sadi and max To the Rescue

Sadi

When the school bell rang, Sadi scooped up her beanie and exploded from her chair. The best bell in the entire world was the one that rang at the end of the week on Friday. And most especially special was the bell at the end of the last day before spring break. A whole week to play with her puppy, Max, every day.

“Sadi! Sit!” Ms. Hutchins pointed a finger. “You know we don’t all go jumping and running for the door when the bell rings.”

Behind her, Sadi heard Maxwell and Colton giggling.

“When I say dismissed, we leave in an orderly fashion.” Ms. Hutchins glared at her. “We aren’t going to trample each other by running to the door.” 

Sadi plopped on her chair and tugged her beanie onto her head. She liked Ms. Hutchins most of the time, but her rules could be so stupid. “I could’ve been halfway down the hall by now, with no one getting trampled,” she grumbled under her breath.

Ms. Hutchins glanced across the classroom and smiled. “All right, students. Have a wonderful weekend. Dismissed.”

Sadi jumped up again, but this time she had to shuffle slowly forward as the first three rows filed out the door. Max would be waiting when she got home, ready to play.

When she finally got into the hallway, Steven and Leila waited for her.

Steven stood with his hands on his hips. “You know you cost us about ten minutes longer because you had to try to charge out and make Ms. Hutchins yap about the proper way to leave class and if you’d just sit still like you know you’re supposed to then we’d been out ten minutes ago instead of waiting for you to sit down and listen to Ms. Hutchins.” Steven gasped for a breath after he scolded her.

Sadi rolled her eyes.

Leila giggled, which earned her a frown from Steven. Leila giggled almost as much as Sadi’s mom which was one reason she liked her.

“Don’t be such a grump lump.” Sadi poked a finger into his chest. “And why is it always ten minutes with you?” No matter what they did, Steven always labeled the time ten minutes. Meet you in ten minutes. Don’t be ten minutes late. Eat your lunch in ten minutes, so we can get to the playground.

He smiled and pushed his green-rimmed glasses higher on his nose. “It’s the most plausible amount of time for most situations.” His normally deep voice sounded gruff even when he smiled.

Now, Leila frowned, her lips all poochy like they got when she had to think about something.

Steven was super smart, so Sadi decided she didn’t need to think too hard about what he said. He entirely knew what he was talking about. She would miss him when he moved. Which was next week.

“Come on.” Sadi waved a hand through the air. “Let’s make like the wind and blow out of here.”

Leila giggled again. 

Outside the fence, Olivia waited for her. “Hi, Olivia.” Her best friend most always waited for her at the end of the day. Since she lived across the street from Sadi, they walked to school each morning and home each afternoon.

The four friends walked along the sidewalk until they came to the first street. 

“Wait,” Sadi stopped everyone in their tracks. “Steven, you won’t be back to school after the break. We have to say goodbye.” She moved close and put her arms around him in a hug. He stiffened and made a funny noise, so she let him go.

“Well…” He looked at the ground. Maybe he was embarrassed by a friend hug. “I’ll miss you.” He still stared at the ground. He started to turn, then jerked back. “I almost forgot.” He pulled out several pieces of paper from his pocket and handed her one. “Mom said I could give her phone number to a few of my friends. We can Facetime after I move.”

“Yay. That’ll be cool.”

With a wave, he and Leila turned onto the street where they lived. 

Olivia twirled in a circle, her light brown hair flinging around her chin, then jumped in the air waving both hands. She got kind of goofy sometimes…one of the things Sadi liked about her. When she straightened up, she grabbed Sadi’s arm, and they walked on.

“I leave tomorrow for Alaska,” Olivia said. 

Her best friend’s parents were divorced. Her father lived in Alaska, and she spent every school holiday and most of the summer with him. 

“Yeah, I know.” Sadi felt a little sad. She wouldn’t have her to play with during spring break, but she wouldn’t make a big deal out of it. Olivia needed to spend time with her dad. “Can you come over now and play for a while?” She was anxious to see Max, but she’d have all week to play with her puppy. She had only today to play with her best friend.

The pounding of feet came behind them and then swooped past as Maxwell and Colton ran by. “`Bye, Sadi,” they yelled at once.

“See ya, Maxie. See ya, Colton,” she called and waved. Next to Olivia and Leila and Steven, Maxwell and Colton were her best friends. She felt happy to have five best friends.

Sadi and Olivia turned onto their street.

She looped her arm around Olivia’s. “Let’s stop at your house first and ask your mom if you can come over right now. I want you to see how Max waits for me by the front door. We can play with him for a while.”

“Okay. Then what?”

“I don’t know. We’ll think of something.” She wanted to play with Max first and hoped her friend would have so much fun, she’d want to play too. Max was getting bigger, growing up just like her. She’d had her ninth birthday only one week ago. “I think when Max turns one, I’ll give him a birthday party.”

Olivia made that noise in her throat like when she thought Sadi was silly. “I’ll go ask Mom if I can come over. Be right back!” Seconds later, she came running out. “I can play, but I have to go home before dinner because then I have to pack for my trip to Alaska.”

Grabbing her arm, Sadi tugged her close to the front door. “Okay, now watch. Max will be right inside. Probably with his red ball.”

Sure enough, when she opened the front door, Max greeted them, but instead of his red ball, he had a bright blue and green rope toy hanging out of his mouth. “What’s that you have, buddy?”

He danced and pranced forward and back. No longer a chubby, gray ball of fur, his legs were stout, but his neck and back were sleek with muscles. The gold brindle stripes in his coat showed more too.

“Hi ya, Max.” Olivia came in and shut the door.

Max dropped the toy. He wiggled against Sadi’s legs and licked her hand when she petted him. Then he wiggled against Olivia until she bent to pet him. He gave her three big licks.

“He’s the most licky-licky dog I know,” said Olivia.

“We’re happy to see you too, buddy.” Sadi sat on the floor and lifted the pull toy. Max grabbed it and tugged.

“Hello, girls.” Mom came from the kitchen.

“Hello, Mrs. Kirby.” Her best friend waved at Mom.

“You got him a new toy today, Mom. Cool.”

“Yes, but before you start playing, do you two want a snack?”

“Nah, in a minute.” Sadi was too busy tugging on the new toy, laughing at Max’s big eyes when he dug his feet into the carpet and pulled.

Mom watched a minute and laughed. “Would you take the toy to the back patio and play, okay?”

Sadi rose to her knees, still holding the rope with Max tugging. At the instant she stood, her puppy let go of the rope and jumped at her. When she fell backward, Max landed on top of her, and they bumped heads. 

“Ow!” Sadi groaned.

“Yow!” Max yipped.

“Are you okay?” Mom rushed forward.

“I’m okay, Mom. Really. Just a head bump.” She rubbed her head. “Maybe we could have some apple juice while we play outside.”

Mom kissed her head. “I’ll take it to the table in the shade on the patio.”

Olivia knelt beside her.

“Did I hurt you, Sadi?”

Sadi rolled her eyes. “You had nothing to do with it, Olivia.” 

“I know,” her friend said with her nose all scrunched up.

“Then how could you hurt me?”

Olivia opened and closed her mouth like a fish under water and frowned. “I didn’t.”

Max licked her cheek. “My head hurts, so I thought yours did too.” 

How was Olivia talking when her lips weren’t moving. “Why would your head hurt, Olivia?” Sadi frowned at her friend. “And why are you talking so funny?”

Her friend stood straight, hands on her hips. “What’s up with you? I didn’t hurt you and my head doesn’t hurt and I’m not talking any different.”

“Sadi, look at me.” Max put his paws on her legs and stared into her face. “You can hear me?”

“Wh-what?” Sadi’s heart beat fast. Man, that bump on the head was making her imagine things. “Say something else.”

“Like what?” Olivia asked.

“Not you. Max.”

“If you can hear me, Sadi, go to the backyard. Mom has a surprise for you.”

“Eeeee!” Sadi squealed. She slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh!” 

“What’s the matter with you?” Olivia shook her shoulders. “I think you must be hurt. You’re acting crazy.”

Sadi couldn’t talk. All she could do was stare at Max, then stare at Olivia, then stare at Max.

“Sadi!” Olivia shook her again.

“I can understand Max.”

“I know, he’s like special, and you understand him, but—”

“No! Not like that. Not like I’ve said before. I can hear him. In my head. And I’ll prove it.” She jumped up. “He told me to go in the backyard because Mom has a surprise. Come on!”

Max ran ahead of her, Sadi right behind, and Olivia scrambled to keep up.

When they got outside to the patio, Sadi screeched to a halt. Her best friend ran into the back of her. Max jumped around their legs.

“Fun! Fun!” Max danced in a circle. “Fun!”

“It’s a swimming pool!” Sadi screamed. 

“Probably not deep enough to swim, but at least you can get wet and play,” Mom said as she came out the door carrying two glasses of juice.

“Oh yay! Oh yay!” Sadi pulled off her beanie and threw it in the air. Then she noticed a tiny pool beside the big one. “And a little one for Max? Yay! Yay!” She bent and rubbed her puppy’s head. “Isn’t this great?” 

“Yes!” Max agreed. “This has been the best day in the entire world, Sadi. I got a fun rope toy and Mom got you a swimming pool and Mom got a dog size pool too. Isn’t this fun?”

Sadi was so excited about the pool, she’d forgotten about hearing Max. “I can’t believe this.”

“Are you talking about the pool or your nutty idea about Max?” Olivia stood with her hands on her hips.

Max bumped her leg. “I don’t get it either, Sadi, but right now let’s swim and show Mom how happy we are.” He licked her. “We’ll figure out this whole hearing me later. Look at Mom. She’s wondering if you’re happy about her surprise.”

“Yeah, yeah. Right.” Sadi ran to her mom and gave her a big hug. “You’re the best mom in the entire world. Olivia, go get a swimsuit. We’ll play in the water until you have to go home.”

Sadi jumped and danced into the house, then ran to her bedroom to change into a swimsuit. Her mind was dizzy trying to understand why she could hear Max. If Olivia, wouldn’t believe her, would Mom and Dad?

BLURB

Yay for spring break! Sadi has a whole week to play with Max, the puppy she got for Christmas. But something is bothering her playful dog. When they bump heads, and Sadi hears a voice, could it be Max, and will anyone believe her?

Max is happy to be part of the family. He loves his humans and the two old dogs that are now his sisters. But he left another sister at the rescue home of Talia Wagger. He knows his sister Rosie is still there and lonely. He has to find a way to get her adopted. If only his little human Sadi could understand him… 

A neighbor who needs help and a puppy who needs to be adopted are all part of the adventure in this latest Sadi and Max book. Now that they can understand each other, Max has mischievous plans, but he’s also a puppy with a big heart—he enlists his little human on a mission to rescue.