Pickle Puss (5 page)

Freddie had a bunch of fish. So did Edward.

Beast's sister, Holly, had the most.

Emily looked at her own fish.

She thought about the cat. Maybe he would miss Dawn.

Dawn wasn't a mongoose.

She wasn't a cheater either.

She read big fat books.

Emily reached up.

She dug under the thumbtack. She pulled off the blue fish.

It left a space in the middle of the other fish.

She turned to Dawn. “We both have three fish. We're even Steven.”

Dawn's mouth opened. She still had tears in her eyes. “How come?”

“It was a mistake,” Emily said. “Someone put it up by mistake.”

Dawn wiped at her eyes. “Who gets the cat?”

“We could choose,” Emily said slowly.

Stacy came to the back.

She had a blue library card. “I'm going to
get a book,” she said. “One with lots of pictures.”

“All right,” Emily said.

“Do we get the cat?” asked Stacy.

Emily didn't answer for a minute. Then she shook her head. “No. Dawn gets Pickle Puss.”

“Powder Puff,” said Dawn.

“I think we need a dog anyway,” said Stacy. “I'm going to find a book about one.”

“You saved my life,” Dawn said.

“Let's get some juice,” said Emily.

They went over to Mrs. Baker.

“You helped Stacy with her name,” Mrs. Baker said. “You're a neat kid.”

Dawn squeezed Emily's arm. “You are.”

Emily felt wonderful.

She wasn't a mongoose.

“I wanted to ask you,” Mrs. Baker began. “I know you like snakes …”

“And cats,” said Stacy. She had a book under her arm.

“My neighbor is moving” said Mrs. Baker. “She wants someone to take her gerbil.”

“That's us,” said Stacy.

Emily smiled. “Right.”

“I'll bring it tomorrow,” said Mrs. Baker.

Emily nodded. She went over to the shelves. She had to get two books.

One about gerbils.

The other one was a fat one. It was the one Freddie had told her about.

She was going to read like crazy all year.

Next summer she'd be able to fish better than anyone.