Miki Read online

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  PUPPY TIPS

  TEASER

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  OTHER STORIES BY ELLEN MILES

  COPYRIGHT

  “Did I hear the timer?” Ms. Holly cupped a hand to her ear. “I think Team Yummy’s cupcakes might be done. Let’s check!”

  Charles jumped up to follow Ms. Holly to the oven. He and the rest of his team—Kendra, Alivia, and Luis—clustered around Ms. Holly as she pulled on an oven mitt, opened the door, slid out the rack, and poked a toothpick into one of the cupcakes. Charles’s mouth watered as a sweet, chocolatey aroma wafted through the air. He could hardly wait for a taste.

  Ms. Holly pulled out the toothpick and held it up so everyone could see. “What do we think?” she asked.

  “They’re done!” said Alivia, jumping up and down. Charles could tell that she was eager to taste the cupcakes, too. But he also noticed that the toothpick was covered with brown goo.

  Charles shook his head. “Not done,” he said, remembering something Ms. Holly had mentioned earlier that day. “The toothpick has to come out clean.”

  “Very good, Charles,” said Ms. Holly as she slid the rack back in and shut the oven door. “I see that you’ve been paying attention. We’ll give them just three more minutes.” She beamed at him, and Charles felt himself blushing. He didn’t want to be a teacher’s pet, but he liked it when Ms. Holly told him he’d done a good job.

  Cooking lessons were so much fun. Charles was glad he had begged Mom to sign him up as soon as he saw the poster at the Littleton Community Center. He had been totally into cooking for a while now, and he wanted to learn more.

  Today was Cupcake Day in cooking class. This was Charles’s third lesson with Ms. Holly. She was the best teacher ever! She made everything so much fun, even when they were just learning about how to carry a knife when you were moving around the kitchen (point it downward, and don’t run), how to clean up as you cooked (always keep your area tidy), or the correct way to wash your hands before you started any cooking at all (sing a whole verse of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” while you scrub with soap and warm water).

  Even though Charles was one of the youngest kids in class, Ms. Holly made him feel grown-up. She usually gave a few instructions at the beginning of each lesson, and then the teams were on their own. Ms. Holly was always reminding them that it was okay to make mistakes, too. “It didn’t turn out the way you expected?” she’d ask. “Well, what do you think you might do differently next time?”

  On the first Saturday, they had learned how to make spaghetti and meatballs and a Caesar salad. On the second Saturday, they had made homemade pizza with all kinds of crazy toppings. (Charles’s team had put grapes and baloney on theirs, which was unexpectedly delicious.) And this week, they were doing cupcakes.

  Each week, Ms. Holly divided up the class into three teams, and every time the teams were different. Charles liked everyone in the class, but today’s team was the best. Alivia was really creative, Kendra was funny, and for some reason Luis loved washing pots and pans, which was perfect since Charles definitely did not.

  When Ms. Holly had told them that they could make up any flavor combinations they wanted for their cupcakes, Kendra was the one who’d come up with the perfect idea. “Chocolate cupcakes with pink peppermint frosting,” she’d said.

  “And we could decorate the top with crushed-up peppermint candy,” Charles had added. He’d seen something like that on the baking show he and Dad had been watching lately.

  The best part of cooking class was the end when they got to eat everything they’d made—but not until after Ms. Holly had tasted all their creations and declared one team the winner for the day. So far, Charles had not been on a winning team, but he had a feeling that today might be it. He watched through the oven window, counting the seconds until it was time to check the cupcakes again.

  “How’s Buddy?” Ms. Holly asked as they waited.

  “He’s great!” said Charles. Ms. Holly always asked about Buddy, Charles’s sweet brown puppy. She’d learned about him on the first day of class when they had played a “getting to know you” game. Charles had told everyone how his family fostered puppies, taking care of dogs who needed their help just until they could find each one the perfect forever home. It was never easy to give up the puppies when the time came, and with Buddy it had been pretty much impossible. The whole family had fallen in love with him. Buddy, Charles had told the class, was the only puppy the Petersons had ever decided to keep.

  “Awww,” Ms. Holly said when Charles talked about how cute Buddy was, with his soft brown fur and the white spot on his chest that was shaped like a heart. “I love dogs, but I’m allergic. You’re so lucky.”

  Charles knew he was lucky. Being a foster family was the best thing that had ever happened, and getting to keep Buddy was the icing on the cake.

  Like … peppermint icing! Kendra had mixed up a bowlful of the stuff while they waited for their cupcakes to finish baking. Now, Charles poked a clean spoon into the bowl so he could taste the beautiful pink frosting. The flavor was sparkly and sweet. “Wow!” he said. “It’s delicious!”

  When the cupcakes were finally done, Ms. Holly helped pull them out of the oven. Charles and Luis popped them out of the tins and set them on a rack to cool. After a few minutes, Alivia spread a thick layer of pink frosting on each one. Then Kendra sprinkled flakes of crushed peppermint candy over the tops—and their creation was ready, just in time for the judging. They cleaned up their workstation while Ms. Holly walked around the room, looking over the finished cupcakes.

  When she tasted Team Yummy’s entry, Ms. Holly closed her eyes and pretended to faint. “Whoa,” she said. “You guys really outdid yourselves. The flavor combination, the beautiful pink look, the candy sprinkles, the whole concept. It’s a home run. Today’s winner is definitely Team Yummy.”

  Charles and his teammates jumped up and down, giving each other high fives. “Yes!” yelled Luis. “Team Yummy rules!”

  Charles knew their cupcakes were the best, but he tasted all the other teams’ cupcakes, just to be sure. The rainbow ones that Team Scrumptious made looked really cool, but the flavor wasn’t very exciting. He liked the butterscotch frosting on Team Tasty’s cupcakes, but it didn’t exactly go with the strawberry-flavored cake part. He had to agree with Ms. Holly. It was Team Yummy for the win.

  Charles was buzzing as he ran out to meet Mom, who had come to pick him up. Ms. Holly followed the class outside to make sure everyone had a ride home. She waved at some other moms and called out a greeting to one of the dads. Then she peered into the Petersons’ van. “Wait a minute,” she said. “That’s not Buddy.”

  Charles frowned. Not Buddy? What did Ms. Holly mean? Of course it was Buddy. The little brown pup loved to ride along when Mom or Dad was picking someone up or just out doing errands. Charles ran to the van and tugged at the sliding door.

  “Hold on there, cowboy,” Mom called out the window. “The door is locked. I don’t want Miki to escape.”

  “Miki?” Now Charles was really confused. Who was Miki? He stood on his tiptoes, cupped his hands around his face, and peered into the van’s rear window. There, sitting in Buddy’s usual spot in the backseat, was something small, white, and fluffy. It looked like a stuffie, the kind of stuffed animals (mostly dogs) that Lizzie collected. Then the fluffy thing twitched its ears, turned its head, and sniffed at the air for a moment, just long enough for Charles to become convinced. It wasn’t a
stuffie. It was a real, live puppy.

  Charles ran around to the driver’s side of the van and knocked on his mom’s window. “Who is Miki?” he demanded. “Where did she come from? Are we fostering her? Can I get in and hold her?”

  Mom put her window down and reached out to pat Charles’s shoulder. “I’ll tell you all about it on the way home,” she said. “Let me grab Miki’s leash before you get in.”

  “Maybe I could hold her, just for a minute?” asked Ms. Holly, who was still looking into the van. “I’m allergic to dogs. They make me sneeze, and my eyes itch like crazy. But she’s so cute! It’s worth it just this once.”

  Mom laughed. “She is pretty adorable,” she admitted. “But I have a feeling she’s going to be a bit of a handful.”

  “So we are fostering her!” yelled Charles. He started to jump up and down. Other kids who hadn’t gotten into their parents’ cars yet ran over and started to cluster around, trying to peek into the van’s windows.

  “What is it?” asked Kendra. “Is it a toy?”

  “Wait, it’s moving!” shouted Luis. “Maybe it’s a robot.”

  “Everybody, please calm down,” Mom said, from inside the van. She climbed into the backseat and clipped a leash onto the puppy’s collar. Then she slid the back door open. “It’s a real, live puppy, and if you want to meet her, you’re going to have to use your indoor voices. And no sudden movements. We don’t really even know this puppy, so let’s be careful.” She climbed out of the van, holding the little white puppy in her arms.

  “Awwwwwww!” Everyone sighed at once.

  “Is she for real?” shouted a girl named Kaitlynn. “I mean, she looks just like a little—”

  “Shhhhh!” Alivia shushed her, finger over her lips. “Indoor voices, remember?”

  Charles saw Mom and Ms. Holly smile at each other. Then Ms. Holly reached out her arms. “Can I?” she whispered. “Just for a second?”

  Mom handed over the puppy. Charles watched as the fluffy puppy nestled herself into Ms. Holly’s arms. Charles had been around a lot of puppies, but there was no question: This had to be the cutest puppy he had ever seen. She had floppy little ears and an adorable tiny black nose. Her eyes were black and shiny, and her tongue, when she stuck it out to lick Ms. Holly’s face, was as pink as an apple blossom in springtime. Her coat looked so soft and fluffy, like the part of a dandelion that you blow into the wind for good luck.

  “Her name is Miki,” Mom said. “Her owners had to give her up because they’re moving across the country, to an apartment building that doesn’t allow dogs.” She put a hand on Charles’s shoulder. “I just picked Miki up from your aunt Amanda’s doggy day care. She’s a regular there. Amanda says the owners are completely heartbroken. She promised them that we would take good care of Miki and find her a very special home.”

  “Such a cute name for such a cute dog,” said Ms. Holly. She buried her nose in the dog’s neck. Charles waited for her to start sneezing, but she just closed her eyes and took in a long, deep breath. “Ahhh, that puppy smell,” she said. “Even better than chocolate cupcakes.” Then she opened her eyes. “Okay, I better give her back before my allergies kick in.” She handed the little pup back to Mom.

  “Her owners told Amanda that the name Miki means ‘beautiful’ in Japanese,” Mom said. She held Miki carefully as she looked around at the crowd that had gathered. “Okay, kiddos, you can each have a moment with her. Just give Miki a gentle pat. And remember to move slowly and carefully so you don’t scare her.”

  One by one, each of the kids went up to Miki and touched her gently. Kendra almost looked like she was going to cry. “I just can’t believe how cute she is,” she said, after she’d had her turn. She squeezed her hands together and sighed. “I’ve never seen a real, live dog who looked like that.”

  “I’m going to ask my mom if we can have another dog,” said Alivia. “We only have three. And this one is really small. The other dogs would all love her.”

  “What kind of dog is she?” asked one of the moms, who had also gotten in line to take a turn petting Miki.

  “She is a bichon frise, according to her owners,” said Charles’s mom. She pronounced it like “bishun freeze.” “Kind of a fancy breed. Very expensive to buy, from what I understand.”

  Charles hated to think about people buying and selling dogs when there were so many dogs out there who needed homes.

  “She’s quite calm,” said Ms. Holly. “Not like some little dogs, the kind that are always running around and yapping.”

  “I think that’s because she was playing all day with all the other dogs at doggy day care,” Mom told her. “Amanda says she’s usually a real live wire. She loves attention and can’t get enough. I guess her owners taught her all kinds of tricks.”

  “Like what?” Charles asked.

  Mom shrugged. “I didn’t have a chance to ask,” she said. “I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.”

  Miki began to wriggle in Mom’s arms, struggling to get down. “Okay, okay,” said Mom. She bent over and set Miki on the pavement. The little dog shook herself all over so that her fluffy white fur stood out. She looked around at the crowd surrounding her, cocking her head.

  You want to see a trick? I’ll show you a trick!

  Then she stood up on her hind legs and began to prance around in a circle, holding her tiny paws in front of her. Everybody gasped and began to cheer. Miki’s black eyes sparkled with the fun of it all as she danced, spinning around and around.

  Charles rode home holding Miki on his lap. She was light as a feather, and so warm and soft. He couldn’t stop kissing the top of her fluffy head. “She’s amazing, Mom,” he said. “Did you ever see a dog dance like that before, up on her hind legs?”

  Mom shook her head, smiling into the rearview mirror. “She’s special, all right,” she said. “And I think she knows it, too. She’s used to getting a lot of attention, according to Amanda.”

  “Well, she deserves it,” said Charles, nuzzling the little dog. “Don’t you love the way her hair puffs out all around her head?”

  “That’s because she’s been getting very fancy grooming, at Isabella’s—you know, that expensive pet salon?” Mom said. “That’s the kind of thing that worries me. Amanda promised me that this pup isn’t spoiled, but it’s pretty obvious that she has been pampered.”

  Charles had a feeling Mom was remembering Princess, a very cute Yorkie puppy the Petersons had once fostered. Princess had been very, very spoiled, and she had not been easy to take care of. Not only did she eat special food, but she had her own special dishes. Charles laughed. “You’re thinking of Princess, aren’t you? I don’t think Miki’s like that,” he said. “She can’t help it that she’s so adorable, or that she knows tricks, or that she’s had fancy haircuts.” He already felt protective of Miki. “It’s not like her owners gave us a long list about her care, like Princess’s did.”

  Mom nodded. “That’s true,” she said. “I’ll keep an open mind. Let’s start by seeing how she gets along with other dogs.” She pulled into the Petersons’ driveway. “Take her out in the backyard, and I’ll let Buddy out to meet her.”

  Charles got out of the van, holding Miki carefully. She was so tiny! He was afraid he might hurt her. But the second he put her down on the lawn in the Petersons’ fenced backyard, she began to tear around just like any other puppy. She was longer than she was tall, but her short little legs were amazingly fast. In a second she’d dashed past the swing set, around the rosebushes, and back to Charles. She spun around on her hind legs for a moment, grinning at him, then raced off for another lap around the yard, like a fluffy little white rocket.

  Charles heard laughter and turned to see Lizzie at the back door. “They call that the bichon blitz,” she said. “I’ve heard about it, but I’ve never seen it.”

  Charles blinked. How did Lizzie do it? She’d seen the puppy for two seconds, and not only did she already guess Miki’s breed, she even knew some weird fact about bi
chon frise dogs. His sister was like a walking encyclopedia of dog information.

  “Let’s see what Buddy thinks,” Lizzie said, stepping aside to let the little brown puppy out. Buddy walked to the top of the porch stairs and paused there for a moment, watching Miki tear around the yard. Then he flew down the stairs to join her. Buddy loved to chase and be chased, the faster the better.

  “She’s so cute!” Lizzie said. “When Mom told me she was bringing home a fluffy little puppy, I wondered if she’d be spoiled rotten. But Miki acts just like a regular dog.”

  “Well, not exactly,” said Charles. “Wait till you see what she can do.” He waited until the next time Miki paused nearby. “Miki, dance for us,” he said, waving his hand. He didn’t know if the command and hand signal would work, but Miki seemed to understand what he wanted. Right away she stood up on her hind legs and spun around in circles. Her tiny pink tongue stuck out as she panted, and her eyes were bright.

  Lizzie laughed and clapped her hands. “That’s right! Now I remember something else about this breed,” she said. “I think they’re from Italy, and they used to work with street performers. Doing something just like that, maybe. Dancing while somebody sang or played music.”

  Miki finished her dancing and grinned up at Charles and Lizzie with her head tilted at the most adorable angle possible. Her tiny tail wagged as fast as a hummingbird’s wings.

  What should I do next?

  “Let’s see what other tricks she knows,” said Lizzie. “Miki, sit.”

  Miki sat.

  She gazed up at Lizzie, her head tilted.

  Um, that was kinda easy. How about asking me to do something a little more challenging?

  “Shake, Miki,” said Charles. Miki reached out one tiny paw and rested it for just a second on Charles’s outstretched hand. Then she sat up on her haunches and held up a paw for a high five, without even being asked. After that she offered the other paw, then went for low fives with each paw. Charles and Lizzie cracked up.

  “She’s, like, three steps ahead of us,” said Lizzie.