While we were waiting for Jody to get there, I started to worry about what she might be wearing. I’d only actually seen her once, and her clothes would have to be described as Beyond Weird.
I could have hugged her when she came in. She had on jeans and a sweatshirt, and her braces glinted like jewels in her mouth. She looked like a regular person. She was carrying a big canvas bag that she slipped off her shoulder and swung to the rug behind the couch.
“I brought my homework, Mr. Stoner. I hope that’s all right with you. I thought that after Jane and Billie go to bed I could work a little on my essay.”
“Oh, certainly, Jody. That’s fine. I’m hoping I won’t be gone past ten or ten-thirty, but you just never know in these situations.”
Jody put on a look as if these situations came along all the time and she was well-equipped to handle them.
“Don’t worry about a thing, Mr. Stoner. Is there anything you want to tell me about bedtime or anything?”
She followed him into the hall where he was putting on his jacket. I could hear him mumbling instructions, making them up on the spot. He’s not too good at enforcing rules. He thinks we’ll forgive him for not living with us if we stay up late and eat a thousand sour cream and onion potato chips when we sleep over at his place.
“Billie!” Jane whispered urgently.
“What?”
“There’s something alive in here!” She was kneeling beside Jody’s bag, fumbling for the zipper. Sure enough, the bag shifted.
“Jane! Wait! It’s not ours. Wait till Dad leaves!” I had a delicious suspicion. “Jane! Don’t touch it!”
The bag was definitely moving.
I dragged Jane into the hallway before she could say another word.
“Good-bye, Dad! Don’t work too hard!”
He smiled and apologized again and ruffled our hair and said thanks to Jody and finally shut the door.
Jody put her finger to her lips and whispered, “Two-minute rule … Don’t say anything for at least two minutes, in case he has to come back.”
We stood huddled by the door, waiting to hear the ting of the elevator. Jane held her breath. Even Jody was quiet, and that’s really a feat.
“Okay, come on!” Jody turned back into the living room, and Jane dashed ahead, straight to the breathing shoulder bag. She unzipped the zipper, and we both squealed at once.
The puppy poked his nose out, sniffing. I felt dizzy, he was so beautiful. He was clearly delighted to be free. He tried to get his paws up, but the bag kept collapsing on him and he couldn’t get out. He was only about as big as one of my father’s shoes. His fur was the color of French vanilla ice cream, freckled and speckled with chocolate spots. He had sticky-uppy ears with silky tips, and big brown eyes.
“Ooooh, he’s so cute!” Jane tried to grab him, so I stepped in front of her.
“Hey!” she cried, but I stood my ground.
“Cool it, guys,” said Jody, sounding like a grown-up. “You’ll scare him.”
“Sorry, Jane,” I muttered. My cheeks were burning. “You can hold him first. But sit down, and be careful!”
Jane obediently sat and crossed her legs. Jody picked up the puppy and put him into Jane’s lap. He immediately started to chew her shirt.
“Hey!” scolded Jody. “No nipping!” She held his mouth closed for a moment. “He’s just a baby,” she explained to us. “He’s teething and wants to gnaw on everything.”
“What’s his name?” whispered Jane, stroking his back with fingers like feathers.
“He doesn’t have a name yet,” said Jody.
“I’ve been calling him Boy, because he was the only boy in the litter.”
His tail was wagging back and forth, and he kept sniffing us with curious sniffs.
“Maybe we can help think of a name,” said Jane. I never saw her be so gentle as when she patted him.
I put my nose right up to his, just touching at the tips.
“Woof,” I whispered. Pant, pant, he whispered back.
He licked me with a big, slobbery kiss across my nostrils.
And then a loud click announced a key in the front door. Jane clutched the puppy as her eyes went wide.