Read Online Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Patrick Jennings
Tags: Ages 8 and up
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herd of girls walking by.
“Hey, Murph!” he yelled. “Watch the master!”
Murph turned to look. Dmitri wound up, took a couple steps, and unleashed. The disc flew high over my head. It was hooking, so it was moving away from me pretty fast.
Murph laughed and yelled, “Whoa, nice fling, Chuck!”
It was pointless trying to catch it, but I ran after it anyway. I didn’t get it.
Fido did.
She came up out of nowhere, scooting fast through the grass, and leaped up in the air and caught it in her tiny rodent teeth. The Frisbee kept flying, spinning her around awhile, before landing softly on the grass. Fido immediately started dragging it across the field to me.
“Whoa, ho, ho, HO!” Murph yelled, running over. “That was AMAZING !”
I thought so, too. I mean, the fat little thing jumped . She played some serious air! And she caught the Frisbee. Like a… dog ! Amazing was exactly what that was.
But wait a minute.…Hadn’t I sealed her up tight in my backpack before we left home? Maybe I should change her name to Houdini.
The dogs ran over then, Buddy first, because he’s faster. I covered my eyes. It would be just my luck that right after discovering my stupid rodent pet had this amazing hidden talent that she would be eaten by my best friend’s perfect dog. I peeked through my fingers and watched Buddy circle Fido. Fido marched right up to him and growled her weird buzzy little growl. Buddy growled back and started pawing at the ground. Fido pawed the ground, too. Not as much dirt came up. Then they started sniffing each other, if you know what I mean. To my surprise and relief, Buddy did not eat Fido.
Then Mars arrived.
“Now this should be good!” Dmitri said.
Mars joined in on the sniffing and pawing and growling. But, in the end, he did not eat Fido, either. Instead, the three of them ran off together, barking and yapping and nipping at one another, their tongues hanging out of their mouths. They romped. They tumbled. They play-fought. Then Fido chased a squirrel up a tree.
“So what is that thing, Roof?” Murph asked.
“It’s my mom’s idea of a dog,” I sighed.
Murph cracked up. Some best friend.
“It’s a guinea pig,” Dmitri said with disgust. “Roof has a pet guinea pig! Can you believe that?”
“It’s the same one that chased you at school, huh?” Murph asked me.
“I told you,” Dmitri answered. “It was in his backpack. It’s his little pet. Isn’t it, little Doofy—Roofy?”
I ignored him and picked up my backpack. The zipper pulls were still tied together with my shoelace. She hadn’t gotten out that way. I turned the bag over. There was a hole the size of a tennis ball gnawed through the bottom.
“Can you believe that, Murph?” Dmitri said again. “I mean, what a total loser. Don’t you think, Murph? I mean, a guinea pig ! Whoa!”
I looked up at Murph. What would he say? Would he make fun of me? He knew how desperately I’d been wanting a dog. Would he laugh at what I got stuck with? Could he be that cruel? Would he go so far as to turn this into one of his big jokes at school? Turn me into a big joke?
“I wish I had one,” he said.
Good ole Murph.
16. Dinner conversation that night was even weirder than usual.
“A Lurena called for you, Rufus,” Dad said. “The number is on the memo board.”
I knew what that was about. And I knew what my answer to her offer would be.
“I’ll call her back later.”
“I think I have a lead on the pet store,” Mom said. “Rudy in plumbing said one of the owners was in the hardware store looking for some lighting fixtures because the store was moving to a new, bigger location over in Irondale. He doesn’t think it was called Petopia, but couldn’t say what it was called. I’m still certain it was Petopia. He says the new location is in that little shopping center across from the bowling alley. I think I’ll drive over there tomorrow. Who wants to come?”
I didn’t. I’d completely changed my
“Hey, Murph!” he yelled. “Watch the master!”
Murph turned to look. Dmitri wound up, took a couple steps, and unleashed. The disc flew high over my head. It was hooking, so it was moving away from me pretty fast.
Murph laughed and yelled, “Whoa, nice fling, Chuck!”
It was pointless trying to catch it, but I ran after it anyway. I didn’t get it.
Fido did.
She came up out of nowhere, scooting fast through the grass, and leaped up in the air and caught it in her tiny rodent teeth. The Frisbee kept flying, spinning her around awhile, before landing softly on the grass. Fido immediately started dragging it across the field to me.
“Whoa, ho, ho, HO!” Murph yelled, running over. “That was AMAZING !”
I thought so, too. I mean, the fat little thing jumped . She played some serious air! And she caught the Frisbee. Like a… dog ! Amazing was exactly what that was.
But wait a minute.…Hadn’t I sealed her up tight in my backpack before we left home? Maybe I should change her name to Houdini.
The dogs ran over then, Buddy first, because he’s faster. I covered my eyes. It would be just my luck that right after discovering my stupid rodent pet had this amazing hidden talent that she would be eaten by my best friend’s perfect dog. I peeked through my fingers and watched Buddy circle Fido. Fido marched right up to him and growled her weird buzzy little growl. Buddy growled back and started pawing at the ground. Fido pawed the ground, too. Not as much dirt came up. Then they started sniffing each other, if you know what I mean. To my surprise and relief, Buddy did not eat Fido.
Then Mars arrived.
“Now this should be good!” Dmitri said.
Mars joined in on the sniffing and pawing and growling. But, in the end, he did not eat Fido, either. Instead, the three of them ran off together, barking and yapping and nipping at one another, their tongues hanging out of their mouths. They romped. They tumbled. They play-fought. Then Fido chased a squirrel up a tree.
“So what is that thing, Roof?” Murph asked.
“It’s my mom’s idea of a dog,” I sighed.
Murph cracked up. Some best friend.
“It’s a guinea pig,” Dmitri said with disgust. “Roof has a pet guinea pig! Can you believe that?”
“It’s the same one that chased you at school, huh?” Murph asked me.
“I told you,” Dmitri answered. “It was in his backpack. It’s his little pet. Isn’t it, little Doofy—Roofy?”
I ignored him and picked up my backpack. The zipper pulls were still tied together with my shoelace. She hadn’t gotten out that way. I turned the bag over. There was a hole the size of a tennis ball gnawed through the bottom.
“Can you believe that, Murph?” Dmitri said again. “I mean, what a total loser. Don’t you think, Murph? I mean, a guinea pig ! Whoa!”
I looked up at Murph. What would he say? Would he make fun of me? He knew how desperately I’d been wanting a dog. Would he laugh at what I got stuck with? Could he be that cruel? Would he go so far as to turn this into one of his big jokes at school? Turn me into a big joke?
“I wish I had one,” he said.
Good ole Murph.
16. Dinner conversation that night was even weirder than usual.
“A Lurena called for you, Rufus,” Dad said. “The number is on the memo board.”
I knew what that was about. And I knew what my answer to her offer would be.
“I’ll call her back later.”
“I think I have a lead on the pet store,” Mom said. “Rudy in plumbing said one of the owners was in the hardware store looking for some lighting fixtures because the store was moving to a new, bigger location over in Irondale. He doesn’t think it was called Petopia, but couldn’t say what it was called. I’m still certain it was Petopia. He says the new location is in that little shopping center across from the bowling alley. I think I’ll drive over there tomorrow. Who wants to come?”
I didn’t. I’d completely changed my
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