“No, me neither.” I think back to art class. “But we already know I’m a monster, so we can’t judge her on what I would do.”

“Ruff!”

“I am too a monster. I ruined Penny’s painting on purpose. I’m the worst. But let’s get back to the problem. How do we convince Beauty to save Jonah?”

“Growl!”

“True, Jonah is just a kid and Beauty might feel bad. But she might not. We need some other ideas.”

“Neigh!”

“Pony! That’s not very nice. You think we should trick her? Well, I guess we could. I’m glad you thought of it and not me. But yes, desperate times call for desperate measures. And the ends might justify the means. Oh! I have an idea! We could tell her that there’s a ball! And that she’s invited! And she’ll come with us back here, and then I’ll take Jonah and run! She’ll be angry, of course, but after all is said and done, she’ll get her happy ending and she’ll get over it. Right?”

“Grunt. Neigh. Snort. Ruff.”

“Okay, then never mind.”

About two hours later, we turn on to Main Street. It looks exactly how I imagined a Main Street would look. It’s a pretty, cobblestoned street lined with all kinds of stores. There’s a grocery store called Supermarket. A clothing store called Boutique. Oooh, there’s even a store called Cheese Shop.

My stomach growls. I could so eat some cheese right now.

Stay focused, I tell myself. I will just go into Cheese Shop to ask for directions.

I leave Pony outside and carry Prince. When I push open the door, a little bell rings.

Mmmm, it smells so good in here. I wonder if they have cheese sticks. Maybe they’re giving away samples.

“Well, hello there!” the girl behind the counter says. She looks just a little older than a teenager. She’s pretty, with blond spiky hair and lots of freckles. She’s wearing a white apron that says CHEESE SHOP.

She lowers her face to Prince’s eye level. “Aren’t you a handsome little guy?” she asks him. “Would you like a special treat? I make special animal cheeses,” she tells me. “Okay with you?”

“Sure,” I say.

She puts a plate down on the floor in front of Prince.

To say Prince likes the cheeses is to put it mildly. He devours them. His tail wags all over the place.

“What can I get for you?” the girl asks me. “You look hungry.”

“Oh, um, thanks, but I don’t have any money on me.”

“Well, you’re in luck,” the girl says. “I was just testing out a new sandwich. Grilled apple and cheese on a bun. Want to try one? My treat. You’ll have to be honest and tell me if you like it.”