Last-But-Not-Least Lola and the Wild Chicken Read online

  I hop off my bed. “You just wait until I tell Mom,” I say.

  “Oh, really?” Jack says in a squeaker voice. “Did I scare the widdle baby?”

  “I'm not a baby.”

  “HUNH!” He jumps at me.

  “ACK!” I jump back. Then I hurry down the hall. I keep looking over my shoulder to make sure Jack stays put.

  “Hi, Lola!” Jessie and Amanda say. “What was all that hollering about?”

  “Jack stubbed his toe.” ’Cause I'm not a widdle baby.

  Mom gives us some carrots and hummus to snack on, then goes into her sewing room. She's making a brand-new batch of Lola dresses for those people out in California.

  Jack zooms into the kitchen. “Oh, look at the cute little kids.”

  “We're not little kids,” I inform him.

  Jack pauses above me. “Lola, when was the last time you brushed your hair?” He pokes at my head.

  “Stop poking me, you fake-ghost poker!”

  Jack pokes me again.

  “Is it okay if we take our snack outside?” Amanda asks politely.

  “Yeah, let's get away from your brother,” Jessie says.

  We head into the backyard and sit in a pile of leaves. Patches lays his head on Jessie's lap.

  “You don't get any privacy at your house, do you?” Jessie says. She pats Patches on the head.

  “No,” I say. “Patches, get off!” But Patches doesn't move. “He likes you!”

  “My dog used to be best friends with Patches,” Amanda says.

  “Now your dog is best friends with my brand-new, super-deluxe, purebred dog,” Jessie says.

  I get a sour feeling in my stomach, like I ate a whole jar full of dill pickles.

  “Well, la-di-da,” I say. “Patches has a new best friend, too.”

  “Who?” they both say.

  “Savannah's dog,” I say.

  “I didn't know she had a dog,” Amanda says. She frowns. That's when you fold up your forehead. Principal McCoy's face got stuck that way. “What's its name?”

  I take a deep breath. “Um … Jessie.”

  “Wait a second. Her dog has the same name as me?” Jessie says. “I don't believe you!”

  “It's true,” I yelp. I hold up a giant yellow leaf and cover my face with it like it's a mask. Only it doesn't cover the whole thing. I can still see Jessie.

  “Who's taking care of Jessie-the-dog while Savannah's visiting Old Sturbridge Village with the Girl Scouts?” Jessie asks.

  “Er … I am,” I say.

  “Well, where is she?” Jessie says. She squints at me with laser vision to see if I'm lying.

  I get a real sad look on my face. “Jessie ran away. Far away.”

  “Really?” Amanda sticks out her little finger. “Pinkie promise?”

  “Pinkie promise,” I squeak. “Mom and I put up LOST DOG signs everywhere.”

  “I guess she's not lying,” Jessie says. But Amanda's pinkie is squeezing tight on mine.

  “Have you told Savannah yet?” she asks.

  “Not yet. I have to go over to her house tonight when she gets home. Or I'll tell her tomorrow at school,” I add on.

  “She's going to be really mad at you,” Jessie says.

  “No, she won't,” I say. “’Cause we're getting her a brand-new dog!”

  Amanda folds her arms across her chest. “Really, Lola?”

  “Well …” I say, “maybe. If we can't find Jessie.”

  “You should get her a puppy,” Amanda says. “A fluffy little golden retriever.”

  “Or maybe I'll rescue a dog from the animal shelter,” I say.

  “Oh, that's a really good idea!” Amanda says. “Never mind that,” Jessie says. “Look what I've got.”

  She whips a catalog out of a big pocket in her Lola dress. She unfolds it and holds it up.

  “World's Deluxe Costumes,” I read off the cover. “Wow!” I'm not that excited, but anything's better than talking about Jessie, The Dog That Ran Away (Fingers Crossed), or The New Puppy I'm Getting Savannah (Fingers Crossed Part Two).

  Jessie opens up to the center of the catalog.

  “Ooh,” we three say. Because there they are: The Cupcake Queens. Vanilla Sprinkles, Chocolate Cherry, and Strawberry Sweetie Pie. They have their own TV show, their own book, and their own action figures.

  “There's one for each of us,” Jessie says.

  I look a little closer at the Cupcake Queen costumes. They cost A LOT. I bet Mom and Dad will say no. I told Mom I wanted to be Zero for Halloween because Zero is last and I feel sorry for it. But Mom is too busy running her sewing machine day and night. Rrrrr. Rrrr. And go make yourself a snack because you're a big girl.

  “And guess what?” Jessie says in her TV announcer voice. “My mom did the advertising for World Deluxe Costumes so they let her take a bunch of super fantastic costumes! Including the Cupcake Queen costumes!”

  We jump up and Patches rolls in the leaves. We yell, “OOGA BOOGA! OOGA! BOOGA! We're the Cupcake Queens!”

  Even if that Cupcake Queens show is kind of bo-oring.

  “But what about Savannah?” Amanda says. “Won't she be sad?”

  “Not with a new puppy,” Jessie says.

  “Yeah, right,” I agree, but quiet. Because I wish we could stop talking about the Imaginary Puppy.

  “And what about your mom?” Amanda says. “She always makes you a great costume every year.”

  “Not this year,” I say, and “this” stands for all those kids in California who want Lola dresses.

  “Whoooooooooo. WHOOOOOOOOOOO.”

  The three of us freeze.

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Was it Patches?” Amanda whispers.

  We look at Patches. He looks back at us and wags his tail.

  I peer into the house. Peering is a cross between peeking and fearing.

  Mom's inside the kitchen, holding up a big hula hoop. I can just barely see Jack, in his room upstairs.

  “Whoooooooooooo. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Eeeeek.”

  If it's not Mom and it's not Jack, what is it?