Zinnia and the Bees by Danielle Davis

Author:Danielle Davis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 9781623708672;9781496546616;9781623708689;fiction;Capstone Young Readers;family/siblings;social themes/friendship;school & education
Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
Published: 2017-04-02T16:00:00+00:00

I open the door again.

Both Birch and the dog raise their heads, swinging around to look my direction.

“Zinnia!” Birch exclaims. Milkshake just lays his head down again and pants.

“Birch? What are you doing here?”

“Your mom told Uncle Lou I could have a free cleaning and exam. Dr. Flossdrop is an excellent dentist, by the way. Plus, no cavities! And look, Mildred just gave me this goody bag!” He lifts up one of the smiling tooth bags I assembled.

“Uh-huh.”

“What’s wrong?” asks Birch.

“Nothing.”

“Why does your face look like that then?”

“Like what?”

“Like this.” Birch squeezes his eyebrows together and puckers his nose. “Like something smells bad. Or is something bothering you?” He stares pointedly at my head.

“Zip it already!” I make sure no one’s around to have noticed his less-than-subtle inquiry. “It’s Milkshake.”

Birch sniffs the gasping dog. “I don’t smell anything unusual on Milkshake.”

“I don’t mean he smells. He’s what’s bothering me. I have to walk him every day, and I don’t really like him very much. It’s complicated.” I don’t tell Birch that Dr. Flossdrop adopted Milkshake to replace my brother, who Birch doesn’t know exists, and that she fawns over Milkshake while either ignoring me, punishing me, or making me do chores.

“Oh, OK.” Birch pats Milkshake’s head and whispers, “Goodbye, buddy.”

“You can still like him.”

“No, that’s OK. He is a bit damp.” Birch wipes his hands on his plaid shorts. “Actually, I prefer humans to animals, so if I have to make a choice, I choose you.” He starts rifling through the goody bag’s contents.

I can’t help it; I’m kind of flattered. I never thought Birch would say he prefers me to an animal, even if that animal is Milkshake. I mean, my mother certainly doesn’t seem to.

Dr. Flossdrop chooses that moment to peek her head into the waiting room to check on her dog. She waves to me and Birch, and then she’s gone. I don’t even have a chance to say sorry her neighborhood action plan for the meadow isn’t happening. Not that my heart would really be in it anyway.

“So, do you want to hang out?” Birch asks, drawing me back. “I really like your aunt Mildred, and Uncle Lou is the best, and now my teeth are clean, but I could use some, like, age-befitting activity.”

I consider this for a moment. I’ve never done the five-dollar trick by myself, but I watched Adam do it plenty of times last summer. I start talking, slowly, words coming out of my mouth, each one a tiny offering. With every word I’m taking another step in the dark, making sure there’s nothing sharp-edged I’ll bump into.

“OK… yeah,” I say. “I have an idea. We just need some fishing line.”

Birch nods like he is up for any idea I have, but of course we don’t have any fishing line. We search our pockets and the reception desk for a substitute. Nothing.

“How about transparent floss?” Birch holds up his goody bag.

“I can’t think of a better use for my mom’s dental floss,” I say.

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