Jayla clipped the leash onto Coco's collar and headed to the neighborhood block party with her cousin Mateo. Music played from a speaker near the playground, and people carried plates of corn, fruit, and sandwiches. Coco trotted happily beside them, sniffing every shoe and chair leg.

Then a balloon popped.

Coco yelped, twisted free of the leash, and darted between two picnic tables. "Coco!" Jayla shouted. She and Mateo ran after the puppy, but he vanished behind the library building.

Jayla felt hot tears sting her eyes. "He's never run this far before," she said.

Mateo pointed to the ground. "Look. Muddy paw prints."

The prints led across the sidewalk to a hedge, then disappeared. Jayla listened carefully. Under the music and voices, she heard a faint jingle. Coco's collar tag!

They followed the sound to Mrs. Ellison's porch. A stack of flowerpots hid the space underneath, but when Jayla knelt down, two round eyes stared back at her from the shadows. Coco was pressed against the wall, trembling.

"It's okay, boy," Jayla said softly. Mateo slid a bowl of water nearby while Jayla held out a piece of chicken from her plate. Slowly, Coco crawled forward and licked her hand.

Jayla clipped the leash on again and hugged him. The loud pop had scared Coco, but careful looking and calm voices helped them find him.