Puppy Love Page 8

  Thankfully, my mom didn’t ask for details. Although I’d owned up to the incident in the park, I still hadn’t told her about losing Tallulah the first time. I was pretty sure she’d be cool about it, but I didn’t want to press my luck, especially when we were having a mother-daughter bonding moment.

  “You think Jack is the one who told Megan about the Regrettable Incident in the park,” she said.

  I laughed at her use of Shan’s phrase. “I don’t know who else could have,” I said.

  “Let me tell you something about boys,” said my mother. “Sometimes you think they’re one thing, when really they’re something else.”

  I thought about it for a minute. “What?” I said. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “I’m just saying, things aren’t always what they seem,” my mother said. “Like with the dogs yesterday. If someone didn’t really know you, they might have seen that and thought you didn’t know what you were doing.”

  “Thanks a lot,” I said.

  “Well, it’s true,” she said. “Right?”

  “Yeah,” I said reluctantly. “I suppose so. But I do know what I’m doing.”

  “That’s my point,” my mom said. “Anyone who really knows you would know that. But someone who just knew you a little tiny bit wouldn’t.”

  “I’m still confused,” I told her.

  “Maybe how you feel about Jack is because of how you’re looking at him,” she said. “That’s all.”

  I shook my head. “Sure,” I said. “Okay. Whatever.”

  “Don’t ‘whatever’ me.”

  I sighed. “Okay. I get it. I don’t know who Jack really is.”

  “But you could fix that,” my mother said.

  “How?”

  “Ask him out,” she suggested.

  “Mom!” I yelled.

  “Why not?” she said, putting her hands on her hips and giving me one of her mom looks. “I asked your father out on our first date.”

  “You did?” I said, not sure I believed her.

  “Yes,” she answered. “He thought I didn’t like him, so I asked him out.”

  “Why did he think you didn’t like him?” I asked.

  “Because a certain girl who also liked him told him I didn’t,” she said.

  “But Jack spends all his time with Megan. They’re practically engaged.”

  “That’s how it looks,” said my mother.

  “And it’s what Megan says,” I argued.

  My mother gave me another look. “And do you trust Megan?”

  “No,” I said. “But I’ve seen how he is around her. He’s like all the other Megbots.”

  “The what?”

  “He acts like all her friends, like she’s the best thing since text messaging.”

  My mother made a little snorting sound. “I still say you should ask him out,” she said.

  “No way,” I told her. “No. Way.”

  She looked over at me, but didn’t say anything. I thought maybe I saw her smiling, but I wasn’t sure. Anyway, I’d had enough of the conversation. I decided it was time to go check on the dogs.

  They were fine. After the rainstorm, it had turned sunny and hot. Everyone was sleeping in the sun or in the shade beneath the tree. Rufus was sitting in the plastic wading pool I’d brought in and filled with water for the dogs to play in.

  I sat on the steps and thought about what my mom had said. Was I wrong about Jack? Was he really a great guy, and I just wasn’t seeing the whole story? I didn’t know. My mother had suggested asking him out, but that was easy for her to say! I just didn’t know if I could do that.

  Why not? said a voice in my head. It sounded an awful lot like Shan’s. I pictured her standing in front of me, giving me the look she uses when she thinks I’m being completely ridiculous. He’s just a boy, the voice said.

  “You’re right,” I said out loud. Thinking I was talking to them, a couple of the dogs looked up at me for a moment before putting their heads down and going back to sleep. “He is just a boy,” I said, more softly this time.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Things with Hector are going really well,” Shan told me when I called her on Sunday night.

  She’d said his name out loud, which surprised me. “Aren’t you afraid your grandma will hear you?” I asked her.

  “It’s okay,” Shan said. “She knows. I told her. At first she was upset, but then I had Hector come over for dinner. Now she’s practically in love with him.”

  “Oh,” I said. “That’s amazing.”

  “Isn’t it?” Shan said. She lowered her voice a little. “We went to the movies last week, and he held my hand.” Her voice was all breathy and weird. It didn’t sound like Shan at all.

  “He did?” I said. “Cool.”

  Shan sighed again. “I really like him, Al.”

  “It sounds like it,” I replied.

  “I think he wants a Frisbee,” Shan hissed into the phone.

  “A Frisbee?” I said, confused. “What for? And why are you whispering about it?”

  “Kiss me,” Shan said, a little louder. “Not a Frisbee. I think he wants to kiss me.”

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  “It’s the way he looks at me when he says good night,” she said. “I can’t explain it. I just think he does.”

  “Then why doesn’t he?”

  “I don’t know,” said Shan. “I think maybe he’s never done it before, either.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to give her some great best friend advice that would be really helpful. But part of me was jealous. She was apparently way ahead of me on the whole kissing thing. I’d always thought it would happen to us at the same time. I mean, we’d done all the big things together. We’d gotten our ears pierced together. We’d bought our first bras together. We’d even gotten our first periods within the same month. I’d just always figured we’d do everything together. But, apparently, Shan was doing this without me.

  “Are you okay?” Shan asked me. I realized I hadn’t said anything for a long time.

  “Yeah,” I said. “I, um, thought I heard my mother calling me.”

  “I e-mailed you a picture of me and Hector,” said Shan, thankfully not picking up on the fact that I had just totally lied to her. “His brother took it with his digital camera. Let me know what you think.”

  “I will,” I promised. “I should go now.”

  “Okay,” said Shan. “I’ll call you later.”

  I hung up. I went to the computer on my desk and opened my e-mail program. Sure enough, there was one from Shan. I opened it and read her note: “Me and my boyfriend!” was all it said. I clicked on the attached file, and a picture opened up. It was Shan standing next to a guy with dark hair and glasses. They were both wearing T-shirts that said San Francisco on them, and they were standing on a hill. Behind them was the Golden Gate Bridge. Hector had his arm around Shan, and she was grinning goofily.

  “He’s cute,” I said out loud. “Congratulations.”

  I closed the picture and sighed. Hector was cute, and he and Shan looked really happy together. I decided I had to do something. I was tired of feeling like a loser. I was tired of Megan always showing me up and trying to make me feel bad (which, apparently, was working). It was time to make a change and become a new Allie, one who didn’t wait around for boys to ask her out.

  What this boiled down to is that I decided that I would ask Jack out. In fact, I was determined. I knew it was crazy. After all, he seemed to be totally into Megan, who knows why. Still, I was going to try. It was part of my whole new philosophy. Okay, so I didn’t really have a whole new philosophy. But it was a start.

  I decided that I would call him the next day.

  As it turned out, I didn’t have to wait until after work on Monday, because Jack came into the shop Monday morning with Barkley. Needless to say, as soon as I saw him, my whole calm-and-cool plan went right out the window. Instead, I went for surprised-and-uncool, which, I can s
ay with total confidence, I pulled off to perfection.

  “Uh,” I said brightly, staring at Jack and forgetting everything I’d planned on saying.

  He’d gotten a haircut over the weekend, and he looked adorable. He was also wearing a tanktop, which totally showed off his arms and chest. Never having seen him in anything besides baggy T-shirts, I hadn’t realized how good a body he had. Really strong arms.

  “Do you have time to give Barkley a nail trim?” he asked me. “He clicks on the hardwood floors when he walks, and it’s making my mom nuts.”

  “Sure,” I said. “Just give me a minute.” A minute to get over how utterly hot you are, I thought silently.

  “No problem,” said Jack.

  I slipped into the back room, so that Jack couldn’t see me. This is your chance! my mind was screaming. Looking in the mirror, I saw immediately that my hair was a total mess. I pulled out my ponytail and quickly shook out my hair. It looked a little bit better, but still didn’t help the zit on my chin or hide the fact that I had dirt on my face where one of the dogs had jumped up on me that morning. But it was now or never.

  I closed my eyes and tried to breathe. It’s okay, I said, giving myself a little pep talk. You can do this. He’s just a boy.

  I opened my eyes, hoping that some miracle might have occurred and I would look gorgeous. But no, I still looked like me. I wiped the mud off my cheek with my sleeve. Then I returned to the main room, trying to sound more positive than I felt. “Okay, then,” I said. “Who’s ready for a nail trim?”

  Barkley wagged his stub of a tail at me as I knelt and gently picked him up, one hand under his chest and one around his back legs.

  “Do you need help with that?” asked Jack.

  “No,” I said. “I’m fine, thanks.” I was hoping he’d be impressed by how smoothly I’d picked Barkley up.

  Barkley sat down on the table and watched as I picked up the nail clippers. He wasn’t at all nervous, which was a really good thing, because I was. I’d trimmed toenails a million times, but suddenly I felt like it was the first time I’d ever held a dog’s paw. I knew Jack was watching, and I wanted him to be impressed, especially since every time he’d seen me with dogs before, I’d managed to do something dumb.

  “Good boy,” I told Barkley as I lifted his right paw. Slipping the first nail into the clipper, I pinched the handles. A tiny piece of nail fell to the table with a little “click.”

  “So, how’s it been around here?” Jack asked as I worked.

  “Great,” I said. “I’ve been really busy. How about you?”

  “Oh, you know,” he said. “I’ve been pretty busy, too. I volunteer at the shelter three days a week.”

  Yeah, I thought as I worked on Barkley’s toes, and on the other two you take out Megan.

  “And then there’s the club committee,” Jack continued.

  “Right,” I said as I cut another of Barkley’s toenails, finishing the right paw. “That’s so much fun.” I hadn’t meant to sound sarcastic, but it just slipped out. I hoped Jack wouldn’t notice, as I was trying to make him see that I was a nice person.

  “It’s something, all right,” Jack said. “Megan sure knows what she wants.”

  What she wants is you, I wanted to say.

  “Who are you going with to the Fourth of July party?” asked Jack as I started on Barkley’s left paw.

  “Oh, nobody,” I answered, surprised by his question. “It’s not really that kind of thing.” As soon as I said it, I realized what a mistake I’d made. It had been the perfect opportunity to ask Jack out, and I’d blown it.

  “Oh,” he said before I could correct myself. “Megan said everyone comes with a date.”

  Oh. Great. I had a sinking feeling I knew where the conversation was headed. Then, as I was working up the nerve to speak again, the door opened.

  “There you are,” said Megan. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  I couldn’t believe it. Did Megan have some kind of tracker on Jack, so that she always knew where he was? He was like one of those sharks they tag on the Nature Channel and then follow everywhere to see what it’s doing. Every time Jack came around me, Megan managed to ruin everything.

  “Well, here I am,” Jack said.

  “I’m going to leave Tallulah here for the afternoon,” Megan announced.

  I didn’t turn around. “Just put her out back,” I said.

  Megan sniffed. “How can you watch her if she’s out there?” she said. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my little girl. I mean, look what happened at the park the other day.”

  I didn’t say anything. Megan huffed, then turned and walked toward the back door. When she was out of earshot, Jack said, “I tried to tell her it was all Tallulah’s fault,” he said. “But you know how she is.”

  “Yeah,” I said. So, I thought, he was the one who told Megan about what happened.

  “It was kind of funny,” Jack said, laughing a little.

  I felt myself bristle. Was he making fun of me? Again? It sure sounded like it. If he was, he was bordering on jerkboy territory again, and this time, I wasn’t sure I could let it go without saying something.

  “Are you sure that yard is safe?” Megan sounded worried, as if she’d walked into the back and found a tar pit in the middle of it. “The fence doesn’t look that sturdy.”

  “It’s fine,” I said. “As long as someone doesn’t dig her way under it.”

  Megan didn’t get the jab. She did, however, have one of her own to throw my way. “It’s funny how bad things seem to happen around you, Allie,” she said. “It’s like you’re cursed or something. Remember that time in fourth grade when we sang ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ at the Christmas concert?”

  I knew what she was about to do, but I couldn’t stop her. I could only listen as she said to Jack, “It was so funny. On the last verse, we each had our own line to sing. Mine was five golden rings. Allie’s was seven swans a swimming. Only she forgot the words, and instead of saying ‘seven swans a swimming,’ she said ‘seven spiders spinning.’ It was hysterical.”

  Megan laughed loudly. Then I heard Jack laugh, too, and it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I couldn’t breathe. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. Everything seemed to stop, and all I heard was laughter in my head.

  Then I heard Barkley yelp. I shook my head and looked down. A big piece of toenail was lying on the table, and there was a spot of blood on my hand. I’d cut his nail too short.

  “Oh, Barkley,” I said, reaching for a towel. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

  Barkley wagged his tail, but I knew it must have hurt him. I patted his nail and opened the can of powder we use to stop the bleeding. It’s really easy to cut a dog’s nail too short, especially when they’re black, like Barkley’s. Still, I felt awful. He was such a nice dog, and hurting him, even by mistake, upset me. As I put the powder on his nail, he bent his head and licked my hand, as if he was telling me it was okay.

  “Look at all that blood,” said Megan. Her tone made it sound as if she’d walked into the middle of a crime scene. “I think I might be sick.”

  Jack came over and rubbed Barkley’s ears. “You okay, fella?” he asked.

  “I’m so sorry,” I told him.

  “It’s okay,” Jack said. “I don’t think he’ll be crippled for life or anything.” He was so close that I could smell the soap he’d used to shower with. He smelled like a pine forest.

  “Is he all right?” Megan called out.

  “He’s fine,” Jack told her, moving away from me and taking the forest smell with him.

  “Thank heavens,” said Megan. “I mean, he cried so loud, I thought maybe his foot was broken or something.”

  Carefully, I trimmed the last of Barkley’s nails. Jack helped him off the table, and Barkley shook himself.

  “Good as new,” Jack said.

  I nodded, not looking at him.

  “What do I owe you?” asked Jack.

  “It s
hould be free,” said Megan. “After all that.”

  “It’s okay,” I said to Jack. “We’re good.”

  He looked at me for a moment, his brown eyes staring into mine. Some pieces of hair were hanging over his forehead, and I almost reached up and brushed them into place. Then Jack stepped back.

  “Okay then,” he said. “Thanks.”

  “Want to come over to my house?” asked Megan, apparently forgetting how “upset” she’d been about Barkley just a second before. “We could watch a DVD or something.”

  “I’ve got to get to the shelter,” Jack said. “Maybe later.”

  “Oh,” said Megan. “Well, I’ll walk with you back to your house.”

  Jack waved to me, and he and Megan left. I looked down at the spot of blood on the table. “He cried so loud,” I said, imitating Megan’s voice. “I thought maybe his foot was broken.”

  I wiped the blood away with the towel, then sprayed the top with antibacterial soap. As I scrubbed it, I fumed over the total disaster my brilliant plan had become. Not only hadn’t I asked Jack out, but I’d hurt his dog and, thanks once again to Megan, had another of my embarrassing Regrettable Incidents shared with him.

  It was true about the stupid swans. I had sung “seven spiders spinning” instead. I’d been so excited about the concert, I’d practiced my one line for weeks. Then when my big moment came, I totally blanked. So when I opened my mouth, “seven spiders spinning” came out instead.

  It felt like everyone in the auditorium laughed. Standing on stage, I could hear them roaring. And for weeks afterward, kids teased me about it. Someone even left seven plastic spiders in my desk one day, and I had a pretty good idea who it was.

  And now, thanks to her, Jack had laughed at me too. So much for thinking I’d actually ask him out. That was the biggest laugh of all.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The second meeting of the Fourth of July party committee met on Wednesday. I don’t know why I even bothered to go—I guess I was just too proud to quit. I didn’t want Megan to think she’d succeeded in scaring me off. Thankfully, it wasn’t at Megan’s house this time. Instead, we had it at the country club, in the game room. At least there I felt like we were on neutral territory, even if Megan had the Megbots on her side.