Zoo Breath (7 page)

“Oh no you don’t. Help me do this first. Then I’ll go with you.”

“Fine. But no way I’m shoveling up that stink stuff.”

I grinned. “Watch your step.”

Streak followed us out into the yard.

I spotted something black on the lawn. I went over to see what it was. “Oh no,” I whispered.

Julio shook his head. “Can’t salvage that!”

I looked over my shoulder. No one was
looking out the window. I picked up Mom’s chewed-up black leather sandal and flung it into the bushes. If she ever saw it Streak would be in big trouble, and me, too.

“Dang dog,” I said to Streak. “I can get Mom new rubber slippers. They don’t cost much. But sandals? Do you know how hard it is to make money?”

Streak yawned.

I sighed and looked around. The long, uncut grass was so full of hidden dog treasures that I didn’t know where to start. So I just went hunting, scooping stuff up and flipping it all into the bushes between our house and the river. “Boing!”

Julio winced. “Remind me never to go in
those
bushes.”

“Got that right.”

I scooped more poop, thinking about what Dad did with Chewy. That mutt had bad breath, too. No, not bad. More like death. I laughed.

“What?”

“You remember our old dog, Chewy?”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“My dad used to brush his teeth.”

“For real?”

I nodded. “With a toothbrush. Chewy made faces and smacked his lips. When he was done, Dad squirted his mouth out with a hose.”

“Weird.”

“Yeah … but funny, too.”

Now I was starting to miss Dad and Chewy. Usually I didn’t think about them. They’d been gone a long time; I was almost six when they left. At the time, I just thought that was how it was. Dads moved on. No big deal.

But it was a big deal. I just kept it to myself. Easier that way.

I blew out a long breath. Then I wondered if Chewy’s old dog toothpaste and dog shampoo were still around. Dad used to keep it all under the sink in the kitchen.

“Here,” I said. I handed Julio the shovel and ran toward the house. “Finish up. I have to check something.”

Julio took the shovel. Then realized what he’d just done. “Hey! I ain’t flipping no dog doo.”

“Boing!” I shouted over my shoulder.

“You owe me, punk!”

“I’ll pay you in friendship!”

“H
i, Mom,” I said, running into the kitchen.

She was standing at the counter looking at the newspaper. Ledward was outside sweeping the patio.

Without looking up Mom said, “That was quick. Did you get all the—”

“Yeah, Mom. I’m on it.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, sure,” I said, dropping to my knees. I checked under the kitchen sink. There it was, hidden way in back. Bingo! Dog toothpaste, dog shampoo, and an old brush with some of Chewy’s hair still in it.

I sat back on my heels.

Dang. Now I really missed them.

“What are you looking for?” Mom asked.

I put the brush back and kept the shampoo and toothpaste. The stuff had to be as old as dirt. I shrugged. Give it a try.

“Calvin?”

“Oh, uh … I was thinking about … giving Streak a bath or something. Look, Chewy’s old shampoo is still here.”

“Throw it out. But a bath is a great idea. We can get you some new shampoo.”

I opened the container and smelled it. “Smells fine to me.”

“I don’t know, Calvin. Everything has a shelf life.”

“A what?”

“It’s old. Toss it.”

I took the shampoo and the toothpaste out to the garage, but I didn’t toss them. I set them down by some old paint cans. I didn’t have to give her a bath right now.

When I walked out of the garage, I saw them again.

The spies.

But this time I could tell who it was for sure. Maya and Shayla, sneaking around in the bushes.

Those
bushes. Dog-doo city.

“Julio,” I whispered, coming up to him, casual-like.

He scowled at me, the shovel loaded to the max.

“Wait,” I whispered. “Don’t toss it. Look. Maya and Shayla are spying again.”

Julio’s eyes shifted. “Where are they?”

“In the bushes.”

“What bushes?”

I grinned.

“Not,” he said with a gleam in his eye.

I nodded. “Shhh.”

We waited, listening, Julio holding the loaded shovel, both of us trying not to crack up.

A shriek came from the bushes. “Aww! Ick, ick,
ick!
”

Julio spurted out a laugh and spilled the loaded shovel near my bare feet.

I jumped out of the way.

I heard Maya trying to quiet Shayla. Bits of color flashed through the bushes as they raced out of there, trying not to be seen.

Julio scooped up the fallen mess and flipped it into the bushes. “Boing!” He flung the
shovel toward the house. We stumbled over to some clean grass and fell, holding our sides and laughing so hard it hurt.

Fifteen minutes later, still grinning, we went to Julio’s house to get his sleeping bag. Down the street Maya and Shayla were in Maya’s yard, squirting their feet with a hose.

Julio and I cracked up all over again. Ho, man, if this wasn’t a perfect day, I didn’t know what was.

W
e still had some good sunlight left, so me, Julio, and Darci decided to give Streak a bath. Maybe I could make her smell good, look good, and act good. Then Mom and Stella wouldn’t have so much to complain about.

Julio grabbed the old dog shampoo and I got out Darci’s inflatable swimming pool and
blew it up. “Ho!” I said, feeling dizzy. “Okay. Darci, bring the hose and turn on the water.”

As we filled the pool, Streak came over for a drink.

Julio leaned down to pet her. “This isn’t your water bowl, you lolo dog.”

I turned off the water. “Okay, Streak. Time to clean you up!”

I lifted her into the pool. She cocked her head like, What are we doing here?

But she seemed to like it, and sat down in the water.

“See?” I said. “It’s nice.”

The front door slapped. Ledward waved and headed around the side of the house to get Blackie, who’d had a long day of shady rest. A minute later he was back, Blackie huffing along behind him. “I think he likes it here.”

Ledward lifted Blackie onto the front seat of the jeep, got in, started it up, and drove off, giving the horn a toot. Blackie’s ears bent back in the breeze.

“Crazy,” Julio said.

Me and Julio went back to scooping handfuls of water over Streak’s head. She liked it. “Good girl,” I said.

Julio gave Streak a pat. “You’re helping us, dog. Mr. Purdy will give us an A-plus for discovering how to get rid of your stink.”

I grabbed Chewy’s old shampoo. “Yeah, but we’re supposed to be discovering how come she got stink
breath.”

Darci looked up. “Well, that’s easy, Calvin.”

“What’s easy?”

“Why she has bad breath.”

I looked at her. “Why?”

“It’s Ledward’s fault. He gives her fish heads.”

I sat back. “You’re right. The fish heads!”