Sofia's Puppy Love Page 2

  “Your mother’s right, sweetheart,” her father agreed. “I’m afraid this just isn’t a good time to bring a puppy into our home.”

  Sofia swallowed the lump in her throat. She could see her dream of adopting Piper slipping away. “But I can take care of him; I promise! I know so much about dogs now. Just ask Jasmine!”

  Jasmine, Keiko, and Madison had been silently watching from a few feet away. “It’s true,” Jasmine replied. “Sofia’s the puppy expert of the four of us.”

  Her mother glanced at the puppy again, and then back to Sofia. “I know you’ve wanted a dog for a long time, Sofia,” she admitted. “And you have been working hard—”

  Mrs. Wallace cut in. “It’s great that you’re thinking about adopting, but none of the puppies are ready for their forever homes just yet. They need to stay with their mother for at least eight weeks. They still have a ways to go.”

  “Right,” Sofia mumbled. “I almost forgot.”

  Sofia’s father glanced at her mother, who gave a subtle nod. He gently tugged on one of Sofia’s braids. “Tell you what—if you show your mom and me that you can continue helping out here with Piper while keeping up with your homework and soccer practice, then as soon as Piper’s old enough, he can come home with us.”

  Sofia gasped. “Really?”

  “Yes, really,” her dad answered, flashing a smile.

  Sofia leaped up to grasp both of her parents in a tight hug. She was finally getting a dog of her own!

  On Monday, Sofia floated into school. On Sunday, her team had won their soccer game. And she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Piper all weekend. Finally, she would have a dog to take to the park or snuggle up with while she read books. She had already figured out where his bed would go. Sofia had never been this happy in her life.

  She arrived early and slid into her desk. Then she unzipped her backpack and pulled out her notebook and homework folder. But as soon as she saw the folder, her stomach sank.

  “Oh no,” Sofia groaned.

  “What’s wrong?” Keiko asked.

  “I completely forgot to do my homework over the weekend!” Sofia whispered. Ms. Chen had given them math and writing assignments.

  Sofia quickly took out her notebook and a pencil and started to write. By the time Ms. Chen took attendance, Sofia had finished one messy page for her writing assignment. She knew it wasn’t great, and her math worksheet was still completely blank. But she hoped her teacher wouldn’t notice.

  Then Sofia glanced over and saw Madison pulling out her science fair registration form. Sofia squirmed in her chair. She had forgotten that, too! Today was the deadline to register for the fair! She had been looking forward to it, too. Last year in second grade, her photosynthesis project had won a prize. Now she wouldn’t be able to participate in the fair at all. Ms. Chen had been firm about the registration deadline.

  Ms. Chen collected the homework assignments and the science fair forms, and then their school day began. The rest of the morning flew by, but Sofia no longer felt like she was on cloud nine.

  When Ms. Chen dismissed the class for lunch, Sofia heard her teacher call her name.

  “Sofia? I’d like to speak with you for a moment, please.”

  “Do you want us to wait for you?” Jasmine whispered.

  Sofia shook her head. “That’s okay. I’ll see you in the cafeteria.”

  “Good luck,” Keiko whispered. Madison gave her an encouraging smile. As Sofia walked back to Ms. Chen’s desk, she had a sinking feeling she knew what her teacher was going to say.

  Ms. Chen rifled through the stack of science fair registration forms.

  “I had a chance to look through these, and I didn’t see yours,” Ms. Chen noted. “I know how much energy you devoted to your project last year, and I was wondering why you decided not to enter the fair this year.”

  Sofia sighed and slumped her shoulders. “I was planning to, but I forgot the form was due today,” she explained sadly. “And I haven’t come up with an idea yet anyway.”

  Ms. Chen nodded thoughtfully. “Does this have anything to do with your incomplete homework assignment?” she asked gently.

  Sofia hung her head. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I forgot to do that this weekend, too.”

  Ms. Chen looked at Sofia sympathetically. “Well, it happens to everyone from time to time,” she said. “And there’s always next year for the science fair. But make sure you turn in next week’s homework on time.”

  “I will,” Sofia said eagerly. “I promise!”

  Sofia’s teacher smiled. Sofia felt a little better, but she knew she still had to talk to her parents about her homework and the science fair. Sofia hoped they would be as understanding as her teacher had been.

  After school, Sofia’s mom picked her up to drive her to Rosa’s Refuge.

  “Hi, sweetie,” her mom greeted her warmly. “How was your day?”

  “It was okay,” Sofia said with a quick shrug as she slipped into the back seat of the car. Her stomach felt queasy. She really didn’t want to tell her mom about her homework and the science fair project, but she knew she had to.

  “Just okay?” her mom asked. “Did something happen?”

  “Um, yeah,” Sofia admitted slowly. “I forgot to do my homework this weekend. And I missed the deadline to register for the science fair.”

  “Oh, Sofia,” her mom said. “You love the science fair! What happened?”

  “I don’t know,” Sofia admitted. “I’ve been trying to come up with an idea, and I just haven’t been able to. And this weekend I was so busy with Piper and soccer, I forgot all about it.”

  “Sweetheart, I know your dad and I said you could volunteer at the shelter during the week, but it sounds like you have a little too much on your plate right now,” her mom said. “I think after today it would be best if you go back to volunteering on Saturdays only.”

  Sofia sat straight up in her seat. “But, Mom—”

  “We had a deal,” her mom cut in. “You already have soccer two days a week. And we agreed to let you volunteer at the shelter, too, but only if you kept up with your schoolwork. Remember?”

  “Yes,” Sofia mumbled. “I’m really sorry.”

  “I know you are,” her mom said gently. “And given what happened, I’m not sure you’re ready to own a dog yet, either.” Sofia could see her mom’s face in the rearview mirror, and she didn’t look happy.

  She gasped. “But what about Piper?”

  “I’m sure Mrs. Wallace will find him a good home,” her mother said sympathetically. “But a dog is a big responsibility, and it isn’t a decision to take lightly. We’ll get a dog when you’re ready for it. That’s only fair to you, to us, and to the dog.”

  Sofia blinked back tears. Her heart felt as though it had been crushed into a thousand pieces. For the rest of the ride to the shelter, she could hardly breathe.

  After her mom dropped her off at Rosa’s Refuge, Sofia rushed to see the dogs. Penny was in the grooming area with one of the adult volunteers, and her puppies were playfully wrestling in the pen. One little pup wagged his tail and let out squeaky barks as soon as he saw Sofia.

  “He’s been waiting for you,” Mrs. Wallace said, her eyes twinkling as she handed Sofia a pair of gloves.

  A lump had formed in Sofia’s throat and tears welled in her eyes. But she blinked hard and tried her best to focus on what she was there to do. She gently lifted Piper out of the pen and placed him on the scale to measure his weight before his feeding. When she marked it on her chart, Sofia saw that he had gained a bit since her visit on Saturday. The supplements and the heat lamps and extra love were working! Sofia knew she should have been happy at that realization, but she couldn’t shake her sadness.

  Still, she had a job to do. She carefully measured and mixed a bottle of formula for Piper. Then she scooped him up and settled herself in a chair to feed him. When she held the puppy close to her chest, she could feel that he was a little heavier, and his eyes
were bright and alert. He showered Sofia with doggy kisses and tried to climb onto her shoulder. That would usually thrill her, but today it only made her sad. Despite all her efforts, tears slid down her face as the puppy gulped down his bottle.

  Mrs. Wallace noticed Sofia was upset, and she gently took Piper away and placed him back in the pen. Then she sat down next to Sofia.

  “Want to tell me what’s wrong?” she asked, handing Sofia a tissue.

  When she could finally speak, Sofia found the words hard to say. “Mom and Dad decided not to adopt Piper after all.”

  Mrs. Wallace listened carefully as Sofia told her everything. When she had finished, Mrs. Wallace pulled her into a warm hug.

  “I know you’re upset,” she said. “And I understand that it’s terribly disappointing that your parents changed their minds. But even if you can’t adopt a dog, there are plenty of other animals and people here at the shelter who need you each Saturday.”

  Sofia sniffled. Mrs. Wallace was right, of course. She didn’t have to own a pet to help take care of one. But somehow it just wasn’t the same.

  The next Saturday was the first that Sofia had spent away from the shelter in a long time. Down the hall, her parents were noisily working on the spare room, moving everything out so they could paint. Meanwhile, Sofia was sprawled on her bed, reading. But she found it hard to concentrate. When the video chat on her computer chimed, she welcomed the interruption.

  She opened her laptop, clicked a button, and Jasmine’s face appeared. Behind her, cat posters lined the wall and puppies yipped in the background. Jasmine was in Mrs. Wallace’s office.

  “Hi,” Sofia said, trying to sound happier than she felt.

  “Hi, Sofia,” Jasmine replied.

  Madison squeezed into the frame on Jasmine’s left. “Where are you?” she asked, a concerned look on her face. “We miss you!”

  Suddenly, Keiko’s face popped in from the right. “Yeah, is everything okay?”

  Sofia gave her friends a sad smile. “Not really,” she said. “I still can’t believe I won’t be taking Piper home. To tell you the truth, I just couldn’t bear to see him today.”

  Jasmine nodded understandingly. “I’m sorry you can’t adopt Piper,” she said. “He missed you today, too. It’s not as fun when you’re not here.”

  “Thanks,” Sofia replied.

  “We have some news,” Jasmine said, taking a deep breath. “Penny and Pickle just got adopted.”

  Sofia shot to her feet as her heart leaped into her throat. “What? I don’t believe you.”

  “See for yourself,” Madison said. “Log in to the shelter’s webcam.”

  Sofia had been so busy wallowing over Piper, she’d forgotten about the webcam. She clicked open a new window and typed in the web address. Soon a live video appeared on the screen. Five puppies were in the pen, sleeping. But Penny and Pickle were gone.

  “The two families who will be adopting Penny and Pickle are hanging out with them in the playroom,” Keiko explained. “They won’t take them home for a few more weeks, though.”

  “This is terrible!” Sofia cried sadly. “I mean, it’s great that they found homes, but I didn’t know it would start happening so soon. With the webcam bringing people in, all the puppies will get adopted in no time. And then I’ll never see Piper again.”

  “You don’t know that for sure,” Keiko said softly.

  “I really blew it,” Sofia said. “My parents don’t think I’d be a good dog owner now. Maybe they’re right.”

  “That’s not true,” Madison said encouragingly. “You’d be great.”

  “Right!” Jasmine agreed. “Just find a way to prove that you’re responsible enough. Then maybe your parents will change their minds about Piper.”

  “Do you really think so?” Sofia asked, wiping away a tear.

  “It’s worth a try,” Keiko replied. “If anyone can do it, you can.”

  After she hung up, Sofia went to talk to her parents. Maybe if she asked, they would tell her what she could do to prove how responsible she could be. But when she entered the hallway, she found her parents coming out of the spare room. Her mom clutched her stomach, looking pale.

  “Your mother’s not feeling well,” her father said.

  Now that Sofia thought about it, her mom hadn’t been feeling well for the past couple of days, especially in the morning.

  “I’m taking her to lie down. Could you put the lid back on the paint can? I don’t want the paint to dry out.”

  “Okay, Dad,” Sofia replied. “Feel better, Mom.” She watched them leave, and then peeked into the spare room. It was empty except for a few buckets of paint and a couple of brushes. Her parents had been working hard in there, but if her mom was sick, the painting would have to wait.

  Unless I do it for them! Sofia thought suddenly. Not only would she be helping her parents, but she’d show them she could handle a big job by herself. This was the perfect chance to prove how responsible she was. She’d never painted a room before, but Keiko had painted sets for one of their school plays once and it looked fun. How hard could it be?

  Instead of putting the lid on, Sofia dipped a brush into the can of light green paint and started to slather it on the wall. The first few brushstrokes looked great. This will be easy! she thought.

  She continued to paint, covering half of one wall.

  I’ve totally got this! Sofia thought confidently. She started to do a little victory dance to celebrate. But as she twirled across the room to dip her paintbrush again, she stumbled and kicked the pail over. Thick green liquid poured across the hardwood floor.

  “Nooo!” Sofia whispered frantically. She righted the bucket, scooping up as much paint as she could, but a river of paint continued to ooze across the floor like foam-green lava. She ran to the bathroom down the hall to grab a roll of paper towels. She was halfway back when she skidded to a halt and looked down in horror. She’d forgotten to put down the paintbrush before her mad dash to the bathroom! Now there were globs of paint splattered all along the hallway, and behind her was a trail of light green footprints.

  She gasped and lifted up one foot. Paint coated the bottom of her sneaker. She must have stepped in one of the globs!

  “Nice going, Sofia,” she groaned to herself.

  Deciding the mess in the hallway wasn’t as bad as the one in the room, she hurried on to the first spill, unspooled a few paper towels, and tried to wipe up the paint. But instead of cleaning up the spill, all she managed to do was spread it around. Even worse, bits of paper towel had ripped off and were stuck in the paint. Sofia stood up, staring at the damage in shock.

  “What on earth?” a voice boomed.

  Sofia whirled around to find her father standing in the doorway, his mouth hanging open. She looked around to see the room as he saw it. It seemed as though there was paint everywhere except on the walls.

  “I—I’m helping?” Sofia stammered as she glanced up at her father. From the look on his face, she could tell he wanted to yell—or laugh—but he seemed too exhausted to do either. Instead he just sighed.

  “Thanks for trying,” he said. “But why don’t you take off your sneakers and go clean yourself up? I’ll take care of this.”

  Sofia carried her sneakers with her to the bathroom, careful not to touch any walls. She felt awful. She’d tried to be responsible and help out, but all she’d done was make things worse. After she’d scrubbed the paint off her hands and put her clothes in the sink to soak, she texted her friends the bad news.

  The next morning, Sofia’s doorbell rang bright and early. She knew her mom still wasn’t feeling well, so she hurried to answer it. Through the glass panes on either side of the door, she saw her friends standing on her porch.

  She opened the door and took in Jasmine’s old jeans and blue bandanna. Her long corkscrew curls were pulled back into a ponytail. Keiko had on paint-splattered overalls, a striped T-shirt, and a rainbow-colored headband. And Madison wore a red baseball cap with the brim
to the back and a pair of gray sweatpants. An oversized cat T-shirt topped off the strange look.

  “What’s going on?” Sofia asked. “What are you doing here? And what’s with the clothes?”

  Keiko held up a bag full of smocks, paintbrushes, and cleaning supplies. “We’re here to help you paint.”

  “Your text last night made it sound like you needed us,” Jasmine said.

  “Wow,” Sofia said, surprised. “That’s really nice of you, but I doubt my dad will let me help with the painting again,” she said. “He spent last night cleaning up the floor, thanks to me. So I’d have to ask him if it’s okay for you to help.”

  “They already did,” said a voice behind her. She swung around and saw her father smiling down at her. “They called early this morning to ask my permission. I decided the more help we have on that room, the better.”

  Sofia beamed at her friends, almost too grateful for words. “Then let’s get started!”

  She directed her friends to the spare room while she changed into an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt. When she returned, her dad was pouring paint into four plastic trays. He assigned each girl to paint a different part of the wall while he used a long roller to get the parts near the ceiling.

  “Ready, set … go!” he said.

  Together they started to paint. It was hard work, but it was also fun. Somehow they still got plenty of paint on themselves, but most of it ended up on the walls, where it belonged. In just a few hours they were done, and the room looked beautiful.

  “Excellent job, girls!” Sofia’s father said, smiling. “Thank you for all your help. It would have taken me a lot longer to do this all by myself.”

  Sofia smiled at her friends. With their help, she’d fixed her painting mistake. But she knew it wasn’t enough.

  The next day at school, when Ms. Chen dismissed her class for lunch, Sofia didn’t head to the cafeteria with her friends. Instead, she marched up to her teacher’s desk.