Absolutely Lucy (5 page)

Bobby sat down on Mr. Davis’s rocking chair. He picked up Lucy and put her on his lap. There was that funny feeling again. He was lonesome. He missed his friends.

One day passed. Then another and another. Bobby wasn’t just lonesome anymore. He was bored. Bobby was
so
bored.

He spent most of his time watching television.

“Do you want to go to the library and get some books?” his mother asked.

“No. It’s too hot to read.”

His mother frowned. “It may be too hot to play ball, but it’s never too hot to read.”

Bobby was grumpy. “I just don’t feel like reading.”

“Do you want to go to the swimming pool later?” his mother asked. “That would cool you off.”

Bobby shrugged. “I don’t care.”

Now his mother was getting mad. She said, “Bobby, all you do is watch TV. At least take Lucy for a walk.”

Bobby looked at Lucy. Lucy was stretched out in front of the air conditioning vent. She did not look like she wanted to go anywhere. Then Bobby looked at his mother. She did not look like she was going to take no for an answer. So Bobby got up and clipped Lucy’s leash on her.

“We might melt,” Bobby warned his mother.

“If you don’t come back, I’ll look for two puddles of water—one with a tail floating in it.” Mrs. Quinn was smiling.

Bobby and Lucy went outside. He glanced at the house across the street. He hadn’t seen the new kids in a long time. Maybe they were on vacation like Candy.

Then Bobby saw someone coming out of the house. It was the boy who was about his own age. The boy began bouncing a yellow tennis ball. He acted like he didn’t know Lucy and Bobby were across the street. But Bobby could see him peeking at them about every third bounce.

Should I say hi?
Bobby wondered. He could feel his face getting red, and it wasn’t just from the heat. He was being shy again. Maybe he had two friends now. But he still didn’t want to go up to a strange kid and say hello. Bobby walked more quickly down the block.

Suddenly, Lucy stopped. She had spotted something. The yellow tennis ball was rolling in her direction.

Lucy knew what to do. She had done it plenty of times at obedience school. She tugged at her leash so she could fetch the ball. She grabbed it with her mouth as it rolled by. She tugged on her leash. She tried to get Bobby to cross the street. She wanted to give the ball back to the boy.

Bobby didn’t want to go across the street. But Lucy did.

The boy was in no hurry to get his ball. He just stood there as Bobby and Lucy came toward him. His eyes were down on the sidewalk.

He’s not very friendly
, Bobby thought. Then Bobby realized that he knew that look. He knew it very well. It wasn’t the look of someone who was unfriendly. It was the look of someone who was shy.

Lucy scampered up to the boy. She dropped the ball at his feet and gave a happy bark.

“Can you give her a pat for bringing you the ball?” Bobby asked. “That’s what they tell us to do at obedience school.”

The boy didn’t say anything, but he patted Lucy’s head.

Lucy pushed the ball with her paw.

The boy looked up. “What’s her name?” the boy asked in a small voice.

“Lucy. What’s your name?” Bobby asked boldly.

“Shawn.”

“I’m Bobby. I live across the street.”

“I know,” Shawn said. “I’ve seen you. She looks like a great dog.”

“She is,” Bobby said.

“My mom won’t let me get a dog yet.” Shawn smiled. “But I’m working on her.”

“Dogs make great friends,” Bobby told him.

“I’ll tell my mother that,” Shawn said.

Neither boy said anything for a few seconds.

Bobby felt uncomfortable. That’s how he felt when he couldn’t think of anything to say to the kids at school. Bobby thought maybe it was time to go.

But Lucy had other ideas. She picked up the ball in her mouth. She looked first at Bobby, then at Shawn.

“She wants to play,” Bobby said. He took the ball from Lucy’s mouth. Then he took a great big breath. “We have a fenced-in yard for Lucy. Do you want to come to my house and play with her?”

Shawn looked happy. “I’ll go ask my mother,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”

Bobby sat down on the grass to wait for Shawn. He pulled Lucy close to him.

“Lucy,” he whispered, “I have a feeling Shawn might be my third friend. Wow,” he continued softly, “three friends.”

He thought about how he had met each of his friends. He met all of them because of Lucy. Lucy was like a lucky charm.

Bobby gave his dog a squeeze.

“Even if I make a hundred friends,” he told her, “you will always be my best friend. You are absolutely the best dog in the world. Absolutely, Lucy.”

Lucy barked. She agreed.

Read the next books about Lucy!

“Ben!” Shawn said. “What happened to Lucy?”

“She … she ran away!” Ben said in a shaky voice.

Bobby jumped up. “Ran away? Where?”

“That way.” Ben was confused. He pointed in one direction. “Or maybe that way.” He pointed in the other direction.

“Which way was it?” Shawn demanded.

“I’m not sure.” Ben was almost crying. “But she was chasing a big orange C-A-T!”

On the way out, a large, colorful poster taller than the boys caught Bobby’s eye.

The poster had a drawing of different kinds of animals crowded together in front of a television camera. Across the top were the words
WANTED: SPOKESPET FOR PET-O-RAMA
! Under the picture of the animals it said, “Is your pet cute? Smart? Funny? Enter the Pet-O-Rama spokespet contest and your pet could be on TV!”

Bobby read the poster carefully. Cute, smart, funny? That described Lucy! She could win the spokespet contest, easy!