He barked and walked and wagged his little metal tail. When I wanted him to rest, all I had to do was click the off switch.
I still like my robot dog because he reminds me of Abuelito. But that dog isn’t soft and cuddly like Lolo, and he doesn’t look at me and listen when I talk. Lolo sure is perfect.
When he bumps into the robot dog, I get a brilliant idea. Dangerous, but brilliant. It’ll mean lying to my parents, which I hate. But if I don’t do this, I’ll miss out on art club, which I’d hate even more.
I open my bedroom door and tiptoe to the living room. Their favorite telenovela is on, so my parents don’t notice me slip into the desk chair and turn on the computer. I smile when I find what I’m searching for.
“Miguel, what are you doing?” Papi puts the commercial on mute.
I stand and shove my hands into my pockets. “I needed to use the computer,” I say. “And also I wanted to say, um, sorry for yelling and stuff.”
Mami smiles and holds her arms out for a hug.
I sigh and go to her.
“Miguelito, you know we want what’s best for you,” she says.
“Your mother and I have sacrificed a lot to build our business,” Papi says. “And we did it so you can have a better life than we’ve had.”
“Because of our hard work at the bodega, you have the opportunity to do great things,” Mami says.
Papi looks me in the eye and points. “If you squander those opportunities, all our efforts will have been in vain.”
“I know,” I mumble before taking a deep breath. “I was looking at the other clubs at school, and I was wondering if I could join robotics. The web page says it’s the perfect club for future engineers.”
My parents look at each other with raised eyebrows. “That’s wonderful! Yes, of course!”
I print out the robotics club information sheet and the permission form. I hope Mami and Papi don’t notice my hand tremble when I give them the papers. Will they see that the permission form only asks that I be allowed to stay after school on Tuesdays, and that there’s a blank line where I was supposed to write in the word robotics? Or will they just trust me like they always do?
My parents sign the form without reading a single word on it.
“Okay,” I say. “So, next Tuesday I’m staying after school.”
My heart pounds, and the guilt swirls in my head as I walk back to my room.
CHAPTER 13 Lolo
I wake up on my new bed in Miguel’s room—our room—and the two of us go to the kitchen to eat our breakfast.
“It’s the weekend,” he whispers. “That means no school for two days, and more time to prepare for my first art club meeting on Tuesday.”
I don’t know why school is bad or what this Tuesday thing means. But Miguel knows, and that’s all that matters. He laughs when we race downstairs, and he whistles while moving around the bodega with his parents and the people that come and go all day.
When Miguel walks out with Tío Diego, holding a full bag in his arms, I know he’ll be back. This feels nice. And comfortable. I’ve found the most perfect forever home. I curl up in my box, close my eyes, and fall asleep.
I wake to the sound of Miguel’s voice. “Are you hungry, baby?”
I peer over my box, confused. Miguel sounds like he’s talking to me, but he isn’t even looking up here. He’s standing by the open door, and I crane my neck to see around him.
Sitting in front of Miguel, almost inside the bodega, is another cat! She has orange and yellow stripes, and big golden eyes. She seems unsure about whether or not to step inside.
I’ll help her decide. I have to protect what’s mine.
I leap down, land with a thump, and scrape the floor with my back legs. I come face-to-face with the new cat.
“Go away!” I hiss. “This is my territory!”
“Lolo, what are you doing?” Miguel picks me up and looks at the intruder. “Do you want something to eat, little cat?”
I glare at the orange cat and she stays outside. Where she belongs. Mami brings a bowl of water and a plate of food—my food—and puts them outside.
I watch through the door as the orange cat eats what belongs to me and slurps up the clean, refreshing water. When she finishes, she looks straight into my eyes, and I stare right back. Finally, the orange cat runs away.
But what if she comes back?
CHAPTER 14 Miguel
Lolo sure got jealous when I offered that other cat some food! Maybe the other cat is actually an evil supervillain, and Lolo was trying to protect us.
“What do you think, Lolo? Is this what your life was like when you lived on the streets?”
Lolo doesn’t answer, but I’m sure he had a few fights when he was on his own. Dr. Gómez found scars on him and called him a survivor. My cat is obviously brave. Unlike me.
