Read Fabulous Five 013 - The Christmas Countdown for Free Online

and Melanie thought he was
really cute. In fact, he ranked number three on her crush list, right after
Scott and Shane and just before Derek Travelstead. But she didn't have time to
think about romance now. She had to save the animals.
    "They're inside, Flash," Melanie said. "Let's
go."
    Mrs. Graham greeted them cheerfully and told them that
Charles would get the animals they selected out of the cages for them.
    The sound of barking rose to a frenzied pitch as Melanie
opened the door to the room where the cages stood. The dogs jumped at their
cage doors, as they had when Melanie and the others had come to see them on
Wednesday. The cats stared at them and a few meowed silently in the din of
barking.
    "When you're finished, I'll show you the adoption
papers that will have to be filled out if you take any of the animals,"
said Mrs. Graham. She left them to their picture-taking.
    "I don't know which ones to choose," said Melanie.
"They're all so cute."
    "Why don't we start with that little white dog?"
suggested Mona. "I know it's one of the older ones. It's been here a long time."
    Charles, who turned out to be the man with the sideways cap,
took it from its cage. It was small with cute little button eyes that peeked
through its shaggy white hair.
    "Oh, it's adorable," Melanie said, holding it next
to her cheek. "Its tongue looks like a little pink cookie."
    "Do you want to be in the picture with it?" asked
Garrett. He had mounted his flash attachment on top of his camera and was ready
to shoot.
    "No! Not the way I look this morning," said
Melanie, reaching up to smooth her hair.
    They took the white dog's picture and then the picture of a
black poodle that pranced around excitedly on sticklike legs and was hard to
stop long enough to snap its picture.
    Next Charles took a sleek gray cat and a long-haired yellow
one out of their cages, and Mona held them together as Garrett shot a close-up
of them in her arms.
    They took a picture of a mixed-breed dog that Melanie
thought must be a cross between a golden retriever and a dachshund. Blond hair
covered its long body, but its legs were so short it looked to her as if it
were on its knees.
    Garrett took pictures of two more dogs and a cat before
asking, "Do you want any more?"
    Melanie looked around at the rows of cages and wished they
could take all of the cats and dogs out and hold them for a little while. She
understood now why Mona came three times a week to play with them. It seemed
like such a little thing to do when the animals loved it so much.
    "One more picture," she said, looking toward the
cage at the far end of the row on the right.
    Charles let Rainbow out, and she came directly to Melanie
and Mona. Both girls hugged her.
    "If I can talk my parents into getting her, you can
come and play with her as much as you want," Melanie said to Mona.
    Mona smiled and held up her crossed fingers.
    "Take our picture with Rainbow," said Melanie.
    "I thought you didn't want your picture taken,"
responded Garrett.
    "This is special," answered Melanie, pulling a
piece of mistletoe out of her backpack and holding it over the dog's head. Then
she and Mona smiled for the camera and so did Rainbow.
    On the way out they stopped at Mrs. Graham's desk as she had
asked.
    "This is the adoption agreement we ask everyone who
takes one of our animals to sign. It gives information about the animal, but
more importantly it says that the person will feed and take care of their new
friend, they will take it to a veterinarian if it's hurt or sick, and they won't
allow it to be used for any experimental purposes."
    Mrs. Graham continued, "It also says you will tell us
if the animal becomes lost, and you will bring it back if you don't want it
anymore and not just give it to someone else. The adoption agreement has to be
signed by an adult."
    "Gee," said Mona, "I didn't know you were so strict.
That's great."
    "It's almost like adopting a kid," said Garrett.
    "We care about our animals," said Mrs. Graham.