The Scruffy Puppy (4 page)

Lara snorted. “What is
that
?”

“That’s Sid,” Bella said through her teeth. “He’s probably a sort of terrier cross.”

“Crossed with a mop?” Lara said, nudging Megan and sniggering. “Bella, that’s the oddest dog I’ve ever seen!”

Bella felt hot tears pricking the back
of her eyes and blinked them away. Chloe and some of the others laughed, but for a second, Bella thought she saw Megan look uncomfortable.

“Isn’t it odd?” Lara said, nudging Megan again, and this time Megan nodded and sniggered.

“Well, I think he looks really sweet,” someone said behind Bella. She whirled round gratefully, wondering who it was. Not many people would stand up to Lara when she was picking on someone.

It was the new girl, Sarah, and she was peering over Bella’s shoulder at the photo of Sid. “His ears are fab,” she added. “Maybe there’s some poodle in him.”

“Yes,” Bella agreed gratefully. She
hardly knew Sarah – she’d only started at their school this term. In fact, she wasn’t sure she’d ever spoken to her before. But now she wanted to hug her. “I thought so, too. And he’s a really fast runner. So maybe some whippet as well.”

“You’re really lucky having a dog.” Sarah sighed. “We live in a flat, so we can’t have one.”

“Did anyone ask you for your opinion?” Lara snapped. “And who cares if you live in a flat? We certainly don’t!”

Bella looked apologetically at Sarah. Sometimes, Lara was totally horrible. But it was just easier to be friends with her than not…

Sarah went pink and started to walk away.

Bella watched her for a second,
hesitating, and then grabbed Sarah’s arm. “Hey, do you want to come over and meet Sid? On Friday maybe?” she asked. She could feel Lara and Megan’s eyes boring into her back – it was as if their eyes were burning holes in her cardigan. But she didn’t care. They were both being mean, and Sarah sounded like she knew about dogs and would be fun to talk to.

Sarah just gazed at her in amazement, and then she nodded. “Yes, please. I’ll have to ask my mum, but I’d love to come and meet him.”

A few of the girls who were gathered round the bench whispered and muttered, and Bella caught a couple of doubtful glances aimed at Lara. It was as though the others thought she was being too nasty as well.

“My dad says we can enter Coco in a dog show!” Megan said suddenly behind them, trying to get everyone’s attention back. “And she’ll probably win, because she’s really well-bred.”

“Not like that thing Bella’s calling a dog,” Lara sniggered.

Bella dug her fingernails into her palms. She was sick of Lara being horrid, and Megan sucking up to her. “Actually, Sid’s going to be in a show,
too!” she snapped at Megan.

Then Bella stomped away, wishing she hadn’t said anything. She could hear them all sniggering, and there was no way Sid was going to be in a dog show – after all, where would she ever find one to enter him in?

Chapter Four

Sid prowled backwards and forwards in front of the door, stopping occasionally to sniff the faint breeze that came wafting in round the sides. Then he flopped down on the doormat with a huge sigh.

When would they be back?
Bella and Tom had been away all day, and even though their mum had been
around, she had been sitting quietly and not wanting to play. She would pet him if he whined at her, but then she went back to the pieces of paper she was working on. She had got up to let him out into the garden a couple of times, and she had taken him for a quick walk at lunch, but she hadn’t really played. And then she had gone out. He was bored.

Then his ears pricked up. He could hear footsteps! He jumped to his feet and snuffled hopefully at the bottom of the door. Yes! It was Bella – he could hear her voice. Sid let out a delighted yap, and then he heard Bella, excited and running.

“Listen, Tom! He heard us coming. Hi, Sid!”

Sid barked madly, racing round the hallway so fast he nearly knocked over the basket of scarves and hats by the front door. When the door opened – carefully, because Bella’s mum suspected he was probably right behind it – he whirled and bounced around their feet, jumping up and squeaking with joy.

“I don’t think he missed us,” Tom said in a pretend-sad voice, making Bella laugh.

“It’s so nice to see you,” Bella murmured, crouching down and hugging Sid. “I can’t believe I let Megan and the others make me think you weren’t perfect.”

It didn’t take long for Sid to get used to the pattern of living with a family. Even though there were boring parts when Bella and Tom were away for the whole day at school, he could usually doze through those, or chew his toys. The walks made up for the slow times.

After the first couple of days, Bella
and Tom were allowed to take him out on their own after school. Mum and Dad said it was all right, as long as they stayed together and Tom took his phone – he had got one when he’d gone to secondary school. When they got back, Sid would have a snooze while Bella did her homework, and then they’d go out into the garden and practise training.

Bella was determined that Sid was going to be the most beautifully trained dog ever. She had even bought a book on it with her pocket money, and in a couple of weeks they were going to start classes. Somehow, because he was a bit
scruffy-looking
, Bella felt that people who met Sid might think he was badly behaved. So she was determined to do her absolute best to make sure that he
wasn’t
.
Luckily, Sid really seemed to like the training. Especially the delicious dog treats that Bella used as rewards. She was trying to teach him to sit and stay until she called him, and he was getting quite good at it. Or at least he was while Bella was looking at him. If she turned her back, he would start to creep very, very slowly towards her and then as soon as she turned round again, he would look all innocent.

Bella was keen to teach Sid to come when he was called, so that she could safely let him off the lead in the park. But she had decided to wait until the training classes for that one. She didn’t quite trust herself to teach Sid on her own. What if he disappeared off to the other end of the park and wouldn’t
come back? Or – even worse – he ran out through the gates on to the road?

As much as she loved the training sessions, it was their morning walks that were Bella’s favourite. She and Dad had to get up extra early to take Sid out before breakfast, but she didn’t mind. It was lovely – there weren’t many people around, and they could use Sid’s special extending lead, so he could run all across the park. Dad had warned Bella that the walks might not be so much fun in winter when it was cold and dark, but she couldn’t imagine not wanting to take Sid out. He loved walks so much and that made her happy.

“Still not bored with getting up early?” Dad asked Bella on Thursday, as she let out a massive yawn on the
way to the park.

“No!” Bella shook her head firmly. “I’m just sleepy. I love the walks.”

“How’s Megan getting on with her new dog?” Dad asked.

Bella nibbled her bottom lip. She didn’t want to tell Dad that she’d hardly spoken to Megan since Monday. They had been best friends since they’d started school, and even though Megan annoyed her sometimes, Bella missed her. And she didn’t really feel like talking about it. “She’s fine.”

“Ooooh, watch out, Bella. Another dog coming,” her dad said suddenly. “Want me to take the lead?”

Bella shook her head. “No, I’m sure he’ll be good. Heel, Sid.” She pressed the button on the extending lead that made
it go short again and patted her leg, calling encouragingly to Sid. He pattered over to her at once, tail wagging. He’d seen the other dog and he wanted to sniff at him, but Bella was calling.

“Oh, good boy!” Bella rubbed his ears and drew him over to the side of the path so that the lady with the dog – a huge Weimaraner – could get past. But instead, the lady stopped and smiled.

“Have you just got your dog? I haven’t seen you out walking him before.”

“Yes, we adopted him from Redlands, the shelter,” Dad explained.

“He’s very sweet! And so well behaved. It’s lovely to see you training him to walk properly with you,” she added to Bella. “You’re obviously working really hard with him. Have a nice morning!”

And she walked on, leaving Dad and Bella staring at each other proudly. Then they both started telling Sid how fabulous he was. “You little star, Sid! Did you hear what she said?”

Sid stared up at them, wondering what all the fuss was about. All he’d done was stand still…