loved those long walks she had last weekend.” She eyed them hopefully. “Do you think you’d be up for taking two dogs each? If we make sure they’re ones who’ll get along?”
Emily glanced at Maya and they both nodded. “Definitely,” Emily said. And Lucy was right – she could hear whining from the dog pens even out by the gate. She was pretty sure that Twinkle was making the squeaky, grumpy noise.
“You went towards the woods last week, didn’t you,” Lucy said thoughtfully as they got the dogs out. “Maybe today you could go across the fields, by the stream. I don’t want you to get bored…”
“We won’t,” Emily giggled, as Twinkle bounced excitedly round her feet, and Trevor the Westie tied her up with his lead.
“Sammy wants to go now!” Maya said anxiously, gripping tightly on to the big black dog who was sniffing excitedly at everything he could reach, and pulling her step by step away from the dog pens. It didn’t help that Barney was sitting down as usual, so she was being pulled in two different directions.
“Maybe you should tie their leads together,” Emily suggested, as they headed out of the yard in the direction Lucy had pointed, down a little path to the fields. “Then Sammy could pull Barney along, and you’d just have to sort of point them in the right direction.”
“They’re trying to tear me in half,” Maya grumbled, but she was laughing.
The dogs took up too much of the girls’ attention for chatting, but by the time they were on their way back they’d worn off some of their energy, and it was a bit easier to talk.
“Lucy didn’t say anything about the party, did she?” Maya said, side-stepping over Sammy’s lead, as he snapped at a butterfly in front of them.
Emily shook her head. “Nooo… Maybe she thought we didn’t really mean it. After all, we haven’t come back with plans, have we?”
“It’s a bit hard, when we can’t think of anywhere to have it,” Maya sighed. “Maybe we could just hope for the best and have it in the middle of the yard? The weather ought to be OK in June.”
Emily shook her head. “No. My birthday’s at the beginning of June too, which is nice because it’s usually in the half-term holidays. But it’s always, always raining on my birthday. Mum’s stopped even suggesting outside parties. We need a hall or something. It would be really good if we found one with a garden, then we could do stuff outdoors if the weather actually is nice for once.”
“I don’t suppose school would let us use the hall…” Maya murmured.
“Not if we want to have the dogs and cats and guinea pigs around for people to meet,” Emily pointed out. “I’ve been thinking about it. We can’t really have a party for the shelter, and not have any of the animals there, can we? For a start because if they were there it would mean everybody met them. That would be a great way to find homes for some of them, don’t you think?”
“Not Twinkle, though,” Maya reminded her. “I know she’s OK with you, but remember what Lucy said about her being jumpy and nervous?”
“I know. It would have to be just a few of the calmest, friendliest ones. Barney, for a start. Nothing upsets him. And maybe Whiskers, if he was only meeting people, and not other cats. Some guinea pigs? They’re all friendly.”
Maya started to laugh. “It probably isn’t a good idea, but I just thought of the coolest party game. Pass the guinea pig. Whoever’s got the guinea pig when the music stops gets a sweet.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “And then the person left with the guinea pig after the last go takes it home? Yeah, I can definitely see Lucy agreeing to that.” She sighed. “It would be fun though, wouldn’t it? I bet we could think of some great things to do at the party. You know, that sort of thing but just a bit less mad. If we could only find somewhere.”
“Are we going the right way?” Maya said suddenly. “I don’t remember coming past this bit.”
They were walking down a path at the edge of a field of long grass, with an old barn standing in the corner.
Emily frowned. “I think maybe we should have gone the other way after we came over the little bridge. But I saw that barn earlier on, I’m sure I did. It’s just that it was from the other side. I’m pretty sure we’re still on the fields that belong to the shelter. We need to go across the other side of this field, and past the barn, I think. Then we should see the path back to the farmyard.”
Maya shuddered. “I’m glad you know what you’re doing. I’d be completely lost. I’m useless at directions.”
They cut through the long grass – with Trevor bouncing up and down like a little white football so he could see where he was going – and went down the other side of the hedge instead, making for the barn.
“I wonder why they don’t use this for any of the animal pens?” Emily said thoughtfully, as they got closer to it. “Maybe it isn’t close enough to the yard.”
“I think it’s falling down.” Maya shook her head. “I bet it would cost loads to make it into pens.”
“Mmmm…” But Emily was frowning, as she walked closer. “Maybe. It doesn’t look all that bad. The door’s fallen off, that’s all.”
“Don’t go in it!” Maya squeaked. “It might fall down on you!”
“Honestly, it’s OK,” Emily told her, peering through the open doorway. “And I’m not going right in, anyway, I’m not that stupid. We’d have to ask Lucy if it’s safe.” She gazed around, peering up at the dusty, cobwebby rafters. “I suppose it would be hard to turn it into part of the shelter. But there aren’t any holes in the roof, I can see that from here. It’s just a lovely, big, very, very dirty space…”
“Oh!” Maya came to look over her shoulder, and Sammy and Barney stuck their heads in and both sneezed loudly. “Oh, now I see what you mean! Well, you’re right about it being dirty.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I suppose it is big enough… And the field’s beautiful.”
“Exactly,” Emily agreed. “And people could park in the lane outside the shelter, and walk through to here, so they’d see what they were raising money for!” She looked back at the huge, shadowy, dusty space, and then glanced anxiously at Maya. “Are we being stupid? Do you think we can actually turn this into a party room?”
Maya nodded slowly. “I reckon it’s worth a try.”
“The old barn? Really?” Lucy stared at them doubtfully. “But it’s jus
t a shell…”
Emily nodded. “I know, but it’s not falling down, is it? It’s quite safe?”
“Well, yes… We had to have it checked out last year – to make sure it wasn’t dangerous, in case anyone wandered into it and got hurt.”
“Like you!” Maya nudged Emily.
“I was very careful.” Emily rolled her eyes. “I know it looks a mess, but if we could clean it up, and decorate it, it would be great. You know, we’d put up balloons, and streamers and stuff. I bet we could make it look really special. And then we wouldn’t have to pay for a party venue at all!”
“You might even be able to hire it out to other people for the same sort of thing,” Maya suggested. “That would be a great way to raise money for the shelter.”
Lucy raised her eyebrows. “Oh, wow. Yes… I hadn’t thought of that. It does sound a really good idea … but it’s going to be a lot of work.” She shook her head worriedly. “You two won’t be able to do it on your own.”
Maya and Emily grinned at her. “Don’t worry, we won’t have to. We’ve got some friends who’ll help,” Maya explained.
“Oooh! Do you think we could camp out in the barn for a weekend?” Emily asked excitedly. “Then we could make it a sort of weekend sleepover project. That would be excellent.”
“Just you girls?” Lucy sounded a bit anxious, and Maya was shaking her head.
“Just us, in an old barn in the middle of a field? That would be too spooky, Ems…”
Emily twirled a finger in her curls and frowned. “I suppose it might be. But what about if I could get my mum to come as well? Then it wouldn’t be scary, would it?”
Maya nodded. “That would be OK. I think. But your mum wouldn’t, would she? You always say she’s so busy with Sukie and the boys.”
“I know,” Emily agreed. “But she really loves camping. It’s her favourite thing. She and my dad used to go on backpacking holidays before she had us, and she took me and Toby camping lots when we were little. She’s been saying that she’d love to do it again, but it’s harder with four kids, that’s all. If I got my dad to say he’d look after Toby and James and Sukie, Mum could have a girls’ sleepover with us. I bet she’d love it.” I’d love it, Emily added silently.
It would be amazing to have Mum to herself for once. And her mum had been really enthusiastic about Emily helping at the shelter. Emily was sure that she’d like to help out somehow too.
The girls peeped into the barn again on their second walk of the day. It was definitely going to be a lot of work to clear it all out, but it was such a lovely big space – loads of room for all sorts of crazy games!
Emily hurried back home feeling excited about the party all over again – it was beginning to look as though it would actually happen!
She bounced into the house eager to tell everyone the news and ask Mum if she fancied a special weekend camp-out. As she shut the door, she could hear the phone ringing, and Mum yelled down the stairs: “Can one of you answer that, please! I’m changing Sukie.”
Emily was just hurrying into the kitchen to grab the phone when Toby snatched it up, grinning at her triumphantly. He loved answering the phone, but he was only five, and he wasn’t always great at passing on messages, so Emily hovered by the door, ready to help him out. She could hear the person on the other end of the phone talking, and Toby was scowling, as though he didn’t understand what they were saying.
“What’s the matter? Who is it?” she whispered. But Toby glared at her. It was his phone, and he wasn’t giving it up.
“It’s for Mum,” he hissed, shoving past her out of the door, and Emily sighed. It probably was, but if she’d answered it, she would have said to call back. Mum wouldn’t want to talk right now.
She followed Toby up the stairs, hoping that the phone call wouldn’t leave Mum feeling harassed. She wanted to be able to talk to her about sleepovers in tatty old barns, and it was going to need Mum to be in a good mood. A really good mood.
Mum was sticking Sukie’s nappy together with one hand while she tucked the phone under her chin with the other. “Mmmm, yes. Emily does live here. I’m sorry, that was my little boy, he can’t have understood. Er – you want to talk to Emily?” Mum frowned. “About what, sorry?” She turned round and raised one eyebrow at Emily – it was a knack she had, Emily wished she could do it too. With Mum it always meant, what on earth have you done now?
“Mrs Everett, could Emily please call you back in five minutes? Would that be all right?” She made frantic “pen” signals at Emily, and Sukie’s nappy fell off.
Emily sighed, grabbed one of Sukie’s crayons, and scribbled down the number.
“Five minutes! Thanks so much!” Her mum handed the phone to Toby, whisked Sukie’s nappy back on, and even managed to get a pair of trousers over the top before Sukie noticed. Then she glared at Emily. “Mrs Everett, Emily sweetness, appears to think that we are running a dog-walking business. She would like us to walk her cocker spaniel, Charlie, three times a week. And she thinks our rates sound very reasonable.”
“Really?” Emily squeaked excitedly. “She actually wants me to walk a dog? Oh, wow!”
“Emily Laura Harris!” her mum snapped. “Why is this lady calling us about spaniels? Since when do you walk dogs?”
“Ummmm…” Emily smiled at her hopefully. “It was Poppy’s idea. To start a dog-walking business. I was saying how lucky she was having Billy, and I said I wished I had a dog like him—”
Her mum rolled her eyes. “I don’t. That dog is a nightmare!”
“He’s ever so sweet though, isn’t he? I know he’s messy, but he’s very friendly. But I know we can’t,” Emily added hurriedly. “I was explaining to the others about there being too many of us in the house already, and how we couldn’t fit in a dog.” She sighed, very quietly. “Anyway. That was when Izzy suggested helping at the shelter – and Poppy had the idea about the dog-walking too.”
Her mum was putting away the nappy-changing stuff, rather slowly, and not really looking at her. “I didn’t know you were still thinking about it…” she murmured. “I knew you were excited about the shelter, but I hadn’t realised… It was such a long time ago that we had that talk.”
Emily shrugged uncomfortably. “I know – I’d still love to have a pet of our own, though. I mean, don’t worry, I know we can’t. That’s why Izzy and Poppy had such brilliant ideas. They were ways I could almost have my own dog, without us having a dog in the house to make more stress for you and Dad. You see?”
Her mum nodded slowly, and put a wooden puzzle down in front of Sukie to stop her trying to play with the nappy cream. Then she looked up at Emily, frowning. “But how did this Mrs Everett get our number?”
Emily swallowed, suddenly realising that her parents might not be that happy about leaflets with their phone number on being in houses all round Appleby. They also weren’t going to be that keen on her wandering around the village on her own either, she suspected. (Well, with a dog, but she had a feeling her mum was going to say that didn’t count. She and Poppy and the others hadn’t really got as far as thinking about that…)
“I made a leaflet,” she said, crossing her fingers behind her back. “I delivered them to all the houses round us. Houses that are close enough for me to walk to, so I’d be able to go and pick up their dogs. I only printed fifty, but they went quite a long way. I didn’t bother putting them through the door at houses where I knew there wasn’t a dog.”
“When?” her mother demanded, her eyes wide. “I didn’t see you delivering any leaflets!”
“Before school one day. I got up really early and nipped out.” She smiled shyly at her mum – who wasn’t shouting yet, which was a good sign. “It was really exciting. But then nobody called for ages, and I almost forgot about it. I just supposed nobody round here needed a dog-walker.”
“I think Mrs Everett must be quite elderly,” her mum said thoughtfully. “If she’s who I think she is, she lives in that tiny cottage with the green w
indow frames, and the painted mushrooms in the garden. You know, the one James used to make us stop at every time we went past, so we could count them.”
“Oh!” Emily smiled. She loved those mushrooms too. Mrs Everett must be nice, if she lived there, she thought. “So maybe she needs help giving her dog enough walks, then.”
“Mmmmm.” Her mum stared at her, frowning thoughtfully, and Emily looked back. She had absolutely no idea what her mum was going to say. She couldn’t even tell if she was cross or not.
“I’m really not very happy with you,” her mum said, even though she didn’t actually sound very cross.
Emily sighed. That answered that then.
“You shouldn’t have done all this without asking. You’re already helping at the shelter, isn’t that enough?”
“I suppose so,” Emily said sadly. “It’s just – all those dogs are going to have new homes, or we hope they are. I’ll never be able to look after any of them for very long. I was thinking that if I walked the same dog every week, it would be like it was mine? Just a little bit?”
“Oh, Emily.” Her mum put an arm round her shoulders, and Sukie giggled and flung herself at their knees, thinking it was a group hug.
Emily crouched down and cuddled her little sister. However much she envied Sukie sometimes, getting all Mum’s attention, she was cute, and very cuddly when she felt like it.
“I didn’t realise how much you were still wishing we could get a dog,” her mum sighed.
Emily glanced up at her hopefully. That didn’t sound like No, of course you can’t go off walking other people’s dogs round the village on your own, which was what she’d been expecting her mum to say.
“Will you be able to fit walking another dog in, if you’re helping at the shelter as well?” her mum asked. “Don’t forget you’ve got dancing on Mondays as well. And twice a week when there’s a show coming up, or the dance exams.”
