The different raiser- in case you’ve never read this series before… here is a quick summary of The different raiser: **In Amazing middle school the whole 8th grade has just been given a big project. Fundraising a cause in need! How? None of the students can answer that one yet. While some kids began on this tough project right away, some have been cutting it close to the deadline… and with mysterious crimes and talking animals popping up all around the city, some of the kids at this school need more than luck to pull off all they plan to.
**
at home, in Katelins Kitchen.
“Katelin, when are we going to get started on my report?” Jane asked meanly.
Katelin, who had never agreed to help her cousin in any way, answered “What, are you talking about?”
“My school report you said you would help me with.”
“I never said that.” Katelin told Jane while popping her slightly-modified chocolate chip cupcakes into the oven. The modification was that instead of chocolate chips, she chose to put cinnamon in the cupcakes! But could they really be called chocolate chip cupcakes after that? Katelin thought not.
“But I asked you earlier. My dumb teacher gave us an assighnment writing a report on how one person can make a difference in society...or something. To be even eviler, she told us to give one example on how someone is changing our city or the county. That is SO not happening unless I get help. She expects me to write two full pages front and back on that crap AND have pictures!? Somebody pinch me, I must be having a nightmare!
Katelin rolled her eyes. Jane is so over dramatic, she thought. Katelin thought she already had enough on her hands with starting a homemade treat-baking business to fund a the Olgay’s garden shop to keep it’s doors open. Now her cousin Jane was pushing another school project her way!? Jane sucks!
“Why can’t Nakayla or Emmery help you out?” Katlin referred to Jane's friends/henchmen.
“I already asked them dufus! Geez you think you’re my first choice of help? I told them they were going to help me, but they said they’d had enough of me bossing them around and until I quit being bossy, they're avoiding me and unfriending me on Tick!” Jane answered.
“Maybe they didn’t want to help you because you made it seem like they HAD to help you, rather than them having the choice of helping you.”
“We’re best friends!” Jane practically shouted. “Aren’t they supposed to help me?”
Katelin began to wonder, surprisingly for the first time, if her cousin was a lunatic.
Then she took out her phone to call her mother. The kitchen inspector would be here in a half hour to deem the kitchen safe to cook in, and her mom was supposed to be there when they came.
When her mom picked up, Katelin asked “Mom, are you almost home?”
“Nope. not even close… something’s up at work. Why?”
“Mom the kitchen inspector’s coming!”
“Oh, I’m so sorry honey but I can’t come home in time for the inspection. The whole pet food team is having a meeting right now and-Oh I’ll tell you later. But something is totally wrong at work and it has to be dealt with. Sorry.”
“So I’ll have to do the inspection without you?”
“NO!” Mrs. Roberts yelled through the phone. “You send that inspector right back to his agency. Well have the inspection another day. I don’t want you home alone with a stranger.”
“Mom you forgot, Jane and her little brother Jerrel are here.” Katelin said.
“And plus, I can watch her Ma. don’t worry.” Handsome, Katelin’s dog barked at the phone.
“Who was that!?” Mrs. Roberts asked worriedly.
“Mom it’s-” the canine started, but Katelin quickly said “Jerrel! It was Jerrel mom! He was just pretending to be the dog. Okay see you later!” Katelin’s heart was racing. That could have ended terribly. Despite it having been three days, Katelin had not yet told her parents that Handsome the dog could talk yet. She just was afraid they’d freak out and try to kill him or something.
She looked down at the dog. “I’m sorry Handsome. Mom doesn’t know that you can talk yet and the worst time for her to find out is before a meeting. You know how quickly she can get worked up.”
“Uh, yes I actually do. I’ve been living here too, you know.” Handsome barked rather glumly. He then gave Katelin a sad look and went to go rest his head in his paws on the floor.
Katelin knew her dog was sad, but she didn’t know why. She stared at him for a bit to figure out what was wrong with him.
With all this silence, Jane thought this the perfect time to re-bring up her writing assignment. “So, about that school project-”
“Jane, I’m not helping you with your school project! I never agreed to it, and you can’t make me.” Katelin snapped. She would not be bossed around by her cousin another second.
“Fine Crapplin. I hope karma bites you in the back real soon.” Jane told Katelin.
Katelin rolled her eyes. “The inspector is due in fifteen minuets. Try to look presentable.” Katelin said not-so-kindly.
“Mom told you to send the inspector home. Why are you still getting ready?” Handsome drooled.
“Forget what she said!” Katelin blurted, her heart racing. She had never dreamed of saying that… let alone blurted it out on impulse. Then her senses came back to her. “I’m mean, not to disrespect mom, but… I really want to start a business! And help Mr. and Mrs. Olgay save their garden shop! We’ve done all this paperwork, and my school project is due in two weeks! It’s too late to postpone things.” Katelin said before she rushed out of sight.
Spite filled Jane to the brim. She stared as Katelin went upstairs, then muttered, “Maybe Katelin’s karma is coming sooner than she thinks.”
Jane’s little brother Jerrel came into the kitchen. He started to look into the pantry for snacks, but noticed his sister staring at him.
“What?” he said.
“You’re going to help me-”
“No I’m not.” Jerrel retorted.
“I wasn’t finished!” Jane yelled, then remembered what she was up to. “I was about to say, you’re going help me mess up this kitchen.”
Jerrel looked a bit stunned. “What?” he started to smile, but then he remembered what he’d overheard earlier. “But Katelin’s having that kitchen inspector person come by soon.”
“Yeah, but… Katelin just told me that this certain inspector likes a good mess. It proves you cook a lot.” Jane lied.
“Oh, sweet! So Katelin’s letting us trash the place?” Jerrel asked.
“Yep.” Jane answered.
“Cool! be right back!” Jerrel turned and dashed off.
“I’m going to tell Katelin.” Handsome growled.
“What’s wrong old dog?” Jane started.
“What’s wrong is what you doin-” Handsome began, but his sadness from earlier took over. “What’s wrong is how Katelin won’t tell Mom and Pa how I can talk. I’ve had to stay quiet around them for three days! She keeps saying it’s not the right time to tell them yet. What? Is she scared they’ll actually talk to me or something?” Handsome whined at the end, which made Jane feel...could it be… sympathetic? No. was it… empathy she felt? No. she told herself. Shake off all these crazy feelings. You're not here to feel sad. You have an agenda.
Jane knew that Katelin was afraid that her parents would take Handsome away if they heard him utter a word (Katelin’s mom being as overprotective as she is), so Katelin had stayed quiet about him. But Jane had no intention of telling Handsome that. Her eyes were set on bringing karma back to Katelin in the biggest way.
“Handsome, Katelin doesn’t treat you right.” Jane chose to start with.
Handsome looked up at Jane, his eyes looking straight into hers. “Liar.”
“Oh, no, she does treat you wrong, old dog.” Jane continued. “Why do you think she decides everything for you? You have to eat below the table out of a silly plastic bowl. You’re only allowed to go outside with a rope tied around your neck!”
“It’s a leesh.” Handsome corrected Jane.
“And she doesn't even let you eat her Delicious cupcakes.” Jane exaggerated.
“Katelin says I can’t have any because they're bad for me!” he countered.
“And she takes you to the vet!” Jane told him.
“She gets check ups from doctors too.” Handsome told Jane, a little weakly.
“Are you sure?” Jane held her ground.
Handsome’s mouth opened, but it quickly closed. He wasn’t sure, and now that Katelin wouldn’t even let him speak to their parents with his new, magnificent voice, he wondered if Katelin loved him at all. Was she really being unfair to him?
“What do you want from me?” the dog asked, a growl forming in his mouth, low but intimidating.
Jane stood up and took two steps back. She did not feel like making a full grown st. bernard angry. But she needed him not to get in the way of her plans, so she pursued on.
“Well, to get back at Katelin for being so mean to us, how about we do something to get her back?”
“What do ya mean?” Handsome asked.
And this is how Jane calmly but surely got a cautious Handsome to agree to help her ruin Katelin’s kitchen inspection, along with the promise of a dog treat she definitely wasn’t going to give him.
TO BE CONTINUED