Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Read online

  The snooty judge shook his head. “I doubt it,” he said. “In the meantime, you can fill out these forms.” He handed Sam some papers and then quickly moved on to the next contestant. “Oh, hellooo!” he exclaimed, greeting the next owner with much more hospitality.

  “Remember, Papi, they’re just as nervous as you are,” Papi said quietly to himself.

  While Sam filled out the forms, Papi checked out the competition. A Chinese crested sighed and complained out loud, “Ugh! I’m having such a bad-hair day!” A shar-pei was examining herself in the mirror. “Is that another wrinkle? Oh, no!” she cried. Papi decided to approach a glamorous-looking shih tzu with very long hair.

  “Por favor, senorita, do you know where we line up to go onstage?” The shih tzu barked and then turned around. Papi realized he had been talking to the back of her! “This is awkward,” he said, embarrassed. “I’ll just figure it out myself.”

  Just then, Appoline spotted Papi and recognized the dogs from the park. “Ewww,” she howled. “Do I smell garbage? No, it iz just zee peasant dogs!”

  A bunch of fancy-looking dogs nearby laughed at Appoline’s joke.

  Papi couldn’t help himself. “We’re the ones that smell?” he asked. “You know, there’s a reason poodle starts with the word poo.”

  All of the dogs couldn’t help but laugh at Papi’s joke. But they stopped laughing when they saw Appoline’s angry expression!

  Back at the mansion, Chloe and Papi’s puppies, Sebastian, Biminy, and Delta were staring at the television, watching the dog show.

  “When’s it going to start? When? When?” Pep asked excitedly.

  “Oh, they just have to win,” Biminy said.

  “I’ve got all my paws crossed.”

  Delta scratched her paws on the carpet. “This is more nerve-racking than a trip to the vet,” she whined.

  “Everybody, shush!” Sebastian scolded.

  On the screen, the host of the show, Sterling Reed, appeared with his co-host Polly Wickham. “And the twenty-fifth annual Beverly Hills Dog Show is now underway!” Sterling announced. The ballroom was dark, and spotlights swooped over the crowd. Sebastian, Delta, and Biminy cheered.

  “Hundred of canines will compete in the categories of beauty, style, and talent to win the honor of top dog and a grand prize of fifty thousand dollars!” Sterling cried. He shivered. “Ooh, I’ve got goose bumps!” He turned to Polly. “Look! I really do!”

  “You sure do, Sterling. Ooh, here comes Judge McKible. Let’s hope he’s in a good mood,” Polly said.

  Judge McKible entered the room and took a seat at the judges’ table.

  “Is everybody ready to win this thing and save our house?” Sam asked the dogs backstage.

  The dogs all barked in agreement.

  “Hands and paws in!” Sam shouted.

  “Viva el Cortez!” the dogs cried as they piled on top of each other.

  “And we’re off with the first round: beauty!” Sterling announced. “Let’s see those Beverly Hills dogs strut their stuff. Yowsa!”

  The dogs lined up and walked down a runway as the judges nodded their heads yes or no.

  Chloe and Papi turned on the charm as they walked past the judges. Even Pedro had poise as he strutted down the catwalk. Then came Delgado, followed by Appoline.

  “Ugh! Zees judge had no taste! Your friends—they are trash,” she whispered loud enough so Delgado could hear. Angered, Delgado turned around and growled fiercely at Appoline.

  Noticing this, Judge McKible gave Delgado a wag of his finger, and the German shepherd was eliminated! Appoline laughed haughtily while curtseying in front of the judge. He gave her a definitive nod “yes.” And with that, the beauty round was over.

  “The competition is getting fierce!” Sterling Reed announced. “And so are the outfits! It’s time for the second round: style!”

  Loud pop music filled the ballroom, and the dogs entered in wild costumes and hairstyles. Pedro was dressed as a big flower. He strutted proudly across the floor, and the audience applauded.

  “You like me! You really like me!” Pedro cried, his eyes sparkling.

  Papi knew what was about to happen. He had to stop Pedro! He shouted loudly over the music. “Wait! Don’t do it, Pedro! Just don’t—”

  But it was too late—Pedro was already sporting his scary smile! The crowd gasped in horror at the sight. Judge McKible took one look at Pedro and shouted, “Disqualified!”

  Appoline, dressed like Marie Antoinette in a fancy outfit made of lace, came out next. The judge and the crowd quickly recovered from Pedro and welcomed Appoline. Judge McKible gave an enthusiastic nod.

  Chloe was up next. She knew that she had this style part nailed! Mrs. Cortez walked onstage, pulling Chloe in a wagon that was decorated like a cloud. Chloe was wearing shimmering wings and a halo. She was a truly angelic vision.

  Papi beamed with pride and then made his grand entrance. Tribal music beat through the ballroom speakers, and a large screen with an image of an Aztec temple appeared. The audience went wild for Papi—he looked like a real Chihuahua warrior!

  At the end of the round, there were only five dogs left in the competition.

  Polly looked to the stage. “Those hoops and batons can only mean one thing…we’re on to the talent portion of the show!” she announced.

  Some talents won over the judges, and some bored them. When a Pekingese did a handstand, Judge McKible rolled his eyes. He had seen that old trick before! But Sterling Reed and Polly Wickham cheered with delight when Appoline dipped her paws into paint and created a painting that looked like it belonged in a museum!

  Judge McKible gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up and passed the prestigious poodle on to the next round.

  “That Appoline is a regular Petcasso!” Sterling joked.

  Polly eagerly looked over to see what Chloe would perform. Chloe sat in front of a miniature piano and played a beautiful song. The crowd cheered for her, but Judge McKible was not impressed. With a shake of his head, he dismissed her.

  Papi was outraged! He charged out into the center of the ring, barking loudly.

  “How dare you!” he shouted. “Chloe is the most beautiful, the most stylish, and the most talented dog in the entire world!” he declared. “She has a coat like the whitest of snow, eyes that sparkle like diamonds, ears as delicate as silk, and a heart as big as, well…as big as…Why don’t I just show you!”

  Chloe was touched at Papi’s outburst, but nervous about what he would do next. “Papi, what are you doing?” she cried. She watched Papi race over to a bouquet of roses sitting in a large vase. He skillfully ripped the rose petals off with his mouth. He darted over to Chloe with the rose petals. And one by one, he dropped the roses in a heart around his wife.

  “A heart as big as this one!” Papi shouted to the audience. “Mi amor, Chloe, will live in my heart forever!” He bowed down in front of Chloe.

  The audience leaped to their feet and cheered as Papi barked. Judge McKible looked at Papi and smiled.

  “Now that’s talent!” he shouted. He nodded his head to Papi, waving him through to the next round.

  Appoline turned her head in disgust while the audience chanted, “Papi! Papi!”

  “Oh, Papi, ti adore,” Chloe said, gazing lovingly into Papi’s eyes.

  “Well it looks like Appoline’s got some serious competition this year, and his name is Papi!” Polly observed.

  “I LOVE YOU, PAPI!” Sterling Reed shouted.

  Judge McKible reviewed his notes and moved closer to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have chosen this year’s finalists,” he said to the audience. “They are Appoline Bouvier and Papi Cortez.”

  The audience exploded in a roar of applause. While Sam and everyone else was celebrating, Appoline’s owner, Colleen Mansfield, pulled the judge aside and whispered something to him. Judge McKible looked through a stack of papers on his desk and then walked over to Sam.

  “Mr. Cortez,” the judge said right ne
ar a microphone so everyone in the room was able to hear, “you know the Beverly Hills Dog Show is for purebreds only. Do you have Papi’s birth papers showing his pedigree?”

  “No,” Sam replied. “We rescued Papi from the pound. He was a stray.”

  “I knew it!” Colleen shouted, a huge smirk on her face.

  Realizing that the microphone was on, Sam picked it up and spoke directly to the audience. “He might not have breeding papers or be a pedigree,” he said, “but you’ll never meet a dog that shows more heart than Papi!”

  Cheers from the audience filled the arena.

  Judge McKible took the microphone from Sam. “I’m sorry, but rules are rules,” he said. “Papi Cortez has been disqualified due to lack of breeding papers.”

  The audience booed loudly.

  “The winner of the twenty-fifth annual Beverly Hills Dog Show for the fourth year in a row is…Appoline Bouvier!” the judge announced.

  As Appoline trotted to the podium to get her trophy, the audience was still booing the judge’s decision.

  “What? You can’t do that!” Mr. and Mrs. Cortez exclaimed. They were shocked at the news!

  Back at home, Sebastian, Biminy, Delta, and the puppies couldn’t believe what had just happened.

  “This is loco!” the puppies shouted. The Cortezes were going to lose their house!

  In the backstage ballroom at the dog show,

  Sam petted Papi. “It’s okay, boy. You did your best out there. We’re still a family and that’s all that matters,” he said sincerely.

  Chloe trotted up to Papi. “You’re the love of my life, Papi. I have never been prouder of you than I am today,” she told him.

  Sam scooped up Papi. Then he, his parents, and Chloe headed for the exit. As they made their way past the other dogs and owners, Papi saw Appoline, who was with her owner and her shiny trophy. Appoline noticed Papi, too. She bowed her head in respect. Papi jumped out of Sam’s arms and scurried through the crowd to get to her.

  “Appoline,” he said, coming up to her, “I know we haven’t always seen snout to snout, but you were great out there.” Papi started to walk away, but Appoline suddenly stopped him.

  “Papi! I may have won zee trophy, but I’d give all zat up to have a family like yours. You’re a lucky dog,” she told him. “For a peasant,” she added.

  “I guess I am,” Papi replied, smiling. “See you at the dog park. This time, say hi.”

  Sam came over to Papi. “You ready, champ?”

  “Champ? Please!” Appoline’s owner spat. “He lost. The money is ours!”

  “Yeah, and look how unhappy you still are. We may not have the prize, but we have each other,” Sam told her. Then he went to rejoin his family, who beamed at him proudly.

  Mr. Cortez put his arm around Sam. “Well said, my son,” he told Sam.

  And with that, the Cortez family walked out.

  When everyone returned to Aunt Viv’s house, Papi snuck into the puppies’ room to watch his children sleep. Before he turned to leave, Papi Jr. called to him.

  “Sorry to wake you, son. Go back to bed,” Papi whispered.

  “We can’t sleep,” Ali reported, popping her head up.

  “Yeah, we’re too upset. We don’t want your family to lose their house,” Papi Jr. told him.

  “I know, my niños,” Papi replied sympathetically. “That’s because you are very loyal to those you love dearly. Just like the Chihuahua warriors!”

  “Tell us another story, Daddy!” Pep pleaded.

  Papi sighed. His stories had gotten them all into too much trouble already. “If you promise to go right back to bed, I’ll tell you a story,” Papi said.

  The puppies sat up eagerly.

  “You see, the Chihuahua warriors, they were not just brave and passionate. They were also fiercely loyal,” Papi told his children.

  “They were?” Lala asked.

  “Oh, yes,” Papi said. “And our ancestors were not only loyal to their fellow Chihuahuas, they were to their humans. In ancient times, they used to follow their humans into battle.”

  Papi went on to describe a raging battle in which the king’s brave Chihuahua raced through the fields to find his master. “They knew that even in times of great danger they must stand by their friends and warn them of their attacking enemies. Even at the risk of their own lives.” Papi took a moment to look at his pups.

  “That Chihuahua saved the king’s life?” Papi Jr. asked.

  Papi nodded. “Yes,” he said. “Stick by your loved ones, even in hard times. We are stronger together than we are alone.”

  “From now on, we’ll be the most loyal Chihuahuas ever,” Papi Jr. vowed. “And we’ll never give up.”

  “I know you won’t,” Papi said softly. “Sleep tight.”

  As the puppies said good night and closed their eyes, Papi stood at the door watching them all drift off to sleep. He walked down the hallway, and paused when he spotted Mr. Cortez comforting his wife on the couch.

  Mrs. Cortez was very upset. Pedro laid his head in her lap, and she hugged him tightly. Papi continued down the hall. Sam was in his room. Sam took a deep breath and then dialed his phone.

  In the rain forest, Rachel had just pushed through the branches of a large Kapok tree to photograph a plant. She smiled as she snapped a picture. At that moment, a man brought her a cell phone. She handed her camera to him and eagerly took the phone. She was hoping it was Sam.

  And it was! “Sam! How’d it go?” she asked anxiously.

  “Not so good,” Sam replied regretfully. He paced around his bedroom at the mansion.

  “Oh, no,” Rachel replied.

  “And now we have two days to pack up the house and move on,” he explained.

  “Oh, Sam,” Rachel said sadly.

  “I’m going to Arizona for a little while to get them set up,” he continued. “I already contacted Viv’s housekeeper about watching the dogs.”

  “I can come, too, if you want,” Rachel offered.

  “No, that’s okay,” he said. “This is a family thing.”

  Rachel was stunned by Sam’s words. “I thought we were family,” she said quietly. “You know, that we would get married and have kids…” her voice trailed off.

  Sam kept walking nervously around the room. “Rach,” he said softly, “I—I love you, but I don’t know if I can marry you. I can’t take care of you and a family when I can hardly take care of the one I already have.”

  Trying to fight back tears, Rachel was grateful this was a phone conversation so Sam wouldn’t see her cry. “Oh. I see…Um,” she stammered. “I should go. Work, you know…Good-bye, Sam.”

  “Good-bye, Rachel,” Sam told her.

  Rachel hung up quickly. She leaned against a tree for support. Sam’s words had stung. She wished that she could have talked to him in person.

  Papi watched Sam stare at the phone in his hand. He walked over to him. “Love—so easy to feel, so hard to get right,” he said sympathetically.

  Then he went to look for Chloe. He found her sitting at the window, gazing down at the gardens. Papi came up behind her and noticed that she was watching Delgado pace back and forth.

  “Looks like he could use a friend,” Papi observed.

  Chloe knew Papi was right. The two dogs went outside together to talk to Delgado.

  “You okay, amigo?” Papi asked as they approached.

  “Yeah, sure,” the proud German shepherd said.

  Chloe stepped forward. “Oh, Delgado, I wish you would open up to me. Won’t you tell us what happened with your sons?” she asked.

  “We’re your friends. You can trust us,” Papi said, urging him to confide in them.

  Delgado sighed. He took a deep breath and began to tell them the story. “About three years ago, when I was on the force in Mexico, we apprehended some really bad guys,” he said. “We also got their dogs. Those dogs threatened my family. Said they’d get back at me by hurting my pups. So I took my boys out of the country and to
Los Angeles.”

  The memory of walking away from his pups was still vivid in Delgado’s mind. He had hidden in the bushes next to the police station and waited until a police officer took the basket of puppies inside. “I thought they’d be safer away from me,” he whispered. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” He looked down sadly as he remembered the sound of his young pups whimpering. He had run away fast and forced himself not to turn and look at them. “Don’t turn around, don’t turn around,” he had told himself. Delgado looked off into the distance. “As you remember, the police force let me go when my partner got injured. I went into hiding, and I lost contact with my sons. When I was finally reinstated, I knew I had to find them again. But now they want nothing to do with me. They think I abandoned them for no reason.”

  “But if you tell them what happened, they’ll understand,” Papi assured Delgado.

  “I think it’s time to just let go. Seems like we’re all losing what’s dear to us,” Delgado replied sadly.

  As Delgado slumped away, Chloe and Papi shared a concerned look. The two Chihuahuas didn’t realize it, but Papi Jr. had been listening to the whole conversation from the doorway.

  “Poor Delgado,” the puppy said quietly to himself. “We’ve got to do something to help him.” He raced back upstairs to his sisters before his parents saw him.

  The next morning, just as the sun was coming up, Papi heard Chloe shout from the puppies’ room.

  “Papi! Come quick!” she cried frantically. “The puppies are gone!”

  Papi rushed into the puppies’ bedroom with Pedro and Delgado close behind.

  “Maybe they’re hiding somewhere,” Pedro suggested.

  The dogs barked as they searched the room. Delgado stopped and held his nose high in the air.

  “No,” he said. “They left the house.”

  “But where could they have gone?” Chloe asked, very frightened and worried.

  Chloe would never have guessed where her children were headed. Papi Jr. led his sisters to the back fence of the Beverly Hills police station. The five puppies stood at the fence watching the police dogs training.

  “Okay, this is where Uncle Delgado said his sons worked. We’ll just tell them the truth, and then they’ll forgive him,” Papi Jr. said.