Read Online Star in the Forest by Laura Resau - Free Book Online Page B

the park after school. It was lunchtime, and we were in the bathroom, and they were putting on lip gloss and brushing their hair, and I was washing my hands, and Crystal was in the bathroom stall. I could feel her listening.
    “Thanks, Morgan, but Crystal and me have plans. Maybe another time.”
    Later, after school, Crystal said, “Zit, do we really have plans?”
    “Of course! My dad will be home by tonight. We have to practice Star’s dog show!”
    We wheelbarrowed Star down the path. It was warm enough for shorts and tank tops, and my legs and arms felt happy and free and soaking up sunshine. The air smelled sweet, like nectar and grass and trees. Tiny flowers had popped up next to the fallen tulips and daffodils. The petals were in a perfect, cheerful circle, blue around a yellow center.
    “Forget-me-nots!” Crystal said.
    “What?”
    “Those flowers. That’s what they’re called. It’s like nature put them there ’cause it knew your dad was coming home!”
    I picked some blossoms and stuck them in Star’s collar so he’d look extra
guapo
for Papá.
    “Crystal,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about something.” And I had, all night. I’d hardly slept, thinking about Papá and Star and how happy I was, but then, when I thought of Crystal, I felt a little sad. I’d get my dad back, but hers was still in jail.
    “What?” she said.
    “I think you should keep Star.”
    Her face lit up. “Really?”
    I nodded. “But we can bring him here every day and hang out. And if the dictator’s in a bad mood, you and Star can come over to my house. And if you have to go to Madagascar to visit your dad, we can watch Star.”
    “I’ll treat him like gold, Zit, I promise!”
    In the forest, we helped Star out of the wheelbarrow. His leg was looking good, getting better fast. He walked with just a small limp back to his old spot under the rusty rainbow truck hood.
    “Sit, Star,” Crystal said.
    Star sat.
    “Shake, Star,” I said.
    Star shook my hand.
    “Roll over, Star,” Crystal said.
    Star rolled over.
    Then, together, we helped him into the driver’s seat of the truck. He sat there with his tongue hanging out, pink and happy. I said, “Beep!”
    He put his good paw on the horn and beeped and beeped and beeped.
    Then he stopped and his ears moved up, alert and listening. He was looking at something past our heads, behind us.
    I turned around, and there he was. Papá.Laughing and laughing. Laughing so hard he was nearly peeing in his pants.
    I ran to him and he held me tight, and it was just how I’d imagined, me burying my face in his T-shirt. He whispered in star language in my ear,
“Ni-mitz nequi.”
I love you. Over and over and over again.
    Then he looked at Star and said,
“¡Que perro!”
What a dog!
    “His name is Star,” I said.
    I hugged Papá again, as tight as I could.
    “Careful,
m’hija
. My shoulder’s pretty sore.” He pulled aside his T-shirt neck and showed me a big white bandage taped to his shoulder.
    “I have a feeling it’ll get better fast,” I said.
    Crystal had helped Star out of the truck and was sitting next to him, petting him, looking sad and happy at once. I felt like hugging her, too.
    Crystal said, “
Mucho gusto
, Mr. Mora. I’m Crystal.”
    “
Mucho gusto
, Crystal.”
    “I was practicing my
mucho gustos
for a while,” she said. “Zit told me you’d be coming home, so I figured out how to say ‘Nice to meet you,’ and now I finally get to say it to you. Did I say it right?”
    “Perfectly,” Papá said.
    Crystal nudged Star toward Papá. “Star, meet Mr. Mora.” She whispered to Papá, “Hold out your hand.”
    Papá held out his hand.
    Star shook it.
    Papá laughed some more, and then he looked closely at Crystal. “You’re the girl who lives next door, right?”
    She nodded. “With my mother, and sometimes her boyfriend. He’s not my dad, though.” She kept petting Star. “My dad’s in jail. He’ll be out in seven years if he’s on