The Cat That Went to Homecoming Read Free Page B

It may have been summer, but I never wore shorts. I couldn’t
bring myself to show my chubby thighs to the world.
    I hopped on my bike and rode down the
driveway, looking to make sure there was no one around.
    Seeing that the coast was clear, I made my
way to the library. Three miles sounds like a long way, but on
bike, it only takes about twenty minutes. Probably less time if I
didn’t have an extra twenty five pounds on me, but what the heck,
if I could make it to the library in twenty minutes, I would have
enough time to internet surf and be home before my mom.
    The library was in the center of town, across
the street from a park where the popular kids hung out. As I neared
the library, I surveyed the park to see if there was anyone there I
should avoid. There was a group of kids standing by a slide smoking
cigarettes, but I did not recognize any of them.
    Thank God! I thought and parked my
bike.
    When I entered the building, I searched the
faces of the people inside to make sure, once again, that I was
safe. The library was relatively empty, and I didn’t see anyone I
knew, so I made my way to the back of the building where the
computer labs were set up.
    I found myself a computer, which wasn’t
difficult since there was no one else in the computer lab. I logged
in, pulled the slip of paper out of my pocket, and typed in the
website.
    Paws That Heal was an animal-assisted
activity/therapy service dedicated to enhancing quality of life
through animal-human interactions. Volunteers and their pets would
visit a variety of settings such as nursing homes, hospices,
physical therapy rehab centers, hospitals, and schools.
    According to their website, research had
shown that having animals around reduced anxiety levels and people
felt less lonely. I could certainly relate to that statement. Just
having Hershey in the same room with me made me content. When he
paid attention to me, I felt like the most important person in the
world!
    I decided to look further into this. Maybe
this was something I could do. I knew it wouldn’t be easy for me to
put myself into social situations, but with Hershey at my side, I
could prevail!
    The first step was a screening to determine
if Hershey had the potential for this type of work. The screener
would assess him on several attributes: he must be social and
friendly, unafraid of new people and other animals, he must be
comfortable in crowded or noisy situations, he must allow people to
pet him, and he must prove to be predictable.
    I wasn’t quite sure if he could do this, but
I was determined to find out. I delved a little further and looked
at pictures of current animal and handler teams and noticed that
all of the animals walked on harnesses, even the cats. This was
going to be tough! Hershey had never worn one, and I wasn’t sure
how to even go about training him to walk on one.
    I did a Google search on how to train a cat
to walk on a leash and found a page of step-by-step instructions,
but I had left the house so fast that I didn’t think to grab some
change to pay for printing. It was five cents a page, and I had no
money.
    It’s okay, I thought to myself. All is have
to do is ask the librarian for a piece of paper and a pen so I
could write this all down. I was the only person on a computer, so
it would be safe to leave for a moment or so. No one would need
this particular computer.
    I looked around me and made sure it was safe
to leave for a minute. I walked over to the woman at the checkout
desk when I heard a familiar voice greet me.
    “Hi Ellen,” It was Cindy Haskel.
    My heart rate jumped and I felt completely
flustered. My eyes must have been the size of dinner plates. God, I
wanted to sink into a hole and disappear. She was going to say
something hurtful, I just knew it.
    I swallowed my fear and turned to face
her.
    “Hi Cindy.” That was all I said, but it was a
big step for me. She looked surprised but smiled, seemingly
genuine.
    “Are you having a good summer so