Celebrate the Season--The Twelve Pets of Christmas Page 2

  “Quinn! There you are!” Mrs. Alvarez said as she hurried up to the group, beaming. “Not bad, eh?”

  “Not bad?” Quinn echoed. “It’s incredible—such an honor! Thank you!”

  “The minute the decorating team saw your ornaments, they scrapped their original centerpiece plans,” Mrs. Alvarez told her. “Who could blame them? Your ornaments perfectly capture the spirit of the Twelve Pets of Christmas. They’ve got pets, they’ve got Christmas.…”

  “They’ve got glitter,” Ms. Morimoto added, winking at Quinn. Everyone laughed.

  “I just can’t believe people would pay so much for my ornaments,” Quinn marveled.

  “They’re beautiful, Quinn,” Mrs. Alvarez told her. “You have a real talent for painting.”

  “I agree,” added Ms. Morimoto. “There’s such a lighthearted playfulness in your animals. You’ve truly captured their unique spirit in each one.”

  Quinn laughed. “Well, I had a lot of inspiration from the shelter pets,” she said.

  Mrs. Alvarez glanced at her gold watch. “Speaking of the shelter pets…” she began.

  Quinn’s eyes lit up. “Is it time?” she asked.

  “Just about,” Mrs. Alvarez replied, nodding. “You should go ahead and get backstage.”

  “Backstage?” Ms. Morimoto asked Quinn’s dad. But he looked just as confused as she did.

  “I have a surprise for you,” Quinn said mysteriously. “I’ll see you in a little while. Until then… enjoy the show!”

  Quinn followed Mrs. Alvarez out of the ballroom and down a long corridor to an empty conference room. Quinn smiled as they approached the door. She didn’t need Mrs. Alvarez to lead the way anymore; she could’ve found it just by listening for the barks and meows that echoed down the hallway!

  “This is the holding room,” Mrs. Alvarez explained. “I think you and Buddy will be fifth in the lineup.”

  “Yay!” Quinn cheered. “I get to walk Buddy in the Pet Parade!”

  The Pet Parade was the big surprise that Quinn had been keeping for weeks. Because the Twelve Pets of Christmas gala wasn’t just for people… it was for pets, too! All twelve pets would be making a special guest appearance in a few moments—and as a shelter volunteer, Quinn had been asked to walk one.

  “Ready for the parade?” Mrs. Alvarez asked with a laugh. She held open the door for Quinn, who was delighted to see so many of her animal friends. They’d been dressed up for the occasion, too; each one was wearing a festive velvet bow around his or her neck.

  Just then, Buddy came bounding over. Quinn immediately dropped to her knees so she could give him a big hug. “Hi, Buddy!” she cried. “You look so fancy! And you smell so nice, too!”

  “All the Twelve Pets were bathed today,” Mrs. Alvarez joked. “You should’ve seen it, Quinn. Bubbles everywhere!”

  “Well, I’m sure they all want to put their best paw forward.” Quinn giggled.

  Buddy tossed back his head and let out a loud, happy bark. He was clearly aware of all the excitement in the air. Quinn understood why. Buddy had already lived at the animal shelter for more than a year. The volunteers tried to give him as many walks—and as much love—as they could, but it was hard to give him the attention he deserved when there were so many other animals in need. Being out of the shelter and surrounded by so many people made this an extra-exciting night for Buddy.

  Quinn couldn’t figure out why Buddy hadn’t been adopted yet. She knew he was a mutt—Mrs. Alvarez thought he had a mix of border collie and golden retriever—and that a lot of people wanted “purebred” dogs. But Buddy had so much to offer! He was friendly to everyone, even the cats, and playful, with a long tail that was constantly going thump-thump-thump when he wagged it. And Buddy was smart, too. Quinn could tell from the spark of intelligence that lit up his dark brown eyes and from the way his ears twitched on high alert at the slightest sound.

  “Maybe tonight’s the night, Buddy,” Quinn whispered close to his ear. “Maybe your new family’s waiting right out there… and we don’t even know it yet!”

  Mrs. Alvarez approached Quinn and Buddy, carrying a long red leash. “Ready?” she asked. “It’s just about time to line up. The Pet Parade starts in five minutes!”

  Quinn stood up abruptly, smoothed out her skirt, and fluffed her hair. Then she clipped the leash to Buddy’s collar under the velvet bow. “You look adorable, Buddy,” she said.

  “And adoptable!” Mrs. Alvarez added with a big smile.

  One of the shelter volunteers, Kelli, was lining up the pets and their handlers in the hallway. “Buddy and Quinn,” he called out, “you’re next!”

  Quinn’s heart made a funny, fluttery jump in her chest. She didn’t have stage fright, exactly—Buddy was the star of this show—but she was filled with so much anticipation that it was no wonder her hands were suddenly trembling.

  And Quinn wasn’t alone. Buddy was acting more excitable than she’d ever seen him before. His ears were on high alert, and he was sniffing the air like it was chow time.

  The first pet, a cocker spaniel named Applesauce, went through the doors.

  “You can tell it’s a big night, can’t you, Buddy?” Quinn said in a low voice as she stroked his silky-soft ears to calm him. Buddy was trembling with excitement. He looked up at Quinn and replied by licking her palm with his slobbery tongue.

  Quinn giggled. “Yes, Buddy, I know. I love you, too,” she replied.

  It was Pixie’s turn next. The young cat was wrapped up in a baby blanket in Janelle’s arms, purring so loudly that Quinn could hear her.

  Now there was just one more pair ahead of Quinn and Buddy—a feisty pup named Lobo and his handler, Lara.

  “We’re next,” Quinn whispered to Buddy. Did he straighten his shoulders, too—or did she just imagine it?

  “Quinn and Buddy—go!” Kelli said in a loud whisper.

  Quinn’s hold on Buddy’s leash tightened. A big, beaming smile crossed her face. She shook her hair over her shoulders and, with Buddy by her side, stepped through the doors.

  The lights were brighter than Quinn remembered—of course, that made sense since they were pointed right at the stage.

  “And now we have faithful Buddy, being walked by one of our volunteers, Quinn!” Mrs. Alvarez’s voice boomed over the speakers. “Buddy is a mix of a bunch of great breeds—border collie, golden retriever, and Labrador, we think, which explains why Buddy is so friendly, loyal, and fun.”

  Buddy stopped short on the catwalk. He cocked his head. He could hear Mrs. Alvarez’s voice—but he couldn’t see her.

  “Keep walking, Buddy,” Quinn said, her teeth clenched behind her big smile. “Everybody’s watching us!”

  “But what we can’t explain is why Buddy has been waiting for his forever family for over a year,” Mrs. Alvarez continued. “At the shelter, we try not to pick favorites…”

  “Woof!” Buddy barked—a loud, resonating bark that interrupted Mrs. Alvarez mid-sentence.

  “But it’s no secret how much the staff and volunteers love Buddy,” Mrs. Alvarez continued without missing a beat. “And if you adopt Buddy—”

  “This way, Buddy!” Quinn said, pulling gently on his leash. All they had to do was make it to the end of the catwalk and back. It wasn’t even that far—fifteen steps at the most—

  But Buddy wouldn’t budge. He could hear one of his people-friends, and now he wanted to find her. Buddy dropped his head to the floor and began sniffing, trying to catch Mrs. Alvarez’s scent. His tail wagged back and forth, back and forth, thunking into Quinn’s sparkly shoes. She laughed nervously as she tried to guide him back onto the path, but suddenly Buddy felt like he weighed about a thousand pounds. The festive bow around his neck began to unravel, leaving a long strand of ribbon that tangled around one of his hind legs.

  The people in the audience giggled as they watched Buddy’s antics. Nobody was paying much attention to Mrs. Alvarez anymore.

  “We promise you won’t be disappointed!” Mrs.
Alvarez finished. “Let’s hear it for Buddy and Quinn!”

  As the crowd started to clap, it happened: Buddy spotted Mrs. Alvarez at last. He charged toward her. Quinn’s shoes were slippery and she lost her balance, but Buddy didn’t notice. He was so excited to run toward Mrs. Alvarez that he just pulled Quinn behind him.

  “Buddy! Stop!” Quinn cried. She held on to the leash even tighter—even though it meant getting dragged across the catwalk in her best party dress. Buddy was her responsibility, and nothing would make her let go of him now!

  Mrs. Alvarez’s dark brown eyes widened in alarm. “Buddy!” she said in her warning voice. “Sit! STAY!”

  It worked—almost too well. Buddy skidded to a halt, his oversized paws splaying out in four different directions. He slid across the catwalk, still dragging Quinn behind him, until—

  Wham! Buddy flew off the edge of the platform and landed in a heap at Mrs. Alvarez’s feet. Quinn, still clutching the leash, tumbled after him!

  The crowd gasped as several people rushed forward to help Quinn up.

  “I’m fine, I’m fine,” she assured everyone. Quinn held up her hands, with Buddy’s cherry-red leash still wrapped around her palm. “No harm done!”

  “Friendly, loyal, and fun—did I tell you?” Mrs. Alvarez announced into the microphone, making everyone laugh as Buddy started licking Quinn’s hand. “Quinn, I might add, is the young artist behind the incredible ornaments for auction tonight.”

  A woman in a pretty silver party dress turned to Quinn in surprise. “You painted all those animal ornaments?” she asked.

  Quinn nodded, grinning. Mrs. Alvarez waved to Kelli, who hurried forward to take Buddy out.

  “I just love them!” the woman gushed. She beckoned to her friends across the room. “Caryn! Jackie! This is the girl who painted the ornaments!”

  A few other people turned to look as other women joined the group. Quinn was blushing again. She’d already had enough of being the center of attention for one night.

  “Do you take custom orders?” someone asked. “I’d love to have my Siamese cat, Cindy Lou, painted on a blue one to match her eyes.”

  “I—” Quinn began.

  “Oh, yes! What a great idea!” another woman exclaimed. “I have two dogs, so I’d want an ornament for each of them, of course.”

  “This would make a great Christmas present,” a man said. “My mother is devoted to her teacup poodle. She never leaves the house without him. And she dresses him in the silliest little sweaters.…”

  “Put me down for two ornaments, too,” another woman chimed in. “How much?”

  Quinn’s mind went blank. How much? She didn’t know where to begin! “I—uh—” she stammered.

  Luckily, Ms. Morimoto was nearby. “If you’re interested in a custom ornament, please write your email address on this sheet,” she said. “The artist will get back to you in a few days with a price quote.”

  “Thank you,” Quinn told Ms. Morimoto as people crowded around to sign up. The Pet Parade was back on; she glanced up at the stage to see one of the volunteers wheeling mama cat Paisley and her kittens, Polka and Dot, in a baby carriage. From the way everyone in the crowd cooed, Quinn could tell that the Twelve Pets gala was a big success.

  Now Quinn could only hope that the adoption applications would stack up as fast as the requests for her ornaments!

  After school on Monday, Quinn went to the animal shelter for her volunteer shift. When she opened the door, she was greeted by the festive sound of jingle bells ringing. “That’s new!” she exclaimed, looking up to see a strip of brass bells hanging from the top of the door.

  “Tommy’s home for Christmas break—and he’s got a serious case of the Christmas spirit,” Mrs. Alvarez said with a laugh. “I don’t think we’ve ever decorated quite so much.” Her son, Tommy, was in college, but he helped at the animal shelter whenever school was out.

  “I love it!” Quinn exclaimed. The animal shelter had been transformed into a holiday wonderland! Garlands of gleaming tinsel swooped down from the ceiling, and a large, light-up wreath had been hung behind the front desk. Quinn’s favorite decorations were in the waiting area, though. The rows of plastic chairs had been replaced with some comfy chairs, and Tommy had added an electric fireplace next to the window, complete with stockings that hung above the glowing embers. A light-up Hanukkah menorah adorned the shelf above the fireplace. There was even a table with milk and cookies for Santa—but instead of cookies, the platter held dog biscuits!

  “Where did this furniture come from?” Quinn marveled.

  Mrs. Alvarez smiled. “My sister runs a secondhand shop,” she explained. “Tommy had this great idea to turn the waiting room into a living room for the holidays, so Maritza gave him a few pieces that haven’t sold. I like it a lot, actually.… Maybe we should keep it like this, even after the holidays are over.”

  “Definitely!” Quinn agreed. “It would be nice for people to visit with animals here when they’re deciding whether to adopt. It feels more like home.”

  “And it makes the whole shelter look nicer,” Mrs. Alvarez said. “Which is good, because I think things are going to be very busy this month! Did you see yesterday’s newspaper?”

  Quinn shook her head.

  “We made the front page!” Mrs. Alvarez told her as she held it out to Quinn. Sure enough, there was the headline—THE TWELVE PETS OF CHRISTMAS ARE WAITING FOR YOU—and a large photo of Mrs. Alvarez as Lobo and Lara walked in the Pet Parade.

  “I’m just glad they didn’t use a photo of me falling on my face,” Quinn joked.

  Mrs. Alvarez’s expression grew serious. “How are you feeling? Any bumps and bruises today?”

  “Nope. I’m totally fine,” Quinn assured her. “And, actually, I think maybe it was a really good thing!”

  “Really?” replied Mrs. Alvarez.

  “Yeah. I mean, if Buddy hadn’t dragged me off the catwalk and made that big commotion, people might not have realized that I painted the ornaments,” Quinn explained. “I got forty-seven orders!”

  “Are you kidding?” Mrs. Alvarez exclaimed.

  “I couldn’t believe it, either!” Quinn said. “Ms. Morimoto helped me figure out how much I should charge. She said that artists shouldn’t give their work away for free, so we calculated how much the supplies would cost, and how long it would take me, and how much people wanted to buy them—she said that was demand—”

  “I love it!” Mrs. Alvarez said. “I’m so proud of you, Quinn! Look at you, with your own art business now!”

  “I definitely want to donate half of the proceeds to the animal shelter,” Quinn said.

  Mrs. Alvarez reached over to give Quinn a hug. “Are you sure, sweetheart?” she asked. “You’ve already given the shelter so much.”

  “I’m positive,” Quinn replied firmly. “But… if it’s okay with you… would you mind if I kept the rest of the profits for myself?”

  “Of course that’s okay!” Mrs. Alvarez said right away. “Are you saving up for something special?”

  Quinn’s eyes shone with excitement. “Yes!” she exclaimed. “Right before school started, my best friend, Annabelle, moved to California. If I can get all forty-seven ornaments painted before Christmas, I think I’ll be able to afford an airplane ticket to visit her during spring break!”

  “That’s wonderful, Quinn!” Mrs. Alvarez told her. “I know how much you must miss your friend. And I bet she misses you, too.”

  Quinn nodded. “Anyway—how can I help today?” she asked.

  “Let’s see.…” Mrs. Alvarez said thoughtfully. “We gave all the cages a deep clean over the weekend, and the animals were groomed on Friday.…”

  “Inventory?” Quinn guessed. “Do you want me to count all the pet food in the storage room?”

  “I have a better idea,” Mrs. Alvarez said. “I’ll tackle the inventory. Why don’t you work on some socialization? Especially for the Twelve Pets.”

  “My favorite job!” Quinn
cheered. She knew that whenever she volunteered at the animal shelter, she needed to do whatever task she was assigned. But it was no secret that Quinn loved playing with the animals more than anything. And it turned out socializing was the most fun job, too. It involved everything from teaching puppies how to walk on a leash to cuddling itty-bitty kittens. Most of all, it helped animals learn how to be friends with people—and how to be loved.

  “Thanks, Quinn,” Mrs. Alvarez called as Quinn headed off toward the cat wing. She walked down the aisle between the cages, trying to figure out which animal to play with first. Everyone liked to play with mama cat Paisley and her kittens, Polka and Dot; from the way all three were sleeping, Quinn could tell they’d been tired out. Rufus, a big orange cat, opened one eye and yawned in Quinn’s face as she walked by. “Okay, okay,” she giggled. “Go ahead and get your beauty sleep!”

  Since so many cats were snoozing, Quinn made her way to the dog wing. A pair of dogs, Tops and Tippy, were out on a walk—Quinn could see that one of the other volunteers had signed them out.

  Then Quinn saw Buddy, and her heart did that funny flip-flop. He was curled up in a corner of the cage, staring at the wall, not showing even the tiniest bit of interest in the footsteps coming his way.

  Just like that, Quinn’s decision was made.

  She strode over to Buddy’s pen and let herself in. “Hey there, Buddy,” she crooned.

  Thump-thump-thump!

  Buddy perked up right away. In half a second, he was on his feet, that wildly wagging tail thumping against the wall of his pen. He bounded over to Quinn and nudged her with his head.

  “I’m glad to see you, too!” Quinn laughed. But at the same time, she was a little worried. As she’d walked down the hall, Buddy hadn’t even bothered to look up to see who was coming his way. She knew why. After living in the shelter for so long, Buddy knew better than to get his hopes up when a person walked in.

  But just because no one had adopted him yet didn’t mean that no one ever would. And if Buddy didn’t show any interest in the visitors to the shelter… would they show any interest in him?