Acting Out (2 page)

“Zoe?” Gran examines me. “Still sleepy?” she asks.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Welcome back,” Gran says, holding the door wide.

“It’s good to
be
back,” I say. I walk in with a small smile, but I don’t really mean it. There’s a lot about Ambler to love, but right now, it just feels like a place where I keep ending up—a place that isn’t my real home.

“ ’Bout time you showed up to clean,” Maggie says, her head deep in a large kitten crate on the floor. Through the cage wires I can see her grin.

“Hi, I’m Josh Darrow,” says the boy in the corner. He’s about my age and has friendly brown eyes and slightly curly brown hair. He has on the gloves Gran makes us wear when we clean around here.

“This is Jules, my sister. We’re the newest Vet Volunteers.” Josh sweeps his yellow-gloved arm toward a girl holding a teeny gray kitten. The brother and sister look about the same age. She has the same brown eyes and the same color hair. Maybe they’re twins?

“Hi,” the girl says shyly.

“Hi. I’m Zoe,” I say, like that isn’t obvious. Of course they know who I am. Still, everyone just smiles. Even Gran.

“Okay,” Gran begins, “if we’re finished with the
cleaning, let’s have Maggie and Josh exercise our boarder dogs and Jules can show Zoe what we’re doing with those kittens.” Gran moves on to a mountain of paperwork on the counter. It’s a mess. Some things never change.

“We have some little-bitties here,” Jules says, bending over Maggie’s now-clean kitten crate and settling the gray kitten into it. “Three of them are on bottles now, but not the two littlest ones. Have you used this before?” Jules holds up the eyedropper that we use to feed the smallest, weakest animals.

“I have,” I say, heading to the sinks to scrub my hands, wrists, and forearms. It’s all about safety at Dr. Mac’s Place, and safety begins with cleanliness, as Gran always says.

Jules and I work in silence for a while. We feed the two tiny kittens with the eyedropper and the three healthier kittens with small bottles. Jules had filled all the bottles with formula and set them on the warmer pad before we began. After each kitten is fed, we wipe the corners of their eyes, their mouths, and noses with a small, moistened gauze pad. We check their fur all over to be sure they are clean and don’t have any mites or fleas. And then we tuck each one back in under the heat lamp in the clean kitten crate.

I can feel Jules sneaking looks at me as she tends to her kitten, but she doesn’t say anything. It seems like she’s shy. Maybe it’s up to me to make conversation.

I gently scoop up one of the two tiny kittens from the crate and ask, “So, are you and Josh twins or just close in age?” The kitten opens and closes her mouth quickly, expecting, I guess, the eyedropper of milk. Her tiny tongue searches for more, and I keep squeezing, drop by drop. I’ve missed all this in California. My dog, Sneakers, doesn’t need any help with feeding—he loves to eat! I wish I could have brought him with me this time. I miss that little short-haired mutt. But our neighbor, Mr. Gregory, is taking care of him. He has three dogs of his own, so I guess one more is no big deal to him. I hope he’s able to give Sneakers some extra love with all those other dogs around.

“We’re twins,” Jules says. I’m slightly startled. I’d already forgotten that I’d asked a question.

I wait for Jules to tell me more about herself. But she doesn’t say anything else. She expertly moves on to her next kitten, cuddling the kitten beneath her chin before placing the bottle’s nipple in its mouth. The two just-fed kittens are sleepy and are curled up together. Another kitten is stumbling around the box, and Jules and I each have one in
our hands. Five kittens. Tiny and motherless. Poor things.

“Have you been in Ambler long?” I ask.

“About a month,” Jules replies. Her kitten is a little squirmy. Jules stops feeding her a moment and rubs her tummy to “burp” her. Then she tries giving her the bottle again. The kitten settles and feeds. Jules sure knows her way around animals.

“And you managed to become a Vet Volunteer so fast?” Gran must be busier than when I left a year ago if she’s taken on two more volunteers.

“I was a volunteer at the animal shelter back in Pittsburgh where we lived before. I’m used to working with animals.” Jules cuddles her kitten and puts her back in the box.

She picks up the last kitten and does her cuddle thing again. This one is mewing as loudly as she can. Jules gently shushes her as she brings the nipple to the kitten’s mouth. The kitten laps at the milk and closes her eyes.

My kitten has not eaten enough. She’s the smallest, one of the ones we need to use the dropper with. I check the dropper to see how much she’s had. Not nearly enough. But she has fallen asleep in my hands.

“Try blowing gently in her face. That might
wake her up without scaring her,” Jules says quietly.

I raise the kitten up to my face. It’s too bad I have to wake her. She looks so sweet and peaceful. But I take Jules’s suggestion and blow gently. The kitten’s whiskers move in the breeze. But she stays asleep. Her calico fur is like a dandelion puff, soft and barely there. In fact, she herself is barely there: she weighs almost nothing at all.

“What do you think?” I ask Jules. “Should I just let her sleep?”

“I’d give it another try. She’s the smallest, and Dr. Mac is worried that she might not make it. Meow at her, too. That might wake her up enough to eat,” Jules suggests.

Meow at her? That seems a little silly. I look into the box, and the three kittens are sleeping in a little pile. Jules adds the fourth one, all done eating now. The kitten curls up with the others and falls asleep, too. I look carefully at the one in my hand, and now I see that she really is the smallest by a lot. Her breathing looks shallower than the others, too.

“Is she sick?” I ask.

“Not that we know of, just tiny. The whole litter was abandoned in the grocery store parking lot. Sunita found them. Do you know her?” Jules asks.

“Of course. Sunita was a Vet Volunteer before I was. And she sure loves cats! She must have flipped when she found abandoned kittens.”

“Yeah, she was pretty mad. Who dumps a box of newborn kittens at the grocery store and walks away? Dr. Mac had to calm Sunita down just to get the box out of her hands. But Sunita is right. What kind of person does that?”

What kind of person abandons
anyone
? A daughter, for instance. How come any time my mother has an acting job I get left behind? She should have taken me with her. She shouldn’t have abandoned me again.

“Do you want me to try?” Jules asks.

“What? Try what?” I don’t understand.

“Feeding that calico,” Jules says.

“Oh yeah, sure,” I say, handing her over. I forgot what I was doing. I got totally distracted, thinking about my mom again. Then I hear another familiar voice.

“I wonder if you’re still a little jet-lagged.” It’s Gran. Where did she come from? “Do you need more sleep?” she presses, giving me a hard look.

“No, I’m fine,” I reply. “Really!”

“Well, if you’re sure about that, I think Maggie and Josh are heading over to David’s to see his new cat. We’re about done here if you two want to join
them.” Gran closes the cage on another cat, one who has obviously had some surgery on her belly by the looks of the stitches and the cone-shaped Elizabethan collar around her neck. Most animals hate those plastic collars, but it keeps them from tearing out their stitches.

Gran bends down and croons, “You’re a good girl, Miss Taffy, such a good girl.” The cat blinks at Gran and then closes her eyes. Lots of sleeping going on around here this morning. Maybe I
should
go back to sleep. Then I wouldn’t have to think about Mom.

Jules has finally fed my kitten. She smiles at me as we clean and sterilize the droppers. Loud voices come from the front of the clinic. I recognize them all. In just a minute, I see two of my old friends round the corner.

“Zoe! It’s so great to see you,” Brenna Lake says.
Click
! She snaps my picture.

“Hey! I’m still in my pajamas! Don’t you dare take any more pictures,” I say, reaching back and smoothing my hair.

“Come on silly, that’s why they’re called candids! I’m glad you’re back. Cute pj’s.” Brenna clicks again. Ok, I’ll admit that my leopard-print matching pajamas are pretty adorable, but still. I’d better go change.

“We’re all so happy that you’re back. We missed you!” Sunita says, her dark eyes wide and smiling. Sunita Patel means everything she says, so I feel extra welcomed. I just wish I could be happy to be back, too. But right when I start to feel sad again, a bell jingles and the door bursts open. Maggie and Josh rush in.

“Okay, the dogs are all exercised and in their kennels. Let’s get to David’s!” Maggie says, flipping her ponytail behind her back. “His mom has lunch for all of us.”

“Yum, let’s go,” Brenna says.

“Thanks for your help, Josh and Jules, Maggie and Zoe. And I’ll see Brenna and Sunita sometime this week,” Gran calls from her paperwork. Poor Gran. The pile does not seem any smaller.

“Hang on, guys,” I say. “Let me get changed. I’ll be right back.”

I rush upstairs and throw on one of my new pairs of jeans with a lime green sweater and matching ballet flats. I give myself a quick glance in the mirror and add a necklace of multicolored glass beads. It’s nothing too special, but I’m short on time. I run a comb through my hair, grab a lip gloss and rejoin the rest of the group.

We head across the street to David’s house. I’m glad my first day back is one with all the Vet
Volunteers. Everyone seems excited to see me. But I sure do wish I knew whether Maggie was happy to have me back or not.

I take a hard look at my cousin to see if I can find the answer in her face, but she is busy twirling the cat toothbrush Gran sent along for David’s cat at Sunita. Josh, Jules, and Brenna are talking about some Stream Cleanup Day they did. And I just trail behind, wondering how I’ll fit back in—
if
I’ll fit back in—with this tight group of friends: the Vet Volunteers.

C
ome on, come on, come on!” David says, opening the door. “Just wait till you see this cat. Oh hey, Zoe. Um. Nice to see you.” David Hutchinson hasn’t changed at all. His hair is as messy as the stained sweatshirt he’s wearing and he’s talking fast. “Let’s go upstairs. He’s in my room,” David continues as he rushes us into the house and past the kitchen.

“Hi, kids,” Mrs. Hutchinson calls out. “I’m making mini pizzas.”

We stop in the hall. Mrs. Hutchinson has drinks and paper plates lined up on the kitchen counter.

“I hope you all like them.” She looks at me.
“Welcome back, Zoe. Do you eat pizza? I can fix you a salad if you prefer.”

“I like pizza,” I reply. I usually eat healthier food than that, but I don’t want Mrs. Hutchinson to see me as some kind of problem child. The refrigerator door behind her closes and I see a cute older boy drinking milk straight from the carton. Oh, wow. It’s Brian. David’s older brother has turned into somebody who belongs on the cover of
Entertainment Weekly
. I check my sweater and my hair to make sure they’re both smoothed down.

Mrs. Hutchinson looks at me and back at Brian. Then she raises an eyebrow and chuckles. “Lunch will be ready in about fifteen minutes, David.”

“Cool, thanks, Mom!” David says and leads the way once again to his room. When we enter, his cat is curled up on his bed.

Sunita, of course, is the first to pull Rover into her arms. “Ohhh, such a pretty cat,” she purrs at him, cuddling the tabby on her lap.

Click
. Brenna takes a picture. “That’ll be a good one,” she says. Now I’m happy she brought her camera. Maybe she can get a picture of Brian before we leave, too. Wonder how I can suggest that?

Brenna stands on a chair and aims the camera
straight down at Sunita and Rover.
Click
. Then she lies down on the floor and gets one from that angle.
Click
. Rover turns his head at the sound of the camera. Then he bats a paw at it.

“That’s my guy.” David grins.

Maggie laughs and holds her arms out to Rover. Sunita quickly hands him over, even though she looks a little sad to give him up. But in Maggie’s arms Rover isn’t so calm. He twists to get free.

“Okay, little boy, you can explore,” Maggie says. She sets Rover on the floor, and Brenna takes another shot. Rover’s on his hind legs now with his front paws on Brenna’s camera. He is so cute.
Click
.

“That’s going to be your close-up, Rover!” Brenna says.

Maggie, Sunita, and I sit down on the floor. Josh and Jules stay standing by the door—they still seem a little shy around the group, or at least Jules does. Brenna keeps moving all over the place to get her pictures. David belly flops on his bed and clucks his tongue at Rover.

“Okay, now watch this,” David says, pulling a toothbrush out of his sweatshirt pocket. “Sit.” Rover sees it
and sits
. Sits! Like a dog waiting for a treat.

“Man,” David says. “Rover’s the craziest cat
ever. Check this out.” He tosses the toothbrush over his head toward his closet door. Rover takes off running. Once he reaches the toothbrush he scoops it up in his mouth and brings it right back to David. We all applaud. David hoots like he’s at a basketball game. Rover darts around David and jumps back on the bed.