Snitch Read Online Free PDF Page B

want to. But I didn’t.
    It was good to finally get to the shelter. Sully didn’t jump up on me at all. He wagged his tail and his bark sounded like he was laughing. He sat when he was supposed to. He lay down when he was supposed to. And for once he wasn’t the last dog to learn the day’s new command, how to stay, although he was the second last.
    Even better, from my point of view, Travis was having trouble with his dog, a little black mutt. He got so mad that heyanked the dog’s leash hard, right there in front of everyone. The dog yelped in pain. Maggie took the leash away from Travis. Mr. Weller took Travis over to one side of the room and talked to him. When Travis came back to get his dog, he still looked angry. He couldn’t get his dog to do anything for the rest of the afternoon.
    At the end of every session, we’re all supposed to take our dogs back to their kennels. Travis hung back so that he was the last one out of the training room. He was still in the kennel after everyone else left. Maybe he noticed me there and maybe he didn’t. He opened up the gate to his dog’s kennel and kicked the dog. The dog yelped again.
    â€œHey,” I said.
    Travis turned on me. “Mind your own business, Gillick,” he said.
    â€œThen leave the dog alone. It didn’t do anything,” I said.
    Travis banged the gate shut and shoved me, hard. I hate when people shove me around. I shoved him back as hard as Icould. Then we really got into it. I probably would have slugged him if Scott hadn’t seen us and hadn’t run to get Mr. Weller.
    Mr. Weller said, “Break it up.” Boy, did he look mad.
    I pulled away from Travis.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Mr. Weller said.
    â€œAre you gonna be like your friend?” Travis whispered to me. He meant Scott. “You gonna snitch on me?”
    â€œJosh? I asked you a question. What’s going on?” Mr. Weller said.
    I looked at Travis. Then I looked at Scott. I wasn’t like him.
    â€œNothing,” I said.
    Mr. Weller looked at me for a few seconds. It felt like a few hours. Finally he said, “Fighting isn’t allowed. If I catch you fighting one more time, you’re out of the program. Both of you.”
    It was only after they all left that the door to one of the kennels opened and Amy stepped out. She looked at me. She must have heard everything. But she didn’t say a word.
    I was on my way out to the parking lot when Mr. Weller caught up with me.
    â€œYour brother just called, Josh,” he said. “He has to work late. He can’t pick you up. How about I give you a lift?”
    â€œI can take the bus,” I said. “But thanks anyway.”
    But Mr. Weller wouldn’t take no for an answer.
    I thought he was going to lecture me about fighting. He didn’t. Instead he told me I was doing a good job with Sully. He said that the dogs in the program are used to being treated badly. But he said they can change with patience and kindness. He said people are the same way. He dropped me off at a corner near the apartment, right in front of a kitchen store. There was a display of mugs in the front window. I stared at Mr. Weller.
    â€œI hear you had a little accident in the kitchen this morning,” Mr. Weller said.
    Miranda must have told Andrew. Andrew must have told Mr. Weller.
    After Mr. Weller left, I went and looked in the store window. I saw a mug that looked a lot like Miranda’s. It wasn’t the exact same color, but it was blue, which was her favorite. I dug in my pocket. I hadn’t spent most of the money I had made the week before delivering papers. I counted what I had. It was just enough.
    â€œWhat’s this?” Miranda said when I held out the bag.
    â€œIt’s for you,” I said.
    She hooked the bag with one finger, like it was filled with dirty underwear or something. Then she opened it and looked inside. She looked so surprised I