Read Online Say Good-bye by Laurie Halse Anderson - Free Book Online
Authors: Laurie Halse Anderson
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behaving himself—and loving all the attention. He doesn’t bark much, and it doesn’t seem to bother him at all to have lots of kids petting him and trying to hug him.
I look around for Emma Morgan. I want to try to talk to her again. I want her to meet Sneakers.
I see her across the room, in her usual spot. But instead of staring out the window, she’s looking at me—waiting for me. I wave and start to go over, but a little girl steps in front of me and yanks on my shirt. I realize it’s the same little girl who put clips in Yum-Yum’s hair.
“Hi, Stephanie.”
“Hi … um, what was your name?”
“Zoe. Remember I came with Yum-Yum a few days ago?”
She nods sadly. “I’m so sorry that Yum-Yum is sick.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Then Stephanie’s face lights up. “Do you think Sneakers would let me brush him?” she asks. “Do you think he’d let me put some clips in his hair?”
I smile at the little girl. I remember being her age. I remember being obsessed with brushing and braiding and doing all kinds of things to my dolls’ hair. Sometimes my mom even used to let me do weird experiments on her hair.
But Stephanie doesn’t have any hair to braid.
Actually, Sneakers doesn’t have that much, either. Not like Yum-Yum. “Well, Sneakers’ hairis pretty short,” I say. “I don’t know if the clips will stay in.”
Stephanie cocks her head and thinks a minute. “I know!” She takes a purple scrunchie and loops it over Sneakers’ left ear. She slips a hot-pink one onto his tail. “Sneakers!” she squeals. “You’re bee-yoo-ti-ful!”
Sneakers runs around in a circle, trying to catch the bright pink cloth on his tail.
Stephanie chases him.
Another little girl sees them and joins in the game.
Sneakers is getting excited. He jumps up on one of the nurses.
“Down, Sneakers!” I tell him.
But he won’t listen. The more I call him, it seems, the more he ignores me.
He runs up to the nurses’ desk with kids chasing after him.
Oh, no!
He’s not going to… “No! Sneakers!”
He tinkles right in the middle of the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” I say to Nurse Bennett, and I can feel my face turning bright red. “Do you have any paper towels?”
She shakes her head. “I’ll take care of it.” Shesighs and glances at Jane. “Sorry, Jane, but… maybe it would just be best for you to take Sneakers outside.”
I’m totally embarrassed. I glance back at Emma. She has turned her chair away from the whole scene. She won’t look at either dog.
She won’t even wave good-bye.
• • • • • • •
As Jane and I walk back to the car with our dogs, I apologize over and over.
“Don’t be silly,” she says. “He just got excited, that’s all. But you see, that’s why the special training is so important. If you and Sneakers take the formal training classes, you and he will learn how to behave in all kinds of new situations.”
Jane is being so nice, but I feel so humiliated. Sneakers and I aren’t like Jane and Yum-Yum—we’re a terrible team. And I don’t see therapy training in our future at all.
“Promise me one thing,” I beg her as I slink into the car. “Don’t tell Maggie or Gran!”
Chapter Nine
• • • • • • • • • • • •
I t’s an hour-long drive to the university vet hospital where Jane is taking Yum-Yum for cancer treatments. Gran said she wished she could go with Jane, but she’s got her hands full at the clinic, with Dr. Gabe on vacation. So I volunteered to go.
I hold Yum-Yum in my lap as we drive out of town and into the country, past rolling hills and old family farms.
I notice round, colorful folk-art designs on signs over the doors of some of the barns. “What are those things?” I ask.
“Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs,” she explains.“Aren’t they beautiful? The Germans brought them over from the Old Country. They’re supposed to keep away evil spirits.”
We could use a
I look around for Emma Morgan. I want to try to talk to her again. I want her to meet Sneakers.
I see her across the room, in her usual spot. But instead of staring out the window, she’s looking at me—waiting for me. I wave and start to go over, but a little girl steps in front of me and yanks on my shirt. I realize it’s the same little girl who put clips in Yum-Yum’s hair.
“Hi, Stephanie.”
“Hi … um, what was your name?”
“Zoe. Remember I came with Yum-Yum a few days ago?”
She nods sadly. “I’m so sorry that Yum-Yum is sick.”
“Yeah, me, too.”
Then Stephanie’s face lights up. “Do you think Sneakers would let me brush him?” she asks. “Do you think he’d let me put some clips in his hair?”
I smile at the little girl. I remember being her age. I remember being obsessed with brushing and braiding and doing all kinds of things to my dolls’ hair. Sometimes my mom even used to let me do weird experiments on her hair.
But Stephanie doesn’t have any hair to braid.
Actually, Sneakers doesn’t have that much, either. Not like Yum-Yum. “Well, Sneakers’ hairis pretty short,” I say. “I don’t know if the clips will stay in.”
Stephanie cocks her head and thinks a minute. “I know!” She takes a purple scrunchie and loops it over Sneakers’ left ear. She slips a hot-pink one onto his tail. “Sneakers!” she squeals. “You’re bee-yoo-ti-ful!”
Sneakers runs around in a circle, trying to catch the bright pink cloth on his tail.
Stephanie chases him.
Another little girl sees them and joins in the game.
Sneakers is getting excited. He jumps up on one of the nurses.
“Down, Sneakers!” I tell him.
But he won’t listen. The more I call him, it seems, the more he ignores me.
He runs up to the nurses’ desk with kids chasing after him.
Oh, no!
He’s not going to… “No! Sneakers!”
He tinkles right in the middle of the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” I say to Nurse Bennett, and I can feel my face turning bright red. “Do you have any paper towels?”
She shakes her head. “I’ll take care of it.” Shesighs and glances at Jane. “Sorry, Jane, but… maybe it would just be best for you to take Sneakers outside.”
I’m totally embarrassed. I glance back at Emma. She has turned her chair away from the whole scene. She won’t look at either dog.
She won’t even wave good-bye.
• • • • • • •
As Jane and I walk back to the car with our dogs, I apologize over and over.
“Don’t be silly,” she says. “He just got excited, that’s all. But you see, that’s why the special training is so important. If you and Sneakers take the formal training classes, you and he will learn how to behave in all kinds of new situations.”
Jane is being so nice, but I feel so humiliated. Sneakers and I aren’t like Jane and Yum-Yum—we’re a terrible team. And I don’t see therapy training in our future at all.
“Promise me one thing,” I beg her as I slink into the car. “Don’t tell Maggie or Gran!”
Chapter Nine
• • • • • • • • • • • •
I t’s an hour-long drive to the university vet hospital where Jane is taking Yum-Yum for cancer treatments. Gran said she wished she could go with Jane, but she’s got her hands full at the clinic, with Dr. Gabe on vacation. So I volunteered to go.
I hold Yum-Yum in my lap as we drive out of town and into the country, past rolling hills and old family farms.
I notice round, colorful folk-art designs on signs over the doors of some of the barns. “What are those things?” I ask.
“Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs,” she explains.“Aren’t they beautiful? The Germans brought them over from the Old Country. They’re supposed to keep away evil spirits.”
We could use a
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