Look at Lucy! (6 page)

Lucy wriggled closer to Bobby.

“You’d have a good time in the contest next week, too,” Bobby said.

Lucy just looked at Bobby with her big brown eyes.

“You could win that contest. You could be the Pet-O-Rama spokespet, easy.” Bobby flopped back against his pillow. This was Lucy’s big chance. Was it going to be ruined all because of him?

Starring Lucy and Bobby

N
ow Bobby had two worries. He still had to stand in front of the class and give his oral report. And he had to decide what to do about the contest.

On Monday at school, it was time to deal with Worry #1. Mrs. Lee said, “I’m sorry the fire drill interrupted our oral reports. We’ll get back to them later today.”

All morning Bobby worried. He worried
through math and he worried through spelling. It was raining hard during recess, so the class stayed inside. Mrs. Lee read from
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
. Bobby barely heard her, and he loved that book.

Soon it was almost lunchtime. Maybe he wouldn’t have to give his report until the afternoon. Then he had an even better thought. Maybe Mrs. Lee would forget it was his turn. Or what if she thought he had finished his report before the fire-drill bell rang? That would be great!

But at eleven forty-five, Mrs. Lee said, “Let’s get to some reports.”

Mrs. Lee looked around the room. Bobby held his breath. Then her eyes landed right on him. “I think you were speaking when the bell rang, right, Bobby?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he whispered. Bobby
dragged himself to the front of the room.

“All right, Bobby. Start over, and speak up nice and loud,” Mrs. Lee said.

Bobby looked at all his classmates looking back at him. He felt a little dizzy. He fixed his eyes on the clock at the back of the room. “My name is Bobby Quinn. I live with my parents. I like to draw superheroes….” Bobby rushed along. “And I have a beagle named Lucy. I got her this summer for my birthday. Any questions?”

That was how Mrs. Lee told them to end their reports, by asking if the class had any questions. Hoping there weren’t any, Bobby turned to go back to his seat.

“Bobby,” a familiar voice called.

Oh no! Candy had raised her hand. Bobby frowned. Some friend.

“Bobby, you should tell the class about
how Lucy won the contest on Saturday,” Candy said.

Bobby could feel his face getting hot. That was a long story.

“Did Lucy win that contest at Pet-O-Rama?” Mrs. Lee asked.

Bobby nodded.

“I almost entered my kitten in that contest. Tell us about it,” Mrs. Lee said.

“Well…,” Bobby shyly began, “the contest was out behind the Pet-O-Rama store. I came with Lucy. Shawn brought his mouse, Twitch.”

“I was there, too,” Candy said, waving her hand. “With my dog, Butch.”

“Yes, Butch was there.” Bobby didn’t mention the trouble Butch had caused.

“Was there lots going on?” Mrs. Lee asked.

“There was pretty good food, and music, and balloons, and stuff.”

“What kind of pets were there?” Dexter called from his seat.

“Dogs, cats, even a ferret,” Bobby remembered. “The judges thought Lucy was
the best.” For the first time during his report, Bobby smiled.

“What did she win?” Grace asked.

“A blue ribbon. And some free dog food,” Bobby said.

“Don’t forget she’s got a chance to be the
Pet-O-Rama spokespet,” Shawn reminded him.

“What’s a spokespet?” one of the kids wanted to know.

Bobby explained about the next contest. He felt a little knot in his stomach when he talked about the television commercials. The other kids thought it would be great to be in a commercial.

“Television! That would be awesome,” Dexter said. “You and Lucy would rock!”

Everyone in the class seemed to agree.

“Well, thank you, Bobby. That report was wonderful,” Mrs. Lee said. “We’ll all be eager to hear if Lucy wins the next contest.”

Bobby went back to his seat. Grace got up to give her report. But Bobby was thinking about what had just happened. He had been very, very nervous when he started
speaking. Then everyone was so interested in Lucy and the contest. Talking to his classmates had seemed easy. He couldn’t quite believe it.

When Bobby got home from school, he and his mom took Lucy for her walk. He told her what had happened.

Mrs. Quinn pulled her sweater around her. It was getting cold. “Well, Bobby, you were talking about something interesting and exciting. The other kids thought it was interesting and exciting, too.”

“I was talking about Lucy,” Bobby said.

Lucy heard her name and turned around.

“Everyone likes hearing about Lucy,” Bobby added.

“So have you thought any more about the contest?” Mrs. Quinn asked.

Bobby nodded. “I think we should go.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Bobby said. “This is a big chance for Lucy. I don’t want to spoil it for her. She likes to be the center of attention. I don’t. But today, it wasn’t too bad. I think I could be in those commercials if Lucy wins.”

Mrs. Quinn gave Bobby a hug. “You’re getting so brave, Bobby.”

Lucy barked. She agreed.

And the Winner Is…

“W
ow!” Bobby said. He looked around the park. It was across from the state capitol building.

Everything here was bigger and better than the contest at the mall. Candy-colored Pet-O-Rama banners decorated the park. Instead of an accordion player, there was a band. A television crew was taping the event. Even the animals were different.

“These guys look like they belong in a zoo, not a pet store,” Mr. Quinn said.

A couple of cats and dogs were there, but they were the fancy kind, like the fluffy white Persian kitten in her owner’s arms.

There were also more exotic pets. One turtle was so big he had to be pulled in a wagon. A large green and blue parrot rested on someone’s arm. Bobby spied something even more colorful. “Look!”

A peacock next to an older lady spread its fan of beautiful blue and green feathers. Lucy seemed stunned at the display. She didn’t even bark.

“Lions and tigers and bears. Oh my,” Mr. Quinn said.

There weren’t any lions or tigers or bears around. Bobby knew that was just a line from the movie
The Wizard of Oz
.

Bobby whispered to Lucy, “You’re cuter than any of these animals.” He was still nervous about being in a TV commercial, but he also still thought Lucy should win.

Before very long, Bobby and Lucy were given a number. The woman in charge of the contest lined up all the pets and owners. Bobby and Lucy were behind the turtle. They were in front of the parrot.

Each pet and owner stopped and talked
to the judges. The judges asked lots of questions. They looked at the animals carefully. It took a long time.

Lucy was getting bored. When she got bored, she got jumpy. She started pulling toward the white kitten, which was behind the parrot. Bobby wondered if the cat reminded her of Mrs. Agatha Adams’s cat, Ginger.

“Calm down, Lucy,” Bobby said. “No cat chasing today. Please.”

Finally it was Lucy’s turn.

“Hello,” said a judge with gray hair. His name tag said, greg smith, president, pet-o-rama.

Bobby gulped. He had never talked to a president before.

“Tell us about Lucy,” Mr. Smith said.

“Lucy’s the best dog ever,” Bobby began softly. Then he remembered to speak up like
when he gave his report. Bobby tried to talk more loudly.

He told the judge how he got Lucy for his birthday, and how she was his best friend.

A lady judge asked Bobby, “Would you enjoy being in a television commercial, Bobby?”

Enjoy?
“Ah, I think Lucy would like it,” he answered honestly.

The judges spent a lot of time looking at Lucy. Lucy did her little prancy dance.

The lady judge thanked Bobby. He and Lucy were about to move on when he heard a squawk behind him.
“PET-O-RAMA! RWWK! PET-O-RAMA!”

Bobby whirled around. It was the parrot. Lucy let loose with a howl, but Bobby could see the judges’ eyes light up with interest.

“I think I know who the winner is going
to be,” Mrs. Quinn said. She was waiting for Bobby at the end of the line.

She didn’t mean Lucy.

Sure enough, when the judges named the winner, it was Poll the Parrot.

“She is very beautiful,” Mr. Smith said. He added happily, “And she can tell people to shop at Pet-O-Rama in her own special way.”

Bobby and his parents got ready to go back home.

“I’m sorry you didn’t win, Lucy,” Bobby said when they were in the car.

“It’s hard to beat a parrot that’s squawking ‘Pet-O-Rama,’” Mr. Quinn said.

Lucy didn’t seem to mind. She was chomping on a big bone-shaped biscuit the Pet-O-Rama lady had given to all the dog contestants.

Bobby thought about the band and the banners, the parrot and the peacock. And that giant turtle. “I still have a lot to tell the class,” Bobby said, grinning.

“You’re looking forward to giving a report about it?” Mrs. Quinn asked, a little surprised.

Bobby was a little surprised himself. Standing in front of the class didn’t seem so hard anymore. He was excited about it. “Yes, I am.” He gave Lucy a big hug. “Absolutely.”