Free Thanks for Nothing (From the Files of Madison Finn, 5) by Laura Dower

howled. Then all the dogs started howling in unison.
    “Hey!” Madison called out to them. “Shhh! Stop that!”
    Then they howled a little louder—even Sugar.
    Mr. Wollensky started to laugh. “They have something important to say, yes?”
    “I wish they would stop.”
    Madison begged the animals, “Shhh! Please? Pretty please?” As if they understood a single word she was saying!
    “HOWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOO,” Sugar wailed at the fluorescent light on the ceiling. She wouldn’t stop baying.
    Mr. Wollensky decided a feeding was probably in order. Maybe one cup each of Happy-Grow Kibble would quiet them? Madison tried to help him by grabbing an oversized container of food from the shelf. She started to measure the kibble out very, very slowly until—
    CRASH!
    The giant bag of dog food split open and kibble went streaming all over the floor. Madison stared as kibble rolled under counters and into corners of the room. She threw her hands up with despair.
    Mr. Wollensky laughed again. “Oh, my! What mess!”
    The dogs kept right on howling.
    “Is everything okay in here?” A nurse from the front desk came back to the kennel area. She looked worried.
    Mr. Wollensky had everything under control in moments. The dogs stopped howling, too, and started eating. “Everything good,” he said, waving the nurse back to the front. “We under control.”
    Madison collapsed onto a nearby chair and put her head in her hands. “That was a close call,” she told herself. Suddenly she felt a wet nose on her hand.
    “You have a friend who wants to play,” Mr. Wollensky said, handing Sugar’s leash to Madison.
    Sugar was a new friend, Madison thought. Sugar prodded Madison with her paw like she wanted to be picked up.
    “What are you doing?” Madison asked, petting the dog’s wiry-haired head. Madison stood up and stepped back to play. Unfortunately, she slipped right down, losing her balance on loose kibble that was still on the floor.
    PLUNK!
    Madison sat there on the floor in a kibble dust daze, a squiggling, wiggling schnoodle jumping on top.
    Mr. Wollensky laughed at the sight of her.
    “Hey, Mad-i-son!” Dan yelled, coming back into the kennel room. “What are you doing on the floor?”
    “Madison! Is everything okay?” Eileen asked, walking in behind him. “Mr. Wollensky, what happened here?”
    “She’s crying,” Dan said to his mom.
    But of course Madison wasn’t crying. Madison was laughing—hard. Sugar’s dog kisses really tickled.
    “We are fine now,” Mr. Wollensky said to Eileen. “Madison and I are cleaning up.”
    Madison smiled at Mr. Wollensky.
    “Your mom just called,” Eileen said. “She won’t be back in time to pick you up, so I’ll be giving you a ride home.”
    But Eileen would do better than just drive Madison home. She offered to stop off at Freeze Palace for ice cream on the way.
    While Eileen dashed to the supermarket, Madison and Dan waited outside Freeze Palace. They ate their ice cream on the curb.
    “It’s cold out today,” Madison said.
    “There is never a bad time for ice cream!” Dan laughed.
    Madison walked on the curb like it was a balance beam. Dan tried, too, but he lost his balance. His ice cream scoop plopped into the gutter.
    “Aw, no!” Dan cried, looking at his empty cone. “Good-bye, chocolate chips.”
    A man was walking a giant sheepdog in front of the store.
    “Nice dog,” Dan said to the owner as he bent down to pet it. When Madison petted the dog, he slobbered all over her arm.
    “Look out!” Dan cried. He pointed to her opposite hand, but it was too late. All the dog petting had Madison off balance, too. And now her ice cream had dropped off, too.
    “Whoopsie,” she said, giggling.
    Dan shook his head. “Way to go.”
    The sheepdog was happy about the accident, however. He was licking the ice cream off the ground.
    Madison and Dan laughed. Madison was glad she and Dan were friends.

Chapter 9
    S UNDAY MORNING MADISON GOT up earlier than usual