Amy Meets Her Stepsister Read online

  So Amy put on the clothing. She looked at herself in the mirror. This can’t be right, she thought. I’ve heard of mixing patterns like stripes and polka dots. But this is ridiculous. Isn’t it?

  Amy thought about Liz. Her clothes were colorful and different—and she always got compliments on her outfits. So maybe Amy looked okay, after all.

  Amy took a deep breath and opened the door. Chloe was standing by the mirror. She was wearing a daisy yellow party dress, purple ballet flats, and a sparkly headband. Her outfit was so pretty!

  Amy walked over and stood next to Chloe. They both looked in the mirror.

  In a flash, Amy knew: her outfit was crazy with a capital C.

  Then her eyes met Chloe’s in the mirror. Amy could see it in Chloe’s eyes. She’s trying not to laugh!

  Chloe had made her dress up like a fool.

  “Oh, my,” said a saleswoman, coming over to Amy. “Dear, what are you wearing?”

  Amy ran back into the dressing room and closed the door.

  Amy to the Rescue

  The trip to the bookstore wasn’t much fun either.

  At least Julia was being nice to Amy, as always. Julia showed Amy her favorite books from when she was a girl. Amy thought she’d like to read some of them.

  Then Julia headed to the cookbook section. Chloe came over. “Hey, Amy,” she said. “Have you read these?” She held out a small pile of books. Amy reached out to take them.

  Chloe let go before Amy had a grip. The books fell to the floor. Thwump! Other shoppers nearby turned to look. Amy’s face flushed.

  Was it just Amy’s imagination, or had Chloe done that on purpose?

  In the bookstore café, Julia got each girl a hot chocolate. While Julia paid, Amy headed to the counter. She reached for the cinnamon.

  “Oh, I love cinnamon too!” said Chloe, appearing at Amy’s side. She snatched up the cinnamon. “Here, let me!” She started sprinkling the cinnamon on Amy’s hot chocolate.

  “Thanks!” said Amy.

  Chloe kept sprinkling.

  “Okay!” Amy said. “That’s great.”

  Chloe kept sprinkling.

  “Chloe! That’s enough!” Amy covered the top of her cup. Chloe finally stopped.

  Amy sipped her hot chocolate. It was way too cinnamon-y.

  • • •

  Amy was glad when they met her dad in the park. He had brought a picnic for them.

  “How was the shopping?” he asked Amy. They were tossing the Frisbee. Chloe and Julia were sitting together over on the picnic blanket.

  Amy shrugged. “It—it was okay,” she said glumly.

  She had thought it would be such a fun weekend. But now she just missed Liz, Ellie, and Marion. “Call us when you get the good news!” Ellie had said. Turned out it wasn’t good news at all. Amy had a wicked stepsister!

  Amy threw the Frisbee. The wind blew it a little off course. It glided toward the picnic blanket.

  Out of nowhere, a dog came running out of some bushes. It was chasing the Frisbee and barking like crazy.

  Chloe saw the dog coming her way—and let out an ear-piercing scream! She jumped up and darted behind Julia.

  Meanwhile, the Frisbee landed next to the blanket. The dog, a Dalmatian, ran right past it. Now the dog was more interested in Chloe! It ran up to her and barked.

  Chloe screamed again and ran behind a tree.

  The dog chased her, barking and wagging its tail.

  Chloe needed help. Amy ran over. “Chloe,” she said calmly. “It’s okay.” Chloe looked terrified. “Trust me,” Amy said. Then she turned to face the dog. The two girls stood side by side.

  “Sit!” Amy said firmly.

  The dog stopped barking and froze. Then it sat back on its hind legs.

  “Stay!” Amy said.

  The dog sat very still, watching Amy. It seemed to be waiting for another command.

  Chloe turned to Amy. “Thank you!” she cried, and hugged her tight.

  A New Friend?

  “Nice going, kiddo,” Amy’s dad said, and patted her on the back.

  Julia had an arm around Chloe, who still looked shaken up. “That was amazing,” Julia said. “Thank you, Amy. Chloe is sometimes a little scared of animals.”

  Amy remembered what Chloe had said earlier about animals being smelly and dirty. Maybe she just didn’t want to say she was afraid of them.

  “My mom has had Dalmatians at her vet clinic,” Amy explained. “She told me that they have a lot of energy and are very playful. I think this dog just wanted to play with Chloe.”

  The dog—who was female—was still sitting quietly. She watched them talking.

  “She doesn’t have a collar or a tag,” Amy noticed.

  Amy’s dad looked around. “I wonder if she got loose from her owner,” he said.

  Together, they walked around the park. They didn’t see anyone who seemed to be looking for a dog.

  Luckily, the Orange Blossom Animal Shelter was only two blocks away. They decided to take the dog over there. “We can see if anyone has reported her missing,” Julia said.

  They packed up their picnic basket. As they walked toward the shelter, the dog followed closely behind Amy. Chloe cautiously came up to walk by Amy’s side.

  “Thanks again, Amy,” she said quietly. “You really helped me out.”

  “It was no problem,” Amy said. “Really.”

  They walked along without talking for a minute. Then Chloe said, “I was listening before when you told me about The Critter Club. And that you started it with your three best friends. I have three best friends too. We have a jewelry-making club called the Sapphire Society.”

  “Cool!” said Amy. “That sounds fun!” She really meant it.

  Chloe nodded. “And my mom says you like mysteries?”

  Amy beamed. “I wouldn’t go anywhere without a Nancy Drew,” she told Chloe.

  “Me too!” said Chloe.

  Wow, thought Amy. Maybe we do have some stuff in common.

  When they got to the Orange Blossom Animal Shelter, they led the dog inside. At the front desk, they met the owner, Mr. Beebe.

  “Ah, yes,” Mr. Beebe said. “The Dalmatian. I’ve been getting calls about you, young lady,” he said to the dog.

  The dog barked once, as if she understood. “I’ve heard she’s been roaming around town for about a week now. We put up some flyers with her description.

  But we haven’t gotten a call from anyone looking for her,” Mr. Beebe continued. “She must be a stray.”

  “Poor girl,” said Julia, petting the dog’s head. “She seems like she’d make a great pet for someone. What can we do to help her?”

  Mr. Beebe sighed. “The problem is, we’re pretty crowded right now,” he said. “We have so many animals we need to find homes for. I don’t suppose you folks know anyone who might be able to find her a good home?”

  Amy smiled at her dad. Amy’s dad smiled back.

  “Mr. Beebe,” said Amy, “I know just the place.”

  A look of understanding brightened Chloe’s face. “The Critter Club!” she exclaimed.

  Heart-to-Heart

  That evening back at the house, Amy, her dad, Chloe, and Julia were playing a board game.

  “It was nice of Mr. Beebe to let Penny stay over tonight at the shelter,” said Amy. Penny was the name they’d given the Dalmatian.

  Amy’s dad nodded. “And it was nice of your mom to agree to pick Penny up tomorrow when she comes to get you,” he said.

  Dr. Purvis was even going to give the dog a checkup at her clinic. She wanted to make sure Penny was healthy before they took her to The Critter Club.

  “How about some cookies for dessert?” Julia said.

  “Yum!” cried Amy and Chloe together. They both laughed.

  Amy’s dad and Julia went to get the cookies. Chloe rolled the dice.

  “You know what?” Chloe said. “I thought of one other thing we have in common.”

  “What?” said Amy.
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br />   “We’re both only children,” said Chloe. She moved her game piece. “I’ve always wanted a sister. But when my mom told me that she and your dad were going to get married . . . I don’t know. I guess I started to worry about it. I was super nervous to meet you.”

  “Really?” said Amy. “To meet me?”

  Chloe nodded. “I’m sorry for the way I acted,” she said to Amy.

  Amy smiled. “That’s okay,” she told Chloe. “I was really nervous too. I was scared you wouldn’t like me.” Her cheeks flushed a little. “And then I was sure you didn’t.”

  Chloe shook her head. “No, I just kept messing up! All day! I blamed you for spilling the water because, well, I didn’t want your dad to be mad at me. I just really want him to like me. And at the clothing store, I was trying to be silly, not mean. But then I could tell you were upset and . . . I didn’t know what to say.”

  Amy laughed.

  Chloe also explained that she had tripped at the bookstore and accidentally dropped the books.

  And she hadn’t been paying attention with the cinnamon. Chloe looked down. “I’m sorry I messed up your hot chocolate.”

  “It’s really okay,” Amy said. She felt so relieved. Her future stepsister wasn’t mean, after all. “I guess we act nervous in different ways. My face turns bright red. You do crazy stuff!”

  Amy and Chloe giggled together. Then Amy had an idea.

  “You have to come visit me in Santa Vista sometime!” she told Chloe. “I’ll take you to The Critter Club. We have some chicks that are going to hatch soon.”

  Chloe looked like she was thinking it over. “Chicks?” she said. “You mean like tiny, yellow, fluffy baby chickens?”

  Amy nodded. “Yep. They don’t bark at all!”

  Chloe smiled. “That sounds great. You’ve got a deal.”

  More Big, Exciting News

  On Sunday, Marion, Ellie, and Liz met Amy at The Critter Club. Amy and her mom had brought Penny over that morning. She seemed to be settling right in. She was already best friends with Rufus, Ms. Sullivan’s dog. They ran and played together while Amy told her friends about the weekend. There was so much to tell: about finding Penny, about her dad getting engaged, and all about Chloe!

  “You guys will like her a lot,” Amy said. “She likes pretty clothes and jewelry—just like you, Marion.” Marion smiled. “She decorated her cookies with lots of cool designs—like you would, Liz.”

  “I like her already!” said Liz.

  “And she really loves sparkles!” added Amy.

  “Like me!” exclaimed Ellie. She twirled around in her sparkly dress. The girls giggled.

  “Well, I’m excited to meet her,” Marion said. “And I’m glad you’re back, Amy.”

  “Yeah!” said Liz. “We missed you. And it’s about to get pretty busy around here. Come see!”

  She pulled Amy toward the egg incubator inside the barn. Amy gasped. There was a teeny, tiny beak poking out of a hole in one of the eggs.

  “Surprise!” Ellie said.

  “It started hatching yesterday,” said Marion, “ahead of schedule.”

  “The others can’t be far behind!” Liz added.

  Amy clapped. “Amazing!” she exclaimed. She looked at the little chick peeking out at them. “You’re the very first one! But your new brothers and sisters could hatch any minute now!”

  Then Amy leaned in closer. She whispered something only the chick could hear: “Don’t be nervous. I’m sure you guys will get along great.”

  Read on for a sneak peek at the next Critter Club book:

  Ellie’s Lovely Idea

  Early on a Saturday morning, Ellie and her three best friends, Liz, Marion, and Amy, were making valentines in Amy’s kitchen. The girls had slept over at Amy’s house. They were still in their pajamas!

  “Ten down, ten to go!” Ellie said, adding a valentine to her “done” pile. She smiled. Ellie loved seeing her name in sparkly red glitter!

  Valentine’s Day was coming up next Friday—less than a week away! There would be a party in their second-grade class. The girls were making valentines to give to their classmates.

  “Valentine’s Day is so much fun,” said Liz as she finished up her second valentine. Liz was a true artist. She was taking lots of time on each card.

  “February would be so boring without it,” Marion agreed. She was using lots of ribbon. Each one of her cards looked like an award. Marion knew all about winning awards. She was really good at piano and ballet, and she was a great horseback rider.

  “It has been a quiet month,” said Amy. She was cutting and folding her cards into tiny books. “We haven’t had any animals at The Critter Club for weeks!”

  The Critter Club was the animal shelter that the four girls had started in their town of Santa Vista. Their friend Ms. Sullivan had come up with the idea after the girls had found her missing puppy. Ms. Sullivan had even let them take over her empty barn. Now it was The Critter Club! With the help of Amy’s mom, a veterinarian, the girls cared for stray, lost, or hurt animals.

  “That reminds me!” cried Amy. “We got a photo from the woman who adopted Penny.” Penny was a stray Dalmatian that the girls had been taking care of—until a few weeks ago. Together they had found the perfect home for her.

  Amy got the photo from the kitchen. She came back and showed the girls.

  Ellie sighed. “I sure do miss having her around The Critter Club.” Amy, Liz, and Marion all nodded.

  Just then, Amy’s mom, Dr. Purvis, came in from the living room. “I couldn’t help overhearing you girls while I was opening the mail,” she said. “You know, just because there are no animals at the club doesn’t mean you can’t help some other animals.”

  Dr. Purvis dropped an open envelope onto the table. Then she winked and walked away.

  Ellie reached for the envelope. She pulled out the paper inside. Amy, Liz, and Marion looked over her shoulder.

  “Oh! Puppy Love!” said Amy. “This is an organization that my mom’s friend Rebecca started. That’s her.” Amy pointed to the woman in the photo. “She gives money to families who need help paying for their new puppy’s medical care—like all the shots that keep a puppy healthy.”

  “It looks like Puppy Love is trying to raise more money,” Marion pointed out.

  Ellie looked at the cute puppies in the photo and smiled. How much money do I have at home in my piggy bank? she wondered. Twelve dollars? She would gladly donate it all to Puppy Love if it would help those families—and puppies—who needed it.

  I just wish it could be more, she thought. Much, much more.

  Callie Barkley loves animals. As a young girl, she dreamed of getting a cat or dog of her own until she discovered she was allergic to most of them. It was around this time that she realized the world was full of all kinds of critters that could use some love. She now lives with her husband and two kids in Connecticut. They share their home with exactly ten fish and a very active ant farm.

  Marsha Riti is an illustrator based in Austin, Texas. Her premiere picture book is The Picky Little Witch. She likes to take long walks, stopping frequently to pet neighborhood kitties.

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster • New York

  CritterClubBooks.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 www.SimonandSchuster.com Copyright © 2013 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. LITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc. The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring author
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  Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Barkley, Callie. Amy meets her stepsister / by Callie Barkley ; illustrated by Marsha Riti. —1st ed. p. cm. — (The critter club ; #5) Summary: Amy so looks forward to meeting her future stepsister, Chloe, that she is not prepared when Chloe first ignores her, then is downright mean. [1. Remarriage—Fiction. 2. Stepsisters—Fiction. 3. Clubs—Fiction. 4. Animal shelters—Fiction.] I. Riti, Marsha. II. Title. PZ7.B250585Anm 2013 [Fic]—dc23 2012042572

  ISBN 978-1-4424-8215-9 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-4424-8216-6 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4424-8217-3 (eBook)