Read Online Dog Beach Unleashed by Lisa Greenwald - Free Book Online Page A

She had no idea what was going on in Seagate because the whole island lost power, and everyone was gone. She stayed with us for two weeks and didn’t even know if herhouse would be there when she got back. It ultimately needed a new roof, and the whole first floor was destroyed. But it could have been worse. She said so herself.
    Marilyn Monroe and I hustle toward Dog Beach, even though we have at least an hour before the other dogs arrive. Claire, Calvin, Micayla, Bennett, and even Mason are doing all the pickups today. They offered, and I didn’t argue with them. And since Mason has been so busy with his Italian lessons, it will be nice to see him for a change.
    I try to study everyone I see on the way to the beach. Are they worried about a storm, too? Do they seem stressed? But to me, everyone looks like their normal, happy Seagate Island selves.
    â€œSee, Mari? Everything’s going to be fine,” I tell her as we’re walking onto Dog Beach. “I don’t understand why we worry about things we can’t control. Things will be the same whether we worry or not.”
    I know all this, and yet I still worry. It doesn’t make sense.
    Mari barks her happy
I agree
bark and plops down next to me on the sand. She stretches her paws out in front of her and closes her eyes. She’s tired from listening to all of my rambles, I guess. Either that or she’s been up at night worrying, like I have.
    Soon everyone else arrives. Claire’s eyes are red, as they usually are these days. I try to study Calvin, to see what he does when he sees me. Does he get nervous? Does he straighten out his shirt or anything?
    But nope. Nothing. He just nudges his head in my direction, the way he says hi most of the time. Then he goes to play Frisbee with Ritzy, Oreo, Atticus, and Rascal. They’re a crew this summer, and they can’t be separated.
    Ritzy looks so small compared to the others. Sometimes I can’t even see her little brown and white Jack Russell body. It gets hidden by the bigger dogs.
    â€œSo, what’s up, Rem?” Bennett asks. “Gonna bail on your swimming lesson again?”
    I glare at him. “I only bailed once.”
    â€œWhatever.” He puts his hands on his hips and does a fake-angry pose.
    I know he’s joking with me, but I can barely look at him. Why does he care about missing our swimming lessons when he didn’t care that Calvin liked me?
    The boys all go to handle the dogs for a moment, while the girls take a break and do some serious lounging. It’s a new thing we started, giving one another a few minutes off.
    â€œI don’t know what to do about Mason,” Micayla says. “He’s just kind of needy lately. Like, he asked me if I’d quiz him on Italian.”
    â€œWhat?” Claire scoffs. “Are you serious?”
    â€œYeah.” She makes a face. “I mean, come on. No one wants to quiz anyone on anything in the summer.”
    â€œAre you two even together?” Claire asks.
    Claire always has a way of saying exactly what she’s thinking. Sometimes it hurts people’s feelings, but she doesit anyway. It seems to have gotten worse this summer, but I think it’s because of everything she’s dealing with at home.
    â€œNever mind. Forget I even brought this up.” Micayla gets up from the sand. She walks away, to the dogs and the boys.
    Claire raises her eyebrows at me. “What was that all about?”
    â€œThey
are
together,” I remind her. “You knew that.”
    â€œI did not. They barely even hang out. And Mason rarely helps at Dog Beach anymore.” She huffs. “Can I have the day off? I’m really tired.”
    â€œWhatever you need to do,” I say.
    She looks at me, waiting for me to say more. Maybe I should be more supportive. But right now Lester is twisted up in some seaweed because he was trying to run away from Ritzy, and the rest of the dogs are barking