Ava and Taco Cat by Carol Weston

about it. In my mind, our ABC book was on its way to being a bestseller! In my mind, Pip and I were about to be a world-famous writer-artist sister duo!
    I tried to remind myself of the Aesop moral: “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.” But it was hard not to start counting. In fact, I started picturing a basket of eggs and a half dozen baby chicks hatching out of shells, their tiny beaks first, peep peep peep , cheep cheep cheep .
    One two three
    four five six…
    Chick chick chick
    chicks chicks chicks…
    Ava Ignoring Aesop

1/15
bedtime
Dear Diary,
    I told Pip that Mr. Ramirez said he would give our book to Jerry. I even mentioned that we might turn into a world-famous author-illustrator team.
    â€œDream on, Ava,” Pip said, but I bet she has been daydreaming too. She once told me that while she would not want to be famous, she would like to be an artist.
    I handed her:
    Q is for queen triggerfish.
    The queen triggerfish is big and bright;
    It changes colors and sleeps at night.
    Then I casually mentioned that we had to finish by next Friday.
    â€œWhat??!” Pip said, her voice rising. “Ava, we still have ten letters to go!” She was freaking out, but I think she was also getting extra inspired because next thing you know, she was drawing an elaborate border of shiny golden crowns for the Q page and telling me to get to work on “rainbow trout.”
    I am now going to bed. I’m going to leave my door wide open in case Taco Cat decides to visit. Lately, when Pip and I have been writing or drawing, he’ll plunk himself on top of our picture book as if asking to be petted—or maybe saying, “I dare you to make me move.”
    Pip says it’s annoying. Me, I never mind putting down my pen and picking up my cat. I love that he’s becoming more affectionate!
    Ava, Affectionate
    P.S. Chuck and I have gone over a week without talking. Bea said I should try to act normal with him, but how can I when we haven’t been sitting next to each other? Is he avoiding me? (Or does he… miss me a little too?) I can’t believe Zara caused so much trouble with one stupid question! Arrrggghh!

1/16
Saturday N-O-O-N
Dear Diary,
    Here are my latest poems:
    S is for seahorse.
    With a kangaroo’s pouch and a horse’s head,
    The dad carries the babies and makes sure they’re fed.
    and
    T is for trumpetfish.
    The slow trumpetfish is straight as a stick,
    Hiding in branches is its very best trick.
    Speaking of hiding, Taco Cat isn’t hiding as much as he used to—except when he finds a bag or box or wants to take a catnap. It seems like he’d rather keep us company than keep his distance. When we watch a movie on TV, for instance, he’ll sit near us, almost as if he’s watching too.
    Sometimes he even follows us into the bathroom. (This morning I heard Pip say, “Taco, get out! I need privacy!”)
    When Mom or Dad drives into our garage, or Pip comes home from art class, Taco pricks up his ears and goes trotting over to the back door to say a quiet hello.
    He doesn’t like when we play Boggle though. When anyone shakes the letters, he takes off. So that’s another sound he abhors. (And “abhors,” which means “hates,” is another six-letter word with all its letters in alphabetical order.)
    Personally, I think Taco can’t really change his inner nature, which is that he is a bit of a scaredy-cat.
    I wonder if Zara can’t change her inner nature either, which is that she’s a bit of a blabbermouth.
    I once read an Aesop fable about how it’s hard to hide your inner nature. It’s called “The Cat and the Maiden,” and it goes like this:
    The gods were arguing about whether a living creature can change its nature. Jupiter, the king of the gods, said yes, but Venus, the goddess of love, said no. To prove his point, Jupiter turned a cat into a beautiful maiden. A man fell