Coco Simon - Donut Goals

Donut dreams

Donut Goals

By Coco Simon, author of Cupcake Diaries

This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the authors imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

SIMON SPOTLIGHT

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This Simon Spotlight hardcover edition August 2021

Copyright 2021 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

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Text by Mary Tillworth

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Designed by Ciara Gay

Jacket design by Ciara Moriarty

Jacket illustrated by Joanie Stone

Jacket illustrations copyright 2021 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-5344-9598-2 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-5344-9597-5 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-5344-9599-9 (ebook)

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2021940291

Riiiiing!!!

I jumped out of my seat and grabbed my backpack, which was hanging from my chair. School was finally out!

Hoisting my backpack across my shoulders, I ran out the door and hurried to my locker. Even though I like my classes and can sit still and pay attention during them, my legs are always itching to leave by the end of the day.

I know that I left recess behind in elementary school, but theres part of me that really wishes that I could have brought it with me into middle school.

I love the idea of being able to go out into the sunshine after a few hours of classes and stretch and run. I would ignore the tetherballs and basketball hoops and make a beeline for the group of kids playing tag.

In the short time we had outside, Id run and duck and swerve, sometimes getting close to the tagger, then spinning around and flying toward the safe wall of the school building. I loved the feeling of excitement of outrunning somebody, or dodging their outstretched hand as I bolted across the playground.

But now, in sixth grade, recess is gone. Sure, Ive got gym class scheduled, but even though I have gym two to three times a week, it still never feels like enough exercise.

I am lucky, thoughthere is one sport that Ive been playing for six years that helps me feel happy in my body. Mom and Dad signed me up for soccer when I was in kindergarten, and Ive been playing ever since.

I love the way it feels when Im totally concentrated on the ball, dribbling and passing and moving it forward to the opposing teams goal. Even though my body is working hard, its a special moment when my head gets really quiet as it focuses on the next play.

Run, dribble, pass, repeat, score!

I had soccer practice the next day, but today I was walking home with my sister Kelsey. I found her by the front of the school, and together we started on our way.

Kelsey and I are really close in age, but we dont share a lot of things in common.

For one thing, Mom and Dad are Kelseys birth mother and father, while I was adopted by them from South Korea when I was just a baby.

Kelsey looks like a combination of my parents, with her light brown hair and green eyes, while Ive got straight black hair and dark brown eyes.

My sister is super disorganized, while I like to keep track of all my things. (Dont look in my closet, thoughit is the one part of my life that I allow to go a little haywire.) Kelsey also isnt always on time, while I hate it when Im even a minute late for things.

But despite our differences, I love having Kelsey as a sister. And I feel protective of her too.

A while back, when her personal blog accidentally got posted to the web, even though there wasnt anything really sensitive that she shared, I made a plan to get her out of school that day and home with Mom and Dad so she didnt have to be around the kids who had just read her innermost thoughts. I think that helping her drew the two of us closer together.

Want to go for a run when we get home? I asked Kelsey as we walked along.

I held my finger in the air as if I was testing it. The air was sharp and crisp, cool, but not the kind of cool that makes you want to stay inside.

Its the perfect weather for it.

Kelsey shook her head. Nah. Im reading a really good book, and Im almost done with it. I want to see what happens in the end.

She shrugged, adjusting her backpack. Plus, I feel like I havent been paying enough attention to Rusty lately. I kind of feel like snuggle time is on the horizon.

I nodded. Rusty is the dog we adopted recently. One of our neighbors, Mrs. Rose, helps out at a local rescue shelter, fostering dogs until theyre adopted so they dont have to be kept in the shelters kennels all the time.

One day Mrs. Rose was walking by my soccer practice with a couple of dogs that she was fostering, and thats when I saw Rusty.

He was really shy, and I was immediately drawn to how he seemed to be so scared of the world but became happy and playful when showered with attention.

Mrs. Rose had named him Rusty for his reddish-brown fur, and she told me that a hiker had found him abandoned in the woods, hiding under some rocks.

It took some convincing, but eventually Mom and Dad decided that having a dog in the house would be a great addition to the family, and we adopted Rusty.

I quickly found out that adopting a cute dog is a lot more work than actually taking care of oneRusty needs to be walked twice a day, and picking up his poop is never fun.

But I love that little guy to pieces, and whenever he hops up onto my bed and curls up into a bagel to take a nap, I smile. And even though Im cleaning up after him constantly, I wouldnt trade him for anything.

Rusty is the family dog, though, and if Kelsey wanted to spend some time with him, that was awesome.

All right, I told Kelsey. Maybe Jenna will want to go for a run with me.

Jenna is my older sister. She mostly keeps to her own group of friends, but every once in a while shell hang out with Kelsey and me.

When we got home, Rusty was waiting for us at the door. After wrapping him in a giant hug and rubbing his furry brown head while he wagged his tail happily, I took off my school shoes and padded in socks to the kitchen, where Dad was waiting for us with after-school snacks.

I present to you apple nachos! he said proudly, displaying a plate covered in thinly cut apples slices arranged carefully in a spiral. He had drizzled peanut butter, honey, and granola over them.

Cool! I washed my hands with soap and water, then picked up a slice and gobbled it up.

This is great, Dad! I mumbled as I picked up three more slices and fit them all in my mouth.

Agreed, Kelsey said, her mouth equally full.

Did you get this recipe from Grandpa and Nans? I asked, licking peanut butter off my finger.