Smudge The Stolen Kitten. The Kitten Nobody Wanted. The Frightened Kitten. The Missing Kitten. The Kidnapped Kitten. The Brave Kitten

17. SMUDGE THE STOLEN KITTEN

Chapter One

There was the sound of a whistle blowing.“Ben Williams and Rob Ford! Get down from there right now!”

Olivia looked up and groaned. Mrs Mackintosh sounded as if she’d yelled right in Olivia’s ear, even though she was on the other side of the playground.

“What have Ben and Rob done now?” her friend Lucie asked.

“Something awful, as usual,” Olivia muttered, as they ran across the playground to see what was going on. Her big brother Ben was always in trouble at school – which wasn’t fair, because all the teachers either thought that meant Olivia was naughty too, or that she ought to have stopped him. As if he’d listen toher! And his friend Rob was even worse.

“You’re very lucky you haven’t broken your necks!” the girls heard Mrs Mackintosh saying crossly. “What a stupid thing to do!”

“It isn’t in the playground rules that we can’t tightrope walk along the top of the fence, Mrs Mackintosh,” Ben said innocently, pointing to the poster on the side of the wall.

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“That’s because before you, Ben, no one had even thought of it!” the head teacher snapped. “We need to add an extra rule at the bottom of that list saying that whatever idiotic thing you two think of next isn’t allowed! You can miss the rest of play. Go inside and tell Mrs Beale that you’re to help set out the chairs for assembly this afternoon!”

Ben winked at Olivia as he and Rob went past on their way to the hall. He didn’t look as though he minded being told off at all.

Olivia sighed and Lucie gave her a sympathetic smile.“It’s probably better than having a brother who’s totally perfect – then everyone would ask you why you couldn’t be more like him.”

“I suppose,” Olivia sighed, kicking at a pile of leaves. “But I can’t wait till he goes to secondary school next year.”

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“Mrs Beale told me about what happened at lunchtime, by the way.” Mum eyed Ben sternly. She worked as a part-time teaching assistant at Olivia and Ben’s school.

Ben waved a forkful of spaghetti at her, looking hurt.“It’s so unfair! No one had ever said we couldn’t walk along the fence.”

“Sometimes I think we should just send you and Rob to join the circus.” Dad was trying to look cross, but Olivia could see that he was smiling.

“Excellent! No more school!” Ben grinned.

“It wasn’t at all clever, Ben.” Mum frowned. “I’m tempted not to tell you the special news I’ve got.”

Olivia looked up from her pasta.“What is it? Don’t be mean, Mum!”

Her mum stared up at the ceiling smiling, while Olivia and Ben begged her to tell.

“All right, all right! You remember a while ago we had a leaflet through the door about the Cat Rescue Centre?”

Olivia nodded eagerly.“With photos of all the cats they’d found new homes for! They were gorgeous. I wish we could have one. It said they were always looking for good homes for unwanted cats.”

Mum smiled.“I know, Olivia – you went on about it for days. Well, Dad and I have been talking, and we decided that maybe you’re both old enough to have a pet.”

“Really?” Olivia gasped. “We’re going to get a cat?”

“I’d rather have a dog, Mum,” Ben put in. “Dogs are more fun.”

Mum shook her head.“No. Dad’s at work all day, and you’re both at school, and so am I three days a week. A dog would get really lonely.”

Ben sighed and nodded, so Mum went on quickly.“I gave the Cat Rescue Centre a ring this morning. They’ve got some kittens at the moment, they said, and they’re ready for new homes now.”

Olivia jumped up, almost upsetting her pasta into her lap.“Let’s go!”

“Livvy, sit down!” Mum laughed. “The centre’s not even open right now. And anyway, before we can go and choose a kitten, we have to have a home visit. To check that we’re going to be suitable owners.”

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Olivia sat down, staring back at Mum worriedly.“Suitable? What does that mean? Do we have to know loads about cats? I only know a bit. But I’ve got lots of books about cats, and we could look things up on the computer…”

“Slow down!” Dad patted her shoulder. “It’s OK. They’re just going to want to check that our road isn’t too busy. And that we’re happy to put a cat flap in the kitchen door, that kind of thing.”

“And that we don’t have children who won’t know how to behave around a cat,” Mum said, eyeing Ben grimly. “A lady from the centre is coming to see us this evening, and we’ll all have to show her that we’resensible, Benjamin Williams.”

Ben scowled, and Olivia looked at him warily. Ben wasn’t sensible at all. In fact, he was the least sensible person Olivia had ever met.

How were they ever going to convince the lady from the Rescue Centre that they were the right owners for a kitten?

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“I’ll give you this week’s pocket money,” Olivia said desperately.

Ben raised one eyebrow.

“And my Saturday sweets too! But you have to promise to be on your absolute best behaviour. Actually, don’t even talk! Or – or move!”

Ben zipped his lips with his fingers, and smirked at her, but Olivia wasn’t sure she could trust him.

“Oh, there’s the doorbell! Shall we go and answer it, or let Mum?” Olivia twisted her fingers together nervously. She so wanted to make a good impression.

“Mmmpfl.” Ben made a strange grunting noise, and Olivia stared at him.

He shrugged.“Well, you said not to talk!”

“That doesn’t mean make stupid noises! If she asks you a question you have to say something.”

“Something.”

“Fine, I’m keeping my pocket money.” Olivia marched down the stairs feeling furious. If Ben managed to mess this up, she was never going to forgive him. Ben followed her, sniggering.

Mum was just answering the door to a friendly-looking lady in a Rescue Centre fleece.

“Hi. I’m Debbie, from the Cat Rescue Centre.”

“Thanks for coming. I’m Emma and this is my husband, John, and this is Olivia and Ben.” Mum led Debbie into the living room, and Olivia and Ben followed behind. Dad went to put the kettle on.

“It seems like a fairly quiet area.” Debbie made a note on the sheet she was holding. “Not too many cars.”

“Lots of people around here have cats,” Olivia put in hopefully.

Mum laughed.“And Olivia is friends with all of them!”

Olivia perched nervously on the edge of the sofa. Ben was sitting on the sofa arm, and for once he didn’t look as though he was planning anything silly. Olivia crossed her fingers. “Are there really kittens at the Rescue Centre right now?” she asked Debbie shyly.

Debbie nodded.“Two litters, actually. One’s mostly ginger and white, and the other litter are a smoky grey. They’re all really sweet.”

Olivia’s eyes shone as she imagined sitting on the sofa, just like she was now, but with a tiny grey kitten purring on her lap.

Debbie went through a long list of questions, checking how much time the kitten would be left alone, and that Olivia’s mum knew they’d have to pay for vet’s bills. Olivia could see the list if she leaned over, and it mostly had ticks in the boxes. Hopefully Debbie would say yes!

Just as Debbie was handing Mum some leaflets about pet insurance and flea treatments, Dad came in with a tray of tea. He passed the cups round, then he sat down on the sofa next to Olivia. There was a sudden, very loud, very rude noise, and Dad jumped up, his face scarlet.

Ben practically fell off the sofa arm he was laughing so much, and Olivia pulled out a whoopee cushion from behind Dad.

“Ben!” Mum sounded horrified.

“I’d forgotten it was there, sorry,” Ben said, but he didn’t look very sorry at all.

Olivia looked over at Debbie, her eyes starting to burn with tears. Did having a stupid, rude big brother mean no kitten?

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But Debbie was giggling.“I haven’t seen one of those in ages. My brother used to do that all the time.” Then she looked serious. “A kitten really is a big responsibility, though. And everyone in the family has to be prepared to help care for it properly.” She was staring at Ben, who looked embarrassed.

“I will look after it, I promise,” he muttered.

Debbie nodded.“Right then.” She signed her name in swirly letters across the bottom of the form. “You can come and choose your kitten tomorrow!”

Chapter Two

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Olivia doodled on her reading record book, trying to think of the best name for a beautiful little grey kitten, or perhaps a sweet gingery one. She quite liked Esmerelda, herself. But then Dad had said at breakfast that it had to be a name that they didn’t mind yelling down the garden to get the kitten to come in for tea. Olivia giggled. She couldn’t really see Ben shouting, “Es–mer–el–da!”

Fluffy? Smoky? Whiskers? None of them sounded quite right. Olivia scowled down at the picture she was drawing. A kitten with big, sad eyes, just waiting for her to come and bring him home. She wished they’d been able to go to the Rescue Centre yesterday, straight after Debbie had approved them, but Mum said they needed to get everything ready first, and Olivia supposed she was right. They didn’t even have a food bowl!

Lucie elbowed her in the ribs.“Mr Jones has got his eye on you, Olivia!”

Olivia straightened up and tried to look as though she was listening. She loved history usually, but today she couldn’t think of anything except kittens. They were going to the pet shop after school to get everything, and then on to the Rescue Centre!

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The kitten finished his bowl of biscuits and licked his paw, swiping it across his nose and ears. Then he trotted over to the wire front of the pen and stood up on his hind paws, his front claws scraping on the wire. He scrabbled at it for a moment, hoping that someone might come and open it for him. Sometimes the Rescue Centre staff came to play with the kittens, when they weren’t too busy. But maybe they wouldn’t, now that it was only him.

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He unhooked his claws, and pattered sadly back to the cushion on the shelf in the corner. It was too big for just him– until yesterday, three small grey kittens had shared it, and now when he curled up he was lost in the middle. He missed his sisters. Even though the centre was kept warm, he still felt chilly all on his own.

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“The kittens are this way.” Debbie smiled at Olivia and Ben, and their mum and dad. “You haven’t changed your minds then? You’d still like one?” she teased.

“Yes!” Olivia nodded so hard her bunches shook up and down. “And we’ve got a cat basket and a litter tray and a grooming brush and some toys and two bowls!”

Debbie laughed.“All you need is the kitten then! Come on.” She led the way down the corridor, which was lined with wire-fronted enclosures. They were full of cats, all watching as Olivia walked past. She blinked, feeling suddenly sad. It wasn’t that the little pens weren’t nice – the cats all had a basket and toys, and most of the pens were built with a shelf, so the cats could be high up, where they felt safe. But they weren’t a proper home. She wondered how often they got cuddled or stroked.

“We do take them all out every day. At least once,” Debbie said quietly.

Olivia blinked. How had Debbie known what she was thinking?

“I know it doesn’t look very cosy, but it’s better than being out in the cold.” Debbie sighed. “I’d like to take them all home, but I already have five cats… I can’t really have any more…” She shook herself, and smiled firmly. “Look. The two litters of kittens are in the largepens down this side.”

“Oh…” Olivia crouched down in front of the wire pen.

Four ginger kittens were bombing around, chasing each other round a scratching post and up on to a shelf where a white cat, who Olivia guessed was their mother, was trying to sleep. They scrambled over her– she looked as though she was used to it by now, her ears didn’t even twitch – and then jumped down and did it all over again.

“Goodness,” Mum muttered. “They’re very energetic, aren’t they?”

Olivia looked up at her anxiously. She hoped Mum wasn’t changing her mind. “We’re only going to have one,” she pointed out, her voice a little squeaky with worry. “They only look bouncy because there’s so many of them.”

Debbie nodded.“Kittens are very energetic, but Olivia’s right. Just one won’t be quite so crazy. Look, we’ve got just one grey kitten left in the pen a little further down, he’s a bit calmer.”

Olivia had been so excited seeing the gorgeous ginger kittens that she’d almost forgotten there was one more.

“There were three in this litter, but two of them were rehomed yesterday. I think this little one’s feeling a bit lonely.” Debbie beckoned them along the corridor to the enclosure, where a small grey kitten was stretched out on his sleeping shelf, licking a paw and looking sad. He glanced up as Olivia and her family came closer, and Olivia laughed delightedly. His round green eyes gave him a permanent surprised look, and he had a dark smudge on his tail – almost as though someone had flicked a black paintbrush at him.

The kitten jumped down from his sleeping shelf, and pattered over to the wire front of the pen.

“He’s so beautiful, Mum,” Olivia whispered. “Look at him! He’s so cute, with his little smudgy tail!”

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“He is very sweet,” Mum agreed.

The kitten mewed hopefully. He liked Debbie, and he knew she usually came to feed him and fuss over him. And he liked the look of the other people too. Maybe they’d pick him up. They might even take him away with them. Someone had taken his sisters, so why not him?

“Where did he come from?” Dad asked. “You don’t have his mum as well, like the other kittens?”

Debbie shook her head, and sighed.“No…” She glanced at Ben and Olivia, as though she didn’t want to upset them. “These kittens were abandoned. A lady out for a walk by the canal found them. Someone had just left them in a cardboard box.”

Olivia stared at the kitten, who was pawing hopefully at the wire. How could someone just have abandoned him?

“They were lucky to be found so quickly,” Debbie added. “They were only two weeks old; they would have died if they’d been left much longer without food.” She patted Olivia’s arm, seeing how upset she was. “But the good thing about it is that the kittens were bottle-fed, which means they’re super-friendly. This one is a little love. He wants to be cuddled all the time.”

“Can we have him?” Olivia turned round. “Ben, don’t you think he’s gorgeous?”

“I suppose. The ginger ones were really fun, but he looks friendly, too,” Ben said.

“Let’s get him out so you can give him a stroke,” Debbie suggested.

“Oh, yes please…” Olivia gazed through the wire at the kitten. He was scrabbling at it now, looking as though he liked the idea too. Debbie opened the front of the pen, and laughed as he scampered out before she could catch him.

The kitten skidded to a stop in front of Olivia’s feet, and glanced up, suddenly shy. He looked at Olivia sideways, obviously wondering who she was and if she was friendly.

Olivia stretched out her fingers to him, and he sniffed them, and then rubbed the side of his face up and down her hand.“Ahhh. Do you think I could pick him up?” she asked Debbie.

“Give it a try. Don’t worry if he wriggles away, he’ll probably be a bit excited.”

But the kitten snuggled happily against Olivia’s school jumper, and purred. This was just what he wanted. So much better than being all alone in the pen, and the girl smelled nice.

Olivia stroked him gently behind the ears. His fur was soft and velvety, and he nuzzled a tiny, cold pink nose into her neck, making her giggle.“Oh, listen to him purring! He feels like a little lawn mower!”

The kitten closed his eyes happily, and kneaded his paws into Olivia’s shoulder.

Debbie smiled.“He’s definitely taken to you.”

Olivia’s eyes glowed as she looked up at her parents, kitten paws tangled in her jumper. “Please can we have him?”

“But what about the ginger ones?” Ben grumbled, but then he stroked the top of the kitten’s head. “I guess he is quite cute,” he admitted.

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Dad nodded, smiling.“So what are we going to call him then?”

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In the end, the name was obvious. Smudge just fitted. Olivia’s mum suggested Alfie, and Ben wanted to call him after his favourite footballer, but Smudge just looked like Smudge.

He fitted into the house too. Debbie had said that he was already house-trained. She’d also explained that Smudge had had all his vaccinations, and was safe to go outside, but it would be better not to let him out on his own for the first couple of weeks, while he got used to his new home. Dad was glad about that, as it gave him a bit longer to fit the cat flap.

On his first night, Olivia had left Smudge curled up in his new basket. She’d lined up all his toys next to him, and given him one of her old toy cats in case he was lonely. Then she’d refilled his water bowl, and given him a prawn-flavour cat treat as a bedtime snack.

“Olivia, it’s way past your bedtime!” Mum put an arm round her shoulders. “He’ll be fine. He’s used to the Rescue Centre. I’m sure our kitchen’s much nicer than that pen he was in.”

Olivia nodded.“Yes, but he doesn’t know our house yet, and he doesn’t understand what’s happening. What if he thinks we’re never coming back?”

“Come on. You’re not sleeping in the kitchen with him, Livvy.”

Olivia sighed and looked back sadly as Mum shooed her out. The light from the hallway gleamed in the kitten’s huge eyes. He looked sad too.

Upstairs, Olivia got ready for bed. But she couldn’t stop thinking about Smudge, alone in the dark kitchen. Perhaps she should just go and check on him?

Ben was lying on his bed reading, and he glanced up as Olivia went past.“Mum’ll hear if you sneak downstairs, Olivia. She always catches me.”

Olivia leaned round his bedroom door.“How did you know what I was doing?” she hissed. “I might just have been going to the loo!”

Ben shrugged.“I could tell by the way you were looking at the stairs.” He frowned. “Hey, is that Smudge making that noise?”

From downstairs came a faint but pitiful wailing, along with a scratching sound. The noise of kitten claws scrabbling at a kitchen door.

Olivia hung over the banisters, listening to the sad little howls.

Eventually Mum came out of the living room, frowning.“I hope he’s all right,” she said over her shoulder to Dad. “Oh, Olivia. Is he keeping you awake?”

“Can’t we let him come upstairs?” Olivia pleaded. “He sounds so lonely.”

Mum sighed and glanced at Dad.

Dad shrugged.“Well, he is house-trained.”

“Thank you!” Olivia smiled with delight, and ran down the stairs to open the kitchen door.

Smudge shot out, and she gathered him into her arms, cuddling him against her pyjamas.“Don’t worry, Smudge,” she whispered. “I’ll look after you.” She carried him upstairs, and put him down gently on her bed.

Smudge looked around interestedly, and padded up and down Olivia’s duvet, inspecting it carefully. Olivia tried not to laugh. He looked so serious. Then he marched over to her pillow, curled himself up in the hollow between the pillow and the duvet, and went to sleep.

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Chapter Three

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Smudge had only been there a few days, but Olivia’s house was definitely his home now. He had explored every possible hole and hiding place, and got stuck in several of them. But Olivia or Ben or their parents were always there to rescue him. Except for today. Dad was at work, Olivia and Ben had gone to school that morning, and as it was Thursday their mum had to go into school to work too. Smudge was all on his own for the first time, and he didn’t like it. He wandered around the house, his tail twitching. He’d already been into every room that was open, and he knew that no one was there, but he kept hoping that maybe if he looked again he would find somebody.

He padded back into the kitchen, and sniffed hopefully at the door. Olivia and Ben had taken him out into the garden when they got home from school yesterday. It had been his first taste of the outside world, and his ears flickered back and forth as he remembered watching the birds, and chasing after the little jingly ball that Olivia had rolled along the patio.

There it was, in the corner by the kitchen cupboards. Smudge trotted over and patted the ball with one paw. It rolled along, the little bell jingling, and he pounced on it. The ball slid along the polished tiles, and so did Smudge, rolling over on to his back, wriggling and clawing at it. But then the ball slid away from his paws and stopped against the kitchen table leg, and it wasn’t as much fun any more.

Grumpily, Smudge lay there on his back, licking his paws. He’d already had quite a long sleep in the recycling box on the kitchen counter. (Ben had emptied it that morning, and it was just the right size for Smudge to feel cosy in, much better than his basket.) Now he wanted someone to play with.

Perhaps by the time he got upstairs, Olivia would be back in her bedroom? He trotted through to the hallway and started to struggle up the stairs.

He was big enough to climb them, but it was an effort, and he had to scrabble and heave himself up each step. He sat down for a little while at the top of the stairs, his sides heaving, and then he crept along the landing and nosed his way round Olivia’s door.

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She wasn’t there. The room was empty.

Smudge crept under Olivia’s bed. He picked his way between two tottering piles of books, and pounced on the flex of Olivia’s hair-dryer. Then, yawning, he snuggled himself inside her gym bag. He liked small spaces, and climbing the stairs had worn him out. When he woke up, surely they would all be back?

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“I can’t believe it’s only lunchtime,” Olivia muttered, checking her watch for the hundredth time.

“Are you missing Smudge?” Lucie grinned at her.

Olivia nodded.“It’s the first time we’ve left him alone all day. I really hope he’s OK. He nearly climbed out of the living-room window yesterday. I caught him just as he was sticking his head out.”

“He still isn’t allowed out then? Isn’t he old enough?”

“He’s ten weeks, so he could go outside, but Debbie said it’s best if we wait until we’ve had him a bit longer before letting him out on his own. It already feels like he’s been with us for ages, though. He isn’t shy or nervous at all.” Then she shook her head. “Except for yesterday, when we took Smudge into the garden with us, and Ben got him with his water pistol. Hesaid it was an accident, but I don’t know…”

Lucie sighed.“I’m so jealous. I love Tiger, but he’s really old and just sleeps all day. Can I come and see Smudge soon?” she asked hopefully.

Olivia nodded. She was desperate to show off how gorgeous Smudge was.“Do you want to come to tea tomorrow? Mum’s doing playground duty, we could go and ask her.”

They ran over to Olivia’s mum, who was turning the end of a skipping rope for a bunch of year one girls. “Mum, can Lucie come to tea tomorrow? She really wants to see Smudge.”

Mum frowned.“Oh, not Friday, Lucie, sorry. Ben’s already invited Rob. I’ll ask your mum about popping over at the weekend,” she suggested, and Lucie nodded, looking pleased, but Olivia was frowning.

“Rob’s coming? To tea? Mum, does he have to? Ben always plays up when Rob’s round, they’ll be awful! They might upset Smudge!”

“I’m sure they won’t, Olivia. Oh dear! Up you get, Sinead!” One of the year ones had tripped over the rope, and Mum went to pick her up.

Olivia sighed, and glanced at Lucie.“I bet they will. You know what Ben’s like. And with Rob there he’s three times as bad. I’ll just have to keep Smudge with me the whole time.”

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“Smudge! Where are you, puss?” As soon as Olivia got home from school, she dropped her bag, pulled off her coat, and dashed upstairs to search for him. Maybe he was having a sleep on her bed? As she pushed her bedroom door wide open, there was a little mew and Smudge wriggled out from under herbed. A pile of books toppled over as he shot out and scrambled into her lap. Olivia giggled. “Mum’s right, I really do need to tidy up, especially if you’re going to go exploring under there. Those books nearly squashed your tail!” She settled down to do her homework with Smudge purring on her knee. When she’d finished she carried him downstairs, and wandered into the kitchen to talk to Mum. Ben was out in the garden building a den in the apple tree.

“Mum, does Rob have to come to tea tomorrow?”

Mum looked up from the saucepan she was stirring.“Well, yes. It’s all arranged. What’s the matter, Livvy?”

Olivia shrugged.“I don’t want him to…” she whispered. “He does stupid stuff, and he makes Ben do stupid stuff too. They always get into trouble.”

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Mum sighed.“I know they’re a bit naughty. But Rob is Ben’s best friend. Can’t you just stay out of their way tomorrow, love?”

“But what if they upset Smudge? Can I take him up to my room tomorrow to keep him out of their way too?”

Mum looked at her seriously for a moment, and shook her head.“Olivia, Ben wants to show Smudge off to Rob. I know you really love Smudge, and he’s taken to you so well, but he’s not just yours, sweetheart. He’s Ben’s kitten as well.”

Olivia nodded miserably. She knew Mum was right, but it didn’t help. Smudgefelt like he was her kitten, and she didn’t want the boys anywhere near him.

“Hello, Smudge!” Olivia’s dad walked in, and tickled the kitten under the chin.

Then Ben flung open the kitchen door, and stomped muddy footprints across the floor.“Is it dinnertime yet?”

“Shoes off!” Mum grabbed him. “And then it is, yes.”

Olivia rolled her eyes at Mum.“You see?” she muttered. She let Smudge down to the floor and went to help pass the bowls of pasta round.

“What?” Ben asked, as he hopped around taking off his trainers.

Olivia folded her arms.“I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have Rob over tomorrow. Not when we’ve only had Smudge for three days. Rob’ll probably get Smudge to … to climb trees or something. You always do stupid things with him! Like that time you dug a tunnel and pulled up all Dad’s daffodil bulbs!”

Ben shook his head.“That so isn’t fair! For a start, we didn’t know they were there! And anyway, Rob loves cats. He’s been asking his mum and dad for one for ages. He can’t wait to meet Smudge.”

“Oh…” Olivia muttered.

“Actually, where is Smudge?” Mum asked.

Olivia looked down, expecting to see him by her feet, hoping to be fed. But he wasn’t there.

“I don’t know.” Olivia went to look in the hallway, but then there was a worried little meow from somewhere on the other side of the kitchen.

Mum frowned.“Where on earth is he?”

The meowing got louder.

“I think he’s behind the cooker!” Ben said suddenly.

“But it’s still hot from cooking dinner!” Mum cried.

Olivia dashed over to the cooker.“Smudge, come out of there!”

But Smudge only mewed louder.

“He’s stuck,” Olivia muttered, crouching down and trying to reach behind the cooker. “Ow, and it’s hot. I can’t get to him. I think he got trapped and now he can’t turn round!”

Dad shook his head.“What is it with that kitten? The smaller the space, the more he likes it. I’ll have to pull it out a bit.”

He dragged the cooker out from the wall, and Smudge darted out and ran to Olivia. He was trembling, and covered in dust balls– he looked even furrier than usual.

Mum shook her head.“I don’t think Smudge needs the boys to get him into trouble, Olivia. He can manage it perfectly well on his own!”

Chapter Four

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After school on Friday, Olivia ran into the house ahead of Rob and Ben, looking for Smudge.

The little grey kitten slipped round the living-room door, mewing excitedly, and purred as she picked him up. Olivia stroked him lovingly, and then took a step back as Rob came over to her. She was used to Rob racing around the playground with Ben, chasing people and getting into trouble. She wasn’t sure he knew how to be careful with a kitten.

“Hey! He’s really cute!”

Olivia nodded slowly.

“Can I stroke him? Will he mind?” Even Rob’s voice was gentler than usual.

“Um, OK…” Olivia looked on anxiously, but Rob tickled Smudge behind the ears – his favourite place, and Smudge purred and wriggled so that Olivia had to hand him over, letting him fasten his claws in Rob’s school sweater.

“He likes you!” Ben commented. “Come on, bring him up to my room.” He grabbed Smudge’s favourite jingly ball and a squeaky mouse.

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“But…” Olivia watched as the boys thundered up the stairs, taking Smudge with them. She started to run after them, but Mum called her back. “Leave them on their own, Olivia.”

“But they’ve taken Smudge up there. What are they going to do with him?”

Mum laughed.“Just play with him, like you do! Rob seems to really like him. Come on, Livvy. Come and make some chocolate-chip cookies with me, we can have them after tea.”

Olivia sighed. She supposed Mum was right. Maybe she was just feeling jealous because Smudge seemed to like Rob.

They were in the middle of cutting out the biscuits, when Ben and Rob and Smudge came down to watch TV. Olivia looked at Smudge carefully, but he seemed to be all right. The boys hadn’t trimmed his whiskers, or painted him blue, or done any of the other stupid things she’d been imagining.

A little later, Ben came into the kitchen.“Are the cookies ready yet? They smell fantastic.”

“The first trayful are nearly done, but they’re for after tea, Ben! We’re having fish fingers. And I can see you stealing the chocolate!” Mum waved a spoon at him, as Ben popped a handful of choc drops into his mouth, grinning.

“Where’s Smudge?” Olivia asked anxiously.

“Sitting on the sofa with Rob – calm down, Olivia! He’s fine. Rob thinks he’s great.”

Olivia stared out of the kitchen door, hoping Smudge might come in to see her. But he stayed with Rob.

[Êàðòèíêà: _4.jpg]

Smudge yawned, and stretched out his paws. Rob was stroking him very nicely, but he wanted to go and see what Olivia was doing. He hadn’t seen her all day, and he wanted her to play with him. And he was hungry. There were food smells coming from the kitchen, good fishy smells, he thought. He stood up sleepily, getting ready to jump off Rob’s lap.

Rob looked down.“Where are you going, Smudge?” He tickled him under the chin and Smudge purred. Maybe he wouldn’t go just yet.

“Ben’s so lucky,” Rob murmured gently. “I wish I had a kitten like you.” He sighed, and picked up his school bag from the floor, rooting around in it.

Smudge peered over, and stuck his nose in. It smelled good.

Rob laughed.“I’m just looking for my Polos, but I don’t think they’re good for cats. Oh, I bet I know what you can smell. My leftover ham sandwich.” He laughed again as Smudge stuck his whole head in the bag. “Where are you going?”

Smudge could smell the delicious ham at the bottom of the bag, and he wriggled all the way in.

“Hey, Ben’s going to think I’m taking you home.” Rob grinned. But then his smile faded a little. Smudge popped his head out of the bag, licking round his jaws hopefully. “There isn’t any more, Smudge, sorry.”

The little kitten yawned widely, and ducked back into the bag, curling up at the bottom and closing his eyes.

[Êàðòèíêà: _14.jpg]

Rob shook his head.“I can’t believe you’re asleep in my school bag.” He stared at Smudge thoughtfully and sighed. “I really could take you home…”

[Êàðòèíêà: _4.jpg]

“Mrs Williams…”

“Oh, hello, Rob. Do you want to help with the cookies?”

Rob was standing by the kitchen door, looking shifty.“Um. No. I have to go home. Um, I feel sick.”

“Oh dear!” Olivia’s mum put down the tray of biscuits, and hurried over to him.

Ben and Olivia stared at Rob in surprise.“You don’t look ill,” Ben said.

“Has it just suddenly come over you?” Olivia’s mum asked. “Are you hot?”

Rob backed away from her, and nodded.“Yes. And I feelreally sick. Please can I ring my mum?”

“Of course.” She handed him the phone. “You poor thing.”

Rob took the phone out into the hallway, and they could hear him explaining urgently to his mum.

“He does sound very upset, poor Rob,” Olivia’s mum said anxiously.

“He was fine ten minutes ago,” Ben muttered.

Olivia frowned.“I bet he’s broken something. And he doesn’t want to get into trouble. Did he mess anything up in your room?”

“Don’t be silly, Olivia. The boys have just been watching TV. How could he have broken anything?” Mum glared at her crossly. “You mustn’t be mean.”

“She’s coming.” Rob stood at the kitchen door, holding out the phone to Olivia’s mum.

Rob’s mum arrived a few minutes later, and Olivia’s mum chatted to her, while Rob lurked impatiently by the door. “I’m really sorry. I don’t think it’s anything he’s eaten – we hadn’t even had tea.”

Rob’s mum shook her head. “It’s probably just something going round – I only hope he hasn’t given it to Ben and Olivia. At least he’s got the weekend to recover. Anyway, I’d better get him home. Thank you for having him!”

Rob darted into the living room and came out carrying his school bag. He was holding it against his tummy, hunching over, and his mum looked at him worriedly.“Oh dear, you do look as though you might be sick. Come on, let’s get you home.” She led him down the path to the car.

Mum closed the door and hurried into the kitchen.“I’d forgotten about the fish fingers with all of that going on; I’m afraid they might be a bit crispy…”

“Can Smudge have one of Rob’s ones?” Olivia asked. “I bet he’d love a fish finger.” Then she jumped up suddenly. “Where is Smudge?” she asked, her voice a little panicky. “I haven’t seen him in ages. Rob was cuddling him in the living room.”

“Perhaps Rob shut the living-room door?” Mum suggested, as she served up tea. “He’s probably stuck in there.”

But the living-room door was open and there was no Smudge on the sofa, or hiding behind it to leap out at Olivia as she searched around. She darted upstairs to look in her room.

“Smudge! Smudge! Mum, he’s not in there, and I’ve checked upstairs, and I can’t find him anywhere!” Olivia ran back into the kitchen.

[Êàðòèíêà: _15.jpg]

Ben was sitting at the table eating a huge pile of fish fingers– his and Rob’s. “He’ll be under your bed or something. I’ll come and help you look.” But Smudge wasn’t in either of their rooms, and he hadn’t climbed into the bath and got stuck. He wasn’t in the airing cupboard on the towels either.

“Could he have got out somehow?” Ben asked when they came back downstairs.

Mum frowned.“I’m sure all the windows were shut. After he nearly got out yesterday I was a bit worried he might try that again.”

Olivia nodded.“I checked all the windows this morning, before we went to school.”

Mum sighed.“Smudge must be hiding somewhere, like he always does. He’ll pop out at us in a minute, I’m sure.”

Olivia turned to Ben, her hands on her hips.“Did you and Rob let him outside?”

Ben stared at her, wide-eyed.“He was just watching TV with us, Olivia. We didn’t evengo out, so how’s it our fault suddenly?”

“I bet that’s why Rob wanted to go home.” Olivia sat down on a chair as her knees suddenly felt shaky. “He was scared he was going to get into trouble. You let him out. I can’t believe you’d do that!” she yelled.

“Olivia!” Mum warned. “You’re just jumping to conclusions.”

“We didn’t let him out!” Ben stood up angrily. “How many times do I have to say it?” He stomped out of the kitchen, muttering. “I’m going to look for him upstairs. He must be here somewhere.”

Olivia slumped on her chair, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. However much Ben denied it, she was sure the boys had let Smudge get out– either by accident, or as part of some stupid game. Smudge was so little! He’d only been outside once, and he’d had her and Ben there to make sure he didn’t escape from the garden, or get himself stuck somewhere. Just thinking of all the places where he might hurt himself made her feel sick.

Chapter Five

[Êàðòèíêà: _2.jpg]

Smudge woke up, and was surprised to find that everything was dark, and the bag was bumping around. The little kitten swayed from side to side, mewing with fright. Where was Olivia? Why was he stuck in here? He needed Olivia to let him out!

“Hey, ssshhh. I’m going to get you out of there.”

The bag opened, and Smudge could see Rob peering inside. He gave a soft little mew. This wasn’t right. He had thought that Olivia would come and find him. He cowered back against the bottom of the bag, and hissed as Rob tried to open it up a bit more. The boy had been kind before, stroking and cuddling him, and feeding him sandwiches, but now Smudge was confused, and he wanted Olivia.

“Hey, Smudge. Don’t you want to get out? Come and see my bedroom,” Rob said, gently reaching in to pick up the kitten.

Smudge spat crossly as a warning, and when Rob didn’t take his hand away, he clawed at it, hard.

[Êàðòèíêà: _16.jpg]

“Ow!” Rob sat back, sucking at the bleeding scratch. Then he sighed. “OK. I suppose I’d scratch if I got shut up in a bag and bounced around all over the place. Maybe I’d better get you something else to eat.” He smiled at Smudge. “You liked that ham sandwich, didn’t you?”

Smudge saw him stand up.

“I’ll go and see what’s in the fridge, but I might be a while. Mum still thinks I’m sick, so I’ll have to wait till she’s not looking. Back soon. Here, you can play with this ball, it’s got spikes, look! That’d be fun, wouldn’t it? See you in a minute, Smudge.”

The bedroom door clicked, and Smudge waited, his heart thumping. Had the boy gone? Was it safe to come out?

Slowly, cautiously, he wriggled out of the bag.

[Êàðòèíêà: _4.jpg]

“I can’t find him anywhere.” Ben was standing in the doorway, and his voice had changed. He wasn’t angry any more, he sounded frightened.

“I told you so!” Olivia swiped a hand across her eyes. “You must have opened a window, or let him out of the kitchen door, or something!”

“We didn’t! You and Mum were in the kitchen the whole time, how could we let him out of here?”

“Ben’s right, Olivia, you’re not being fair.”

“Even if Ben didn’t let him out, his stupid friend did!” Olivia sobbed. “And now Smudge is lost!”

“I didn’t let him out, I promise I didn’t, and Rob didn’t either. He would have said if something had happened.” Ben’s voice was shaking now.

“Both of you calm down. Olivia, try and stop crying, sweetheart, it’s only making you feel worse. Come on. We’ll all do another proper search round the house. Look at yesterday, when Smudge got himself stuck behind the oven! He’s around somewhere, I’m sure of it.”

Olivia shook her head.“Then why can’t we hear him? If he was here and stuck, he’d be meowing, Mum. Wouldn’t he?”

Mum got up.“Maybe you’re right. If Smudge was shut in somewhere, we’d hear him. We’d better go and check outside. Maybe there’s a window open that we’ve missed.”

“I told you!” Olivia wailed. “Rob let him out, he must have done.”

Even Ben was looking less certain now.“Rob wouldn’t just let him out – I told him Smudge wasn’t allowed outside on his own yet…”

They hurried out into the garden, calling and calling, but apart from next-door’s cat, Lily, who looked very curiously at them, the garden was empty. It was starting to get dark, and cold. Olivia shivered, thinking of Smudge outside in the chilly wind.

[Êàðòèíêà: _17.jpg]

“What about the garden shed?” Mum suggested, trying to think of places a kitten might find interesting. “Could he have squeezed himself in there somehow?”

The shed door was tightly shut, but they checked anyway. And under the patio furniture, and behind the pile of flower pots, and even up the cherry tree.

Smudge was nowhere to be found.

“You two stay here, I’ll just go and ask Sally next door if she’s seen him,” Mum said. “Why don’t you go and have another look inside?”

“I’m sorry I said you let him out,” Olivia muttered, as they peered behind the sofa. “I know you wouldn’t really.”

“Do you think he’ll be all right?” Ben asked miserably. “I just don’t see where he can be!”

Olivia stood up again, and went to check behind the curtains, but then she stopped.“Rob forgot his lunchbox,” she said slowly, pointing at a Star Wars lunchbox down by the side of the sofa. “And a load of his books, look. His reading record and everything…”

[Êàðòèíêà: _18.jpg]

Ben frowned.“Why would he take all that stuff out of his bag?”

“His bag… He was carrying it in a funny way.” Olivia stared at Ben, her eyes wide. “Ben, he didn’t let Smudge out, hestole him! Rob put Smudge in his school bag and took him home!”

“Don’t be stupid,” Ben said, but he was chewing his thumbnail worriedly. “He wouldn’t…What’s he going to do, hide Smudge in his room? I know he really wanted a pet, but he wouldn’t steal our cat…”

“I bet you he did,” Olivia told him grimly. She heard the sound of the key in the lock, and rushed out into the hallway. “Mum! We think we know where Smudge is!”

Chapter Six

[Êàðòèíêà: _2.jpg]

Smudge gazed around the room. He had no idea where he was, but he knew this wasn’t home and he wanted to get away. His ears were laid back, listening for footsteps. But no one was coming. He had to get out and find Olivia. He shook his head, feeling dazed from bumping around in the bag. His nose was still full of the smell of ham sandwich, and the musty scent of the inside of the bag, but there was something else…

The window was open! Smudge’s eyes widened a little.

Rob’s bed was pushed up against the wall. If he could jump on to that, it was only a little climb to the windowsill. But the bed was very high up. Much higher than the steps on the stairs he’d struggled with. Smudge glanced anxiously round at the door. He was sure the boy would be back soon. He had to be quick. With a huge effort, he ran at the bed, hooking his claws into the duvet cover and scrabbling upwards furiously. From the top of the bed it didn’t look such a small climb to the windowsill after all, but Rob had nice long curtains. Smudge raced up them, his heart hammering, leaving apattern of little hooked loops all the way up. And then he scrambled up on to the windowsill.

[Êàðòèíêà: _19.jpg]

He peered out of the open window, his nose twitching, trying to see where to go next. But below him was only a straight wall down to the garden. Smudge teetered on the edge of the window, his tail flicking anxiously back and forth. He had to get out, and this was the only way. He edged a little further, on to the outside windowsill. He could see all the way along the garden, and he was sure that if he could get down there, he could find his way back to Olivia somehow. But it was a long way to jump… He paced up and down, mewing pitifully. He was cold, out there on the windowsill. The sky was darkening, and there was a chill wind ruffling his fur. It shook the branches of the tree in the corner of the garden, and they kept tapping against the wall and scraping the windowsill.

Smudge crouched on the windowsill, shivering, and watching the twigs brushing against the wall. It was the only way down, but the branches were like thin little fingers. He had never climbed a tree, and certainly never climbeddown one.

Suddenly, Smudge whipped round. He could hear the door handle turning. He had to go now! He sprang on to the nearest branch that looked strong enough to hold him, and mewed with fright as it wobbled and dipped underneath him. He clung on desperately, digging his claws into the bark, and wailed as a gust of wind shook the tree again.

He scrabbled his way along the branch towards the tree trunk, and skidded and bumped down to the fence, where he perched, mewing with fright. It was a very narrow fence, but at least it wasn’t shaking – or not as much as the tree had been.

[Êàðòèíêà: _20.jpg]

Smudge teetered, trying to work out which way to jump. Back into the garden? But then the boy might come and find him. So, down the other side of the fence? There was long grass down there that looked soft enough to jump on to. But he had no idea where the alley went, or if it would lead back to Olivia. There were only a few battered-looking garages.

He jumped, bouncing down the side of the fence, and landing in a flurry of paws on the soft grass. Now where should he go?

[Êàðòèíêà: _4.jpg]

“Yes, Rob’s here, I’ll just get him, Ben.”

Ben put his hand over the phone receiver and nodded to Olivia and Mum.“He’s coming.”

Olivia sat forward on the sofa, trying to listen, and Ben rolled his eyes and pressed the speakerphone button. Rob’s voice echoed out into the room.

“What is it?” He sounded jumpy and worried.

“Where’s Smudge?” Ben demanded.

“What do you mean?”

“He knows!” Olivia hissed. Rob was trying to sound as though he didn’t understand, but he wasn’t very good at it.

“We found all your stuff. You took him away in your school bag, didn’t you?” Ben said angrily.

“I’m sorry…” Rob muttered finally. “It was all a mistake. Smudge was sniffing around my bag, and then he climbed in and went to sleep. I just wanted to have him for a bit to see what it would be like…”

“You stole him!” Olivia yelled down the phone. “Bring him back now!”

There was silence. Then Rob whispered,“I can’t…”

“What do you mean, you can’t?” Ben asked.

“He’s gone.” Rob sounded almost like he was crying.

“You’velost him!” Olivia cried.

“I think he got out of my bedroom window,” Rob gulped. “He must have done. I searched my whole room, and he just wasn’t anywhere. I’m sorry.”

Mum reached out for the phone.“Rob, can you get your mother for me, please.”

Olivia didn’t even hear as her mum and Rob’s tried to sort out what was going on. She was slumped on the sofa, her hands squashed into her eyes to stop herself from crying.

Eventually Mum ended the call, and put one arm round Olivia, and one round Ben.

[Êàðòèíêà: _21.jpg]

“It looks like Rob did take Smudge,” she said slowly. “His mum said she couldn’t believe he’d do something so stupid. He hadn’t told her what had happened. She’s really sorry.”

“What are we going to do?” Olivia wailed. “Can we go round to Rob’s house and look for Smudge?”

“Rob’s dad just came home, and he’s going out to look, and ask all the neighbours,” Mum explained. “I don’t think there’s much point in us going over there, it’s almost dark. Rob’s mum said he thinks Smudge must have been gone for about half an hour, he could have got away down the road.”

“But it’s so cold,” Olivia whispered. “Smudge is out there all on his own!”

Chapter Seven

[Êàðòèíêà: _2.jpg]

Smudge was still hiding in the long grass, wondering what to do. He was dreadfully hungry. If he was at home, he was sure it would be teatime. A bowl of crunchy biscuits, or perhaps some of the meaty stuff he really liked. The thought of food made him more determined. He had to go home. He crept out of the clump of grass, and looked around the alleyway worriedly. He had no idea if he was close to Olivia’s house or not.

Perhaps he could call for Olivia? But then, he was still very close to the house. What if that boy heard him?

He took a few steps down the alley, his fur prickling. The air felt strange, and it was making him edgy. He carried on, hoping desperately that he would see some sign of Olivia. Wouldn’t she come and look for him? Now he was further away from Rob’s house, he risked mewing hopefully. But no one was around to hear him.

A large raindrop landed suddenly on his nose, and he jumped back in surprise. It was followed by another and another, and in seconds Smudge’s fur was soaked and clinging to him. The rain was followed by a strange eerie flash that seemed to split the dark sky and then a rolling boom of thunder. Smudge shot across the alley to the tumbledown garages, looking for a place to hide. They were all locked up, but he spotted a hole, where a brick had come loose, and squeezed himself inside. There was another crash of thunder. Startled, he jumped back, bumping into a pile of boxes and paint tins, which fell clattering all around him.

Smudge scampered away with a terrified squeak. When he looked back, he saw that a heavy wooden box had fallen right in front of his hole. He was trapped.

He sprang forward, frantically mewing and clawing at the box, but it was far too heavy for him to move.

At last he stopped scrabbling, and sat back, exhausted. He wove his way through the dusty darkness, round the piles of boxes and bikes and all sorts of rubbish that was stored in the garage, hoping to find another hole. But he couldn’t find even the tiniest gap.

[Êàðòèíêà: _22.jpg]

Miserably he settled down on a pile of old dust sheets. It was cold, and he was starving, and he wanted to be on Olivia’s lap on the sofa. Sadly, he snuffled himself to sleep.

[Êàðòèíêà: _4.jpg]

“Look at the rain,” Olivia whispered, peering out of the living-room window.

Mum came up behind her, and hugged her.“I’m sure he’s tucked himself away somewhere safe. We’ll find him tomorrow.”

“He’s only ever been out in the garden with us.” Olivia turned to look at Mum, her eyes wide and worried. “He’s never been out in the rain! And the thunder’s so scary, he must be terrified.”

“Like you,” Ben muttered from her doorway. But he didn’t seem to be putting much effort into teasing her. He sounded too miserable to bother. He came over to the window, and stared at the rain. “Rob’s dad phoned just now. He’s asked all the neighbours to look out for Smudge, but he had to stop looking and come back inside – he said he couldn’t see anything, it was raining so hard.”

Their dad came in, carrying the phone.“Olivia, it’s Lucie on the phone for you.”

Olivia took the phone reluctantly. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to talk to Lucie or not. She desperately wanted to tell someone how angry she was with Rob, but at the same time she didn’t want to have to say that Smudge was missing.

“Hi, Olivia! Mum says I can come round to yours tomorrow, if you like. Would that be OK with your mum?”

“I don’t know…” Olivia whispered, her eyes prickling with tears.

“Oh, are you going out?” Lucie’s voice was disappointed. “I was hoping we could play with Smudge. I really want to see him!”

Olivia sniffed, and then sobbed.“He’s gone!”

There was a confused silence on the other end of the line.“You mean, he had to go back to the Rescue Centre?” Lucie said at last.

“No. You know Rob was coming for tea with Ben – he took him.”

“Rob Ford stole your kitten?” Lucie sounded as though she didn’t quite believe it.

Olivia gave a cross little laugh.“I know it sounds stupid, but he really did! He even owned up to it. But then Smudge tried to get away from him and climbed out of his bedroom window, and now we don’t know where he is!”

“What are you going to do?” Lucie whispered in horror.

“We’re going to look for him tomorrow – Mum says it’s too dark to go round there now. But he could be anywhere, Lucie. And it’s a horrible night.”

“Can I come and help you look? I bet my mum will come too. The more people the more chance there is we’ll spot him,” Lucie suggested.

For the first time since she’d realized Smudge was gone, Olivia felt a little bit better. “Would you really help look?”

“Call me tomorrow and let me know when,” Lucie told her firmly. “We’ll find him.”

“OK,” Olivia whispered. “Thanks, Lucie. See you in the morning.” She put the phone back in its cradle. “Lucie’s going to come over and help us look,” she explained to Mum and Dad.

Dad nodded.“That’s nice of her. Look, I think you should go to bed. You’re only sitting here making yourself feel worse. And we want to get up early and go and look for Smudge.”

[Êàðòèíêà: _23.jpg]

Olivia nodded, and went up to her room, but she didn’t think she’d be able to get to sleep. And when she did, she was sure she was going to dream about Smudge all night. Smudge lost and all alone, and wondering why she hadn’t come to find him.

She lay in her warm bed, listening to the rain drumming on the roof outside her window, and hoping that Smudge was tucked away somewhere safe. But he could be anywhere, she thought worriedly, turning over, and huddling under her duvet. What if they never found him? What would they say to the people from the Rescue Centre? Debbie had said they would call in the next few days to see how they were getting on, and whether Smudge was settling in. They would have to tell her that they had lost him! Or actually, that a stupid, selfish, idiot boy had stolen him.

Olivia thumped her pillow. At least being angry with Rob had stopped her wanting to cry. She wondered if someone could be sent to prison for stealing a kitten. Rob certainly deserved it. Dreamily, she imagined Rob in handcuffs, and herself standing there, with Smudge purring in her arms, watching as the police led him away.

It seemed so real. For a moment, she could hear Smudge purring, she was sure. But it was only the rain, beating against her window.

Chapter Eight

[Êàðòèíêà: _2.jpg]

Smudge woke up, shivering. Although he had huddled himself into the pile of dustsheets, it was freezing inside the garage. He felt so cold he could hardly move. At last he stood up gingerly, stretching out his paws and fluffing up his fur to keep himself as warm as possible. He was sure that he was colder because he was so hungry. The last food he’d had was the sandwich in that boy’s bag yesterday afternoon, and now he felt horribly empty.

It was getting light. There were dirty, greyish windows at the top of the walls, just under the roof, and a little watery sunshine was fighting its way in. Somehow it made Smudge feel more cheerful, even if it wasn’t making him much warmer. In the light he could see that the garage was full of piles of old junk – bits of cars and bikes, piles of pots of paint, and lots of dust. Last night it had just been strange shapes that wobbled when he scurried past them. It was all a lot less scary in the daylight.

He jumped down from his pile of dust sheets, his legs still stiff and achy from the cold, and started to search for a way out. Last night, with the rain pouring down, the garage had at least been a shelter. Now it was stopping him going home to Olivia, and he was determined to escape. Surely now it was lighter he would be able to find another hole somewhere? Smudge made his way along the wall, sniffing and nudging at the concrete blocks.

Edging round the side of a large box, his whiskers twitched hopefully as he spotted a little light coming through a crack at the bottom of the wall. He nosed at it eagerly, and then his whiskers drooped again. It was such a very small gap. But he had to try. The rest of the walls were made from solid concrete blocks, but here one of the blocks seemed to have broken, and it had been patched up with a metal sheet on the outside. If he wriggled into the dark gap between the blocks, there was a tiny hole. Perhaps if he clawed at it for a while, it might give way?

[Êàðòèíêà: _24.jpg]

Smudge scrabbled hopefully, his tiny claws making an eerie screeching noise against the rough metal sheet. He scratched and scraped for what seemed like ages, till his claws ached, but when he stopped and pressed his nose against the hole, it didn’t seem to have got any bigger at all…

[Êàðòèíêà: _4.jpg]

“Olivia! What time is it?” Dad moaned.

“Um, half-past five. You said we’d get up early and go straight round to Rob’s!”

“I meant more like seven…” Dad murmured wearily.

“Go back to bed until half-past six,” Mum added. “We can’t go and wake up Rob’s family this early.”

Olivia sighed. She supposed Mum was right. But she had been lying awake since five, watching her bedroom get lighter and lighter. As soon as it seemed to be light enough to search for a kitten, she had got up.

She mooched back into her room, and lay down on her bed. She wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep. Instead she grabbed a notebook from her bedside table, and started to make a list of things it would be useful to take with them on the search.

A torch, in case they had to look anywhere dark, Olivia thought. Under a shed or something like that. Smudge’s favourite snacks. He really liked the little heart-shaped chicken ones. Olivia had done a taste test on five different sorts, and he always went for the chicken ones first. If he was stuck up a tree or anything like that, he would definitely come down for them.

What else? Olivia chewed the end of her pencil. A ladder? She wasn’t sure Dad would want to carry one around.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Mum put her head round Olivia’s door. Olivia gazed up at her. Of course she was! How could she go back to sleep?

“Can I get up?” she asked eagerly.

Mum nodded.“Yes. But we’re not going anywhere until you’ve had some breakfast. Just a quick bowl of cereal, that’s all,” she added, seeing Olivia was about to moan. “If you eat, you’ll be able to hunt for him better.”

Olivia dressed quickly, and then ran downstairs to gulp down the bowl of cereal that Mum insisted on. Then she fetched the torch and the snacks, and stood by the front door, waiting impatiently for Mum and Dad and Ben.

“What about Lucie?” she asked Mum, who was putting on her coat.

“I’ve texted her mum. It’s still only seven-thirty, Olivia, I didn’t want to get her out of bed. But I’ve told her where we’ll be; she can call my mobile if she and Lucie want to come.”

Dad gave an enormous yawn.“Everyone ready?”

[Êàðòèíêà: _4.jpg]

They met Rob’s dad halfway down Rob’s road, crouching down to look under a big wheelie bin.

“No luck yet then?” Mum asked.

He shook his head.“Not yet. But he can’t have gone far. I’m really sorry about this. Rob feels terrible. He’s looking further up the road with his mum.”

So he should! Olivia thought. But being furious with Rob didn’t really help.

She and Ben and Mum and Dad set off up the road, calling and peering over fences. Olivia kept shaking the treats, hoping to see a little grey kitten dash eagerly towards her, like he did at home.

Half an hour later, they were back outside Rob’s house, and everyone looked rather hopeless. Especially Rob. It seemed as though he’d been crying, and Olivia almost felt sorry for him.

“Not a sign,” Dad said, frowning. “And none of the people we asked had spotted him.”

“Should we go further? The next street?” Rob’s mum asked doubtfully.

“Oh, look!” Mum pointed down the road.

“What is it? Can you see him?” Olivia gasped.

“Sorry, Olivia. It’s Lucie, down at the end of the road, with her mum.”

Lucie came runninng up the road as soon as she spotted Olivia.“We’ll find him,” she promised, seeing her friend’s miserable face and hugging her tightly.

“I’m sure we will,” her mum agreed, as they reached the little crowd outside Rob’s house. “There’s lots of us looking now.”

Everyone was still discussing where to look next.

“He couldn’t still be in your garden, hidden away?” Olivia suggested.

“We looked. We really did,” Rob mumbled.

But his mum nodded.“We did, but if Smudge was frightened, he might have hidden himself. Maybe if Ben and Olivia went and called him? It’s worth a try, anyway.” She led them down the side of the house and into the back garden, and went inside to make some tea for everyone.

“Smudge! Smudge!” Olivia shook the cat treats again and again, and Ben jingled Smudge’s favourite ball. Lucie walked around the garden searching under all the bushes. But Smudge didn’t appear. The garden was so quiet and empty.

I don’t think we’re ever going to find him, Olivia thought, staring sadly at the house. She knew Smudge had been here just last night, but he hadn’t left even the tiniest clue. “Is that your window?” she asked Rob, who was lurking on the patio. She could see football stickers on a window that looked desperately high up. Had Smudge really climbed out of there?

Lucie gulped.“That’s so high!”

Rob nodded miserably.“I think he must have jumped into that tree.”

The girls went over to look at it. It was a plum tree– they could see the odd fruit still left at the top of the branches. It filled the gap between the house and the fence, and some of the branches spilled over the other side.

“What’s over there?” Ben asked, trying to scramble up and grab the top of the fence.

“Just some old garages and stuff. There’s an alley that runs from the road behind ours,” Rob said. “But the fence is really solid. He couldn’t have got under it. He must have gone round the side of the house and out the front.”

But Olivia stared at the tree and the fence, thoughtfully.“What if he didn’t go under the fence? Couldn’t he have goneover it?”

“Of course not, look how tall it is…” Ben trailed off. “Oh! From the tree!”

[Êàðòèíêà: _25.jpg]

Olivia nodded.“How do we get round there?”

Rob lead them round the side of the house, and Ben popped his head through the back door to explain they were going to look in the alleyway.

“We’ll just be five minutes,” he said quickly, and they vanished into the alley before anyone had time to stop them.

“Why didn’t we think of it before?” Rob muttered, as they hurried off. “We just thought he must have gone out the front way.”

The alley ran along halfway between Rob’s house and the one next door, but they had to go into the next street to get into it. It was very narrow, with a row of tumbledown old garages – and lots of hiding places for a kitten.

“Smudge!” Olivia tore the treats packet open with her teeth, and shook out a handful.

Inside the garage, Smudge was pacing up and down by the hole in the wall. He had to keep trying– he had to get out! He scraped determinedly at the metal sheet, ignoring his sore paws. Then his ears pricked up suddenly as he heard the sound of a familiar voice. Was that Olivia? Had she come to find him? He scrabbled furiously at the wall again, trying to show her where he was.

“Hey, what was that?” Lucie said suddenly. “Something scratching!”

Everyone froze, holding their breath, waiting for the sound again.

“I can’t hear anything!” Ben hissed.

“Shh! Listen, there it is again!” Lucie whispered.

Olivia jumped, dropping half the treats on the ground.“I heard it too! It must be him. Smudge, where are you?” she called.

There was silence for a minute, and then a loud, desperate meow.

“It is! It is! Where is he? Smudge, we’re coming to find you!” Olivia called, running towards the garages.

Inside the garage, Smudge scrabbled at the metal again. He could hear Olivia! She’d come to find him. Furiously he scraped and scratched, mewing as loudly as he could. He had to make them hear him!

“Which one is it?” Ben asked.

“The one at the end, I think,” Rob said, smiling for the first time that morning. “He must be stuck somehow, he’s trying to get out.”

Olivia pushed her way past him, and crouched down by the garage wall.“He’s here somewhere. Smudge… Smudge…”

A little grey paw suddenly stuck out from a hole in the concrete wall, where it had been patched together.

“He’s there! I saw him. Oh, Smudge, we’ve missed you!” Olivia stroked the grubby little paw. “Look, his claws are all torn where he’s been trying to get out.” She sniffed, choking back sudden tears.

“How are we going to get him out?” Ben asked. “That hole isn’t nearly big enough.”

“What about this?” Rob held up a thick stick, which he’d found lying on the grass. “Couldn’t we use it to pull that metal away a bit more?” He banged gently on the metal sheet, and the paw shot back inside as Smudge jumped back in fright.

“Don’t scare him!” Olivia snapped.

Rob shook his head.“I had to, Olivia. If he was right behind the metal, I might hurt his paws with the stick.”

“Oh.” Olivia nodded.

Rob hooked the stick into the hole, and pulled. There was a creaking noise, and the thin metal bent a little.

“It’s getting bigger! Here, I’ll pull too.” Ben added his weight to the stick, and Olivia knelt down by the hole.

“Don’t be scared, Smudge, you’ll be out of there in a minute.”

“There!” Ben said triumphantly. “That must be big enough. Good plan, Rob!”

Inside the garage, Smudge blinked at the hole, his whiskers quivering excitedly. He could hear Olivia. He edged forward, squeezing himself tightly against the concrete block, and suddenly tumbled forward out of the hole, and into Olivia’s hands.

[Êàðòèíêà: _26.jpg]

“Oh, Smudge, we’ve been looking everywhere.” Olivia snuggled the kitten up against her chin, laughing and crying at the same time.

“Hey! You’ve found him!” Olivia’s dad came running up the alley, with all the others hurrying behind him.

“He’s fine,” Olivia told them. “Just a bit dirty. He was stuck in that garage.”

“We moved that bit of metal,” Ben explained. “It was Rob who thought of it.”

“But he wouldn’t have run off and got stuck if I hadn’t taken him first,” Rob muttered. “I’ll never do anything that stupid again, I promise.”

“You’re just lucky that you found him,” his dad pointed out grimly.

“I know it was all my fault,” Rob muttered. “I said I’m really sorry, Dad.”

“I think you’d better give some of your pocket money to the Rescue Centre by way of apology,” his mum suggested, and Rob nodded.

Olivia looked over at Rob.“He only did it because he really wants a cat of his own,” she murmured.

Rob’s dad sighed. “Well, maybe when he proves he can be sensible enough to look after a kitten, he can have one. Which will take a long time!”

Olivia turned to Rob.“Rob, do you want to stroke Smudge too?”

Rob ran a gentle finger down the back of Smudge’s head.

“Thanks,” he whispered.

Now she had Smudge snuggled up and purring in her arms again, Olivia felt like she could forgive anything. Smudge pressed closer against her, looking nervously at Rob.

“It’s OK, Smudge.” She tickled him under the chin. “Rob’s not going to hurt you.” She smiled at Rob, only a small smile, but she got a huge one back.

Lucie reached out to rub Smudge’s ears. “He’s gorgeous. You’re so lucky, Olivia!”

Olivia smiled. She was. Lucky to have Smudge – and even more lucky to have him back safe.

19. THE KITTEN NOBODY WANTED

Chapter One

“Oh, Mia, look! I told you Mrs Johnston had a new cat. Isn’t she gorgeous? So fluffy!” Mia’s mum stroked the little black cat, who was sitting proudly on Mrs Johnston’s front wall.

Mia’s best friend Emily tickled the purring cat under the chin. “She’s so lovely!”

Mia’s mum looked over at Mia hopefully, then sighed. She hadn’t even glanced up as Mum and Emily petted the cat. She was staring firmly at her school shoes as she marched on down the road. It was as if she hadn’t heard.

Mum and Emily exchanged worried looks, and hurried after her. Emily lived a few doors down from Mia, and the girls usually walked to school together. Their mums and Mia’s gran took it in turns to go with them, now that Emily’s big sister Leah had started secondary school. Gran lived in a little flat at the side of Mia’s house, and looked after Mia when her parents were working. She’d moved in with them a few years ago, when she’d been ill and it had been difficult for her to live on her own.

“See you tomorrow, Mia!” Emily called, as she turned into her drive.

“Bye! Call me if you get stuck on that homework!” Mia was very good at maths, and Emily wasn’t. Emily had been moaning about their maths homework all the way back from school.

Mia flung off her coat and hurried upstairs before Mum could start going on about Mrs Johnston’s gorgeous cat again. She could hear her mum asking her if she was OK, if she wanted a drink or a chat, but she ignored her.

Mia just didn’t want to hear. She’d never realized before how many cats there were in her road, or on the way to school. Now that she couldn’t bear to see them, there seemed to be cats everywhere.

She slumped down on her bed, and looked sadly at the navy blue fleece blanket spread over her duvet at the end. It had a pattern of little cat faces scattered over it– and there were still ginger hairs clinging on to it here and there. Sandy had slept on it every night, for as long as Mia could remember. She still woke up in the middle of the night expecting her old cat to be there – sometimes she even reached down to stroke him, waiting for his sleepy purras he felt her move. It was so hard to believe that he was really gone.

She looked at the photo on her windowsill. It had been taken a couple of months earlier, at the beginning of the summer holidays, just a few weeks before Sandy died. He was looking thin, and they’d taken him to the vet’s, but that day he’d been enjoying the late summer sun in the garden, and Mia had been sure he was getting better. Looking back now, she realized that he hadn’t been jumping and pouncing and chasing the butterflies like he usually did, just lying quietly in the sun. But she hadn’t wanted to believe that there was anything wrong with him.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_003.jpg]

Tears stung her eyes as she stroked the glass over the photo, wishing she had the real Sandy snuggled up on her lap.

How could Mum keep pointing out other cats, and expecting her to want to stop and stroke them? Dad had even suggested going to the cat rescue centre to look for a kitten! Mia didn’t want a kitten, ever. She was never going to replace her beautiful Sandy.

Mum was calling her from downstairs, asking if she wanted a snack. Brushing the tears away, Mia carefully straightened Sandy’s blanket, and went down to the kitchen.

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She could tell that Mum was watching her worriedly as she ate her apple. It only made her feel worse.

“Shall I go and fill up the bird feeder?” she asked, wanting an excuse to leave the room. Mia knew Mum was only trying to help, but she really wasn’t, and any minute now she was going to start talking about kittens again, or getting a rabbit, like she’d suggested yesterday.

Mia grabbed the bag of bird food from the cupboard, and let herself out of the back door, taking a deep breath of relief. A blackbird skittered out of her way as she went over to refill the feeder, and she murmured to it soothingly as she unhooked the wire case.

“It’s all right, I’ll be gone in a minute. And I’ll probably drop bits, you can come and peck them up.” She poured in the seed, and then hung up the feeder and perched on the arm of the bench, shivering a little in the autumn sun. She didn’t want to go back inside just yet.

All of a sudden, a damp nose butted her hand, and Mia jumped, a strange, silly hope flooding into her.

But when she turned round, it wasn’t her beautiful Sandy playing tricks on her. It was a pretty, plump white cat, with blue eyes, and Mia recognized her. Silky, her friend Emily’s cat.

“Hi, Silky,” she whispered. “You look a bit round, pusscat. Emily needs to stop giving you so many treats.”

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Silky rubbed up against her affectionately. Cats always liked Mia, and Silky knew her anyway, as Mia spent loads of time over at Emily’s house. Sandy had known Emily too, although he’d always chased Silky if she came into his garden.

This garden.

Mia swallowed and gently pushed Silky away, then walked swiftly back into the house.

Her mum was standing by the kitchen window– she’d been watching, and she sighed, very quietly, as Mia hurried back inside.

“Are you OK, sweetheart?” she asked.

“I’m going to do my homework,” Mia muttered, trying not to sound tearful. She was so sick of people worrying about her. Dad had talked to her for ages at breakfast that morning about Sandy. But she was perfectly all right! Why couldn’t everyone just leave her alone?

Chapter Two [Êàðòèíêà: i_002.jpg]

Mia and her gran called for Emily on their way to school the next morning. Emily waved at them through the front window as they walked up, and then she disappeared, and flung open the door.

“Guess what!” Emily shrieked.

Mia shook her head, laughing, as Emily came running down the path.“What? You finished the maths homework and it was easy?”

Emily shuddered and made a face.“No, it was awful, I don’t even want to think about it. I’ll have to tell you – you’ll never guess. We think Silky might be going to have kittens!”

Gran smiled delightedly, and Mia gasped.“What, really? Kittens? When will she have them?”

“We’re not quite sure. Mum’s going to take her to the vet’s today to check. We were looking at her last night, and we just realized how big she’d got round the middle! Mum’s a bit annoyed though… Well, she’s excited, but she says it’s going to be a big fuss, and we’ll have to find homes for all the kittens.” Emily frowned. “But me and Leah are going to work on Mum to let us keep one of them.”

“Oh, wow…” Mia murmured. “You know, Silky came into our garden yesterday, and I thought she was looking a bit plump. But I didn’t realize she was having kittens!”I only looked at her for a moment before I pushed her away, Mia added in her head, feeling a bit guilty.

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Emily chattered on happily about the kittens all the way to school, wondering how many there would be, and whether they’d be white like Silky.

Mia joined in with a comment here and there, but thoughts were buzzing around inside her head. She still loved cats, of course she did. But it was definitely hard to be around them right now, when every cat seemed to remind her so much of Sandy. It wouldn’t be so difficult if her mum and dad weren’t so keen for them to get another pet – they seemed to think Mia needed another cat to get over Sandy properly. And now Emily was all excited about kittens as well…

“What’s the matter, Mia? You’ve gone all quiet,” Emily asked, as they waved to Gran and went in through the school gates.

Mia smiled and shook her head.“I’m fine. I’m glad I’m walking home with you and my mum today – can we pop in and see Silky, and ask your mum what the vet said?” She was trying hard to sound excited, like she knew she should, and it must have worked, because Emily beamed at her.

“Of course you can!” Emily said, giving her a hug. “I can’t wait to tell everyone about Silky having kittens! I just hope it’s true!”

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Emily told Mia’s mum the news as soon as they came out of school. She’d come straight from work to pick them up and hadn’t spoken to Gran, so it was a total surprise.

“Oh, Mia, isn’t that lovely? Kittens!”

“Mmm.” Mia tried to sound enthusiastic. She really didn’t want to spoil things for Emily. “Can we go and see Silky on the way home?” she asked. “Emily’s mum took Silky to the vet, so she should know for certain by now – maybe she’ll even know when the kittens might be born.”

Mum nodded.“Of course!”

They hurried back to Emily’s house, and Emily burst through the door, racing ahead and calling for her mum. “What did the vet say? Is she definitely having kittens? When will they come?”

“Sooner than we thought!” her mum said, laughing. “Could be only a couple of weeks, the vet said. And she felt Silky’s tummy, and she thinks there are at least three kittens, possibly more.”

“Three!” Emily breathed, crouching down next to Silky, who was curled up in her furry basket. “That explains why she’s so fat!”

Mia sat down next to her friend, and stroked Silky gently. She was very well-named– her fur was beautifully soft and smooth. She wasn’t asleep, but her pretty blue eyes were half-closed, as though she was tired. She probably was, Mia thought.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_007.jpg]

“Three kittens to find homes for,” her mum sighed. She looked thoughtfully at Mia’s mum. “I don’t suppose…”

Mia saw her mum smile, and glance over at her, raising her eyebrows. Emily’s mum glanced at her too, and nodded understandingly. Mia could tell exactly what Mum meant –Maybe, but I’m not sure about Mia.

She gave Silky one last gentle stroke. It was odd to think that there were tiny kittens squirming around inside her.

“Mum, I’ve got loads of homework,” she pointed out, getting to her feet. “We’d better go.” They didn’t really need to leave that minute, but she didn’t want her mum and Emily’s exchanging any more of those secret looks.

The subject didn’t go away, though. Dad was full of questions at dinner time, wanting to know when the kittens would arrive, and what Silky had looked like.

“Silky’s such a sweet cat,” he said, looking at Mia. “She’ll have cute kittens, Mia, don’t you think?”

Mia nodded.“But they won’t be as gorgeous as Sandy,” she said, eyeing her dad firmly. “We’ll never find another cat like him.”

[Êàðòèíêà: i_008.jpg]

He shook his head, with a sigh.“No, I suppose not. But different can be good too, you know, Mia.”

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When she went up to bed that night, Mia lay there for ages, hugging Sandy’s blanket and thinking. She’d never actually had a kitten of her own. Sandy had been older than she was, he was about two when she was born. Gran had a lovely photo of him that she kept in her little living room, one that Mum and Dad had sent her when she still lived in her old house, before she came to live with them all a few years later. It was a photo of Mia as a baby, sitting up in her bouncy chair, and reaching out a fat little hand for Sandy’s tail as he strolled past.

Mum had photos of Sandy as a kitten, too, in her photo album. He’d been super cute – with round green eyes that looked too big for his little whiskery face, and apricot pink pads to his paws. They were darker by the time Mia knew him, from going outside and roughening them up. But he was still beautiful, and his eyes were like emeralds.

Mia gulped, and buried her face in the blanket. It still smelled of him. She really wanted to be excited for Emily, but even the thought of kittens made her miss Sandy so much. She wasn’t sure she could bear to see them for real.

Chapter Three [Êàðòèíêà: i_002.jpg]

“I wonder if there’s any news yet!” Emily said excitedly, as they put on their coats at the end of school. “Mum’s picking us up today – I can’t wait to ask her. Silky’s been a bit shy and weird all weekend, then she went off and snuggled herself up in the hall cupboard this morning.I’m sure that means she’s ‘nesting’, getting ready for her kittens to come.”

It was Monday, two weeks since Emily had found out Silky was having kittens, and she had been getting more and more impatient every day.

Mia smiled. Even though the thought of kittens made her miss Sandy, she could see how happy Emily was. They hurried out into the playground, looking eagerly for Emily’s mum. But she wasn’t there – instead, Mia’s gran was waving at them from by the gate.

“Gran! What are you doing here?” Mia called in surprise.

Gran smiled.“Silky’s having her kittens! Your mum didn’t want to leave her on her own, Emily, so she called me. My legs aren’t so bad today, so I was glad to come out for a walk.”

“She’s having them right now?” Emily squealed in delight, whirling her schoolbag around. “Ooooh, how many are there?”

“Four so far, apparently, and your mum thought that might be it, but she wasn’t quite sure.”

“Four kittens!” Emily said blissfully, and even Mia felt her stomach squirm with excitement. “Can Mia come in and see them, Mrs Lovett?” Emily asked Mia’s gran.

“Better not today,” Gran said thoughtfully. “They’ve only just been born, and Silky will be tired and very protective of her new babies, I should think. She won’t want lots of visitors. You can tell Mia about them tomorrow.”

Emily walked home so fast she was practically running, and she dashed in at her gate with a wave, leaving Mia and her gran to walk on to their house.

“You’re looking serious, Mia,” Gran commented. “Aren’t you excited about the kittens?”

Mia was silent for a moment. The walk home and Emily’s happy chattering about Silky’s babies had brought back that strange, miserable feeling again, even worse than before. It seemed so unfair that Emily should have her beautiful Silky and four lovely little kittens, too. She wasn’t jealous of Emily, exactly – just sad.

“I was,” she admitted. “When you told us they were coming, I thought it was wonderful. But then Emily started talking about how sweet they’d be, and how she was looking forward to cuddling them and playing with them. And it just made me miss Sandy so much!” She leaned her face against Gran’s arm. “I’m not even sure I want to go and see them,” she whispered.

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Gran nodded thoughtfully.“I wondered if that was it. Poor Mia.” She gave her a hug as they reached their drive. “Come on, let’s go and make some hot chocolate. Perhaps that will cheer you up a little.”

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Emily was full of news of the kittens the next day at school. Their friends Libby and Poppy rushed up to her, desperate to know what had happened. Mia did her best to join in and sound enthusiastic, but it was hard.

“There’s a black one, and two tabbies, and the last one to be born was a tiny, tiny little white one, with the most enormous set of whiskers!” Emily beamed at Mia. “Do you think you can come and see them after school?”

Mia hesitated. She could– but she was worried she’d do something awful like start crying. “Um, I’m not sure,” she said slowly. “Gran’s picking me up, and she said something about going shopping.”

“Oh.” Emily looked a bit surprised, as though she’d been expecting Mia to be more excited, and Mia felt guilty.

“Did you learn those spelling words?” she asked quickly, to try and distract Emily from the kittens.

Emily pulled a face.“Well, I looked at them… But then the kittens were so lovely to watch – they’re all just nosing around each other and Silky and squeaking, it’s so funny. I probably haven’t learned them properly.” She sighed. “Can you test me?”

Mia nodded, feeling relieved. She’d got away with it for today, but she wasn’t going to be able to keep on making excuses. Sooner or later, she was going to have to go and see the kittens.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

By the end of the week, Mia had run out of excuses to say to Emily, and Emily was running out of patience. On Friday at lunchtime, she told Mia that her mum said she could come over at the weekend to see the kittens if she wanted.

Mia’s mind went blank. What could she possibly say, except that she didn’t want to? She couldn’t pretend to be busy for the whole weekend.

“So will you come?” Emily asked, staring at her and frowning slightly.

Mia opened her mouth, and then closed it again helplessly.

“You don’t want to, do you?” Emily said. Her voice was flat, and Mia could see that she was really hurt. It made Mia feel terrible.

“Sorry…” she whispered.

“Is it because of Sandy?” Emily said. She sounded as though she was trying to be cross, but she couldn’t manage it. Emily was useless at arguing. When she and Mia had a fight it usually only lasted two minutes before Emily cried.

Mia nodded.“It’s not that I don’t want you to have them… I just miss Sandy, and you having all those kittens…”

“I know you miss Sandy,” Emily said, her voice getting sniffly already. “But you’re supposed to be my best friend, and you ought to at least try and be happy for me! I really wanted to show them to you.”

Mia nodded. She felt like she might cry now, too.“I know! I really am trying! I just can’t make myself stop being sad about him. I can’t be happy about the kittens. I can’t do it!”

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Emily stared back at her, tears welling up in her brown eyes, and then she gave a huge sniff and raced off to hide in the corner of the playground behind one of the benches.

Mia stared after her sadly. She knew she ought to go after her friend and say sorry, and promise that of course she’d go and see the kittens. But her feet just wouldn’t move.

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It was a very strange walk home. Mia and Emily didn’t talk to each other, and Mia’s gran, who’d come to fetch them, could hardly get them to talk to her either. For Mia, it was a relief when Emily ducked into her garden.

“What on earth’s the matter?” Gran asked, as they took off their coats in the hallway. “Have you two had a row?”

“Sort of…” Mia admitted.

“Well, I hope you’re going to make up, Mia. You both looked so miserable. Can’t you talk to her about it? Why don’t you give her a call?”

Mia shook her head.“It wasn’t really that sort of fight. We didn’t shout at each other, or anything. It’s mostly my fault, and Emily won’t be my friend unless I can sort it out. But I can’t…” She sniffed. She’d spent the whole afternoon feeling awful, and now she was at home with only Gran to see, she felt like just letting herself cry.

Gran hugged her.“Oh, Mia. Why don’t you tell me? Maybe talking to someone else will help.”

Mia shook her head.“I don’t think it will,” she whispered. But she let Gran lead her into her little sitting room, and sat down on the sofa with her.

Gran gave her a tissue.“Go on, Mia. What happened?”

“She wants me to go and see her kittens.”

“And you can’t?”

Mia leaned against her shoulder.“It makes me too sad,” she murmured. “Mum and Dad keep talking about us getting another pet, a rabbit, or even another cat. It’s like everyone’s forgotten Sandy.”

Gran sighed.“I don’t think that’s true, Mia. Your mum and dad are trying to cheer you up, that’s all. We all loved Sandy, you know that. He was your special cat, though, I do understand.”

“I really, really miss him…” Mia said tearfully. “Mum and Dad won’t listen to me. They think I ought to have got over it by now, and I’m just being silly!”

“Oh, Mia, they really don’t think that. They just want you to be happy.”

“But it was August when he died, and it’s only October now. I haven’t stopped missing him yet.” Mia sniffed. “I can’t imagine not missing him! And now I can’t even say anything about it to Emily, because she’s so excited about her kittens. I tried to explain, but she didn’t understand.”

“It’s such a special time for her,” Gran said, stroking Mia’s hair. “She can’t help being happy about it, can she?”

“I suppose not. I just wish I could be happy with her, that’s all.”

“Are you sure you want to be happy?” Gran said thoughtfully, and Mia sat up and stared at her.

“Of course I am! I don’twant to be miserable!”

“But I think you’re hanging on to being sad, Mia. At least if you’re miserable, someone’s still missing Sandy. It’s as if he’s still here. Do you see what I mean?”

Mia shook her head.“It isn’t like that…” But her voice trailed off. Maybe it was, a little bit.

“Look.” Gran got up, and fetched a little photo album from a shelf. “I’ve been making this for you, Mia, but I wasn’t going to give it to you yet, in case it just made you more upset.”

“Oh, Gran! All these photos of Sandy…” Mia turned the pages, laughing as Sandy turned from a little gingery fluffball into the big, handsome cat she remembered. “He was so special,” she said sadly.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_011.jpg]

“Do you know what I noticed most of all about these photos?” Gran asked, smiling at a photo of Sandy last Christmas, lying in a pile of wrapping paper, a ribbon wrapped around his paws. “He was always such a happy cat.”

Mia smiled. It was true.

“Except those last couple of weeks, when he was ill. He was so tired, he wasn’t really himself any more. He’d purr if we stroked him, especially for you. But most of the time, he just slept.”

Mia nodded.“He didn’t even want to eat.”

“Exactly. And this was Sandy, he loved his food!”

Mia giggled. Mum was always getting cross with Sandy– if she left anything lying around in the kitchen while she was cooking, she only had to turn her back for a second, and a sneaky ginger paw would have swiped it. He even ate mushrooms, which was very unusual for a cat.

“He wasn’t happy, was he?” she murmured.

Gran shook her head.“No. And he loved you so much, Mia. He hated it when you were miserable about something, didn’t he?”

“Like that time I fell over.” Mia closed her eyes, remembering. She’d fallen down the stairs and banged her arm – not actually broken it, but it had still really hurt. She’d been moping around the house with it all bandaged up, until Sandy had come and sat on her while she was lying on the sofa. He sat on her chest and stared at her, dangling his big white whiskers in her face and purring like a lawnmower. It was as though he was determined that she had to cheer up. And of course it worked!

“You’re right.” She turned to the last picture in the album. It was her and Emily, both holding Sandy – he was big enough for two girls to hold. They were both grinning at the camera, and Sandy looked so pleased with himself.

“Emily’s your best friend, Mia. You have to make an effort for friends, even if it’s hard sometimes.”

Mia nodded.“I know. I’ll call Emily and say I’m sorry, and I’ll go and see the kittens soon. Maybe on Monday. And I’ll try to stop missing Sandy so much, Gran. I really will.”

Chapter Four [Êàðòèíêà: i_012.jpg]

Gran must have told Mum about the talk she’d had with Mia, because on Monday morning Mum said she’d walk Mia to school, and they’d stop and call for Emily on the way.

“Maybe you can just nip in and see the kittens,” Mum suggested. “Not for long though, because you and Emily can’t be late for school. OK?”

Mia nodded, and gave her mum a quick hug. She could see what Mum was doing. She was giving Mia a chance to see the kittens for just a couple of minutes. If it made her too sad, they could say they had to get to school.

Emily and her mum were waiting for them at the door. Mum had probably texted Emily’s mum, Mia decided, feeling a sudden rush of love for Mum and Gran, worrying about her and trying to make everything OK again. The fussing had got on her nerves before, but they were only being nice.

“Come and see, come and see!” Emily grabbed her. “We came down this morning and they’d opened their eyes. They’re so cute!” She stopped pulling Mia along and looked at her worriedly. “You still want to see them, don’t you?”

Mia nodded.“Of course. And I’m sorry I’ve been such a grump.”

“Oh, you weren’t!” Emily hugged her.

Mia was still anxious as she followed Emily into the warm kitchen. Silky and the kittens had a little sort of pen that Emily’s mum had made out of bits of old bookcase. It was close to the radiator to make sure the kittens stayed warm.

“Just look at them,” Emily said proudly. “Aren’t they the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen?”

Mia glanced at the pen, and Silky yawned hugely and stared back at her. She looked as though she agreed with Emily entirely, and she expected Mia to agree too. There was a definite look of smug pride on her pretty white face as she gazed down at her new family.

The kittens were wriggling about next to their mum. Just as Mia leaned closer, the black kitten, who seemed to be the biggest, although it was hard to tell, climbed right on top of the tiny white one, who gave an indignant squeak.

“Oh no! Is he OK?” Mia asked anxiously, but Emily only giggled.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_013.jpg]

“I’m sure he is. They do that all the time! I wondered if it would get better when they opened their eyes, but they still just walk all over each other. And they’re so greedy and pushy about getting to Silky for their milk.”

“He’s the boy, isn’t he? The little white one?” Emily had told Mia that they’d worked out there were three girls and one boy.

Emily nodded.“He’s cute, isn’t he?”

“They all are.” Mia crouched down by the pen, glancing at Silky first to check she wasn’t bothered. But the white cat looked as though she was enjoying showing off her babies. The two tabby kittens were suckling, and the black one was trying to reach Silky’s side too. But the little white kitten stayed curled up near his mum’s front paws. He yawned, and then gazed up at Mia with dark, dark blue eyes.

Mia knew that he was so small he probably couldn’t see her very well, but somehow he seemed to be looking straight at her, and he wrinkled his nose and mewed a tiny little mew.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_014.jpg]

Mia smiled, and reached out her fingers for the kitten to sniff. How could she have thought anything so lovely would make her sad?

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

Somehow after that, Mia found that the thought of the kittens didn’t upset her any more. Maybe it was because none of them was ginger, like her Sandy. They were themselves instead, and although she still missed Sandy, the kittens were so cute they mostly just made her laugh. Especially the white kitten, who seemed so loving. He always nuzzled at her and licked her fingers.

One Friday afternoon, a couple of weeks after they were born, Mia went to tea at Emily’s house. She was really looking forward to it. She’d popped in to see the kittens quite a few times since her first visit, but only quickly. Somehow there hadn’t been a chance to spend proper time with the kittens.

Mia followed Emily into the kitchen. It was two or three days since she’d seen the kittens, and she gasped as she got closer to their pen.

“They’re so much bigger!”

Emily laughed.“I know! It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

Mia shook her head.“It’s like someone’s blown them up, like little furry balloons…” She crouched down to look more closely at the four kittens in their pen. One of the tabbies was stomping determinedly across the soft blankets on the floor, while the other three were feeding. “They look more cat-shaped, somehow. Do you know what I mean? They were just tiny fluffy balls before, but now they’re mini-cats. Oh, look…”

The white kitten seemed to have heard her talking. He stopped feeding, and looked around curiously, trying to work out where her voice was coming from. Then he stumbled towards her, uttering that tiny squeak of a mew she’d heard before.

“Hello, sweetie,” Mia whispered, and the kitten mewed back, trying to scrabble his way up the side of the pen.

“Wow! He’s never done that before!” Emily murmured, her eyes wide.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_015.jpg]

“Can I pick him up?” Mia asked hopefully. “Would Silky mind?”

Silky was still feeding one of the tabbies and the black kitten, but she had her head up, and she was watching Mia and the white kitten carefully.

“It should be OK, don’t you think, Mum?” Emily asked. “We’ve picked them up before, and you can see he wants you to!”

Very gently, Mia reached into the pen and scooped up the white kitten, snuggling him carefully in her lap.

The kitten let out a little breath of a purr, padding at her school skirt with his paws. Then he curled up with a contented sigh. This was what he had wanted.

“He’s so soft!” Mia whispered. “And I’m sure his whiskers have grown since I last saw him. Just look at them!”

The kitten stared up at her. He liked her voice. He recognized it from when she had come before, and the girl’s smell. She had stroked him, and he’d wanted her to cuddle him. He yawned and his waterfall of white whiskers shimmered.

“None of the others have whiskers like that!” Mia laughed. “You should call him Whiskers, Emily. You haven’t named them yet, have you?”

Emily shook her head. She had a huge smile suddenly.“Well, we’ve only named the black kitten, because we’re keeping her! She’s going to be my birthday present!” She picked up the black kitten, who seemed to have fallen asleep while she was feeding. “I’m calling her Satin, to go with Silky, you see?” She snuggled the kitten under her chin lovingly.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_016.jpg]

“You’re so lucky!” Mia smiled, but her stomach turned over. Of course. The kittens would have to go to new owners. She sighed, and the white kitten made a little grumbling noise as his comfy lap shifted. She’d only known Whiskers – she couldn’t help calling him that, even though she knew it wouldn’t be his real name – for a couple of weeks, but already she knew she would miss him.

Chapter Five [Êàðòèíêà: i_012.jpg]

Whiskers wriggled himself further into the cosy fold of the blanket. He was still only very tiny, but he was starting to understand more about the world, and today the world feltcold. He didn’t like it. Usually he would have snuggled up next to his mother, but she had disappeared. Now that he and his sisters were a bit bigger, nearly four weeks old, she did that every so often.

Something soft landed in the pen next to him, and Whiskers twitched and woke out of his half-doze. It was a big, round, bright pink thing. He had no idea what it was. Neither did his two tabby sisters, who prowled towards it together, hissing fiercely. They were very good at being fierce. Whiskers and Satin watched worriedly as one of the tabby kittens dabbed a paw at the pink thing. It bounced a little. She tapped it again, and it wobbled in an interesting sort of way, so she jabbed at it with her claws out, this time.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_017.jpg]

The balloon burst with an enormous bang, and the tabby kittens jumped back in surprise, eyeing the shrivelled bit of pink rubber that was left. Whiskers cowered back in the corner of the pen, mewing with fright and wishing his mother would come. He had no idea what had happened! How had the round pink thing disappeared, and why had there been that terrible noise?

Silky shot back into the room, convinced that someone was hurting her babies, and leaped into the pen, checking them all frantically. Whiskers pressed up against her, shivering.

“I’m sorry, kittens.” Emily crouched down by the pen. “I didn’t mean to scare you. It was only a balloon – I’m blowing them up for my birthday party, and that pink one must have rolled off the table.”

Whiskers mewed again, eyeing the other strange round pink things he could see on the kitchen table. Did that mean there were going to be more horrible noises? When Emily tried to give him a comforting stroke he let her, but he was trembling, and showing his tiny little teeth.

“Oh no…” Emily said sadly. “It really scared you, didn’t it? Never mind, I’ve got some good news. Mia’s coming later, and she’s staying the night. That’ll be nice, won’t it? You love Mia, don’t you?” She sighed to herself, almost crossly. “And Mia loves you too, she just doesn’t know it yet.”

Mia had been visiting the kittens almost every day, and she always made straight for Whiskers.“I wish she’d just hurry up and work out that she should take you home,” Emily told Whiskers sadly. “Mum’s already talking about looking for new homes for you in a few weeks’ time. I’ve given Mia loads of hints, but she doesn’t get them at all, and I don’t want to come out and sayit in case it makes her miserable about Sandy again.”

She tickled Whiskers behind the ears.“You want to be Mia’s kitten, don’t you, Whiskers? You never play as nicely with anyone else. And you’re always sad when she goes home. You mewed after her yesterday, and you looked really lonely, even though you were cuddled up next to Silky.” She sighed. “Anyway, you’ll all have to be super-cute tonight for my sleepover,” she told the kittens, half-seriously. “Mia’s coming, and Libby and Poppy. At least, they are if it doesn’t snow before then. It’s so cold now! You’d better groom your babies, Silky. Put their party fur on!”

“Oh, did you do all the balloons, Emily? Good. I’ll hang them up in the hall, you go and get changed. Leah’s just putting the birthday banner on the front door.” Emily’s mum hurried into the kitchen, and gave her a quick hug. “Are you excited about your party?”

Emily nodded, laughing.“Course I am. But it’s so chilly! I’m not sure about sleeping on the living-room floor now!”

Her mum nodded.“I know, I hope it doesn’t get too much colder before Christmas, it’s still only November.”

Leah came in, rubbing her fingers.“I’m frozen,” she moaned, but then her eyes widened. “Hey, look at Satin!”

[Êàðòèíêà: i_018.jpg]

The black kitten was teetering on the edge of the pen, and as they watched, she half-jumped, half-fell on to the kitchen floor, where she stood up and shook herself, trying to look as though she meant to do exactly that.

“Oh, my goodness…” Mum muttered. “We’re in for it now. They’ll be everywhere. We must remember to keep the kitchen door closed. They would choose today of all days!”

The two tabby kittens were now standing on their back legs, peering over the top of the pen and staring at their sister with huge, round eyes, as though they couldn’t believe what she’d managed to do. Satin had set off to investigate the kitchen and was sniffing thoughtfully around the table legs.

“Shall I let her explore for a bit?” Emily asked, and Mum nodded.

“I expect she’ll wear herself out quite soon. Go and get changed – they’ll all be here in a minute! Just make sure you shut the kitchen door!”

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

Mia looked at the kittens a little anxiously. Libby and Poppy had just arrived, and the kitchen had suddenly got very noisy. She hoped Silky and the kittens wouldn’t mind.

But Satin and the two tabby kittens were loving the attention. They put on a beautiful performance of stalking a piece of wool, and then climbed all over Libby and Poppy. Satin then snuggled up on Libby’s knee, while the tabbies fought each other for the wool. Only Whiskers was still in the kitten pen, hiding behind Silky.

“The little white kitten’s so cute!” Poppy said, reaching into the pen to pick him up. Whiskers shied away from her, but she didn’t seem to notice – she grabbed him, and took him out of his lovely safe pen, dangling him in front of her.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_019.jpg]

“Don’t scare him…” Mia said worriedly. She was itching to snatch Whiskers away from Poppy – it wasn’t that Poppy meant to frighten him, she just didn’t know how to hold him properly. But Whiskers wasn’t hers. She couldn’t boss Poppy around. And if Mia grabbed him, he’d only be even more scared. Emily was out of the room, helping her mum put everyone’s coats away, or Mia knew she’d have said something.

Poppy sat down on the floor, placing Whiskers on her lap and stroking him. But he was upset now, and he hissed and dug in his claws as he scrambled to get away from the loud, scary girl.

Poppy squeaked.“Ow, he scratched me!” She jerked her leg, and Whiskers slipped off her lap, landing on the floor with a worried mew.

“Sshh, sshh…Come here, Whiskers.” Mia stretched out a hand to him gently, and he gladly crept over to her, burrowing into her skirt as she put him on her lap.

“He didn’t mean to scratch you,” she told Poppy. “He’s just a bit shyer than the other kittens.”

Poppy nodded.“He’s sweet, but I like the tabby ones more. They’ve got such cute tricks! Oh, look, that one’s got wool all wrapped round her paws!”

[Êàðòèíêà: i_020.jpg]

Mia stroked Whiskers and sighed. He had cute tricks too, like the way his huge whiskers wobbled when he yawned, and the way he always put his front paws in the food bowl, now that the kittens were starting on solid food. It was just that Satin and the tabbies were so much bouncier, everyone always noticed them first.

“You need to be a bit more friendly,” she whispered to Whiskers. “You won’t find an owner if you keep hiding in your pen. People will be coming to see if they want to take you home, a few weeks from now. You’ve got to show everybody how gorgeous you are.” She smiled, rather sadly. She wanted Whiskers to have a lovely home of his own, but if he stayed at Emily’s, it meant she’d be able to carry on seeing him. Emily’s mum kept saying they were only keeping Satin, but if they couldn’t find a nice owner for Whiskers, she might change her mind…

Whiskers didn’t know what Mia was saying, but he liked listening to her, and she made him feel safe. He purred, very quietly, and nuzzled her hand.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

“Shall we watch the film in our sleeping bags?” Emily suggested, as she took a bowl of popcorn out of the microwave. “Oh, this smells fab.”

“Definitely sleeping bags,” Poppy agreed.

“Can we bring the kittens?” Libby asked hopefully.

Emily’s mum looked thoughtful. “I suppose for a bit. But they’ll probably want to be back with Silky soon. And after the film, girls, you need to go to sleep! It’s getting late.”

The girls all nodded angelically, but Emily winked at Mia behind her mum’s back. “I’ve got a secret chocolate supply,” she whispered. “Are you bringing Whiskers?”

Mia nodded.“If you think he won’t mind. He prefers being in his pen, doesn’t he?”

Emily shook her head.“Not if it’s you cuddling him.”

Mia went pink.“Do you think he likes me that much?”

Emily rolled her eyes.“Of course he does! Come on!”

Mia went into the living room, and snuggled up in her sleeping bag– even with the heating on high, it was still chilly. Emily’s mum had said they’d better all sleep in a huddle to keep warm, like penguins, and she’d found loads of extra blankets. Whiskers sat on Mia’s tummy, purring quietly to himself. He was happy. He hadn’t been sure about the loud girls, and people grabbing him, but now he had Mia, and she didn’t seem to be going anywhere, like she usually was. He could even put up with the noisy girls if Mia was there too.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_021.jpg]

Mia hardly paid attention to the film at all. She was watching Whiskers, snuggled up on her sleeping bag and stroking him gently. His fur was so soft– and he was such a little cat, so different from Sandy.

As the film went on, the other kittens padded back to the kitchen, looking for Silky and their pen. But Whiskers curled up on top of Mia, and fell fast asleep– and he was still there the next morning.

Chapter Six [Êàðòèíêà: i_012.jpg]

“Oh, Mia!” Dad laughed. “How did you get him to do that?” He’d just arrived to pick Mia up from the sleepover. Libby and Poppy had already gone; they had to hurry off to a dance class.

Mia shook her head, very, very carefully.“I didn’t, Dad. He just climbed up there. I think he’s eyeing my toast.”

From his place on her shoulder, Whiskers purred loudly, and Mia giggled as his long whiskers tickled her cheek.“I wish I didn’t have to go home and say goodbye to you!”

Her dad exchanged a thoughtful glance with Emily’s mum. “When will the kittens be ready to go to new homes?”

“Well, I was looking it up, and it seems that about ten or twelve weeks old would be best. Ours are four weeks now, so they’ll be ten weeks old about halfway through December. So I thought around then. It’s a bit close to Christmas, that’s the only problem. Everyone’s so busy, and I don’t want to be encouraging people to give kittens as presents.”

“Why not?” Mia asked. She thought a kitten would be a lovely Christmas present. Emily was having Satin for her birthday, after all.

“Well, people sometimes get a kitten for their children at Christmas, and don’t really think about them growing up into big cats who need looking after. Then sometimes they’re abandoned,” Emily’s mum added sadly. “Luckily, most kittens get born in the spring or summertime. Silky was a bit late!”

[Êàðòèíêà: i_022.jpg]

Mia reached up and tickled Whiskers under the chin. She could feel his purrs buzzing against her neck.

I could take you home, she thought to herself, just for a second. But then she remembered. She didn’t want another cat – not after Sandy. Very gently, she reached up, and lifted Whiskers off her shoulder, and took him over to the pen. “Sorry, sweetheart, I have to go.”

Whiskers stared after her in surprise. Had Mia not liked him sitting on her shoulder? Why was she going? He wailed– a loud, sad kitten wail that made Mia flinch as she scuttled into the hallway to grab her stuff.

She said goodbye to Emily quickly. She felt bad, rushing off, but she just couldn’t stay any longer. She was almost silent on the walk home, even though Dad kept trying to ask about the party.

“Mia, have you thought…?” Dad started, as they carried her things into the house. “Emily’s mum talking about homes for the kittens made me wonder. You seem to get on so well with Whiskers…”

He trailed off when Mia looked up at him with her eyes full of tears.

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I thought I could, but what about Sandy? I’m not going to forget him! I never, ever want another cat again!”

“You don’t have to forget him, Mia…” Dad tried to say, but Mia raced off upstairs to her room and slammed the door behind her.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

Over the next few weeks, Emily kept Mia updated as they started to look for new homes for the kittens. Her mum had put an ad in the newsagent’s, and the other local shops that had noticeboards. A couple of people had rung about coming to see them already.

“Someone called Maria is coming over on Saturday to see them all,” she told Mia, as they ate their packed lunches. “I’m sort of half-excited, half-sad. I really want them all to have nice homes.” Emily shook her head. “And at least we’re keeping Satin.”

Mia nodded. She wanted them to have good homes, too. Especially Whiskers. He needed a home with somebody who could love him properly, without always remembering another cat. It was no use Emily and Mum and Dad giving her all those hopeful looks. Sandy was her forever cat. She couldn’t replace him, not even with Whiskers.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

Emily’s mum showed Maria into the kitchen, where Emily and Leah were playing with the kittens.

“Oh, aren’t they sweet! How many are there?” Maria asked, laughing as one of the tabbies sniffed her boots.

“Four, but we’re keeping Satin – the black kitten. There are two female tabbies, and the little white boy. Did you want just one kitten?” Emily’s mum asked. “We’re thinking that the tabby girls might want to stay together – they’re such a team.”

“I was only planning on getting one,” Maria said. “I can’t see a white kitten…”

“He was here a minute ago!” Leah looked around the kitchen. “Now that they can climb out of their pen they’re all over the place.”

“He’s a little shy,” Emily’s mum explained. “But he’s very sweet once he gets used to you. Look, there he is!” She smiled, and pointed to the pen, where a little white head was poking out under the fleecy blanket. “I’ll get him out.” She picked him up and tried to pass him to Maria, but Whiskers squeaked in fright and then hissed, his paws all sticking out rigidly, and his tail fluffed out to twice its usual size.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_023.jpg]

“Oh dear, don’t make him if he doesn’t want to,” Maria said worriedly. “Poor thing, he really is nervous. There are a lot of cats round where I live, and I’m not sure this little one would cope very well if he’s so shy. I’m sorry – I’m sure you’ll find lovely homes for them all.”

Emily’s mum followed her to the door, and Emily and Leah looked down at Whiskers, who was now huddled in Leah’s arms.

“Oh, Whiskers,” Emily muttered. “No one’s going to want you if you do that every time. It’s so stupid! He wants to be Mia’s kitten, I know he does.”

Leah nodded.“I know. But we can’t make her have him. Maybe she’ll come round to the idea.”

Emily sighed.“I wish she’d hurry up about it.”

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

A couple of weeks later, Mia and her gran popped in on the way home from school, and found that only Whiskers and Satin were left.

“I’m not surprised Whiskers didn’t like them. The two little boys were quite noisy,” Emily’s mum was saying to Gran. “They thought Whiskers was lovely, and they were all set to choose him, but it was just like with Maria. They tried to cuddle him, and he actually shot out of the kitchendoor, and went and hid in the cupboard under the stairs! So they decided they’d take the tabbies instead.” She laughed. “And they’re going to call them Molly and Polly. I don’t think they’ll ever be able to remember which is which!”

“So it’s only Whiskers now?” Mia asked, as Emily’s mum made Gran a coffee. Mia sat stroking the little ball of white fur curled up in her lap.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_024.jpg]

Emily nodded.“At least he’s still got Satin to play with. But Mum’s determined we’re only keeping one. We have to find Whiskers a home, and no one wants an unfriendly kitten.”

“He isn’t!” Mia said indignantly. “He’s a sweetheart. He’s just shy.”But maybe that’s a good thing, she admitted to herself.I really don’t want him to go…

Whiskers yawned, and wriggled himself comfortable again. Mia and Emily had been rolling balls of newspaper for him and Satin to chase, and he was exhausted. The kitchen was covered in shredded paper, though. Whiskers and Satin had done a thorough job… He rolled over on to his back, all four paws in the air, showing off his fat pinkish tummy. He was liking solid food more and more now, and after he’d had a meal, he was practically circular.

“But he’s so different with you…” Emily sighed. “He doesn’t mind playing with me and Leah, and he’ll let us stroke him. But I don’t think he’s ever gone to sleep on me. And definitely not upside down! That means he really trusts you, you know.”

Mia nodded. She didn’t dare say anything, but she looked up at Gran. She was smiling, and nodding as if she agreed with Emily. Maybe she was being silly. Was it like Gran had said when the kittens were born, that she was still holding on to missing Sandy? Was she making herself sad on purpose? Maybe it was finally time to let Sandy go…

Chapter Seven [Êàðòèíêà: i_012.jpg]

“I’ll come and fetch you at about six then, Mia,” Gran said, one day after school. Gran gave her a kiss, and Mia waved goodbye. Whiskers was already weaving himself happily around her ankles, purring. His purr had definitely got louder as he got bigger, Mia decided. He was twelve weeks old now, definitely old enough for a new home. But no one seemed to want a rather shy, nervous little white cat. Mia didn’t mind. She was looking forward to spending lots of time with Whiskers over the Christmas holidays. It had even started to snow that morning, although the flakes hadn’t really settled. She was sure that Whiskers would look gorgeous if they took him out to play in the snow. He would be invisible, except for his round blue eyes!

Whiskers patted at her leg with his paw, asking to be picked up. Mia came to see him almost every day now, but he still missed her when she wasn’t there. One day maybe she would take him with her?

“Hello, Mister Whiskers.” Mia picked him up and cuddled him. “What shall we do, mm?”

“Homework!” Emily said, grinning and waving the sheet Mrs Jones, their teacher, had given them for the project they had to do over the Christmas holidays. It was the last week of term and neither of the girls really felt like working, but Mrs Jones was known as the scariest teacher at their school. The project had to get planned, even if it was only a little over a week till Christmas Day. “We have to sort this project out, remember? Come on, bring Whiskers with you.” She scooped up Satin, leaving Silky alone in the hallway, looking quite relieved. Whiskers and Satin were so much bigger now, and so bouncy that they wore Silky out.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_004.jpg]

“I can smell fishfingers,” Mia said, a while later. “So can Whiskers and Satin, look at them!” The kittens were prowling up and down by Emily’s bedroom door, their tails twitching eagerly.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_025.jpg]

“I think our plan sounds quite good,” Emily said, looking down at what they’d written. “Animals in the time of Queen Victoria. I bet no one else will have thought of that. It’s a brilliant idea, Mia.”

Mia laughed.“I’ll have the ideas, you do the writing. You almost finished the whole plan while I was just cuddling Whiskers. Do you think tea’s ready? The smell of those fishfingers is making me hungry, too.”

“Must be. Let’s go and see.” Emily opened the door, and the kittens shot out on to the landing and eyed the stairs uncertainly. They wanted to be down there with the delicious fishy smell – but they weren’t really sure about stairs yet…

Whiskers looked at Mia pleadingly, and she laughed and picked him up. She carried him down to the kitchen, while Emily followed with Satin.

Emily’s mum smiled as they came in. “Look at those kittens! I’ve never seen them look so hungry. We’d better find the fishy-flavour kitten food.”

“I think they’d rather just have the fishfingers,” Emily said, going to the cupboard for the tin, and spooning out the kitten food. “Uurgh, this one smells the worst!”

But Satin and Whiskers raced for their bowls, and gulped down the food eagerly.

Emily’s mum had just passed Leah, Emily and Mia their tea, when the phone rang. She went to answer it, fighting with her oven gloves. “Hello? Oh, yes… That’s right. There’s actually only one kitten left now.”

Mia smiled, pausing with her fork halfway to her mouth. A paw was patting her knee. Whiskers must have wolfed down his kitten food already, and now he was on the hunt for something even nicer. She scooped him up on to her lap, and fed him a tiny bit of fishfinger. Emily’s mum wasn’t looking, she was concentrating on the phone call.

“Oh, you’ve been looking for a white kitten? That’s wonderful. He is a little bit shy though, that’s the only thing. He’s very friendly once he knows you, but he may not want to be picked up.”

The person on the other end of the phone didn’t seem to mind this. Emily’s mum was nodding and smiling.

Whiskers stared up at Mia, hoping for some more fishfinger. His whiskers shook with excitement as he reached up a little white paw to pat Mia’s hand.

But she didn’t give him any. She put down her fork, very slowly and quietly, and stared at him. The kitten’s whiskers drooped. Mia’s face had changed; she didn’t look like the girl who’d been sneaking him scraps a moment before. She was pale and miserable. Whiskers mewed, his ears flattening against his head. What was wrong?

“Tomorrow evening? Yes, that would be great. See you then.” Emily’s mum put down the phone, smiling. “Someone wants to come and see Whiskers! Her name’s Miriam, and she says she’s rehomed a nervous cat before, so she doesn’t mind if he’s shy. And she’s always wanted to have a white kitten. It’s perfect!”

Emily nodded, but she was looking worriedly at Mia.

Mia gulped. It was. Whiskers was going to have a perfect home– and it wasn’t with her. She’d let this happen. If only she’d been brave enough to say that she wanted him to be her kitten – that she still loved Sandy, but she’d said goodbye to him.

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She stood up jerkily, huddling Whiskers against her tummy, and passed him to Emily.“I’m sorry, I’m not feeling very well. I have to go home,” she said, hurrying to the front door.

“Mia, wait! I’ll call your gran,” Emily’s mum said worriedly.

“It’s OK, I’ll be fine,” Mia called back, tears already stinging her eyes as she wrestled with the front door catch. At last it gave, and she dashed down the path.

Mewing frantically, Whiskers made a flying leap off Emily’s knee and chased after her. Where was she going? She hadn’t even tickled his ears and scratched under his chin, like she usually did when she left.

He shot out of the front door, on to the path, and looked around. He’d never been out at the front of the house, only on carefully-guarded trips into the back garden. The garden was frozen over with a layer of frost, and snowflakes were flurrying down from the darkening sky. If Mia had been with him, Whiskers would have chased the strange fluffy things, but now he hardly noticed them. He had no idea where Mia had gone. He sat down on the path and wailed for her.

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But Mia couldn’t hear him. She was almost home now, and she could hardly see for tears, let alone hear a heartbroken kitten halfway up the road. She pressed the front door bell over and over till Gran came, looking worried.

“Oh, it’s you, Mia! But I was coming to fetch you… Mia, what’s wrong?”

“Whiskers,” Mia sobbed. “I was too late for Whiskers. I should have said I loved him, and I didn’t. How could I be so stupid? You were right all along, Gran, and now I’ve lost him!”

Gran hugged her.“Oh, Mia. I’m so sorry. Has someone taken him?”

Mia nodded.“A lady’s coming to see him tomorrow, and she’s going to love him, I know she will.”

“Tomorrow?” Gran drew her inside, and shut the door. “But Mia, why don’t you go back to Emily and her mum and explain? Tell them you want him.”

“But I can’t!” Mia wailed. “I kept saying no, because of Sandy. They’ll think I’m just going to change my mind again. And I told Dad that I never ever wanted another cat. Dad and Mum would never let me have Whiskers now.” She sat down on the bottom of the stairs with her chin in her hands. “Miriam – the lady who phoned – she knows all about nervous cats, and she really wants him. Whiskers deserves to have an owner like that.” She sniffed. “I should have been braver before.”

Gran sat down next to her, rather carefully.“I do see what you mean, Mia, but I think you’re being too hard on yourself – and that poor little cat.” She stared thoughtfully at the front door, and a small smile curved up at the corners of her mouth.

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Mia didn’t see it – she had her fingers pressed against her eyes now, to stop herself crying. She could see white speckles against her eyelids, and they reminded her of kitten fur.

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“Are you sure?” Emily wrinkled her nose anxiously and glanced up, checking that Mrs Jones hadn’t seen them talking. “Won’t it just make you feel worse?”

Mia shook her head.“No. I really want to say goodbye to him. I have to. I probably will feel horrible, but it would be awful to never see him again.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Emily sighed. “Miriam sounded really nice, from what Mum said.”

“I know,” Mia whispered. Then she shook her head, trying not to think about saying goodbye to Whiskers. “We’re supposed to be writing about Victorian animals. Did you bring that book from the library?”

They got on with their work– Mrs Jones had said their project idea sounded excellent. But every time she stopped writing, Mia felt sad again, remembering Whiskers’s soft white fur and those amazing whiskers! He was so different to Sandy, but he was special too. The way he always wanted to climb all over her, and his clever trick of perching on her shoulder.

He’ll be too big to do that soon, though, she thought. She’d never see what he looked like as a grown-up cat! Mia swallowed miserably.

She wasn’t sure if the day raced by, or if it crawled. All their lessons seemed to last for ever, but home time came so quickly. It seemed all of a sudden she was putting on her coat and grabbing her stuff, and following Emily to meet Leah outside the gates. And the walk home seemed to vanish in seconds.Mia felt almost sick as they went into Emily’s house.

She expected Whiskers to bounce up to her purring, as he usually did, but the house was very quiet– Silky and Satin were curled up together in Silky’s old basket.

Mia swallowed.“Where’s Whiskers?” she asked Emily’s mum.

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She looked around, hoping that he was hiding, and he was going to jump out and surprise her. But really, she knew that he wasn’t. “He’s gone, hasn’t he? That lady’s already come and taken him?”

Emily’s mum was starting to say something, but Mia couldn’t bear to listen. She was too late – even to say goodbye!

Emily rushed over and tried to give her a hug, but Mia gently pushed her away and ran off home.

Gran answered the door, looking excited, but Mia hardly saw her. She didn’t even stop to listen to what Gran was trying to say. She simply raced up the stairs to the safety of her bedroom, flinging herself on to her bed and hugging Sandy’s old blanket.

Now she had lost both of them.

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Chapter Eight [Êàðòèíêà: i_012.jpg]

Whiskers sniffed around the strange room worriedly. He didn’t understand what was going on. He had been carried here in a box, and he hadn’t liked it, his claws catching and scratching on the cardboard as he slid around, mewing and hissing. Then he’d been let out in this strange new place. He was sure he’d never been there before, but it smelled familiar somehow, and there was a bowl of his favourite food, and some water. The old lady had watched him, but she hadn’t tried to pick him up. She’d just sat, very quietly, and every so often she murmured gently to him. He knew her. She came to visit with Mia sometimes – so why was she here,when Mia wasn’t?

It was all very odd. He’d hoped that Mia might come and see him, after she disappeared so quickly the day before. But what if she didn’t know where he was? He needed to get back home so Mia could find him.

The old lady had gone away now. She had hurried off when that doorbell rang. She’d closed the door behind her, Whiskers noticed, as he sniffed at it. Or almost, anyway. The latch hadn’t quite caught. Whiskers nosed it, and it swung open a little more. The curious kitten poked his whiskers round the door, and then his nose, and then the rest of him – and set off to searchfor Mia…

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Whiskers pattered down the hallway, his nose twitching. He felt confused. Maybe Mia had come to find him after all. He was sure he could smell her. Or was he imagining it? He looked from side to side, wondering where to go. Food smells were coming from behind him, but from the noise it sounded like there were people upstairs. Stairs…

He trotted over, and looked up the flight of stairs. They were very steep. Luckily, they had carpet, or he would never have been able to get his claws in to struggle up. Whiskers scrambled up on to the first step, feeling proud of himself. He licked his paw and brushed it over his ears to settle his fur before he tackled the next step. And the next…

[Êàðòèíêà: i_032.jpg]

It took him a good few minutes to heave and claw his way up to the landing, and he rolled on to the last step, panting exhaustedly. His claws ached. But he was up! And he could hear voices coming from behind a door at the top of the stairs. His ears flattened back. They were not good voices. Someone was upset. The second voice was the old lady who had been with him downstairs. She was doing that gentle, soothing talking again.

The door was open a crack, and he peered cautiously round it. The old lady was sitting on the bed, with a girl lying face down beside her, patting her hair while she cried. Whiskers sniffed again. He’d never heard Mia sound like that before, but he was sure it was Mia. Would she be glad to see him? What was the matter with her? He hesitated by the door, uncertain what to do.

Then the old lady looked up and saw him. She looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled and held out her hand to him, rubbing her fingers together, her face hopeful. She wanted him to come closer.

“Mia, sweetheart, listen. I’ve got something to tell you. I’d have told you straight away, if it hadn’t taken me so long to get up those stairs.”

“Sorry, Gran. I know you’re not supposed to use the stairs. Oh, I should have told Emily’s mum ages ago that I wanted Whiskers to be ours…” a muffled voice sobbed.

That was his name. It was Mia– it had to be. She smelled right, and she’d said his name, even if her voice sounded all strange.

Whiskers bounded across the bedroom and looked up crossly at the bed. How was he supposed to get up there? The old lady stretched her hand, and scooped him up, smiling.“Mia…”

He had been right! Whiskers stumbled along the soft duvet until he was next to Mia’s tangle of fair hair, standing on a blue fleecy blanket. He nudged her with his nose, but she didn’t notice, so he did it again, harder this time.

Mia raised her head. Her eyes were blurry and sore from crying, so for a moment she didn’t understand.

Then Whiskers purred at her proudly. He had found her!

“Whiskers!” Mia gasped. “What are you doing here? Why aren’t you at your new home! Did you run away? Emily’s going to be so worried about you.” She struggled to sit up, and gazed at the little white kitten sitting contentedly in the middle of her bed.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_033.jpg]

“That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Gran said gently. “When you came home so upset last night, I had a talk with your mum and dad, and we all agreed. Your dad had been convinced that you should have Whiskers anyway. He wanted to bring him home ages ago, but your mum was worried it wouldupset you again. So Dad and I went round to Emily’s house, and talked to her mum, after you’d gone off to school this morning. We arranged for Whiskers to be your kitten. Well, and a little bit mine, for some company while you’re at school. I know you shouldn’t give animals as presents, butthink of him as an early Christmas gift.” Gran smiled at her, a little anxiously. “Your mum was so cross she had to be at work this afternoon. She wanted to see your face when you found out.”

“But what about the lady who rang? Miriam?” Mia murmured. Her mind was whirring, trying to take all this in.

“Emily’s mum called her to explain. She was very sympathetic, apparently. She lost a cat recently too; she said she knew how hard it could be.”

“So Whiskers is really ours?” Mia looked down at the kitten, who was sniffing the cat blanket interestedly, his whiskers looking remarkably white against the navy blue fleece. She reached out, and tickled him under the chin, with just one finger. She didn’t dare do more. She felt like there was a dream kitten in her bedroom and if she touched him, he might disappear, like a bubble.

But he didn’t. He purred loudly and gazed up at her with big blue eyes. He looked very, very pleased with himself.

“Yes, you are a clever little cat, finding your way up here,” Gran said, smiling. “I thought I’d shut him in my sitting room, Mia, I didn’t want him wandering all over the house, feeling lost. But he obviously found a way out. He wanted to come and find you.”

Mia nodded.“He’s sitting on Sandy’s blanket,” she whispered suddenly, a strange sharp feeling clutching at her chest.

Gran nodded.“Yes.”

Mia took a deep breath. Whiskers nudged her knee with his nose and stood up, turning round a couple of times before settling himself into the perfect position, nose touching tail tip, like a little white fur cushion.

[Êàðòèíêà: i_034.jpg]

Mia let the breath out again, shakily. There were white hairs on the blanket now, mixed with the ginger ones.

Whiskers opened one eye and yawned, showing a raspberry-pink tongue. Then he snuggled down further into the blanket, and went to sleep.

Just like he belonged.

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Mia yawned and rolled over, and felt Whiskers sigh in his sleep beside her. She’d had to move the fleece blanket now, to the side of her bed. Whiskers liked to sleep jammed between her and the wall, even though Mia sometimes worried that she would accidentally squash him.

She buried her head in her pillow and sighed happily. It didn’t feel like time to get up yet. Then her eyes snapped open. It was Christmas Day!

“Whiskers! Look, my Christmas stocking.” She sat up, and eyed the bulging red-and-white striped stocking happily. She could see a packet of her favourite toffees sticking out of it. “And cat crunchies, look! Your favourite fishy ones!”

Whiskers purred with pleasure. He didn’t know why Mia wanted to wake up early, but he would do anything for fishy crunchies. He patted happily at the ribbons as Mia unwrapped her stocking presents.

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“It’s nearly seven o’clock,” Mia said at last. “I wonder if Mum and Dad would mind being woken up yet? Or Gran?”

She climbed out of bed, and shrugged on her dressing gown, then padded out on to the landing, with Whiskers following her. She peeped in her mum and dad’s bedroom door, but they were both still fast asleep. Dad had said last night that his best Christmas present would be a lie-in, so she scooped Whiskers up before he could go and leap on to the bed. He’d only been with them a week, but already he had a thing about Dad’s feet. He liked to pounce on them, and Mia thought that probably wouldn’t be Dad’s ideal way to wake up.

She crept down the stairs. Gran always woke up early; she said it was to do with being over seventy– she didn’t need as much sleep any more.

“I can hear you, Mia! Happy Christmas!” Gran called, as Mia hesitated outside her door.

Mia slipped into Gran’s little annexe. “You’re up already!” she said, in surprise. Gran was sitting in her armchair, with a magazine and a cup of tea.

“Yes, and I’m glad you’re here. I’ve got a special present for you.” Gran reached over to her little table and picked up a flat, rectangular parcel, wrapped in shiny Christmas paper with a big ribbon bow. Gran liked wrapping presents.

“‘For Mia, with lots of love this Christmas – and for being brave,’” Mia read from the gift tag. “I don’t understand.”

“Open it, Mia, you’ll see.” Gran nodded eagerly.

Mia put Whiskers down on the floor, then started to undo the bow, and peel off the paper.

“Oh, Gran! It’s lovely!” It was a sort of box, with a beautiful painting of a cat on the lid.

“Ah, you haven’t seen inside it yet, open it up.”

It wasn’t actually a box, Mia realized, as she opened it. It was a hinged photo frame, made to take two photos, one beside the other.

As though it was made for two very special cats.

Mia smiled, her eyes blurring a little with tears, but only happy ones. On the left was Sandy, staring out at her, with his ears pricked up. Gran must have taken it just as he spotted a butterfly to chase, Mia thought. Sandy loved to hunt butterflies…

And on the right was a picture of her little Whiskers, sitting on Gran’s windowsill. The winter sun was shining on his gorgeous whiskers, so that they sparkled.

“Thanks, Gran, it’s the loveliest present.” Mia hugged her, and laughed as there was a sudden rustling sound. Whiskers had jumped on to the discarded wrapping paper, and was pouncing backwards and forwards, chasing an imaginary something. Maybe when he was bigger, Whiskers would chase butterflies too…

21. THE FRIGHTENED KITTEN

Chapter One

“Make sure you wrap it up carefully,” Kate told Maddy, stuffing an armful of bubble wrap into her best friend’s lap.

Maddy nodded, smoothing it out and starting to wind it round the photo frame.“Ben looks gorgeous in this picture,” she said, her voice a bit wobbly.

Kate nodded.“He always does. But that’s my favourite photo of him.”

Maddy stared down at the photo– she was in it too. It had been taken last summer, and showed her and Kate, with Kate’s huge black cat Ben sitting on the picnic rug between them. He was almost as tall as they were, when the girls were sitting down.

She laughed with surprise as a hard head butted her arm, and Ben stomped his way on to her lap to see exactly what she was doing. He’d been asleep at the end of Kate’s bed, but he’d obviously decided something interesting was happening. He was the world’s nosiest cat.

“Do you think he’ll mind moving?” Maddy asked, watching Kate fill a big cardboard box with books and her ornaments, all carefully wrapped up.

“I don’t know.” Kate shrugged. “The new house has got a big garden, but he likes it here. Like me.” She sighed miserably. “I keep hoping Dad’s going to come home and say it was all a mistake, and he doesn’t have to go and work in Yorkshire after all. But we’re leaving tomorrow. It’s getting a bit late for that.” She sniffed, and sat down next to Maddy and Ben on the bed.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_3]

Maddy put an arm round her, and Ben bounced on to Kate’s lap, standing up on his hind legs to wrap his front paws around her neck. It was his party trick. Kate always told people she had a cat who hugged, although he didn’t do it to very many people. Mostly Kate, but he would do it to Maddy sometimes, especially if she’d given him a cat treat. He’d even done it to Maddy’s dad once, when he came to pick Maddy up and stopped for a cup of tea. Her dad had been taken by surprise, but Maddy had noticed that he always looked for Ben whenever he came to Kate’s now. As though he was hoping that Ben might do it again.

Maddy had been working on her mum and dad to let her get a cat of her own for ages. She was pretty sure that Ben had won her dad over that day. Now she just had to persuade her mum…

Kate sniffed again.“What if he doesn’t like the new house, Maddy? He might even try and find his way back here. You read in the papers about cats who do that.”

“Yorkshire’s probably too far for him to try it,” Maddy said. It was meant to be comforting, but it didn’t work. She didn’t want to think about how far away her friend was going to be. And she was going to have to start a new school, of course. Maddy couldn’t imagine having to do that.

Kate frowned.“I hope there aren’t too many other cats near the new house. Ben’s the top cat round here, none of the other cats would put a paw in our garden. But the new garden might be another cat’s territory already.”

Maddy looked down at Ben, now sitting comfortably on Kate’s lap. He yawned and stretched, and then stared up at her with huge green eyes.He didn’t look like he was worried.

“Even if the garden is another cat’s territory, I don’t think it will be for long,” Maddy said, stroking him.

Kate nodded, laughing.“Maybe. He doesn’t fight very often, but when he does, I think he just sits on the other cats and squashes them.” She sighed. “I suppose I’d better get on with packing. Mum says I should have had it finished yesterday.” She pushed Ben gently off her knee, and he slunk away to hide amongthe boxes.

Maddy went back to wrapping up the photo. She was going to miss Kate so much. She knew Kate would miss her too, but her friend was a bit like Ben, Maddy thought. She was so strong and bouncy and confident. She’d have a new gang of friends in no time – and she’d be showing off her famous hugging cat to them instead.

“Pass me that tape, Maddy, so I can seal this box up.”

Maddy handed her the parcel tape, and wrapped another photo frame.“Where did Ben go?” she asked, a few minutes later.

“He’s under the bed, isn’t he?” Kate said, peering down.

But he wasn’t. There was a sudden thumping and then a muffled yowl. “He’s in the box!” Maddy giggled.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Kate stared at the big cardboard box she’d just taped up. “He can’t be…” she murmured, but she didn’t sound very sure. She ripped off the tape, and the flaps came up, followed by a large black head, with cross, glowing green eyes. Ben scrambled out, hissing grumpily.

“Well, you shouldn’t have been in there!” Kate laughed. “Nosy boy!”

Maddy was laughing too. But even as she laughed, she was thinking,I’m going to miss them so much…

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

Kate and her mum walked Maddy home– it was only five minutes away, and it was warm and sunny. Perfect Easter holiday weather. If Kate hadn’t been leaving tomorrow, they’d have spent loads of time in the park, or maybe gone out somewhere for the day.

“Those cats that live next door to you are nearly as big as Ben,” Kate’s mum commented, as they came up to Maddy’s garden.

“They’re sitting on Mum’s daffodils again,” Maddy sighed, as she hurried into the front garden and tried to shoo the two big ginger cats off the stone pot that her mum had planted full of bulbs. For some reason Tiger and Tom had decided it was a really good place to sit, and the daffodils were looking a bit squashed now.

Maddy’s mum opened the front door. “I heard you coming, girls. Oh, no, not those horrible cats again!”

Tiger spat crossly at Maddy as she tried to get him off the daffodils, and yowled. He was so different to lovely, sweet-natured Ben. At last, he jumped down, and the pair of them stalked away, glaring back at Maddy.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

As the mums chatted, Kate flung her arms round Maddy.“Promise you’ll call me every day! Tell me everything that’s happening at school, OK?”

Maddy nodded.“And anyway, you’re coming back to visit at half-term.”

“We’d better go,” Kate’s mum said. “It’ll be a long day tomorrow, and there’s still some packing to do.”

And that was it. Kate and her mum went back down the path, waving, and Maddy was left on her own.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“I’ve finished,” said Maddy, pushing away her half-eaten dinner. Mum had made her favourite pasta, but she just wasn’t hungry.

Her dad leaned over and put an arm round her shoulders.“Do you think we could tell her the news? To cheer her up?” he suggested to Maddy’s mum, and she nodded.

“What news?” Maddy sniffed sadly.

“Do you remember me telling you that my friend Donna’s cat had kittens a couple of months ago?” Mum asked.

“Oh, yes. You showed me a photo on your phone. They’re gorgeous. There were some tortoiseshell ones – my favourite kind!”

“Good. Because one of them is going to be yours!”

Maddy blinked.“I’m getting a kitten?”

“You can choose which of the litter you’d like. Donna needs to find homes for them all, and we thought it would be nice for you to have a cat, as you’ve wanted one for so long. Especially as you’re bound to miss Kate – getting to know a kitten might make the Easter holidays a bit less sad.” Her mum looked at her anxiously. “We’re not trying to take your mind off missing her, Maddy. It’s a really sad thing for a friend to move away.”

“It just seemed like a good time,” her dad added.

Maddy nodded.“It is a good time,” she whispered. She couldn’t help still feeling sad about Kate, of course, but at the same time, inside she was jumping about and squeaking.A kitten! A kitten! I’m getting a kitten!

Chapter Two

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Maddy’s mum showed her some more photos of the kittens, but it was hard to see them in the pictures on her phone. Three of them were ginger and the other two were tortoiseshells, beautiful black, white and orange cats. They were all coiled and snuggled around each other and their mother, who was blacklike Ben. Maddy was pretty sure she would like a tortoiseshell kitten – Tiger and Tom had put her off ginger cats.

“When can I see them?” Maddy asked the next morning at breakfast.

Mum smiled.“I’ve arranged for us to visit them this afternoon. And if you’re sure which kitten you’d like, you can even bring it home today! We can go to the pet shop on the way to Donna’s house to get everything we’ll need.”

As it turned out, they needed an awful lot of things. A basket, Maddy had thought of that. And a food bowl. But she hadn’t realized there was so much else. A collar. Grooming brush. Food. Special treats that were good for cleaning kitten teeth. Toys…

They were just about to go and pay for everything when Mum stopped.“Oh, I’m so stupid! I forgot that Donna said to bring a cat carrier to take the kitten home in.”

Maddy smiled.Home! She loved the idea of their house being a home for a kitten.

“If you get anything else, we won’t have room for the kitten in the car,” Dad muttered, but Maddy knew he was only joking.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_7]

“Can we go to Donna’s now?” she said hopefully, as they stowed all the things in the boot a few minutes later.

Mum nodded, and hugged her.“I’m really excited.”

Maddy threw her arms round her mum’s neck. “I bet I’m more excited than you.”

Dad got in the car and tooted the horn at them.“Come on. I’m so excited I actually want to go and see these kittens some time today!”

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“Oh, look at them!” Maddy breathed, stopping in the kitchen doorway and staring. The kittens were all asleep in a large basket in the corner of the room. It was by the radiator, and the floor had been covered with newspaper.

“They’re doing pretty well with their house-training; the newspaper’s just in case they miss the litter tray,” Donna explained. “We’ve been keeping them in the kitchen up till now, but this last week they keep on escaping!”

“How old are they?” Maddy asked. They looked so little. She couldn’t believe they were ready to leave their mum.

“Ten weeks yesterday. I bought a book about raising kittens when we found out that Dilly was pregnant, and it recommended keeping them with their mum until then, so she can teach them what they need to know. Also, that way they get to spend more time with their brothers and sisters, and learn howto get on with each other.”

“So did you mean for her to have kittens then?” Maddy’s dad asked.

Donna sighed.“No, it was a total surprise. We were planning to have Dilly spayed, but we left it too late. As soon as she’s recovered from having these, we’ll take her to the vet. I love the kittens, but I don’t want any more!”

“Are you going to keep any of them?” Maddy asked, as she knelt down by the basket. “I can’t imagine how you’re going to let them go, they’re so gorgeous.”

Donna nodded.“I know. I’d love to keep a couple, and it will be sad for Dilly to lose them all, but we only ever meant to have one cat! We’ll have to see. Quite a few people seem interested in adopting one.” She smiled at Maddy. “But you’ve got first choice. Your mum booked you a kitten weeks ago!”

Maddy looked up at her mum gratefully.“Thanks, Mum!”

“Well, it seemed like a perfect opportunity – you’re old enough to help look after a pet now.”

“I’ll be really good, I promise,” Maddy said. “I’ll even clean out the litter tray.” She wouldn’t mind, she thought, peering into the basket. The kittens had heard their voices, and were starting to wake up. Dilly was watching Maddy carefully, obviously guarding her babies.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_8]

One of the ginger kittens popped its head up and stared curiously at Maddy. She laughed, and his eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, sorry!” Maddy whispered. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

All the kittens were awake now, gazing at her with big green eyes. Maddy sighed.“How am I ever going to choose one of you?” she murmured. She hadn’t thought she’d like a ginger kitten, but they were cute too – their pink noses clashed with their orangey fur.

One of the tortoiseshell kittens put its paws up on the side of the basket, and nosed at Maddy’s hand. Its nose felt chilly and tickly, and Maddy stifled a laugh. She didn’t want to make the kitten jump.

“Is this a girl kitten?” she whispered to Donna. She’d guessed that the ginger kittens were boys and the tortoiseshells were girls, but she knew it wasn’t always that way round.

“Yes, she’s a sweetie. Very friendly, she loves to have her head rubbed.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_9]

The kitten looked at Maddy hopefully, and Maddy gently scratched the top of her head. Ben had always liked that. The kitten purred, and turned her head sideways, nestling into Maddy’s hand.

“She’s lovely,” Mum said quietly.

“Could we have her?” Maddy breathed. The kitten was still purring and cuddling up against her hand. She was so little and perfect. Maddy was desperate to pick her up, but she wasn’t sure she should.

The kitten solved the problem by clambering over the side of the basket– it was a soft, squashy one, and the sides were so high that she looked like she was trying to climb over a bouncy castle. There was a lot of scrabbling, but eventually she landed on the kitchen floor, looking very proud of herself, and set to work mountaineering up on to Maddy’s lap.

“Oooh, claws.” Maddy giggled, and carefully scooped a hand under the kitten’s bottom to give her a bit of a lift. The kitten finally reached her lap, looking quite worn out by the effort, but she purred delightedly when Maddy made a fuss of her.

“Well, it looks like she wants to be ours too,” Dad said, reaching out a finger to scratch behind the kitten’s ears. “What are we going to call her?”

Maddy looked down at the kitten, who was busily curling herself into a neat little ball.“See that orange patch on her back. It’s completely round. Don’t you think it looks just like a biscuit?”

“Biscuit?” Mum laughed. “That’s a really cute name for a cat. It does look like a little ginger biscuit, against that white fur.”

Maddy nodded.“It’s the perfect name for her.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

Maddy had the whole of the rest of the Easter holidays to get to know Biscuit, and play with her. Her mum and dad were right– having her kitten did mean she spent less time worrying about going back to school without Kate. She also did a lot of reading – they’d bought a book on cat care at the pet shop, and she got a couple more out of the library, too.

“Did Donna take the kittens to have their first vaccinations?” she asked Mum at breakfast, the day after they’d brought Biscuit home.

Biscuit was sitting on her lap, looking hopefully at Maddy’s breakfast. The cereal looked quite like her cat biscuits, she thought, but it didn’t smell the same. She reached up, stretching her neck, and sniffed harder. Definitely not cat biscuits, but a very good smell all the same. She put her front paws on the edge of the table, and darted her raspberry-pink tongue at a drop of milk that Maddy had spilled.

It was sweet and cold, and Biscuit gave a delighted little shiver. Maddy was checking her cat book and didn’t notice when Biscuit edged a little further forward, and stuck her tongue in the bowl to lap up her leftover cereal. She got in a good few mouthfuls before Maddy spotted her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_10]

“Biscuit! You shouldn’t be eating that! Oh, Mum, look, she’s got milk all over her whiskers!”

Biscuit settled back on to Maddy’s lap, licking her whiskers happily. She liked her food better, but it was nice to have a change…

“Oh dear! I suppose a little bit won’t have done her any harm. You’d finished, hadn’t you? And yes, Donna gave us the vaccination certificate.” Mum looked in the folder she’d left on the countertop. “She had them done about three weeks ago.”

Maddy checked the book again.“Then we need to take her to the vet soon! She’s supposed to have the second vaccination three weeks after the first one. And then in another three weeks, she’ll be allowed to go outside.”

“Actually, yes, that’s what Donna’s put in this note. She said we should probably have Biscuit microchipped at the same time.”

Maddy nodded. Her book mentioned that, too. The tiny microchip went under the skin on the kitten’s neck, and it would have a special number on it, so that Biscuit could be easily identified by any vet if she got lost.

“I’ll call the vet tomorrow, Maddy. They won’t be open on a Sunday.”

Maddy nodded.“That reminds me! Can I call Kate, Mum? I have to tell her about Biscuit!”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

Luckily, the vet’s had a cancelled appointment on Monday afternoon. Maddy wanted to get Biscuit’s vaccinations done as soon as possible, so that she would be able to play with her in the garden. She knew that the little cat would love it. She was so adventurous inside the house. She kept climbing things, and she loved to tunnel under Maddy’s duvet and then pop out at her.

For the trip to the vet’s, Maddy put the cat carrier next to her on the back seat, and Biscuit peered out at her worriedly. She had only been in the cat carrier once, and that was to come to Maddy’s house. Were they going back to her old home again? She did miss playing with her brothers and sisters, but Maddy was just as much fun to play with – and she didn’t jump on top of her and try to chew her ears, like her biggest ginger brother had done. Biscuit definitely preferred Maddy’s house. She let out a miserable wail as Maddy lifted the carrier out of the car – but then she realized that it wasn’t herold home they’d come to after all.

The place smelled very odd; sharp and chemical to her sensitive nose. But at the same time, it was slightly familiar. Had she been here before?

Maddy put the carrier down on the floor, and Biscuit sniffed suspiciously. There were other smells, too. A strange, strong, worrying smell. It smelled like a dog. A dog had visited her old home once, and she hadn’t liked it. She shifted nervously inside her carrier. It was coming closer!

[Êàðòèíêà: img_11]

Biscuit gave a horrified squeak as a furry face loomed up in front of her carrier. The puppy peered in curiously and nudged the wire door with his nose.

The kitten bristled, her fur standing on end and her tail fluffing up to twice its size. She hissed furiously at the dog. This washer carrier! She lashed her claws at his nose, but they scraped harmlessly down the wire.

“Barney, no!” his owner cried. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I hope he didn’t frighten your kitten.”

Maddy’s mum laughed. “Actually, I think she tried to fight back; she’s a determined little thing.”

Maddy looked anxiously into Biscuit’s carrier. “Are you all right? Sorry, Biscuit, I was helping Mum fill in the forms. I didn’t see what was happening.” Then she smiled with relief. Biscuit was sitting in the carrier with her tail wrapped smugly round her legs. She wasn’t afraid of some silly dog!

Chapter Three

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

“She’s going to miss me while I’m at school,” Maddy said worriedly. She had her coat and her rucksack and her lunchbag – and a kitten sitting on her shoulder, sniffing with interest at the rucksack. “It’s the first day I won’t have been here to play with her.”

“I’ll be here though,” her mum pointed out. Maddy’s mum worked part-time at another school, but she didn’t go in on Mondays or Fridays. “I’ll play with her lots, Maddy, I promise. And your dad’s working from home tomorrow. She’ll gradually get used to being left. It’ll be fine.”

Maddy nodded doubtfully. She’d spent the whole holiday playing with Biscuit and fussing over her. Now she just couldn’t imagine a whole day at school without seeing her. And without Kate…

“Come on, Maddy. We’d better go.”

Maddy sighed and then carefully unhooked Biscuit’s claws from her coat. She put her down gently and rubbed her ears. “Be good,” she told her. “I’ll be back soon.”

Biscuit stared up at her. She didn’t understand what was happening, but she could tell from Maddy’s voice that she wasn’t happy. The kitten gave an uncertain little mew and patted at Maddy’s leg with a paw, asking to be picked up again.

“Maddy, now,” her mum said firmly, seeing that Maddy was close to tears. She shooed her out of the door, leaving Biscuit all alone in the house.

Biscuit sat by the front door for a little while, hoping that they’d come back, but she couldn’t hear any footsteps heading up the path. She was very confused – she just didn’t understand why Maddy had gone away. Eventually, she padded back into the kitchen. She had seen Maddy and her mum and dad use the back door, even though she wasn’t allowed out of it yet. Perhaps they would come in that way?

She waited for what seemed like a very long time, but no one came in by that door, either. So she wandered through the house, mewing every so often. Where had they all gone? Were they ever coming back? She looked at the stairs for a while, but she still found them very difficult to climb. Maddy had carried her up there a couple of times, but it took her ages to manage a whole flight of stairs by herself.

Sadly, she trailed into the living room, and clawed her way up the purple throw that Maddy’s mum had draped over the sofa. It already had quite a lot of little claw marks in it – Biscuit had quickly discovered that the back of the sofa was an interesting place to sit. She sat down, peering out of the window, hoping to see Maddy coming up the front path.

Instead, she saw a large gingery face staring back at her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_12]

Biscuit was so surprised that she jumped backwards with a miaow of fright, and fell on to the seat of the sofa.

What was that? Another cat? In her garden? Biscuit had never been out in it, but she was quite certain that it was hers. She sat shivering on the sofa, not daring to climb up and look again. The other cat had been a lot bigger than she was. What if it was still there? At last, Biscuit scrabbled her way up the throw again, and peeped over the back of the sofa.

The big ginger cat had gone.

Biscuit was so relieved that she curled up on the back of the sofa, and went to sleep.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“She was fine, Maddy!” Mum said, as they walked home from school. “When I got home from dropping you off and doing the shopping, she was asleep on the back of the sofa. And then the rest of the day I fussed over her every so often, and she was perfectly all right.”

Maddy nodded, looking relieved.“I wonder if she was watching for us coming home, and that’s why she was on the back of the sofa.”

“Maybe.” Her mum laughed. “Actually, I think she’s just nosy. She likes watching people go past. Anyway, how was school?”

Maddy could tell that her mum was trying not to sound worried about her. She shrugged.“OK.”

“Who did you sit with?”

“Lucy. And Romany.”

“And it was all right?”

“Mmm.” Maddy didn’t want to tell her mum that she’d felt miserable and lonely all day, and that even though Lucy and Romany had been nice, she’d hardly talked to them. She couldn’t help thinking that they were Kate’s friends, not hers, and they didn’t really want to hang around withher. Luckily it had been netball club at lunch, so she hadn’t had to mooch around on her own in the playground. But she didn’t have a club every lunchtime. She sped up, hurrying home to see Biscuit.

“Oh, look, she’s there, watching out for us!” Maddy beamed. She ran up the garden path, watching Biscuit leap off the back of the sofa. She could hear a little scuttle of paws, and then frantic mewing and a scrabbling noise as the kitten clawed at the door. As soon as her mum opened it, Maddyswept the kitten up to hug her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

School wasn’t any easier the next day, or the day after that – but at least Maddy had Biscuit to cheer her up at home. And she was really looking forward to Saturday – the vet had said Biscuit could go out in the garden then, even though it wasn’t quite three weeks since her vaccinations. He’d said it would be fine as long as she wasn’t around any other cats.

Maddy didn’t give Biscuit as much breakfast as usual on Saturday morning. And just in case Biscuit did wander too far, Maddy made sure she had a full bag of the kitten’s favourite chicken-flavour treats.

Biscuit was still staring suspiciously at her food bowl, wondering why breakfast hadn’t seemed to take as long to gobble down as usual, when she realized that the back door was wide open. She’d seen it open before, of course, but only when someone was holding her tightly, and even then they always whipped it shut before she could wriggle free and go investigating. She crept over to it, keeping low to the ground, expecting any minute that Maddy or her mum would catch her.

But Maddy was outside! She was standing by the door, calling her! Biscuit hurried so fast out of the door, she almost tripped over the step. She shook herself crossly and pattered down the path to where Maddy was.

There were so many smells! She sniffed curiously at the grass, and patted it with one paw. It was cool and damp, and taller than she was!

[Êàðòèíêà: img_13]

“Have you got the treats?” Her mum appeared in the doorway. “In case Biscuit goes running off. She could get under the fence if she really tried, remember.”

Maddy waved the foil packet.“It’s OK. Oh, look, Mum! She’s seen a butterfly!”

The orange butterfly was swooping carelessly past Biscuit’s nose, and she watched it in amazement. Maddy had dangled pieces of string for her, and feathery toys, but she had never seen anything like this. She reached out her paw and tried to bat at the butterfly, and then tried again with the other paw, but it flew behind her, and she almost fell over trying to chase after it.

“You can’t have it, Biscuit,” Maddy laughed. “I don’t think butterflies are very good for you. And they’re all legs and wings; I bet they don’t taste nice.”

Biscuit stared after the butterfly, which was flittering over the fence to next door’s garden. She thought it looked delicious. But there was no way she could get over the high fence to follow it.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_14]

Chapter Four

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

Maddy and Biscuit spent so much time playing in the garden that on Friday evening, Maddy’s dad came home with a surprise. He put the big box he was carrying down in front of Biscuit’s cat basket with a flourish.

“What is it?” Maddy asked, peering round to see the front of the box. Biscuit blinked at it sleepily. She was worn out from racing round the garden with Maddy after she had got back from school.

“Oh, a cat flap! Thanks, Dad!”

“We can put it in tomorrow. It’s over three weeks since Biscuit had her vaccinations now, so we can let her out on her own.”

Maddy nodded.“I suppose so. But she’s still not quite fourteen weeks old. She’s only little.”

“I think cats like to explore though,” Dad pointed out. “She’ll be able to climb trees. Chase more butterflies…”

Biscuit suddenly perked up, bouncing up in her basket and staring at him, ears pricked. Dad laughed.“You see!”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

Maddy had been worried that Biscuit might find the cat flap hard to work, or that she just might not like it– Kate had told her that Ben had taken ages to get used to his. He preferred to have someone open the back door for him. But as soon as Biscuit understood what the cat flap did, she took to it immediately. She spent most of Saturday afternoon popping in and out of it, coming back into the kitchenevery five minutes to make sure that Maddy was still there.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_15]

Maddy had been a bit anxious that Biscuit might try going into one of the next-door gardens, but even though she’d sniffed at the holes under the fence, she didn’t seem to want to crawl through them. There was plenty in Maddy’s garden to keep her busy.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

Maddy was doing her homework at the kitchen table on Sunday morning, with Biscuit curled on her lap. Her science worksheet seemed to be taking ages. It was probably because she kept thinking about her science lesson on Friday. She’d had to pair up with Sara, a girl she didn’t really like, and Sara had kept on making mean little comments throughout the lesson. So now every time she tried to write about the differences between solids and liquids, she just started thinking about how much she missed having Kate to work with. Kate would have said something really funny about Sara, Maddy was sure.

At least she’d seen Becky, one of the girls who sat on the table behind her, making faces at Sara. She’d rolled her eyes at Maddy in an “Ignore her!” sort of way, and Maddy had smiled back.

Now Biscuit yawned and jumped lazily off Maddy’s lap, making for her cat flap. She was bored with sitting still, and Maddy didn’t seem to want to play. Biscuit had tried chasing her coloured pencils across the table, but Maddy had put them away instead of rolling the pencils for her to chase.

The garden was full of interesting smells, and some bees were buzzing around the lavender bushes. Biscuit watched them, fascinated, her tail tip twitching. She was watching so closely that she didn’t see Tiger and Tom sneaking under next door’s fence. It wasn’t until the two big ginger cats were right behind her that Biscuit heard them creeping through the grass, and whirled round. She was sure it was one of these cats who’d been staring in at her through the window.

The ginger cats had their ears laid back as they snuck towards her. Biscuit backed away from them into the lavender bush. She didn’t quite understand what was happening, but she knew the two cats weren’t friendly. Her tail bushed out, and she darted a nervous glance towards the door. Could she make a run for her cat flap? But one of the big ginger cats, the one with the torn ear, was between her and the house, his tail swishing from side to side.

Tiger, the one with the darker stripes, was almost nose to nose with her now, hissing and staring. Biscuit was practically squashed into the lavender bush– she couldn’t retreat any further.

Tiger cuffed her round the head with one enormous paw, sending her rolling, and Biscuit wailed miserably. What was she supposed to do? Why were they attacking her?

[Êàðòèíêà: img_16]

Inside the house, Maddy was still gloomily eyeing her homework. She glanced up as her mum came into the kitchen, looking confused.

“Maddy, can you hear a strange noise? It almost sounds like a baby crying. A sort of howling.”

Maddy yelped and suddenly pushed her chair away from the table, racing for the back door. She hadn’t been paying attention to the noise, but now she was sure it was Biscuit.

She flung open the door, and Tom jumped round, hissing at her, but Tiger and Biscuit hardly seemed to notice. They were in the middle of the lawn now, and Tiger was about three times the size of Biscuit with all his ginger fur fluffed up. They were making strange wowling noises still, circling round each other. As Maddy watched, Tiger leaped on Biscuit again, and the two cats seemed to roll over and over, twisting and scratching.

“Stop it!” Maddy yelled. She raced over to them, shoving at Tiger, ignoring the hissing and scratching at her hands. She snatched Biscuit up, and yelled at Tiger and Tom, sending them scuttling away under the fence.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_17]

“Maddy, are you all right?” Her mum came running out. “It all happened so quickly, I didn’t realize what was going on. Is Biscuit hurt?”

“I don’t think so, but she’s shaking.” Maddy carried the kitten inside. “Those horrible cats!”

Her mum sighed.“I suppose they’re used to coming into our garden. They think Biscuit’s in their territory.”

“Well, she isn’t!” Maddy snapped. “It’s our garden and she’s our cat!”

“Yes, we know that, but I bet the cats don’t. Give her to me, you need to run your hands under the tap. They must hurt, you’re all scratched!”

Reluctantly, Maddy handed Biscuit over to her mum.

“She’s so scared,” Maddy said, her voice shaking as she washed her hands. “Tiger’s so much bigger than she is. He could have really hurt her.” Then she laughed a little. “I saw Biscuit scratch his nose, though, before he ran off.”

“Did they go under the fence?” her mum asked. “Is there a hole we could block up?”

Maddy dried her scratched hands and made for the door.“I’ll go and see.”

Biscuit gave a worried little mew as she saw Maddy opening the door, and Maddy stopped to stroke her.“Don’t worry. I’m not going to let those ginger bullies anywhere near you.”

She hurried out into the garden, checking the fence. There were holes all the way along– not huge ones, but big enough for a cat to squeeze through.

It was going to be difficult to block them all up. And the fence wasn’t that high, either. She was pretty sure that Tiger and Tom could climb it without too much effort.

“What are you doing?” someone asked in a sneery sort of voice.

Maddy straightened up from the flower bed. It was her next-door neighbour Josh, who owned Tiger and Tom. He was a couple of years older than she was and went to secondary school, so usually Maddy was too shy to say much to him. But not today.

“I’m looking at the fence! Your cats just came into my garden and beat up my kitten!” she snapped at him.

Josh shrugged.“Sorry. But cats fight. It’s what they do.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_18]

“Don’t you care? She’s terrified!”

“There isn’t anything I can do, cats chase each other and they fight. There’s loads of cats round here. Your kitten’s going to get into fights, Maddy, stop being such a girl.”

“OH!” Maddy huffed, and she stomped back inside. Biscuit was not going to fight, because Maddy wasn’t going to let any other cats hurt her. She didn’t care how scratchedshe got.

But as she shut the kitchen door, slamming it hard enough to set the cat flap swinging, Maddy had a sudden, awful thought.

She could protect Biscuit now, but what about tomorrow, when she went back to school?

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“Perhaps we shouldn’t have got a cat flap…” Maddy said worriedly.

Her dad scratched his head thoughtfully. He’d been out running when Biscuit got into the fight, and had missed the whole thing. “I can’t exactly put that chunk of door back. Anyway, Biscuit’s getting bigger all the time. She won’t be such easy pickings for those two next door soon.”

“I don’t think Biscuit’s ever going to be as big as they are,” Maddy said. “But it’s good for her to be able to go out. She loves being in the garden! Or she did, anyway,” she added sadly.

Biscuit hadn’t been outside again since the fight that morning. She’d retreated into the dining room. There was a lovely patch of warm sun coming through the glass doors at the back of the room. Biscuit lay in it, feeling the soft warmth on her fur. It made her feel better – not so jumpy and scared.

She stretched out on the carpet lazily and gazed out of the big window through half-open eyes, hoping to spot some butterflies.

Instead, the next time she blinked, Tiger and Tom were there. In her garden, staring at her, just on the other side of the window.

Biscuit’s tail fluffed up and she hissed in panic. For a moment, she forgot that there was glass there and they couldn’t reach her through it. She was sure that Tiger was about to knock her over again. She raced out to the kitchen and Maddy, mewing in fright.

“Oh! They’re back in the garden!” Maddy picked Biscuit up, cuddling her.

Dad quickly filled up a glass that was by the sink and headed out into the garden. But he came back shaking his head.“I was going to splash them – cats don’t like getting wet – but they’d gone already.”

“If they keep doing this, Biscuit’s going to be frightened all the time,” Maddy said anxiously. “It’s so unfair.”

She was still worrying when she went to bed that night. She’d left the kitten snoozing in her basket in the kitchen, after putting some of Biscuit’s favourite chicken crunchies in her bowl, in case she woke up needing a midnight snack.

It took Maddy ages to get to sleep. She tossed and turned, thinking about Tiger and Tom, and then about school tomorrow and how lonely it was going to be. Somehow it all got wound up into her dreams when she finally fell asleep, so that she was sitting doing numeracy with Tiger and Tom (in school uniform) on either side of her. Tiger was just telling her that she was stupid and she’d got her multiplication wrong, when Tom started wowling in her ear. Maddy twitched, turned over – and woke up. That wasn’t in her dream – the sound was coming from downstairs!

She flung herself out of bed and dashed down the stairs. The noise was louder now and it was coming from the kitchen. Maddy couldn’t understand – it sounded like more than one cat, but only Biscuit was meant to be in there. She shoved open the door, and saw Tiger and Tom by Biscuit’s food bowl, gobbling down the chicken crunchies she’d left out.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_19]

“Go away!” Maddy yelled. “Out! Bad cats!” Tiger and Tom hissed at her, but hightailed it out of the cat flap. The cat flap – of course. That’s how they’d got into Maddy’s kitchen!

“What on earth…?” Dad appeared in the kitchen doorway, looking sleepy.

“The cats from next door! They came in through the cat flap, Dad; they were eating Biscuit’s food!” Maddy crouched down by Biscuit’s bed. She looked terrified, and as Maddy gently picked her up, she could feel how tense the kitten was, as though she was ready to leap out of Maddy’s arm and run away at any moment. Her whiskers were twitching, and her little face seemed all frightened eyes.

Mum had been worried that Biscuit might end up making a mess in Maddy’s room if she slept upstairs, but Maddy couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her on her own.

“Dad, please can I take Biscuit upstairs to sleep with me?” she begged. “I know Mum said she should stay in the kitchen, but she’s so scared.”

Dad sighed.“I suppose she is very well house-trained now. And she’s got pretty good at the stairs, hasn’t she? She’ll be all right to come down if she needs her litter tray. I’m going to put a chair in front of the cat flap, in case Tiger and Tom come back.”

Maddy nodded. Biscuit was relaxing into her arms a little now, but she was still looking around nervously. Maddy hurried upstairs and fluffed up her duvet into a cosy kitten nest at the end of the bed. It didn’t leave much duvet for her, but she didn’t mind.

Biscuit stepped cautiously into the warm nest and padded at it with her paws. Maddy was here. She was safe. Tiger and Tom wouldn’t be able to come upstairs, she was sure. And if they did, Maddy would chase them away.

Maddy slid into bed and sighed. She’d wanted Biscuit to sleep on her bed ever since she’d got her, but she wished it hadn’t happened like this.

Maddy was just falling asleep again when she felt determined little paws padding up her tummy, and a soft wisp of fur brushed across her cheek as Biscuit curled up next to her on the pillow. Maddy giggled. Biscuit’s tail was lying across her neck and it tickled.

“We’ll sort those horrible cats out,” she told Biscuit sleepily. “It’ll be OK.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_20]

Chapter Five

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

“Time to get up!” Maddy’s mum pulled open the bedroom curtains.

“Mmmm. Oh!” Maddy suddenly remembered that Biscuit was upstairs with her, although she was no longer asleep on her pillow.

“Your dad told me he’d let you bring Biscuit up here. I suppose it isn’t doing any harm, as long as you make sure she doesn’t get shut in. We don’t want her weeing on your bedroom carpet!” She looked around. “Where is she? Has she gone downstairs already?”

Maddy sat up.“She was sleeping next to me.”

“She’s here!” Her mum was crouching down, peering under the bed. “It’s all right, Biscuit, I’m not scary. Oh dear, Maddy, she looks very nervous.”

“Maybe she heard you coming in and thought it was Tiger and Tom again.” Maddy hopped out of bed to look underneath.

Biscuit was squeezed as far back as she could go, pressed against the wall. Maddy could see her whiskers trembling.“Biscuit! Come on, it’s OK.”

Very slowly, Biscuit crept out and let Maddy pick her up. But she flinched when Maddy’s mum tried to stroke her.

“She’s usually so friendly,” Maddy’s mum said sadly. “Perhaps she’ll feel better after some food.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_21]

“I hope so.” Maddy carried Biscuit downstairs with her once she’d got dressed. She could feel Biscuit tensing up as they came down the hall into the kitchen. She was practically clinging on to Maddy’s cardigan, and she didn’t seem very interested in eating even when Maddy filled up her bowl.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on her while you’re at school,” Mum said. “How are things going, anyway?”

Maddy shrugged.

“I know you’re missing Kate, but I’m sure there are lots of other people in your class that you could chat to,” her mum said persuasively.

But none of them are as nice as Kate, Maddy thought.And none of them want to chat to me. It just isn’t that easy…

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“It’s a month till Sports Day,” Mrs Melling, Maddy’s teacher explained, as she led everyone out on to the school field. “So we’re going to be doing some athletics – running, hurdles, relay races, that sort of thing.”

Several people sighed grumpily, but Maddy smiled. She loved to run. And she was pretty good at it, too. The sun was shining, and she could feel it on her hair and her arms. She’d been worrying about Biscuit all morning, even though Dad had left the cat flap blocked up, in case Tiger and Tom tried to get in again. Maddy knew Biscuit should be fine, but she couldn’t stop thinking about her, and how frightened she’d been. Hopefully some running would shake off the jittery, miserable feeling inside her.

The school field had a big oval track painted on to the grass, and after they’d warmed up, Mrs Melling divided them into groups to run heats. Maddy won her first heat easily – none of the others were really trying – but she was surprised when she beat a couple of boys in the next race. Some of the girls even started cheering for her at the end.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_22]

“Well done! You’re so quick!” Becky came over and patted her on the back.

Maddy laughed, a little nervously. She’d always liked Becky, but she was really popular and had lots of friends. She was nice to Maddy, but they’d never hung around together much.

“Beat Joe in this last race, please!” Becky begged. “He’s so full of himself, look at him!”

Joe was talking to a couple of other boys and doing show-off stretches. He obviously thought he was bound to win.

“OK.” Maddy grinned. She wasn’t tired at all. As they lined up for the last race she bounced on her toes, staring at the finish line. As soon as Mrs Melling blew her whistle, she shot away, sprinting as fast as she could, and crossed the finish line a whisker ahead of Joe.

“Yay! Maddy wins!” She could hear Becky yelling above all the others. It felt fantastic.

With Becky and the others hugging her and telling her she was a star, it was easy to laugh off Joe growling about girls always cheating. And Becky’s table in class was behind hers, so Maddy could see Becky grinning at her every so often as they did their literacy after PE. It was the best time she’d had in school all term. She couldn’t wait to tell her mum and dad about it. They kept asking how school was going – it would be nice to be able to say she’d had a fun day.

“How was Biscuit?” Maddy asked hopefully, as she rushed up to her mum after school.

Mum made a face.“She’s been scratching the sofa! I had to shut her out of the living room.”

“Oh…” Maddy frowned. Biscuit had never done that before. She hoped Mum hadn’t been too cross with her.

When they got home, Maddy put her bags down, expecting the kitten to bounce up to her, wanting to play, like she usually did. But Biscuit didn’t come running.

“Biscuit!” Maddy looked round anxiously.

“Try upstairs,” her mum suggested. “She seems to like it there now.”

Maddy ran up the stairs and into her room. She couldn’t see Biscuit, but she had a horrible feeling she knew where she was. She knelt down, looking under the bed, and sighed. She was right. Biscuit was curled up in the corner again, looking at her with wide, worried eyes.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_23]

“Oh, Biscuit…” Maddy whispered. “It’s all right, sweetie, come on out…”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“I don’t think we can keep the cat flap blocked up like that,” Dad said, looking down at his ice cream thoughtfully. “Biscuit needs to be able to go out.”

“But she doesn’t want to,” Maddy explained. “She’s scared.”

“It isn’t good to keep her in – she should be out sharpening her claws on trees, not the sofa,” Mum sighed. “And it would be nice not to have to keep cleaning out the litter tray!”

“I’ll do it,” Maddy said quickly. “I don’t mind. She’s too frightened to go in the garden.”

She licked her ice-cream spoon, but she wasn’t really hungry any more. She could feel Mum and Dad both looking at her. And she was pretty sure they thought she was fussing too much.

“I think Biscuit might just need to toughen up a bit,” Dad said gently.

“She’s definitely getting bigger,” Mum pointed out. “She’ll be as big as Tiger and Tom soon.”

“I bet she won’t,” Maddy said. “And however big she is, there’s still only one of her. Tiger and Tom work as a team, Mum! Like wrestlers!”

Her mum frowned, and glanced meaningfully at her dad. Maddy knew what that look meant. They thought she was fussing about Biscuit because of school. Because she was feeling nervous and worried too. Mum and Dad reckoned Maddy needed to toughen up a bit, and make some new friends.

“I’ll go and look on the net for some ideas,” she said quickly, wanting to get away before they started asking about school again, and if there was anyone she wanted to invite to tea.But maybe I could ask Becky over? she thought for a second, and then crushed the idea firmly. Becky was far too popular to want to hang around with her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“You want to do what?” Josh made a snorting noise.

“A timeshare…” Maddy repeated, wriggling to keep her elbows on top of the fence. She was standing on a bucket to see over the fence and it was a bit wobbly. “You keep Tiger and Tom in some of the time, so Biscuit can go out without them scaring her.”

After tea, she’d turned on the computer to search her favourite pet advice websites, and found an email waiting for her from Kate. Maddy had sent her a message a couple of days ago, asking if she had any advice. The timeshare idea was something Kate had read about once, and it sounded perfect.

Maddy took a deep breath. She didn’t like talking to Josh; he always made her feel stupid. But she had to. “Please can you think about it? Biscuit’s getting really twitchy and nervous. It wouldn’t have to be long. Maybe only for an hour a day? Just until she’s bigger and she can stand up for herself.”

Josh shrugged.“How am I supposed to keep them in? Tiger and Tom have a cat flap. They go in and out whenever they want to.”

“But couldn’t you—” Maddy began.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_24]

“I’ve got football, I need to go,” Josh interrupted. And he disappeared through his back door, leaving Maddy peering over the fence after him.

Maddy sighed. The timeshare had seemed like such a good idea. Except that stupid Josh couldn’t be bothered!

She trailed back into the kitchen, and found Biscuit sitting on one of the chairs, staring anxiously at the cat flap– Maddy had moved the chair blocking it so she could get out.

“We’ll have to think of something else,” she told Biscuit, tickling her under the chin.

Biscuit rubbed her head against Maddy’s hand and purred.

She really trusts me,Maddy thought. I have to sort this out somehow…

Chapter Six

[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]

Biscuit didn’t go out on her own at all for the rest of the week. Maddy took her out into the garden a few times, as she was pretty sure Tiger and Tom wouldn’t come into the garden if she was there. But as soon as she put Biscuit down, the little tortoiseshell would race for her cat flap. And even when shewas inside, she spent most of her time hiding under Maddy’s bed. She even weed on the floor a couple of times, which made Mum cross.

“I know it isn’t her fault, Maddy,” Mum told her on Friday morning, as she scrubbed at the landing carpet. “But the smell is horrible!”

“You don’t want us to give her back to Donna, do you?” Maddy asked anxiously.

Mum shook her head.“No… But we need to sort this out. Anyway, we’d better get off to school now.”

Biscuit watched them from under the bathroom towel rail. She liked it there. It was warm and dark, and the bathroom didn’t have any windows she could see other cats from. She hadn’t gone downstairs to eat yet. She wasn’t sure she was brave enough. What if Tiger and Tom came back into the kitchen again?

As the front door banged behind Maddy, Biscuit crept out to the top of the stairs. She was so hungry, she would have to risk the kitchen. She hurried down the stairs and peered round the kitchen door. No sign of any strange cats. Gratefully, she hurried in, and started to gulp down her food, stopping every few seconds to glance around worriedly.

About halfway through her bowl, she began to relax a little, and slowed down enough to enjoy the food.

Then the front door banged and she leaped away from the bowl in fright. Was it Tiger and Tom again? Panicking, Biscuit shot into the corner of the kitchen, trying to hide. She was so frightened that she weed all over the floor.

“Oh, no! Biscuit!” Maddy’s mum said crossly, as she got back and saw the mess. “What on earth did you do that for? It’s only me.” She went to the cupboard under the sink to get some spray and a cloth. “Go on, shoo. I’ve got to wipe it up now.” She flapped the cloth at Biscuit grumpily.

Biscuit was so jittery that the flash of the white cloth scared her, and she shot out of the cat flap to get away from it. Maddy’s mum had gone to fetch the mop, and she didn’t notice that the kitten had gone.

Biscuit sat on the back step, staring around the garden. She hadn’t been outside for a week, and there were so many tempting smells. And there were bees, buzzing about by the lavender bushes. And butterflies… Cautiously, she padded out on to the lawn, shivering deliciously as the sun hit her fur.

She didn’t even see Tiger before he leaped out from under the fence, and spat at her. She turned to race for the cat flap, but he chased her, knocking her sideways and clawing her ear. Biscuit looked around for Tom, wondering if he was about to jump out at her too, but Tiger seemed to be on his own for once. Not that it mattered – he was still more than twice as big as she was and horribly fierce. Biscuit mewed with fright as Tiger pounced at her again. She was never going to be able to get away. Unless… She tried to scratch him, shooting out a sharp-clawed paw, and he retreated a little, hissing. It gave her time to think.

If she couldn’t beat him running, perhaps she could go up over the fence? Anything was worth a try. She jumped at Tiger suddenly, clawing him again, and then raced past him, heading for the fence. She scrambled up it, scrabbling and fighting for the top.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_25]

Then she perched there, wobbling, and looked down at Tiger, who stared back up at her.

Biscuit gave a frightened little squeak, and jumped off the other side of the fence…

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

“Mum, where’s Biscuit? I thought she’d be under my bed, but I can’t find her anywhere. I’ve looked in all the places she usually goes.”

Mum frowned.“I haven’t actually seen her much today. She weed on the kitchen floor this morning… But I’m not sure when I saw her after that. I had to go and do some shopping, and then I came straight back from town to pick you up.”

Maddy looked at Biscuit’s bed, as though she might suddenly appear from underneath it. Then she noticed the cat flap. “Oh! You moved the chair!”

“I had to,” Mum said grimly. “I was wiping up cat wee round it. I see what you mean though, she might have gone out. But that’s good, Maddy! We want her to start going outside again.”

“Not if those two thugs from next door are around,” Maddy muttered. “I’m going to check outside for her.”

But there was no sign of Biscuit in the garden either, even after Maddy called and called.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_26]

“Can’t you see her?” her mum asked, leaning out of the kitchen door. She was looking slightly worried now too.