The Doggy Divas: Roxy’s Rules (7 page)

“She thinks she's queen of this school,” Georgia said with a huff. “But, we're not going to let her walk all over us! She's just jealous she didn't think of the Doggy Divas first.”

Roxy just sat there silently. This was a nightmare.

“Yeah, Roxy, so what if Liz Craft is our new client? She's giving us money,” Kim said meekly. “We have a whole calendar filled with appointments. Do we really care that she's one of them? There's nothing that she can do to hurt us as long as we do a good job.”

Roxy slumped down and put her chin on the picnic table. The girls kept going on about how Liz couldn't keep them down.

“Can you two just shut up for one second?” Roxy barked. Even she was surprised by how angry she sounded. “This
is
bad. This
is
a problem, and it
does
matter that Liz just hired us.”

Kim and Georgia started to gather their things. They didn't say a word, but Roxy knew by the looks on their faces that she had hurt their feelings.

“Look, guys, I'm sorry,” Roxy said. “Liz used to be my best friend, and now she's my client. I'm still trying to get used to the idea.”

“Don't worry. We're in this together,” Georgia said. “But maybe we should make sure we have all the right permission from Principal West to do this.”

Kim nodded in agreement while feeding all the leftover treats to a pack of strays that had found their way over to her. The girls finished packing up their supplies and were about to head back to the building when they realized that Principal West was on his way over to them.

“Uh-oh,” Kim whispered. “Maybe we
are
in trouble!”

The girls sat up straight. Kim grabbed Izzy and tried to stuff the little dog into her tote bag. Izzy, of course, was having none of it. She kept popping her head up and sticking her tongue out so far that she looked like she was smiling.

“Hello, girls!” Principal West said hurriedly. It was hot and he was dressed in a three-piece suit, so he kept mopping his shiny forehead with a handkerchief as sweat slid down his face. Roxy noticed that Liz was watching them from a distance. Jessica was with her too.

“Don't worry. I already told your teachers you might be late. I need to talk to you.” He sat down and started petting Izzy behind the ears.

Roxy, Georgia, and Kim grabbed each other's hands under the table.

“As you girls know, the school is quite a mess because of the dog walkers' strike. We have dogs on campus, in classrooms…and ‘Bring Your Dog to School Day' was somewhat of a disaster,” Principal West explained. “It's been brought to my attention that you gals have started a dog-walking business. Now while I applaud your initiative, student businesses of any kind are strictly forbidden.”

Roxy, Georgia, and Kim all looked at each other with their eyes wide.

“But I'm willing to turn a blind eye because we just can't have this many dogs roaming around school. The board of health commissioners will close down this school if they find out,” Principal West continued. “So when Liz Craft informed me that you girls had started this business, I was a bit surprised.

“Under normal circumstances, I would have had to stop it immediately. But if you girls can promise me that it won't interfere with your studies, I'll even allow you to arrive at school a few minutes late and leave a few minutes early to tend to your dog walking. Does that sound good?”

Izzy was playing tug-of-war with Principal West and his handkerchief. He nervously tried to pull it back as she held on tighter and let out a tiny growl.

The girls nodded their heads in unison. Principal West finally relented and let Izzy keep his handkerchief.

“Okay, now get to class!”

The girls stayed back as Principal West walked back into the building, mopping up his sweaty head with the sleeve of his jacket.

“Oh, my God!” Georgia laughed. “I think he's wearing a toupee!” His hair appeared to be on more of a right angle than when he'd left the building. “I'm dying for Izzy to just yank it off one day!”

They were laughing so hard that Roxy thought she was going to pee in her pants.

“So, wait…I don't get it,” Kim said, getting back to business. “Liz told on us, but Principal West didn't care?”

“I guess so,” Georgia said. “Let's just look at this as a point for the Doggy Divas! Maybe Liz isn't as mighty as she thinks.

“You know what? I'm not so sure about that,” Roxy said with authority creeping back into her voice. “We have to be careful and plan ahead. Kim, can we meet at your house a little earlier today to get all the business in?”

Both girls nodded.

“We need to discuss our plans for when we start walking dogs tomorrow anyway,” Roxy said. “I'll see you all later. Consider it our first mandatory, emergency Doggy Diva meeting!”

I think it's so cute the way Matt and Roxy look at each other. I can tell there is something between them
-
I can actually smell it!

Poor Liz just wants everyone to like her, even if she doesn't deserve it. I know she learns how to make people like her at pageant camp. I watch her practice in the mirror all the time. She says things like “You're such a peach!” or “Why, aren't you just a living doll!” It's embarrassing to watch!

That afternoon, Roxy was still taking dog-walking orders from students—and teachers. Word about the Doggy Divas had spread faster than the rumor Roxy and Liz had started a year earlier that they were going on a double date with royal princes visiting from a foreign country.

Everyone thought Roxy was a dog expert when she didn't really know a thing about dogs. That was Kim's department. Roxy actually panicked when she realized that tomorrow morning she would have to put dogs on their leashes and pick up their poop. She'd learned from Liz to always “smile and fake it.” That was Liz's motto when it came to pageants—and everything else in life.

I'm sure gonna have to fake it when I show up on Liz's doorstep tomorrow morning
, Roxy realized as she walked up the pebbled driveway that led to Kim's house.

She looked down at her BlackBerry to confirm that she was at the right place. She hated to admit it, but she'd never really thought about where Kim lived. And she'd never expected her to live in a mansion! It was even nicer than Liz's place.

Roxy softly tapped the gold knocker. It was so heavy and sparkly that she was fairly sure it had to be solid gold.

Or maybe it's filled with chocolate!
Roxy laughed to herself.

“Hello!” A woman in a bright-pink bathrobe answered the door with a big smile on her face. “I'm so sorry to meet you like this. Mr. Pierce and I have a benefit to attend tonight, and I'm starting to get dressed early. Are you Georgia? Or Roxy? I'm Kim's mom.”

“Hi, I'm Roxy…” Roxy was stunned. Kim's gorgeous mom was going to a benefit? Then why did Kim dress in ratty clothes every day and never brush her hair and smell like garbage? “It's really nice to meet you. Is Kim home?”

“Izzy—nooooooooo!” Kim yelled at the top of her lungs. Roxy and Mrs. Pierce ran to the stairs just in time for a soaking-wet Izzy to splash them with a soapy mess of water and bubbles.

“Um, I guess she's home,” Roxy said with a small smile. For a split second, she forgot that Liz was her enemy and almost pulled out her phone to text Liz about this scene. Roxy felt a pang of loneliness for Liz. She would never believe that Kim was rich—and that she let dogs destroy her beautiful home.

“I'm sorry! I forgot to close the bathroom door during her bath…” Kim raced down the stairs. Roxy followed her while Mrs. Pierce went to grab some paper towels from the kitchen. Roxy and Kim found Izzy rolling around on the living-room couch, desperately trying to dry off. The little dog was covered in soap at least an inch thick, and her usually black hair was sticky, matted, and white as snow. Kim lunged for Izzy, but the dog leaped off the couch and ran between Kim's legs. Soapy water drenched the carpet, the stairs, and everything in Izzy's path.

“Kimberly Naomi Pierce! Get your butt in the dining room immediately!”

“Uh-oh,” Kim said with fear clouding over face. “Whenever my mom uses my middle name, I'm dead meat.”

The girls ran back into the dining room to find Mrs. Pierce lying flat on her back in a puddle, having slipped on the dog's soapy trail of water. Her bathrobe was soaking wet, and the newspapers that had been in recycling bins in the kitchen were now strewn in a million pieces all over the dining room. Izzy sat at the top of the stairs barking her head off. The two teacup-sized stray Chihuahuas bounced around behind her.

Georgia showed up just in time for the show. She stood in the doorway taking in the scene, her eyes wide with confusion. For the first time in her entire life, she was speechless—but only for a fleeting moment.

“Are there hidden cameras here?” Georgia asked in shock. “Is this a practical joke? Are we going to be on TV?”

Roxy ran over to stand by Georgia. She couldn't decide if she was more alarmed that Mrs. Pierce was about to lose her robe in front of everyone or that no one else in the Pierce family shared Kim's love of dogs. Roxy had just assumed it was a genetic thing. And then she realized that Kim was probably an outcast at home too.

The Chihuahuas were jumping on Izzy's back and trying to eat bubbles off her fur. Still soaking wet, Izzy kept attempting to shake herself dry. This, of course, splashed the Chihuahuas. They ran down the stairs to get away from Izzy—and to take refuge under Mrs. Pierce's robe.

“Kim,” her mom said calmly. “Where did these Chihuahuas come from?”

“I'm sorry, Mom, but Izzy got into the garbage on our walk home from school, and that's where these Chihuahuas were hiding and, well, they recognized me from school. Izzy smelled like spaghetti so I decided to give her a bath, and the Chihuahuas just aren't used to the house yet…”

“Kim, these dogs will not have the opportunity to get used to our house. No more dogs!” her mom said while squeezing water out of her robe like a mop. “We'll talk more about this later.”

The Chihuahuas nipped at the bottom of Mrs. Pierce's bathrobe—making it rather difficult and potentially embarrassing for her to stand up straight.

“Come on, guys,” Kim said quietly. She snapped her fingers, and the dogs followed her up the stairs. Roxy and Georgia went right behind them.

“I can't believe this place!” Georgia mouthed to Roxy as they walked up the marble stairs and down a long, picturesque hallway filled with artwork to Kim's room. The bathroom—which was strewn with towels and wet doggy footprints—actually had a loveseat. And Kim's room was double the size of Roxy's
parents'
room.

Don't they have a maid?
Roxy wondered as they sat down. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and noticed that Georgia did the same.

Kim's room reeked of dog treats, and every inch of the black, shaggy carpet was covered in dog hair. Kim's walls were a collage of posters, charts, news clippings, and photographs about anything and everything to do with canines. She had more dog toys, dog beds, and dog food displayed than most pet stores had in stock. Roxy sat on a dog pillow shaped like a bone, while Georgia grabbed one that was shaped like a candy bar. Kim snuggled up with the dogs in her bed. Izzy was already curled up in a tight little ball.

“Kim, you have not one, not two, not three, but
four
showerheads in that swanky bathroom of yours, and you can't take a shower every morning?” Georgia asked. “I mean…”

“Georgia!” Roxy shot her a look. “You don't have to say everything that instantly pops into your brain.”

“I'm sorry. I just…well, I just really thought that everyone in Kim's house was a dog freak too,” Georgia said quietly. “I was half expecting Lassie or Snoopy to answer the door.”

Even Kim couldn't help but laugh.

“Yeah, well, my mom doesn't think that dogs are a very ladylike hobby,” Kim said while giving the Chihuahuas a cue to jump through her belt like a hoop. “But dogs have always understood me and accepted me. Most people don't.”

As soon as Kim said that, Roxy felt really bad about all the times during the previous year when she and Liz had tortured Kim because she smelled like kibble or spent lunchtime rescuing strays.

“Well, then, that's why you're the perfect vice president of specialized doggie care, nutrition, and customer service,” Georgia said sincerely. “I have a dog and don't know a thing compared to you!”

Kim blushed so deeply that her face, neck, and arms turned crimson.

“Okay, let's get down to business then,” Roxy said. “Item Number One—Liz Craft.”

“Where are our agendas?” Georgia asked as she took out her knitting bag and started working on a sweater. The Chihuahuas immediately started trying to grab the needles from her hands. “I thought they were a nice touch.”

Kim got up and placed all the dogs in a playpen filled with even more toys.

“Well, with just two items—Liz and our dog-walking schedule—I was trying to be eco-friendly!” Roxy said in an annoyed voice. She didn't like it when Georgia made her feel like she'd done something wrong.

“What are we going to do about Liz?” Kim asked. “I mean, do we really have to take her on as a client?”

“Yes,” Roxy said confidently. “We shouldn't really turn anyone away. It's not fair. But we can't let her think we're worried. If we drop her as a client, we'll look like she got to us and we care what she thinks.”

Georgia let out a snort as she clacked away on her latest doggie sweater. She had ten to finish by the end of the week. So far, her sweaters were the most requested service from the Doggy Divas besides, of course, dog walking.

“So what do we do?” Georgia asked. “Liz Craft will do anything to get her way.”

“We'll have to train her—like a dog,” Kim piped in. “Dogs are very responsive to repetition. They learn by hearing the same command or doing the same trick over and over. We'll just have to be nice and emotionless every day, the exact same way, when she's around. As mean as it sounds, we have to treat her like a dog.”

Okay, one of these days, we're going to have to get Kim to a mall and introduce her to the two-legged species
,
but for now, she's got a point…

Roxy was shocked at the endless knowledge Kim had about dogs. She herself loved clothes, but she barely knew a thing about the fashion industry. Listening to Kim was impressive—and overwhelming sometimes!

“If we're training her, then let's get a muzzle to put over her yappy mouth,” Georgia suggested.

The girls burst out laughing.

“Okay…let's move to our final order of business. Dog-walking duties begin tomorrow morning, bright and early!” Roxy exclaimed.

Kim and Georgia groaned, but Roxy ignored them.

“Girls, we have to start our day at 6 a.m. We have fifteen dogs to walk before school and fifteen to walk after school,” Roxy dictated. “I think five dogs each should be fine, but we need to split it up based on the dogs that are closest to our houses.”

They each picked their five dogs, and Roxy had no choice but to take little Roxie. The Crafts lived closest to her, and one of Liz's “special” requests was for Roxy to be her walker. For now, at least, Roxy was willing to go along with whatever Liz wanted so they could get this business off the ground without Liz ruining it more than she'd already tried.

“You guys, please be easy to reach after I pick up little Roxie!” Roxy begged. “What if Liz puts a video camera in her—like one of those nanny cams or something? I may need you guys to inspect her!”

“Don't worry. There's nowhere inside a dog that she could fit such a thing…” Kim started to explain. Roxy and Georgia rolled their eyes, and Kim trailed off.

“Oh, wait! I almost forgot!” Kim jumped up and ran over to her closet. She pulled out a box and handed Roxy and Georgia each a sack with plastic bags to scoop up dog poop, hand sanitizer, and dog treats.

“Think of these three things as your ‘canine kit.' Use them for every walk,” Kim said. “Leaving poop on the street is against the law, and you want to make sure your hands are clean at all times. Treats are a way of earning a dog's trust and rewarding him for good behavior, but don't use them as bribes. Dogs are very smart creatures.”

Georgia sniffed one of the treats and made a face. “Are we going to get a lecture from you about the proper care of dogs every time we meet?” she asked.

“Yes, we are,” Roxy jumped in. “I think we need Kim to teach us because I really don't know all that much about dogs—at least you guys each have one—so yes, Kim will be teaching us.”

Kim beamed with pride. Roxy realized that Kim must not get many compliments on her dog knowledge—especially from her mom.

“Okay, girls, we have a big day of dog walking ahead of us. I say this meeting is adjourned so we can go home and get some much-needed beauty rest!”