Starting From Scratch by Jazz Taylor

Author:Jazz Taylor [Taylor, Jazz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2023-01-04T00:00:00+00:00

For the third Wednesday in a row, I head home instead of staying at school to play D&D with Piper and Kyle. Their excuse this time: Demon Slayer. Whatever. I don’t like demons or slaying them either. I shake my head to dispel the negative thoughts. The last two Wednesdays I spent at home on my phone, anxiously waiting for dinner and helping Mom with painting, but today I want to try something new. I want to try what Dani and Lula suggested—

Janie Time.

I’ve been thinking about it all day. Well, really, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things. Like when I met Piper and Kyle, I just went along with their game because I didn’t want them to feel bad about Dani Time. I don’t like D&D, but I didn’t say anything. I just endured it. And then when I played basketball with Dani, I had fun. I forgot that I’m good at basketball! I want to play again, but the handrails at the skatepark will be fixed soon. I can’t help but feel disappointed. I also can’t help but feel like I’m on the edge of discovering something big about myself, and Janie Time will get me there.

When I get home, Mom is in her studio. Pumpkin charges toward me from the kitchen, yowling. I freeze in fear, but cautiously relax when she rubs her face against my legs. Since our lonely Saturday, I’ve decided Pumpkin is sort of okay. Scary, and I don’t trust her fully, but I can tolerate her being friendly sometimes.

“Okay, Pumpkin,” I say out loud. Her ears prick and she looks up at me. “What should I do first?” I didn’t really plan anything for Janie Time; I just wanted to try whatever came to mind. But maybe I should have thought about something …

Pumpkin meows loudly, startling me out of my thoughts. She trots into the kitchen and then back to me, yowling at the top of her lungs.

“Okay! Okay, hold on.” I follow her to the kitchen and open the cabinet for her cat food. I guess step one of Janie Time is feeding a cat that doesn’t belong to me.

I grab a bag of treats and I swear Pumpkin’s eyes grow twice as big. She circles me, yelling as loud as possible. How does Makayla stand this?

“Shh, shh. Here.” I drop one treat and Pumpkin attacks it, fluffy tail twitching. She looks up at me for another, her green eyes round. Aww … for a second, she’s almost cute. Almost.

“Okay, one more.” I start to drop another treat, but I pause. Janie Time is all about doing something unplanned, right? So maybe I could … I put the treat in my palm, my heart hammering against my ribs. I hold my breath, bend at the waist, and extend my hand to Pumpkin. “Oh god. Please don’t bite me, I’m begging—”

Pumpkin takes the treat from my hand, her whiskers tickling my palm. She licks my hand too, her tongue like sandpaper against my skin.

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