Girl's Best Friend by Leslie Margolis Read Free Book Online

occasional rock.
    Once Milo did what he needed to do, I still didn’t feel like going home, so we headed over to the nature trail. It’s on the opposite side of the park and is dense with trees. The farther in you go, the more shaded it becomes. By the time we got to the thick of it, the air felt damp and the temperature dropped by what seemed like ten degrees. I felt as if I’d strolled into a fairy-tale forest. As long as I overlooked the smashed beer cans and random empty packages of Fritos, that is.
    The waterfall flowed nearby, but otherwise all was silent save for my footsteps and the quick pitter-patter of Milo’s paws against the dirt. It was peaceful. Comforting, even.
    At least until I heard something strange up ahead—first just a rustling. Then some twigs snapped.
    Suddenly Milo stopped sniffing and raised his head. Ears perked, he pulled me forward with a force so strong I had no choice but to follow.
    As we turned the corner I saw what the fuss was about. Milo had found another dog—a little fluffy white one. Not a poodle, exactly, but still French and fancy looking. I exhaled in relief, not realizing I’d been holding my breath.
    “Hey there,” I said to the dog, trying to figure out what breed it was. Maltese? Bichon frise? Shih tzu? Or some crazy new hybrid? I couldn’t tell and was so focused that I didn’t even notice the guy at the other end of the leash.
    Not until I heard the sharp gasp of breath. Clearly someone was surprised to see me, and not pleasantly so.
    I looked up suddenly, and I locked eyes with him—Milo!
    Yeah, that Milo.
    My first instinct was to run. Hide. Just disappear. But it was too late.
    Obviously, he saw me. And for some reason, he seemed more freaked out than I was. His eyes darted from side to side, like he was searching for an escape route. But we were on a narrow path and there was nowhere to go.
    He had no choice but to move forward. Something he did with dread, like I was Vice Principal Mackey and he’d just gotten caught flushing firecrackers down the teachers’ lounge toilet.
    Which, let me assure you, did wonders for my self-esteem.
    I mean, obviously Milo thought I was a total freakazoid or he wouldn’t look so panicked, right? Why, oh why had I bothered to try and speak to him at Pizza Den yesterday? What made me think I ever had a chance?
    And while I was asking myself questions, how come all the pretend conversations I had with Milo in my head were so much easier—so much better—than our real-life actual ones?
    I guess I just preferred admiring Milo from afar. Something I wished I could do at the moment. But he was already looking at me, so I couldn’t turn around.
    We had to speak. Yet, so far all I could manage was a gulp.
    I told myself to act normal. Which is a surefire way to look weird.
    As in way dorky.
    I smiled. Then I worried my smile was too big. Or maybe too nervous looking. So I stopped smiling. But I didn’t want to appear unfriendly. So I took a step forward and he did, too. And then we were so close one of us had to say something, and it didn’t seem like it was going to be him.
    “You never told me you had a dog,” I blurted out. “Hello” would’ve been more appropriate, I guess, but no one ever accused me of being the smoothest conversationalist.
    I swallowed hard.
    “Hey, Maggie,” he said carefully.
    “You know my name?” I asked—again with the absolute worst response.
    Milo smiled—small with his mouth closed. “Sure, from science.” He pushed his bangs out of his eyes.
    “Oh yeah. I know. I was just kidding.” I forced a laugh, hoping he wouldn’t notice that I hadn’t exactly been funny.
    “So this is Milo?” he asked.
    “How did you know?”
    “You told me you walked a puggle back at the Pizza Den, remember?”
    “Oh yeah.” So he had heard me.
    “Or is this another puggle? Do you specialize in the breed?”
    Was he joking? Probably. But I couldn’t tell and I didn’t want to take the risk, so I