crowd.
“Look!” Holden said, pointing past a sign that said PIER 39 .
A long pier jutted out into the water, near dozens of floating wooden docks. Dark brown sea lions had taken over the docks. Some were huge, and others were smaller and younger. They were allcovered with sleek fur. Dink could smell the animals as they barked and flapped their flippers.
“This is so amazing!” Dink said. “They don’t look like they’re afraid of all these people.”
“They’re not afraid,” Holden said. “They probably think we’re pretty funny-looking.”
“Do they stay here all year?” Ruth Rose asked.
“Some do,” Holden told her. “But a lot of them migrate to other places.”
“What do they eat?” Josh asked. He had opened his sketchbook and was quickly drawing one of the larger sea lions.
“Mostly fish,” Holden said. “In fact, a lot of the fishermen are mad at the sea lions, because they’re both after the same fish.”
“Can we feed them?” Josh asked.
Holden shook his head. “Against the law,” he said, pointing to a sign on a utility pole. The sign said DO NOT FEED THE SEA LIONS . Then he pointed to a small metal box at the top of the pole. “That’s a camera. They’re all over the place.”
“Just to stop people from giving food to the sea lions?” Ruth Rose asked.
“Nope. There are a lot of pickpockets around here, too,” Holden said. “So hold on to your wallets!”
Ruth Rose pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt. “It’s cold here,” she said.
“Not as cold as home,” Dink said. Back in Connecticut, where they lived, there was a foot of snow on the ground.
Ruth Rose picked up a flyer off the sidewalk. “Guys, there’s a big parade tonight,” she said. “It’s for the Chinese New Year. We should go!”
“The parade is a lot of fun,” Holden said. He looked at his watch. “It’s two o’clock now, and the parade starts around six. I could meet you somewhere if your dad says it’s okay.”
“I’ll ask him later,” Dink said.
“Chinese New Year is huge here in San Francisco,” Holden told the kids. “The parade has floats, fireworks, and an amazing dragon that’s about two hundred feet long. Plus, every year, the town picks a new Miss Chinatown.”
Holden pointed to a picture on the flyer. It showed a pretty Chinese girl wearing a glittering crown with a red ruby in the center. “You might get to meet Miss Chinatown tonight.”
“Meet her?” Ruth Rose asked.
Holden blushed. “Yup. There are two finalists, and one of them is my girlfriend, Lily Chen.”
“When does she find out if she’s the winner?” Dink asked.
“She may know by now,” Holden said. “They keep the girls hidden until the parade. People have been voting for weeks. For the parade, they dress the winner in a special silk robe that’s a hundred years old. She’ll be wearing a mask and a crown.”
Holden tapped the girl’s picture on the flyer. “Right in the middle of the crown is a ruby that used to be owned by some Chinese ruler,” he said.
Josh grinned. “Does Lily get to keep the crown?” he asked.
Holden shook his head. “Dude, the crown isn’t worth anything. But that ruby is worth about a gazillion dollars,” he said. “Lily told me they strap thecrown on to Miss Chinatown’s head so no one can steal it. She only gets to wear it for about fifteen minutes, then it goes into a safe until next year.”
Josh winked. “Where’s the safe?” he whispered.
They all laughed.
“Anyway, Miss Chinatown rides on a special float,” Holden went on. “During the parade, she’ll take off the mask. That’s the first time anyone will know which girl won. The prize is a college scholarship.”
“Oooh, I hope it’s Lily!” Ruth Rose said. “You must be excited.”
“I guess I am,” Holden said. But he didn’t look it. “Actually, I’m a little worried. I haven’t heard from Lily since yesterday. She promised to text or call last night, but she
“Look!” Holden said, pointing past a sign that said PIER 39 .
A long pier jutted out into the water, near dozens of floating wooden docks. Dark brown sea lions had taken over the docks. Some were huge, and others were smaller and younger. They were allcovered with sleek fur. Dink could smell the animals as they barked and flapped their flippers.
“This is so amazing!” Dink said. “They don’t look like they’re afraid of all these people.”
“They’re not afraid,” Holden said. “They probably think we’re pretty funny-looking.”
“Do they stay here all year?” Ruth Rose asked.
“Some do,” Holden told her. “But a lot of them migrate to other places.”
“What do they eat?” Josh asked. He had opened his sketchbook and was quickly drawing one of the larger sea lions.
“Mostly fish,” Holden said. “In fact, a lot of the fishermen are mad at the sea lions, because they’re both after the same fish.”
“Can we feed them?” Josh asked.
Holden shook his head. “Against the law,” he said, pointing to a sign on a utility pole. The sign said DO NOT FEED THE SEA LIONS . Then he pointed to a small metal box at the top of the pole. “That’s a camera. They’re all over the place.”
“Just to stop people from giving food to the sea lions?” Ruth Rose asked.
“Nope. There are a lot of pickpockets around here, too,” Holden said. “So hold on to your wallets!”
Ruth Rose pulled up the hood of her sweatshirt. “It’s cold here,” she said.
“Not as cold as home,” Dink said. Back in Connecticut, where they lived, there was a foot of snow on the ground.
Ruth Rose picked up a flyer off the sidewalk. “Guys, there’s a big parade tonight,” she said. “It’s for the Chinese New Year. We should go!”
“The parade is a lot of fun,” Holden said. He looked at his watch. “It’s two o’clock now, and the parade starts around six. I could meet you somewhere if your dad says it’s okay.”
“I’ll ask him later,” Dink said.
“Chinese New Year is huge here in San Francisco,” Holden told the kids. “The parade has floats, fireworks, and an amazing dragon that’s about two hundred feet long. Plus, every year, the town picks a new Miss Chinatown.”
Holden pointed to a picture on the flyer. It showed a pretty Chinese girl wearing a glittering crown with a red ruby in the center. “You might get to meet Miss Chinatown tonight.”
“Meet her?” Ruth Rose asked.
Holden blushed. “Yup. There are two finalists, and one of them is my girlfriend, Lily Chen.”
“When does she find out if she’s the winner?” Dink asked.
“She may know by now,” Holden said. “They keep the girls hidden until the parade. People have been voting for weeks. For the parade, they dress the winner in a special silk robe that’s a hundred years old. She’ll be wearing a mask and a crown.”
Holden tapped the girl’s picture on the flyer. “Right in the middle of the crown is a ruby that used to be owned by some Chinese ruler,” he said.
Josh grinned. “Does Lily get to keep the crown?” he asked.
Holden shook his head. “Dude, the crown isn’t worth anything. But that ruby is worth about a gazillion dollars,” he said. “Lily told me they strap thecrown on to Miss Chinatown’s head so no one can steal it. She only gets to wear it for about fifteen minutes, then it goes into a safe until next year.”
Josh winked. “Where’s the safe?” he whispered.
They all laughed.
“Anyway, Miss Chinatown rides on a special float,” Holden went on. “During the parade, she’ll take off the mask. That’s the first time anyone will know which girl won. The prize is a college scholarship.”
“Oooh, I hope it’s Lily!” Ruth Rose said. “You must be excited.”
“I guess I am,” Holden said. But he didn’t look it. “Actually, I’m a little worried. I haven’t heard from Lily since yesterday. She promised to text or call last night, but she
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