I’m no longer calling out her name,

just saying in between sobs,

“Gigi, please come home.”

Gigi’s gone,

but I’m lost.

STARFISH IN DISTRESS

We give up the search

close to midnight.

“We’ll find Gigi,”

Dad says,

giving me a hug

before going to bed.

“And then I’ll make us

some soup

out of that stupid squirrel.”

He’s trying to help.

It’s not working.

I can’t sleep.

All night long,

I leave voice mails for

and send emails to

every shelter, rescue, and vet

I can find on the internet.

When the sun comes up,

I stare out my bedroom window,

hoping a bird’s-eye view

will help me spot Gigi.

No use.

Exhausted, I collapse onto my bed.

I ball up,

a starfish curling in its feet,

showing signs of distress.

THE PLAN

I sit straight up when

I get the text.

Have your dog.

Come alone.

I don’t recognize the cell number,

but I know that address.

It’s just my luck that

the person who found Gigi

is someone who would

hold an innocent dog for ransom

just to be mean to me.

I will never understand

how some people can be

so cruel.

They have no right

to keep making my life miserable.

I have the power to stop this.

I come up with a plan.

HELD FOR RANSOM

I pound on the door.

Marissa opens it.

“Give me my dog.”

Gigi’s squirming.

I reach for her.

Kortnee blocks me.

“Not so fast.”

Gigi whimpers.

Her tongue hangs out as she pants,

overheating from panic.

“Give. Me. My. Dog.”

“She must be hangry,”

Marissa says.

“It just so happens

we have a snack.”

Kortnee leaves and comes back to the door

holding a whale-shaped cake.

“Eat it,” Marissa barks.

“All of it.

If you want your dog back.”

I focus on Gigi.

“It’s okay,”

I assure her.

“Yeah, it’s okay, Gigi,”

Marissa says.

“As long as Splash

pays your ransom.

We’re about to find out

just how much you’re worth.

Eat the cake, blubberbelly.”

Marissa swings Gigi by her harness.

She runs midair and

reverse-sneezes.

“What was that?”

Kortnee asks.

“Who knows.”

Marissa rolls her eyes.

“It makes all kinds of weird noises.

Not unlike Splash over here.

Eat, disgusting whale.

Eat!”

Gigi doesn’t take her eyes off me.

She trusts me.

Trusts me like I trust water.

I’d do anything for her.

Kortnee places the cake

in front of my mouth.

Marissa throws Gigi up in the air

and barely catches her before

she starts making a video

with her phone.

“I’m not going to eat that,” I say.

“Splash says for the first time ever.”

Marissa laughs.

“And I’m not going to let

either of you bully me ever again.

You two think you’re better than me.

But you’re just pathetic.

Look at all you did

to try to get at me.