Domino Read Online Free Page A

was a good comeback,” he said.
    Sure,
thought Michael. Except that they’d still lost the game. The locker room after a losing game was never a fun place to be.
    “Not good enough.” Michael shook his head. He sat hunched over on a bench, looking down at the floor.
    “Maybe next time you’ll remember to wear your lucky socks.”
    Michael sighed. The last thing he wanted to do was admit to Jackson that the socks were missing. Especially after Jackson had done everything he could to win the game. “That was a great last shot,” Michael said.
    “Yeah. We just needed one more possession. Next time.”
    Michael nodded, his eyes still on the floor. He usually was the one cheering up Jackson after a tough loss. This time, Michael was pretty sure it was his fault. His passes had been sloppy, and he just couldn’t keep up with the other team’s point guard. Defense was usually his strength. He knew he was distracted. He couldn’t stop thinking about Domino.
    “Next time,” Jackson said again.
    “Yeah,” Michael said. Maybe his luck would change, even without the lucky socks. The next day he and Mia and Mom would take Domino to the vet. Maybe she would help them find Domino’s people. And who knew? Maybe they would discover that whoever owned Domino was looking for a new home for the black-and-white kitten!

CHAPTER SIX
    After school the next day, Michael and Mia met Mom at the vet’s office. Michael and Mia liked Dr. Bulford. She had helped them with their other foster cats, and they often saw her when they walked by Wags and Whiskers on their way home from the rec center.
    Michael wasn’t sure what would happen on this visit to the vet. When Michael had called to tell her about Domino, Dr. Bulford had said something about checking to see if Domino had a microchip. Michael had never heard of that before, and he wondered what it meant.
    “You said Domino might have a microchip. Does that mean he’s a cat spy or part robot orsomething?” Michael asked as Dr. Bulford prepared to examine Domino.
    The vet laughed. “It does sound high-tech, doesn’t it?” she said as she lifted Domino out of the pet carrier. “But putting a microchip ID in a pet is pretty common, especially for animals adopted from shelters. It’s just a tiny chip the size of a grain of rice. A vet puts it between an animal’s shoulders, just under the skin. It can give us the information we need to find an animal’s owners.”
    “How can you tell if Domino has a chip?” Mom asked. She looked as confused as Michael felt.
    “I have a special scanner that can find a microchip if Domino has one. It can also read the information on the chip,” Dr. Bulford explained. “It’s not much different from scanning a can of soup at the grocery store.” The vet set Domino down on her examination table. “But before we do that, let me take a better look at this little guy.Hey there, Domino.” She tickled him under the chin with two fingers. Domino rolled over on his back and stretched out, showing Dr. Bulford the bright white fur on his belly.
    You seem nice. Will you rub my belly? I know you want to. Everyone likes to rub my belly.
    “Well, you aren’t shy, are you?” Dr. Bulford said to Domino. She laughed as she stroked the long fur on his tummy. “He’s definitely been around people before. And he looks well fed and healthy. I agree, he probably has a family. Let’s see if I can help you find them.”
    Mia’s shoulders slumped. Michael felt bad. He knew how attached she was to Domino. Michael loved the mischievous kitten, too, but he made sure to keep reminding himself that Domino did not belong to the Battellis. At least, not yet.
    Dr. Bulford reached for a cream-colored scanner. It looked a lot like an electric razor.
    “Will it hurt?” Mia asked.
    “No,” the vet said. “It’ll feel like I’m petting him.” Michael saw Mom squeeze Mia’s shoulder. He held his breath as he watched Dr. Bulford run the scanner down Domino’s head