Ava and Taco Cat Read Free Page A

hold?” I asked.
    â€œThat’s not our policy.” She smiled. “But you may spend a few minutes with him to see if it would be a good fit. And your parents can fill out an application stating that they understand that pet ownership is a big commitment and responsibility.” We did not mention that our parents were not with us and didn’t even know we were there. “Cats can live fifteen to twenty years,” the lady continued, “so we always check references. But if everything goes smoothly, you can take him home today. I bet he’d like that.”
    She gave the cat a smile, and the cat gave me a blink, and I wished I could promise him a forever home.
    â€œWould you like me to go over this with your parents?” the lady asked. Pip and I exchanged a look and said, “No!” at the exact same time.
    I wanted to say, “Jinx!” but instead mumbled, “Thanks anyway.” Then Pip and I hurried off and raced downstairs and out of the building.
    Outside, we started biking the three blocks to Taco Time. Pip was just ahead of me.
    â€œHe neeeeeeds us!” I called up to her.
    â€œIf we get to keep him,” Pip shouted back, “we could name him van Gogh.”
    â€œVan Gogh?”
    â€œBecause of his ear!” she shouted. Pip has a poster of van Gogh sunflowers and once told me that when van Gogh couldn’t sell any paintings, he got so upset and unstable that he cut off a piece of his ear and mailed it to a woman. Or something.
    Well, I did not want to name our cat after a depressed artist with mismatched ears! So I said so—or shouted so.
    â€œYou have any better ideas?” Pip shouted back.
    I considered saying, “Dandelion!” because then we could call him Dandy. But the cat’s fur was more lion -colored than dandelion -colored. I also considered saying, “Honey,” but he was a tough tomcat so that wouldn’t work. I shouted, “Not yet.”
    Pip and I got to Taco Time and parked our bikes. I was trying and trying to come up with the perfect name, but I couldn’t think of one. We ordered and our tacos arrived, and soon I was staring at mine and suddenly it occurred to me that the hurt cat was the exact same color as my…taco!
    â€œI’ve got it!” I said a little too loudly. “Taco!” I couldn’t believe what my brilliant brain came up with next. “No! Wait!” I said. “His name is… Taco Cat! T-A-C-O-C-A-T! It’s a palindrome!”
    â€œThat’s genius!” Pip said, and I could feel myself beaming. “But you’ll never be able to convince B-O-B and A-N-N-A.” To be funny, Pip spelled out our parents’ names.
    â€œNever say ‘never,’” I said.
    I will now stop writing because my hand is about to fall off. (Figuratively, not literally.)
    Ava Wren, Future Cat Owner?

12/29
after dinner, which was stew
Dear Diary,
    Pip’s boyfriend texted Pip a photo of a big lungfish in the Shedd Aquarium. She texted him back a photo of the little catfish in our ABC book. Then Ben texted her a whole school of fish. From the face she made, you’d think he’d sent her a box of chocolates.
    I just looked up “school of fish,” and here are ten more good expressions:
    1. A kindle of kittens
    2. A prickle of hedgehogs
    3. A troop of monkeys
    4. A band of gorillas
    5. A pride of lions
    6. A leap of leopards
    7. A tower of giraffes
    8. A zeal of zebras
    9. A flamboyance of flamingos
    10. An exaltation of larks
    A bunch of people is called a crowd , but there’s no expression for a bunch of wrens—besides flock .
    If I could invent one for my birthday, I’d invent “a wonder of wrens.”
    Wonderful Ava Wren Who Wants Wonderful Taco Cat

12/29
bedtime
Dear Diary,
    Pip and I made a drum fish and an electric eel. The electric eel, I’m sorry to report, is pretty ugly.
    Funny that some things are pretty ugly , but