Chapter 10

Chapter 10 SMALL BUSINESS OWNERSHIF! IT'S LIKE PUTTING THE WHOLE WORLO ON A LEASH AND HAWING IT DRAG YOU AROUND. In the real world, Morgan was feeling sicker with each passing day. He was almost paranoid enough to believe it had something to do with the witch's curse. But if that was true, shouldn't his friends be sick, too?

Jodi, for one, seemed healthier than ever. As her pet-walking service got more popular, she seemed to have more and more energy. The one thing she seemed unable to do…was to say no. "I thought you were a dog walker," said Po. "What's that guy doing here?" And he pointed at an iguana on a leash. "The iguana makes more sense than the fish," said Theo, and he tapped at the goldfish bowl in Po's lap. "You leave Bubbles out of this!" said Po. "She just wanted some fresh air." Theo rolled his eyes. "I think fresh air is the last thing a water-breather wants." "Are you sure we can't take some of those leashes for you?" asked Harper. Jodi shot her brother a quick look before answering. "No, no," she said. "I'm fine. I'm good! Super responsible, that's me." Morgan could only sneeze in reply. Jodi was holding leashes for no fewer than six dogs, one iguana, and a birdcage on wheels. Somehow, she managed to keep all the animals on the path. Even Baron Sweetcheeks, in his plastic exercise ball, was

careful to stay close to her. Morgan and Jodi had volunteered to care for the hamster during the school break, and Jodi hadn't wanted to leave him home alone. Suddenly, the hamster squeaked as if excited. He rolled ahead of the group. It seemed like he recognized a woman on the path ahead of them. She was pushing a baby stroller and wearing large sunglasses. When she took off her sunglasses and smiled at them, Morgan recognized her, too. It was Ms. Minerva, their homeroom teacher.

"Baron Sweetcheeks, is that you?" she said. "And my favorite students are all here! I almost couldn't see you past all those…dogs." The way she said the word, Morgan figured something out right away: Ms. Minerva was not a dog person. "Hi, Ms. Minerva!" said Harper. "I didn't know you had a baby." Ms. Minerva laughed. "Just my fur baby. This is Dewey." She pulled the cover of the stroller back, revealing an orange-striped cat, crooked whiskers, and a very annoyed expression. "He's an indoor cat," she said by way of explanation.

Morgan had never seen a cat in a baby stroller before. But he had learned a long time ago that adults did some very strange things. Suddenly, Jodi lurched forward. One of the dogs had taken an interest in Ms. Minerva's cat, and now he tugged against his leash. "Wait, is that…is that Doc's dog?" asked Ms. Minerva, suddenly alarmed. "Oh, no. There's bad blood between these two…." Time seemed to freeze. Morgan held his breath as dog and cat locked eyes. He saw Jodi's grip tighten on the leash. She was obviously desperate to prevent Nicolaus from attacking.

But to everyone's surprise, it wasn't the dog who attacked. Ms. Minerva's orange cat shrieked. The sound was unearthly; Morgan clapped his hands to his ears to block it out. But he couldn't stop the cat from launching itself out of the stroller and onto the dog's back. The dog howled, the cat hissed, and Jodi cried out in surprise. The animals all panicked, pulling in eight different directions at once. Jodi fell. She lost her grip on the leashes. And the pets went wild.