Buster by Caleb Huett (ebook reader library txt) 📕

Tonio’s leg—but then put her hand on my head instead, and petted me. “Maybe we should have asked.”

“Can we go back home?” The edges of the box were crumpling under Tonio’s grip. Mrs. Pulaski and I both turned our heads to Tonio, surprised.

“We just got here!” Mrs. Pulaski said, echoing what I was thinking. “Don’t you want to see your friend?”

“I’m feeling too anxious. I don’t think I can.”

My nose twitched as I smelled for details. His breathing wasn’t relaxed, but he wasn’t panicking. This wasn’t an attack—it was anxiety, sure, but it was closer to regular fear.

“Oh, Tonio. Are you scared it won’t go well? Making friends isn’t supposed to be scary. It’s not something you need to be worried about.”

That’s not helpful, I thought. It doesn’t matter if it’s “supposed” to be scary. It is scary.

“I can’t do it by myself.”

“You won’t be by yourself. You’ve got Buster!”

I wagged my tail at my name. I nudged him. I’ll be right here.

The truck didn’t have an automatic unlock, so Mrs. Pulaski reached over to tug up the little nub. “You can do it, Antonio. She wants to be your friend because she already likes you. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

But she might not really want to be his friend, I thought. Tonio’s worried he made it up. Tonio shook his head. “I can’t. I can’t do it. I don’t even know why I’m here.”

Mrs. Pulaski did try to touch him this time, but he flinched away. She put both hands on the steering wheel and watched a goat wander across the sunny field. It was bright outside, but the truck felt like it was under its own personal storm cloud. The goat turned and wobbled toward us.

“I’m sorry, Tonio.” Mrs. Pulaski spoke to Tonio gently. “We moved to Bellville because your dad loved growing up here, and we thought it would be good for you to be somewhere smaller, but I think we might have just made it tougher for you.” She sighed, and her hands tightened around the steering wheel. “There’s a school in the city, with teachers who know how to work with kids like you. A lot of my clients live there, which is nice, and your dad could find something to do. We probably couldn’t take Buster with us, but—”

This finally shook Tonio into speaking. “What do you mean? Take him where?”

She blinked. “To the city.”

“We can’t leave. You love it here.”

“I do. But I could love it there, too, and if you can’t go back to this school—”

“So it’s my fault.” Tonio’s voice shot up louder. “We have to move because of me.”

“I’m not saying we have to. But, considering everything, it might be the best choice for us.”

This was not something Tonio had expected. His breath was catching, changing—I tried to squeeze under his arm to distract him, but he pushed me back at Mrs. Pulaski. The truck was tiny, so there wasn’t very far for me to go, but I was stunned at his force.

“Tonio, please calm down. I’m just saying, maybe you need another environment.”

I wanted to tell Mrs. Pulaski to stop talking, to give him some space, but the conversation was getting out of control too fast for me to do anything about it.

Tonio’s face contorted into an angry, confused shape. “I don’t need another environment!” he yelled.

His mother’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. “Then what do you need, Tonio? I’m trying to understand.”

“I don’t know!” He untangled from his seat belt and tugged at the door handle. The truck door stuck until he kicked it and jumped out onto the grass. “I’m going to go play Beamblade.” I leaped down after him and barked, but he didn’t stop running.

“Antonio!” his mom yelled after him.

“I’ll call you later!” Tonio shouted back. He stumbled on a pile of logs but caught himself before he hit the ground and kept on moving.

He threw up behind the barn. His box fell open when he dropped it, and the note cards blew around in the wind. I whined and bumped against his ankles while he gagged.

Suddenly, Mia was there, in overalls and a wide black hat, smirking at Tonio. “Is this what it looked like when you threw up on Devon Wilcrest?” she asked. The ball of fluff named Mozart peeked out from the crook of her arm, his tongue lolled out.

She caught a note card in the air. “ ‘Are you like Robin Hood or like Catwoman?’ ” She raised her eyebrows at Tonio. “I don’t understand the question. They’re both awesome.”

Tonio rested his forehead against the wall. He was breathing heavy.

“I’m going to get you some water,” Mia said. “Be right back.” Mozart wriggled out of her arm as she walked away. I stepped in front of him and bumped him back with my paw before he got to Tonio.

“Hey!” Mozart barked. “Owie!”

I folded my ears down and stamped my foot for quiet. If he was going to talk, I wanted him to use Underspeak. I wasn’t allowed to bark like that, as a service dog. He ignored me and kept yipping.

“What’s that kid doing? Smells good! He sad or something? Mia will fix it. She’s good at cheering people up, no problem!”

I twisted my tail and shifted my posture. This is kind of her fault.

“Her fault?” he yipped. “No way! Mia’s the nicest, coolest human there is. Whatever’s wrong with him must be your fault.”

I hated talking to puppies.

It’s not my fault, I said. I’m trying to help.

Tonio groaned and dragged himself along the wall. I stepped over to him and licked his face. He patted my sides and slid down to sit in the grass.

“Help how?” Mozart was still yipping. “Looks like you’re just standing around to me!”

I’m doing my job.

“Oh, you are? That’s cool. I guess your job is to not do anything? Hey! I want him to pet me, too!” Mozart hopped up into Tonio’s lap and put his little paws up on Tonio’s shoulders.

“You’re so pretty,” Tonio