The Homesick Kitten. The Smallest Kitten

51. THE HOMESICK KITTEN

Harper sped up as soon as they turned the corner into their road. She couldn’t help it.

“Is he there?” Ava called, scurrying after her, and Harper could hear Mum laughing.

“Yes!” Harper turned to beam at her little sister, and then gave a wave in the direction of their house. She knew it was a bit silly to wave at a cat – it wasn’t as if Sammy was going to wave back – but it made her so happy to see him there in the window, draped along the back of the sofa. “I think he’s asleep,” she said to Ava. “Oh, no, he’s waking up, I can see his golden eyes! Hey, Sammy!”

“Sammy!” Ava bounced up on tiptoe to peer over the garden fence as the tabby kitten arched his back in a huge stretch. Then he jumped his front paws over to the windowsill, so that he was making a tiny bridge from the sofa. The two girls saw his mouth open wide as he mewed excitedly at them, showing little points of white teeth.

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Harper didn’t think she’d ever grow tired of it. Seeing Sammy waiting for them made her and Ava feel so special. Even if she’d had a difficult day at school, Sammy always cheered Harper up.

When they’d first brought Sammy home from the shelter as a tiny kitten, he’d had to scramble up the side of the sofa like he was climbing a mountain. Mum had watched him do it, and sighed and fetched a fleecy blanket to cover the fabric. The sofa was nice and almost new and she didn’t want it covered in little claw marks. Now, a month later, Sammy was big enough to jump to the seat of the sofa, and then on to the back, in two huge bounces. It was his favourite place to sit, watching out of the window to see what was happening in the street. Harper reckoned he knew everything that was going on.

“Mummy! Come on!” Ava called, and as soon as Sammy saw Mum holding the front door key in her hand, he scooted along the back of the sofa and disappeared. Harper felt her mouth curling into a smile. He would be on the other side of the front door now, waiting to wind himself around their ankles,still mewing.

He was after his tea, of course, but it wasn’t just that. He wanted Harper and Ava to crouch down next to him, so he could climb in and out of their laps and up their school cardigans and nudge their chins with his nose. Once Sammy had even managed to stand on Harper’s head, but that was a bit painful, because he was too small to understand about not sticking his claws in.

Harper and Ava leaned against the door, giggling, as they heard Sammy mewing on the other side.“He missed us!” Ava said happily, and Harper nodded.

“I’m not sure how such a little cat makes so much noise,” Mum said, as she turned the key in the door. “Mind out, Sammy!”

Harper peered round the opening door, checking that Sammy wasn’t too close behind it, but he was so clever and sensible now – he knew about doors. He’d backed up out of the way, ready to race to them as soon as they were inside. Harper kneeled on the floor of the living room next to him, and Sammy purred and purred as she stroked him.

He was so beautiful, Harper thought. She and Ava had fallen in love with him straight away when they saw the photo on the shelter website. Harper had loved the way he looked too small for his huge ears and chunky paws, and Ava thought he was a leopard, because of his dark spots. She told everyone in her Reception class that they were getting a baby leopard for a pet. One of the boys had come up to Harper in the playground and asked if it was true.

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Mum had said she didn’t mind which kitten they got, as long as it was friendly. They’d waited to adopt a cat until Ava was at school and a little bit more sensible, but a nervous cat would still find it hard, living with all three of them in a busy flat, even if they were on the ground floor and had a little garden.

The team at the shelter had told them that their kitten might be shy to start with, but he’d soon settle down, and Sammy had. He loved their flat and Harper was pretty sure he loved them too. He was leaning into her hand now, purring so hard she could feel him shake all over.

“Gran’s coming round for tea tonight,” Mum said, as she headed for the kitchen. “So if you’ve got homework for tomorrow, try and get it done now so you can spend some time with her.”

Harper nodded, and scooped Sammy up with one hand and her backpack with the other.“I’ve got a maths worksheet to do.” She followed Mum into the kitchen and said slowly, “Gran came over for tea on Monday as well… Is she OK?”

Mum sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh and looked around for Ava.

“She’s gone to take her uniform off,” Harper said. She was starting to feel worried now. Why didn’t Mum want Ava to hear what she was going to say?

“Gran’s getting older, Harper, and she misses your grandad still. She gets tired easily, and doing the shopping and making meals feels like a lot of effort for her right now.” Mum rubbed her eyes, looking tired. “So I’ve been getting the shopping for her and dropping it off after work, but it’s nice for her to eat with us sometimes. It means she doesn’t have to cook, and she gets to see you and me and Ava. It cheers her up.”

Harper eyed Mum anxiously. That all made sense, but… “There’s nothing really wrong with Gran?” she asked. She could hear her voice sounding small and scared.

“No, I don’t think so. We just need to look after her, OK?”

It didn’t seem like a very definite answer, but Harper nodded.

When Gran arrived later on, Harper kept sneaking glances at her, trying to see if she didn’t look well. But Gran seemed happy to be there, chatting to Ava and making a fuss over Sammy. She did look a little bit tired, but that was all. Maybe she was having a good day, Harper thought hopefully, watching Sammy flop over next to Gran on the sofa, showing off his spotty tummy.

“Oh, are you teasing me now?” Gran murmured to him. “Are you going to jump on my hand if I try and stroke that lovely tummy, hmm? That’s what my old cat Bonnie did, every time.”

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Harper smiled.“He did that to me this morning.” Sammy didn’t show any signs of wanting to pounce on Gran, though. He just collapsed across her skirt, eyes half closed, making wheezy little purring noises as she stroked his ears and tickled under his chin. “How long ago did you have Bonnie, Gran?” Harper said, trying to think. “I’ve seen photos, but I don’t remember her.”

“Oh no, you wouldn’t.” Gran frowned. “Let me see, Bonnie must have died when you were about two. And before you were even thought of!” she added to Ava, who was curled up at the other end of the sofa. “Then for years I couldn’t bear to think of getting another cat – Bonnie was twenty, you see, she’d been with me so long. This little love might just change my mind, though. You’re so lucky to have him.”

Harper nodded. Gran was right– theywere lucky. Sammy was perfect and he fitted into their home so well. She couldn’t imagine any different.

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Sammy closed his eyes and slumped happily, half on, half off Gran’s lap. He liked Gran. She was calm and quiet, and she never decided to get up and move just when he’d got comfy…

She was rubbing under his chin with one finger now, just the way he liked it, the same way Harper did. Sammy purred hard, pointing his chin to the ceiling.

Harper was sitting next to Gran, and Ava was close by, and he could hear Mum humming to herself in the kitchen. All his family were just where they should be, and he was warm, and full, and sleepy.

Everything was good.

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“Have a nice day, Sammy,” Harper murmured, gently rubbing the top of his head. The little tabby kitten always seemed to want a lot of fuss and attention in the mornings. Harper was sure he understood that they were going to school and he’d be on his own for a while, so he was making up for it.

“I wish I could take you with me,” she told him. “It’s Monday, though, which means I’ve got a spelling test. You don’t want to come to school today, I promise.” Sammy batted at the end of her ponytail and Harper twirled it round for him, laughing as he sat up on his back legs, waving his paws around wildly to catch it. Then he froze as Mum’s mobile started to ring in her pocket.

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Mum made a face– she was trying to help Ava get her coat on – but she answered the phone with one hand and held Ava’s sleeve out for her with the other. “Hello? Yes… Oh! Oh no…”

Harper looked round at her, and so did Ava, caught by the panic in Mum’s voice.

“Yes. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“What is it?” Harper asked, and Ava stared at Mum, her eyes round with worry.

“That was the hospital. Gran’s had a fall.” Mum zipped Ava’s coat up tight and grabbed her backpack. “It’s OK. It’s OK. But I need to drop you two at school and head over there as quick as I can. I’ll have to cancel my shift at the shop, but they’ll understand…”

“Can’t we come with you?” Harper asked, her voice very small. She was thinking of how tired and slow Gran had seemed over the last few weeks. How Mum had needed to help her up off the sofa when she came for tea a few days before.

Mum patted her cheek.“I know you’re worried, love, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you two to come to the hospital. We don’t know what’s happening and you’d probably just have to sit in a waiting room. They’re looking after her, Harper, she’s in the best place.”

Harper knew Mum was right– but it didn’t make her feel much better.

They dashed out of the house, and for once, Harper was too distracted to blow kisses to Sammy, sitting on the back of the sofa, watching them go.

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Mum had phoned Harper and Ava’s school later that morning to let them know that Gran was all right – she’d broken her wrist, and she had bumps and bruises, but there was nothing more serious going on. Harper was still worried, though, and she dashed out of school at the end of the day, hoping that Mum would have more news.

“How’s Gran?” she asked, as soon as she spotted Mum in the playground.

Mum smiled at her and waved at Ava, who was looking round for them.“Over here, Ava! She’s doing well – actually, I’ve got the car so we can go and see her.”

“At the hospital?” Ava sounded scared.

“Yes, but it’s OK, Ava. Gran’s not feeling too bad and they’re hoping she can come home in a few days.”

“We can cheer her up,” Harper said, putting her arm round her little sister. “I bet it’s boring in hospital.”

“Exactly.” Mum nodded. “But we have to be gentle, Ava, remember. No bouncing around and disturbing people.”

Ava was mouse-quiet for the whole car ride and the long walk through the hospital corridors. Harper had been there once before when she fell off her friend Maya’s trampoline, but that was only to A&E– the rest of the hospital was enormous and Gran’s ward seemed to be miles from the car park. It was very quiet, and Harper felt like they ought to be walking on tiptoe as Mum led them over to Gran’s bed.

“You brought them!” Gran was beaming and Harper immediately felt better. She’d been expecting Gran to look really ill, but she seemed fine apart from the cast on her wrist and she was so pleased to see them.

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Mum let Ava chatter to Gran for a couple of minutes about the forest school lesson her class had done, and then she broke in– Ava’s stories could go on for a while. “Listen, girls. We need to talk to you. Gran and I have been thinking…”

Harper looked at her worriedly– there was something in Mum’s voice, something that meant this was serious.

Gran smiled at her.“We’ve had an idea. Don’t panic, Harper. Let your mum explain.”

“Gran’s got lots of space at her house and she’s feeling a bit lonely, now it’s harder work for her to go out. And it would be good if there was someone else around, just in case she has another fall. So … we were thinking that perhaps we should move in. With Gran.”

“But what about our flat?” Harper said, frowning. They’d lived in the flat for so long – she could hardly remember the house they’d had before, when they still lived with their dad as well as their mum.

“Well, it wouldn’t be our flat any more. Someone else would rent it and we’d live in Gran’s house.”

“You could have your own bedrooms. You wouldn’t have to share,” Gran put in, smiling at Harper and Ava.

“My own room!” Ava squeaked. “Can I have purple paint?”

“Maybe.” Mum laughed. “Harper? What do you think? I know it’s a big change, but you’d love your own room, wouldn’t you? And Gran’s house is closer to school. Less of a rush in the mornings.”

Harper stared at the blanket on the hospital bed and tried to imagine living in Gran’s house, with all their things…

“What about Sammy?” she burst out.

Gran reached out and laid her good hand over Harper’s. “That would be another lovely thing for me,” she said. “I’d have you two and your mum, and I’d have a cat around again. I’m sure he’ll be fine, Harper. He’s only been with you, what, five weeks? He’s young enough to get used to somewhere new.”

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“We’d keep him indoors at Gran’s for a few days,” Mum added. “Just till he’s settled.”

Harper nodded, a little doubtfully. Sammy loved their tiny garden. He spent ages sunbathing and trying to catch bees. He wasn’t going to be very happy about staying inside. She realized Mum was right, though. He was going to be really confused when he went out through Bonnie’s old catflap and found himself in a whole new garden. It would be better if he got used to Gran’s house first.

“When are we going to move?” Harper asked. She still wasn’t sure how she felt about the idea. Even though it made sense, and she definitely wanted to help Mum look after Gran, it was such a big change. She needed time to think about it.

Mum and Gran exchanged a look.“Soon,” Mum said gently.

“The doctor we spoke to thinks I need someone to look after me when I come home from the hospital,” Gran explained.

“But … you said that would just be in a few days!” Harper’s voice was a surprised squeak.

Mum nodded.“I’m going to speak to the owner of our flat and explain. We’re going to try and move this week.”

This week! Harper tried to nod, and smile, but she couldn’t imagine living somewhere different in just a few days’ time.

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Sammy watched uncertainly as yet another bag was piled up in the little hallway of the flat. He wasn’t sure what was going on. He liked the bags and boxes – he could jump up and sit on top of them, and then he was higher than everyone else, and that was very good. He was sure there was more to the boxes than that, though.

Every time he padded into a room, it seemed to have changed. Furniture kept moving around and the flat even smelled different, he was sure. This morning, Mum had whipped his food bowl away as soon as he’d finished eating – she hadn’t even given him time to wash his whiskers. The blanket that he liked to lie on along the back of the sofa had disappeared too and there were no baskets of washing around to sleep in. Everywhere he looked something was wrong and he hated it.

He marched crossly over to Harper, ears flattened and tail whipping, and rubbed the side of his head against her socks. She crouched down to stroke his ears, just the way he liked, but she wasn’t looking at him, she was still talking to Mum. He didn’t like the way her voice sounded – shaky and worried.

“It’s going to be so weird. Coming home to Gran’s house after school.”

“It’s strange for me as well, Harper. I know it’s a huge change.” Mum sounded different too and Sammy edged away a little.

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“I’m getting my new room today!” Ava screeched, jumping from the bottom step of the stairs and throwing her arms round Mum’s waist.

Sammy darted back, his tail fluffing up wildly. Harper and Mum were laughing, but there was an odd feeling in the air, he was sure of it. Everything felt jangly and sharp, and it was frightening him.

He slipped in between two of the huge boxes, squeezing into the narrow space. It was better, there in the dark. He watched Harper and Ava and Mum set out for school, and he hoped and hoped that everything would be right again when they came back.

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Sammy had been in his cat basket a few times– that first terrifying journey back from the shelter, which he hardly remembered, and then to the vet for his jabs. He hated it every time. He was bigger now than when he’d first travelled in the basket, and braver, so he’d wriggled and squirmed and almost managed to duck under Mum’s hands, but she’d got the wire door closed just before he managed to dart out of it.

Sammy yowled furiously for most of the drive. He was expecting to be at the vet’s again when they got out of the car, but it was somewhere entirely new. He stalked out of the basket, stiff-legged and angry. There was a tiled kitchen floor and piles of boxes everywhere, again!

“Hey, Sammy… It’s OK. Don’t worry…”

Sammy glanced up at Mum. Where were they, and why was Mum here, but not Harper or Ava? What was going on? He was so cross that the fur lifted up all along his spine.

“I’m sure you’ll get used to it soon,” Mum said gently, and she stroked him, smoothing down the fluffed-up fur and making him feel a little better. He rubbed his chin against her hand and closed his eyes against the strangeness for a moment. She was familiar, at least. Mum fussed around with boxes while Sammy sniffed cautiously at things in the kitchen.

“Here you are, kitten,” Mum said, putting his water bowl down next to him. Sammy stared at it. That was his bowl, the bowl he drank from every day at home. What was it doing here?

“Let’s give you a little bit of the special food as well,” Mum murmured. “That expensive stuff in the tins that Harper and Ava wanted to get for you. I found it when I was clearing out the kitchen cupboards…” She rummaged in a box on the table for a moment and then put Sammy’s food bowl down in front of him, with something that smelled strong and delicious. But Sammy backed away from her. He was hungry, but he didn’t want to eat here. This felt all wrong…

“Oh, Sammy.” Mum looked at him worriedly. “Harper and Ava will be back soon, perhaps that’ll cheer you up.”

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Sammy retreated under the kitchen table, where he thought no one could reach him. He sat there all hunched up, glaring at Mum’s feet as she hurried around, opening boxes. More things that seemed familiar appeared – there were smells he recognized, smells of home. Why were all these home things here, when this was not home?

When Mum left the kitchen, pulling on the coat she’d left over the back of a chair, Sammy edged out after her, wondering if she was going home. Wasn’t she going to take him too? He mewed worriedly at her and Mum darted over to give him one last quick pat.

“Back soon, Sammy. I’m going to pick up Gran from the hospital and then get the girls from school. I’ve got to go, I’ll be late!”

She hurried out, banging the door hard behind her, and Sammy was left alone, staring around him in bewilderment.

At last he padded back down the hallway, peeping into rooms and sneezing at the dusty furniture. The house felt big, and empty, and wrong…

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Harper wasn’t sure what to feel when she and Ava got out of school. She was excited and worried and sad all at once.

Her own room! She didn’t mind sharing with Ava that much – it was cute sometimes when her little sister wanted to climb into bed with her in the mornings. But she always had to put her precious things up on a high shelf, just so Ava wouldn’t mess around with them. It wasn’t that her sister meant to break things,she couldn’t help it, being little and a bit careless. But now there would be no more Ava deciding to borrow her best pens, just because they were there, and leaving the lids off. No more scribbled-on homework.

It was going to be nice getting to live with Gran too, especially now she needed extra help. They wouldn’t have to worry about Gran being lonely, or maybe having another fall with no one there to look after her. Gran was beaming at them from the front seat of the car – she looked so happy that they were all going to be together.

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The flat, though… It was home. Harper wished the rental agency hadn’t wanted them to move out on a school day. Even though they’d been able to take things over to Gran’s ever since they’d decided on leaving, a few days before, it had still been a rush that morning, trying to wash and have breakfast in a flat that was almost all packed up. She didn’t feel like she’d had time to say goodbye properly.

At least she’d known what was going on, though. Poor Sammy must have been so confused. She nibbled her bottom lip, listening to Mum explain to Ava that yes, the movers had put her bed in her new room, and her dolls’ house, and her pirate outfit…

“Is Sammy OK?” Harper broke in, when Ava stopped asking questions to breathe. “Does he like it at Gran’s?”

Mum sighed.“Ummm, I think he’s a bit cross. He didn’t want anything to eat earlier on – but we have to give him some time to get used to a new home, Harper. Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Harper nodded, but she was still chewing her bottom lip. Mum loved Sammy, Harper knew that she did, but it wasn’t the same. Harper was the one who played with him most, and always came down in the morning to feed him. She groomed him and even cleaned out his litter tray. Sammy slept on her bed most nights now. She couldn’t help feeling that Sammy was mostly hers. She had to make sure he was OK.

When they pulled up outside the house, Ava bounced out of the car and twirled her way to the doorstep, obviously desperate to run and see her new room now it had her things in.

Mum unlocked the door and helped Gran inside, and they hung up their jackets on the hooks– they’d done that so many times before, but this time it was different. This was their home too, now.

Harper had hoped Sammy would come bounding towards her, like he usually did, but no little grey spotted cat raced down the hallway.

“He’s behind the basket, there,” Gran murmured behind her, and then when Harper looked up at her in surprise, she smiled. “I could see you looking around for him. Don’t worry, Harper. He’ll get used to the new place soon.”

Harper nodded, smiling back, and then she crouched down to peer round the basket. A small, cross, stripey face glared back at her. Harper really wanted to reach in and pick Sammy up, but she thought she’d better leave him to come out in his own time. He was grumpy already. He didn’t want to be grabbed.

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“I could get you your tea,” she whispered to him, her voice soft and persuasive. “Would you like that?”

Mum looked round– she was halfway up the stairs, following Ava. “I put some food down for him before, Harper, one of those posh little tins. Maybe change it for something else? Perhaps he just wants his normal biscuits? I’ll be down in a minute, Mum. I’ll make you a cup of tea.”

Harper nodded. And then realized she didn’t even know where the bag of cat food was, in Gran’s kitchen, and sighed. No wonder Sammy was upset.

“Come on, love.” Gran took her hand. “Let your mum sort Ava out. She’s got enough to worry about, I can manage putting the kettle on, and I’m sure there’s juice in the fridge. I could pour you some while you see where she’s put the cat food. And you can tell me what your day was like.I’d love that.”

Harper stood up, glancing back at the basket. Maybe she was getting worked up over nothing. Gran knew about cats and she thought Sammy would be fine.

“He’ll be here any minute,” Gran reassured her, as Harper opened cupboard doors, searching for the cat food. It was in the cupboard by the sink, just like it had been at home – Harper frowned at herself – at the old flat, she meant. She had to start thinking of this house as home now. They all did.

She pulled the bag out, hearing it rustle, and looked hopefully towards the hall. Yes… There he was by the basket – peeping round to check what was going on. Harper rustled the bag a bit more, on purpose, and then gave Gran a big grin of relief as Sammy came trotting purposefully down the hall.

Maybe everythingwas going to be all right?

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“Sammy… Come on…” Harper crouched down by the table and whispered to the kitten. She’d been trying to distract him ever since she got back from school, but it was tricky. Sammy just didn’t seem to want to play like he usually did. She picked up one of his favourite toys, a little ball with a jingly bell inside it. Usually if she rolled it for him he’d race after it and leap on it, as if it was some sort of fierce monster he had to squish. Sometimes he even tried picking it up in his paws and ended up doing kitten juggling. He always made Harper laugh.

“Look, Sammy… I’ve got your ball,” she said, holding it up hopefully. Sammy was sitting by the cat flap, hunched up with his shoulder bones all poking out. He glared at her, although Harper could see he’d definitely noticed the ball. “Come on,” she said coaxingly, patting the ball against the kitchen tiles. “Look! I’m going to roll it for you! Come and see!”

Sammy’s tail twitched and Harper hid a smile. Hewanted to chase it, she was sure.

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She’d really hoped that after a week Sammy would be settling into their new home, but it just didn’t seem to be happening. He kept tracking round the house, as though he was searching for something, and he was totally confused by the stairs. He spent ages sitting next to the bottom step and staring up, and he hadn’t tried climbing them yet. Harper wanted so much to pick him up and take him to see her new bedroom, but she’d resisted. Sammy would get up there eventually, she told herself. It was just that she missed him curling up to sleep in the space behind her knees.

Sammy really didn’t like being shut indoors, either. He spent a lot of time sitting by the locked cat flap in the kitchen and banging it with his paw. Then he would look round at Harper accusingly. She usually managed to distract him with a toy or a treat, but she was pretty sure that while she was at school he’d spent a lot of his time scratching the cat flap and trying to get into the garden. Gran was still feeling tired and a bit wobbly after her fall, and she couldn’t keep getting up to come and fuss over him.

Harper could understand that Sammy didn’t like being shut up. She wouldn’t want to be indoors all the time, either, but they had to wait until he was settled in. Mum had looked it up and said she thought a week was long enough, so he’d be able to go out in the garden at the weekend, when someone could be with him to make sure he didn’t dash off and get lost.

At least now it was Friday afternoon and Harper could spend some more time with him over the weekend.

“Harper, have you finished your unpacking yet?” Mum walked into the kitchen, pushing her hair off her forehead with one hand. She’d been busy all week trying to get everyone settled, and keeping an eye on Gran, and going to work. Now she looked hot and harassed. Harper glanced up guiltily. She hadn’t put away much of her stuff at all – just a few clothes – the boxes were still piled up in her room.

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“I was trying to cheer Sammy up…”

“I know, love, but those boxes have to go back to the movers, remember? Can you go and start doing it, please?”

“Can’t I do it tomorrow?” Harper pleaded. “I’ll have loads of time then. I nearly got Sammy to play with his ball a minute ago.”

“Except tomorrow you wanted to let him out in the garden,” Mum reminded her. “You’ll need to be out there keeping an eye on him, won’t you? He’ll be fine for now, Harper, and it’ll definitely cheer him up going outside in the morning.”

Harper sighed and headed upstairs. She knew Mum had been unpacking and tidying and working all day, but she’d been at school, which was work too. No one seemed to be worried about Sammy like she was. It just wasn’t fair.

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Sammy padded into the living room, his tail twitching miserably. He’d been about to chase his ball, but then Harper had gone again, up the stairs. He didn’t like stairs, they felt different, and wrong… His home didn’t have stairs.

Gran was there, sitting in her favourite chair with a magazine, and she stretched out her hand to him. Sammy bumped his head against her fingers, but he didn’t leap up on to her lap. He still felt edgy, and confused, and cross – and even worse, he needed to wee. Back at the flat, he’d have used his litter tray, or popped out of the cat flap to the garden, but here it was more difficult. The cat flap didn’t work, however much he’d scrabbled atit, and his litter tray kept moving around. It had been in a corner of the kitchen, and then in a little room next door, and now he wasn’t sure where it had disappeared to.

He really needed to go. He clawed at the rug, over in the corner of the room away from Gran. It wasn’t the right thing to do, he knew that – but he couldn’t help it! What was he supposed to do, if they wouldn’t let him out? He glanced around guiltily and heard a worried gasp from Gran as he started to wee.

“Oh dear, don’t do that, Sammy…”

It was too late. Sammy scratched at the rug again and then scooted behind the sofa, feeling upset.

“Emma!” Gran struggled up from her chair, and went out into the hallway, leaving Sammy lurking behind the sofa. He could smell the wet patch he’d left on the rug and it smelled wrong, not like his litter tray. He shouldn’t have done it.

“What’s up? Are you OK?” Mum called down from the landing, and then Sammy heard her hurrying downstairs.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine, don’t panic, love. But Sammy’s had an accident.”

“An accident?” Sammy heard Harper’s voice, sounding sharp and worried. “Is he hurt?”

“Not that sort of an accident. He’s fine, but he did a wee on the living-room rug.”

“Oh no…” Mum sighed. “That’s just what we need.” She came into the living room and crouched down by the rug. Sammy watched her miserably. He could tell that she was upset. “Will this go in the washing machine? I’m so sorry, Mum. Honestly, why on earth would he do that?”

“It isn’t his fault!” Harper marched across the room to stand next to Mum, and Sammy flinched at her cross voice. Had he made her sound like that? “I told you he wasn’t happy!”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_19]

“That doesn’t mean he ought to go and wee all over the place!” Mum snapped back. “And don’t use that rude tone, please.”

“But I did tell you!”

“Harper!”

Ava appeared in the doorway and peered in.“Mummy, why are you shouting? What did Harper do?”

“Mind your own business!” Harper growled.

“I think it’s my fault,” Gran put in, and Sammy felt his prickly fur settle a bit. Mum and Harper seemed to be caught by her soft voice too, and they spun round to look at her. “I emptied his litter tray,” Gran explained. “I thought I’d freshen it up for him, but then I had trouble opening a new bag of litter with this silly cast on. I was going to ask you or Harper to help me, but it just slipped my mind. I left it on the counter in the utility room. So the poor little love didn’t have anywhere to go.”

“Oh…” Mum said.

Harper glared up at her.“You see! It wasn’t Sammy’s fault! I told you it wasn’t! I said he was upset!”

“Harper, just go upstairs, please. I don’t have the time or the energy to deal with you being rude. Upstairs! Now!”

Harper ran out of the room and Sammy watched her go, his ears flattened miserably. He could hear her stomping up the stairs– his whiskers shook with every thump. Where was she going? Why was everyone so angry?

Mum bundled the rug up carefully and walked to the door, stopping to open the window on the way.“I don’t think it went through to the carpet. If we air the room out, it should be OK in a little while. I’ll go and put this in the wash and sort out that litter tray.”

“I’ll make us some tea,” Gran said, following her out, and Sammy was left alone in the living room, shivering and sad.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_20]

Sammy stayed behind the sofa, listening to the voices and the footsteps heading off towards the kitchen. He felt utterly miserable. He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be back at the flat, his real home, where everything was just as it was supposed to be. If he went home, there would be his food bowl and his water bowl and his litter tray, all in the right places, he was sure. He was so confused and worried that he thought Harper would be at home too – ready to play with him and let him snuggle up next to her on the bed. She wouldn’t be grumpy and loud, like she was here.

He had to get back home. Somehow.

The smell of the spoiled rug was still in the room, but there was another smell too. A fresh, bright waft of air, mixed with cars and damp pavements– an outside smell. If he couldsmell outside, Sammy thought, his whiskers twitching excitedly, then maybe he couldget outside. He prowled across the room, following the smell, and then jumped up on to the back of the sofa to get a better view. Yes, there! The window was open– wide open!

Sammy hardly thought at all, he simply jumped, leaping to the windowsill and taking a deep sniff of outside. He was down in the flower bed below the window in seconds, loving the feel of the crumbly earth under his paws. He glanced back up at the window, wondering if anyone had noticed he was gone, but all was quiet. Sammy padded across the little front garden and slipped through the bars of the metal gate. Out on the pavement, he paused, sniffing thoughtfully. All he knew was that he wanted to go home– he hadn’t thought about how he was going to get there. But some instinct deep inside him was sure of the way to go. He knew where home was.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_21]

Sammy glanced back at the house one last time, uncertain for a moment, but then he scurried away down the pavement. He could hear cars rumbling by in the distance– and then one coming closer, along the street. He pressed himself back against the garden wall, feeling the buzz of the passing car under his paws. He had been out the front of his old home a few times, but he’d always preferred the network of gardens and alleys at the back of the flat. It felt quieter. Safer. He wasn’t used to cars and now his whiskers were tingling with worry. Perhaps he should go back – it would be easy to jump up to the windowsill and slip inside. Another car rumbled past…

Sammy shook himself impatiently. It didn’t matter. He would stay safely away from the cars. He knew his home was waiting for him and he was on his way to find it.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

Harper lay on her bed with her face buried deep in her pillow. That way she could growl furiously about how unfair Mum was, and how unfair everything was, and how she wanted to go home, andprobably no one could hear her. She kicked her feet against the duvet, drumming them up and down– and then rolled over with a sigh.

Mum had put that duvet on her bed the day they moved. She’d chosen Harper’s favourite cover, with the unicorn kittens. Her fleecy blanket was there too, folded up by her pillow, because Mum knew Harper liked to hold it while she was going to sleep. Mum had made sure the blanket was at the top of a box, ready for Harper on that first night at Gran’shouse.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_22]

Gran… Harper sighed again. Gran really did need them. She’d seemed so happy this week, even though her arm was still painful. She didn’t seem as tired, either. She’d loved having Harper and Ava to chat to at breakfast, telling her all about school.

Maybe Harper had been a bit unfair too?

Mum was so worried about Gran and she’d had to pack their whole flat up, and in between doing all that she was on the phone sorting out changing their address with everyone, and organizing the movers, and letting the school know what was happening. It was a lot. Sammy weeing on the rug wasn’t actually the end of the world, but perhaps it had felt like it was?

Harper sat up, hugging her knees and wondering if she should go downstairs and say sorry to Mum. Someone needed to feed Sammy too– he was probably upset about weeing in the house. Harper went to the door, opening it quietly. She could hear Mum and Gran chatting in the kitchen, and they didn’t sound cross. She would go and give Mum a hug, and apologize.

Mum and Gran both glanced up as Harper came into the kitchen– Gran was smiling, but Mum looked worried and Harper’s stomach twisted inside her.

“I’m sorry, Harper. I shouldn’t have shouted at you,” Mum said.

“I came down to say that!” Harper went to put her arms round Mum’s shoulders and lean against her. “Are you really upset with Sammy? He didn’t mean to…”

“Of course not, it wasn’t his fault. I’m just a bit tired.” Mum sighed. “We should give him his tea, shouldn’t we?”

“I’ll do it.” Harper got the bag of cat food out and looked around, smiling, expecting to hear a thunder of tiny paws as Sammy came running. But there was nothing. He must still be really upset.

Mum was looking out into the hallway too, frowning a little.“Do you think he’s hiding behind the boxes? He probably didn’t like us arguing.”

“I’ll check.” Harper put the food in Sammy’s bowl and then went out into the hallway, wondering if he was down the side of that basket again. But there was no sad kitten face peering back at her. Perhaps he was still in the living room?

There was no smell, Harper noticed when she went in, so that was good. Then suddenly, something cold seemed to squeeze Harper’s insides. The smell had gone because Mum had left the window open. It was still open now, letting in a nice fresh breeze. Harper ran over to it, hoping that somehow it was only just a crack, too narrow for Sammy to wriggle through – but she knew it wasn’t.

“Mum!” she yelled in panic. “Mum, the window’s open!”

“Yes, I know, I had to let some fresh air in,” her mum called back, and then there was a moment of horrified silence and Mum raced down the hall. “Oh no…” she muttered. “I didn’t even think. Sammy! Sammy!” She looked around frantically.

“He isn’t in here.” Harper gulped. “I think he’s gone out of the window, Mum!”

“It’ll be OK.” Mum patted Harper’s arm, but she didn’t sound very sure.

“What’s happened?” Gran came in and Ava hurried down the stairs to see what was going on.

“Sammy’s gone!” Harper turned round from the window. “We left the window open and we were supposed to be keeping him in. We have to go and find him!”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_23]

“He’s probably just exploring the front garden,” Gran said soothingly.

Harper dashed to open the front door and then ran out into the garden.“Sammy! Sammy!” she called. She was trying to keep her voice calm and friendly, but she could hear it squeaking with panic. They’d been going to let him out slowly, with someone there watching him and snacks to tempt him back. Now it had all gone wrong. “Sammy, where are you? Mum, can you see him?”

“Not yet,” Mum murmured. “Shhh a minute. Let’s listen for him…”

They stood frozen on the grass, hoping to hear the jingle of the tiny bell on Sammy’s collar or maybe a confused little mew. But there was no sound at all in the garden – only a car growling by on the road outside the fence.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_24]

Sammy had gone a good distance now, he thought. The kitten could tell he was getting much nearer to the flat and no one had tried to stop him making his way there. He would be back home soon and everything would be right again, he was sure. He would stretch out on the sofa by the window and watch the people and the cars passing, safely far away.

But which way next? Slowly, Sammy twitched his whiskers and then sniffed the air. Yes, he needed to head down here. He trotted briskly along the pavement, wondering if Harper would have a bowl of food ready for him when he got to the flat. He was starting to feel very empty, as if he hadn’t eaten for far too long.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_25]

The next road shocked him out of thoughts of dinner, though. It was far bigger than any of the small side roads he’d crossed so far – cars were speeding along in a steady stream, with hardly any gaps between them. The wild roaring frightened him and he couldn’t tell how fast they were moving – they seemed to be far away one moment and then screeching past him the next. How was he ever going to get across that?

It seemed a very long way to the far pavement, but he was almost certain that home was somewhere on the other side of the road. It felt so close, but he wasn’t sure he was brave enough to cross.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

Mum and Ava and Harper searched for Sammy for what felt like hours. They went up and down the street calling for him, while Gran stood on the patio in the back garden shaking a packet of Sammy’s favourite treats. They stopped to grab a quick sandwich for tea, but Harper just tore hers into little bits and nibbled on them. Her throat felt too dry with worry to swallow. Sammy was only a kitten – he was so little! How could he manage out there on his own, when he didn’t even know where he was?

“He’ll probably pop back through the cat flap any minute, Harper,” Gran said. Harper knew that Gran was trying to be comforting, but it didn’t work. How could Sammy come back in through Gran’s cat flap when he’d never even been out of it? He didn’t know Gran’s garden! He didn’t know that this was his home to come back to, Harper thought, trying to sniff back tears. She wasn’t even sure he wanted to come back. He hadn’t liked it here – and he hadn’t loved them enough to want to stay. That was the worst thing of all.

Mum and Harper went searching for Sammy again after tea, while Gran helped Ava get ready for bed. It should have been interesting, getting to walk around the streets close to their new home, and have a look at the playground at the far end of the road, but it was horrible. Especially when every time they passed someone they had to say they’d lost their kitten, and he was very little, and please could they tell Mrs Allinson at number forty-four if they saw him?

“We should do posters,” Harper said miserably. “With your number on, Mum. Then people could just text you if they saw him.”

Mum looked uncertain.“Maybe… I’m hoping that your gran’s right, though, and he’ll come home by himself. He could be really close, just a bit scared and hiding out. Or he might be shut in someone’s garage. Let’s give it till tomorrow to start putting posters up. Your gran’s already rung all the neighbours to ask them to look out for him.” She sighed. “It’s getting dark, Harper. I think we need to get back home.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_26]

Harper slipped her hand into Mum’s. Both their hands felt cold and Mum looked as worried and miserable as she did. If only they hadn’t argued!

I’d have noticed the open window if I hadn’t stomped off upstairs, Harper thought miserably, wishing she could go back and do everything differently.“Do you think hewill come back by himself?” she asked, and Mum hugged her tight.

“I don’t know, sweetie. But I’m hoping. I’m really hoping.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

As the night darkened, the passing cars blinded the kitten with the glare of their lights and they seemed to roar louder than ever. Sammy stayed tucked away under a bush at the edge of the road. The hissing of the tyres left him feeling shaky and scared, and he didn’t dare face the road. He huddled down in the dust and dry leaves, flinching each time a car passed, until he fell into an uneasy sleep.

He woke up as the sky began to lighten early the next morning and peered cautiously out at the road. He hadn’t felt a car rumble by for a while and everything was very still. The air smelled fresher and he stretched out his paws, wincing at the stiffness after a night on the cold road. Home was very near now. If he could drag up the courage to dart across, he would be almost there.

Sammy edged forwards to the curb of the pavement and then out under a parked car. He couldn’t hear anything coming.

Go! Now!

He dashed out, racing faster than he ever had before, and flung himself to the pavement on the other side. He bounded under a thick hedge, breathing hard but delighted with himself. He’d done it! And now… He turned his head slowly.This way?Yes… He scampered along the pavement and round a corner, following that strange instinct inside him. His huge ears were held high with excitement. He would be home soon and Harper would be there, in the right place where she should be. She’d feed him his breakfast; he was really, really hungry. Then she’d let him sleep in her lap, or perhaps snuggled between her and Ava on the sofa… There it was! The flat and his front window.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_27]

Sammy galloped happily down the little path that led to the back of the house and nudged at his cat flap in the back door. It sprang open and he dived through, eager to find Harper and his breakfast.

But it wasn’t the same.

He knew it as soon as his paws hit the kitchen tiles– there was a strange smell in the air. Some of the furniture was still there, he remembered when he’d scratched that table leg. But there were new things too. That trolley full of vegetables just next to the back door – that hadn’t been there before.

It was the smell that was so wrong, though. The flat didn’t smell like Harper and Ava and Mum. It didn’t smell likehim. Sammy edged backwards towards the cat flap as he realized. There was another cat here. His flat wasn’t his any more, he thought, looking around in horror – and then he saw her.

Perched on top of the fridge and glaring down at him. A massive black cat with bright golden eyes. Every hair of her was fluffed out in fury and Sammy thought she must be at least six times as big as he was. She was hissing now, a long, slow, angry hiss– and then she stretched out her fat black paws down the front of the fridge and leaped. Sammy cowered as she landed in front of him, still hissing, and then he turned and hurled himself at his old cat flap, scrabbling at it in a panic as he heard the black cat yowl behind him.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_28]

Sammy shot out into the garden, back arched and all his fur on end. He could see the other cat watching through the cat flap, but she didn’t seem to be chasing him. Not yet, anyway. He scurried back down the path to the street and raced along the road, too scared even to think. At last he spotted a big wheelie bin in an alley down the side of a shop and ducked underneath it to catch his breath. What was he going to do now?

[Êàðòèíêà: img_29]

Harper woke up that morning with an odd sense that something was wrong. It took her a moment to remember what it was, especially as her new room still felt strange. She reached down to stroke Sammy– and discovered that the warm lump next to her wasn’t Sammy, it was Ava.

Then she remembered everything. Ava was there because Harper had woken up in the middle of the night to find her little sister crying and pulling on the sleeve of her pyjamas. Harper hadn’t been able to make out what Ava was saying for a moment – she was too muffled up with tears – but then she’d realized that it was, “I want Sammy back!” She’d let Ava climb into bed with her and held her until she cried herself to sleep.

“Hey…” Mum had pushed the door open and was smiling at her. “I couldn’t find Ava and I guessed she’d be here. Sorry, Harper, I didn’t hear her wake up.”

“It’s OK.” Harper looked up at Mum hopefully. “Is Sammy back? Did you check his blanket?” Gran had suggested last night that they put Sammy’s favourite blanket out on to the doorstep, so he had something familiar to smell if he was trying to make his way back to the house. Harper had gone to sleep thinking about waking the next morning and seeing Sammy curled up there, waiting for them to find him.

Mum sighed.“No. I’m sorry, sweetheart. Not yet. I did look.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_30]

Harper wriggled out of bed, trying not to wake Ava.“Shall we make posters?”

Mum nodded.“OK. You start making some. I’ll get breakfast ready.”

“Emma? Harper?”

That was Gran calling from her room. Harper glanced up at Mum in surprise. Both of them went to look round Gran’s door. “Are you OK, Gran? Did you want something?”

Gran was sitting up in bed, with a book in her hand.“I’m fine, don’t worry. But I had a thought. Before you put up posters, you should go and check the flat. Maybe Sammy went there? I’ve heard stories about cats being able to find their way back miles and miles, and it’s only ten minutes away, isn’t it?”

Harper’s eyes widened. “Yes!” she yelped, and then remembered Ava sleeping and put her hand over her mouth, whispering through her fingers. “Oh, yes! Gran, that’s got to be right! Can we go now, Mum?”

Mum shook her head.“Not yet. It’s too early, especially as it’s Saturday. We’ll have to give it a while. But that’s a great idea, Mum.”

Harper nodded, though the thought of waiting was horrible.“I’ll make the posters, just in case. But I bet he’ll be there and we won’t need them after all! When we come back with him I can tear them up into tiny little pieces.” She could see herself doing it – or screwing them up into a fat papery ball for Sammy to chase.

Harper had made six posters by the time Mum said they could go, with beautiful cats drawn on them, and a description of Sammy, and Mum’s phone number at the bottom. She kept looking between the kitchen clock and the front door, desperate to head back to the flat. At last Mum nodded at her and Harper flew to grab her jacket and her trainers. Ava was still asleep upstairs, but Gran said she’d listen out for her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_31]

Harper wanted to run all the way back to the flat– she kept darting ahead and having to circle back to Mum. Every time she wanted to say,He will be there, won’t he?

Mum had brought the cat carrier with her, so she must think they were going to find him. But it was hard to imagine Sammy working his way back through the streets, especially crossing the main road. Harper wouldn’t want to cross it on her own, so how could Sammy do it? There were parked cars all the way along and it was so hard to see. They had to edge out between two cars, and look, and then hurry across.

Harper slowed down again after that, now they were really close and they were about to know. Suddenly she was scared.

“Come on,” Mum murmured, squeezing her hand. “It’s going to be OK, Harper. Even if they haven’t seen Sammy, we’ll go back and put your posters up. We’ll find him.”

Harper nodded, but she was holding her breath as Mum rang their old doorbell. It seemed ages before anyone came to the door and then a tall man stood there, smiling at them politely.

“Hi!” Mum said, her voice rather high and worried. “I wondered if you’d seen our kitten? We moved out last week – this was our flat – and he’s disappeared. We thought maybe he’d come back…”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_32]

“Oh, no, sorry.” The man shook his head and Harper felt tears suddenly burn at the backs of her eyes. “What’s he like? We’ll keep an eye out for him. You want to give me your number?”

Harper stood pressed tight against Mum’s side, watching a beautiful black cat stalk out of the kitchen towards them. She was huge and her fur was all fluffed up. Perhaps she didn’t like strangers, Harper thought. Or she didn’t like the flat, like Sammy didn’t like Gran’s house.

Harper looked back as they walked away and saw that the black cat was on the back of the sofa, watching them from the window, just like Sammy used to.

It made her want to howl and she had to hold her hand over her mouth. The black cat was in Sammy’s place and her little spotted kitten was out there somewhere all on his own.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

Sammy peered out at the pavement and the feet passing by. What was he going to do now? He had been desperate to find home and now home wasn’t there. He’d expected that everything would be the same, the way it should be. Now he knew that it wasn’t. The flat belonged to another cat instead. He shivered at the thought of her angry hiss. Did that mean he didn’t have a home any more?

Sammy huddled himself smaller and tighter. Was he really all on his own? Or perhaps– had he been looking for the wrong thing?

It was Harper and Mum who put the food in his bowl. Ava who climbed up on the sofa to look out of the window with him. Harper who curled herself round him in the middle of the night and made him feel safe and loved.

He had to find them. His home was where they were; it wasn’t a place at all.

But how? He hadn’t got to know the new house. Did he even know how to get back?

Sammy wriggled slowly out from under the bin and set off along the pavement, trying to remember the way he’d come. He’d followed this wall just before he came to the flat, he was sure. But then – his ears flattened. At the end of the wall was that big road again and a car speeding by, the tyres screeching loudly on the tarmac.

Sammy stepped slowly out between two parked cars and stood there, listening. Was it safe to run? The road seemed quiet. He scurried out and then froze in panic for a moment as he saw a car bearing down on him. Sammy flung himself forwards, darting to safety just in time. The car sped on– had they even noticed what had almost happened?

[Êàðòèíêà: img_33]

He scrambled up on to a wall, shivering at the memory of the car’s hot breath ruffling his fur. He licked a paw and swiped it round his ears and whiskers, over and over again, trying to wash away the panic, until at last he felt a little calmer. Then he jumped down and set off again, slowly retracing his steps as well as he could.

It was as he turned a corner that he noticed a faint, familiar scent in the air. Something that smelled of home… Harper. He hurried on eagerly, hoping to see her any moment, but the street stretched on ahead of him, empty and strange.

Had he gone wrong? But… there was still that scent.

He was so busy trying to catch it again that he didn’t notice the dog until they were practically nose to nose – and the dog seemed just as surprised as he was. It jumped back, eyes wide and ears pricked, and whined. Then it crouched down, stretching out its front paws, and barked sharply at him. Sammy retreated, terrified. He’d never been so close to a dog and he didn’t know what to do.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_34]

The elderly woman holding the lead pulled the dog back.“What’s that, Petey? No, leave it alone!”

Sammy hissed faintly and turned tail, racing away through a clump of bushes nearby. He wasn’t going to give that huge dog the chance to get any closer.

At last he looked out on to an open stretch of grass, dotted with people. Away over on the other side of the grass, swings were moving through the air and children were calling. Sammy was sure he’d never seen it before. He retreated back under the bushes, feeling so tired. He had no idea where to go next.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

“But where is he?” Ava demanded, staring at Mum and Harper over her bowl of cereal. She’d woken up while Harper and Mum were back at the flat and Gran had told her where they’d gone. Now she just couldn’t seem to understand why they didn’t have Sammy in the carrier.

“We don’t know at the moment,” Mum tried to explain. “We’ll keep on looking, though. Harper’s made posters. We’ll go and put them on all the lamp posts soon. If anyone sees Sammy they’ll know to call us.”

Ava only shook her head.“We have to find him. He’ll be hungry. He’s missed teaand breakfast.”

Harper pushed her cereal round her bowl, blinking back tears. Ava was right, of course. She was too little to know that it didn’t help to say it. “I’ve finished my cereal,” she told Ava. “Let’s go and put the posters up now.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_35]

“Give me half an hour, Harper, OK?” Mum said. “I’ve got the numbers for all the local vets and the animal shelter. We should call them first, to see if anyone’s found Sammy and taken him in.”

Harper nodded. That made sense.“I’ll make some more posters then. Or can I go and start putting them up?”

“And me!” Ava jumped up from the table.

“No, not on your own. I’ll be as quick as I can, I promise. I know it’s hard to wait, but it’s important to call the vets. Someone might have found Sammy already.”

“I’m going to make posters too,” Ava said, grabbing a piece of paper and starting to draw a kitten, but Harper followed Mum into the living room.

“Mum, can’t I just go down the street and put some of the posters up? It’s not far and I won’t cross the road.”

Mum sighed, looking at her phone and the list of numbers she’d written. “OK. But only as far as the end of the street, all right? Don’t go past the park.”

“I promise.” Harper nodded. She knew Mum was right, and someone might have found Sammy already, but she just couldn’t bear waiting any longer. She kept thinking of her kitten out there, lost and confused, and it made her stomach twist up inside her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_36]

Harper stopped at the entrance to the park, wondering if she should stick a poster up on the fence. Lots of people would see it there, but she wasn’t sure how well the tape would work. She held the poster up against the wooden slats, frowning. Perhaps there was a noticeboard or something like that at one of the other gates.

“Are you all right, dear?”

Harper turned to see that an elderly couple with a dog had paused on their way out of the park. She nodded shyly.“I was going to put up a poster,” she explained. “Our cat’s missing. He’s a kitten really, a grey tabby kitten.”

“Oh!” The woman glanced out towards the road. “A silvery colour? With spots?”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_37]

“Yes!” Harper nearly dropped the posters. “Yes, he’s spotty! Have you seen him?”

The couple nodded at each other.“We did see a little cat. Petey scared him, I’m afraid,” the man told Harper. “He’s friendly, but the cat didn’t know that of course. We were back up the road that way and then the cat ran off, into one of the gardens, I think.” He pointed up the road towards Gran’s house.

“That was about fifteen, twenty minutes ago?” the woman put in. “I’m sorry we didn’t see exactly where he went.”

“But you saw him!” Harper smiled shakily. “Thank you! I’ll keep looking.”

“Good luck finding him!” the man called back, waving to her as they set off up the street.

Harper leaned against the fence for a moment. Sammy was OK! They’d seen him – a spotty silver kitten – it had to be him, didn’t it? She hurried back along the road, calling hopefully. “Sammy! Sammy, here, boy! Where are you?” She was sure that she’d see him darting out of a garden towards her any moment, but she went on calling and calling, and nothing happened.

He could have gone further up the street, Harper decided, especially if it had been a while. She ran along the pavement, stopping to peer over fences and under cars, always calling.

About halfway between the park and their house she saw something grey dart underneath a gate and she gasped excitedly, running to lean over and look into the garden.“Sammy! I’m here, Sammy, come on!”

There was a moment of silence and then a little face looked back at her from behind a tall fern.

It wasn’t Sammy. The cat looked a bit like him, but it had a white chin and paws, and it was mostly striped, with a few spots along its sides. It just wasn’t her kitten. Harper swallowed hard, gulping back her disappointment. She’d have to keep looking.

She was turning away from the garden when she realized the awful thing. The elderly couple must have got it wrong. They must have seenthis cat. Young and thin and silvery tabby– it all matched.

No one had seen Sammy after all.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

Under the bushes at the edge of the park, Sammy startled awake. He’d heard a voice he recognized. That was Harper, he was almost sure. She was here! She was calling him! He leaped up, racing to the edge of the path, and then checked, looking around for the dog. He remembered its bright eyes and the way it had snuffled after him so eagerly. Sammy’s tail fluffed up to double size again. What if it was still there, waiting for him? He was safe here underneath the bushes – out there he’d be in the open, with nowhere to hide. He crouched under the low branches, hesitating.

But he had to follow Harper’s voice. He couldn’t let home go again!

[Êàðòèíêà: img_38]

Sammy darted out on to the path and through the park gates to the street, hoping to see Harper looking for him. But no one was there.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_6]

Harper rubbed her eyes on her sleeve. She knew crying wasn’t going to do any good, but she couldn’t help it – she’d been so excited, so sure that she was about to get Sammy back. That extra little bit of hope from the elderly couple had been torn away, leaving her feeling more heartbroken than ever.

She would go back and see how Mum was doing with the phone calls, she thought sadly. Maybe there’d been some good news. Then she looked down at the poster in her hand and sighed. It had actually been a sensible idea to put one up at the park – so many people went through those gates. She just needed to find a better spot than the fence, that’s all. She’d do that now, rather than wasting the poster.

“I can’t give up,” Harper muttered to herself. “We’re going to find him. We have to.” But she wasn’t calling for him as she trudged back down the road towards the park. She wasn’t hoping, the way she had been before. She walked on with her head down, just concentrating on not crying.

She was unrolling the poster, ready to tape it to the litter bin by the gates, when she heard the mewing– high, frantic, excited mewing. She dropped the poster and the sticky tape, without even noticing that she’d done it. She looked around wildly, her breath caught in her throat – and a tiny silvery spotted cat came racing out from under the bushes by the park gates.

“Sammy!” Harper scooped him up into her arms. “Theydid see you! I thought– oh, it doesn’t matter! Where did you go? We have to get back and tell Mum. She’s calling everyone about you. Oh, I dropped the poster!” She scrabbled around to pick it up, while Sammy tried to climb inside her jacket and nuzzle her, purring and purring. Then she shoved the poster into thebin and whispered into the top of his furry head, “Let’s go home.”

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The house still seemed a little bit strange– but Sammy was starting to feel as if he belonged. His litter tray was in a nice quiet corner now and his toys were scattered everywhere. A blanket that smelled like Harper was draped over the back of the sofa. He could stretch out on it and see the street, and watch the birds in the garden too.

When Harper had carried Sammy into the house, such a wave of happiness and relief had swept over him. He could feel them all loving him– Harper, Ava, Mum and Gran. He’d followed them around all day, even curling up in Gran’s lap under the table while they were eating lunch.

That night, as Ava and Harper had started up the stairs, Sammy had put one paw on the bottom step and mewed.

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“He wants to go with you!” Mum had said to Harper, laughing.

“You’d better help the poor kitten out,” Gran agreed, and Harper had scooped him into her arms again and carried him up to bed with her. He’d investigated the bathroom while the girls were brushing their teeth and then followed them back into Harper’s room. He liked this room – there was a windowsill and he thought it might be sunny to sit on tomorrow. So many different places to explore up here. So many interesting smells.

Now he yawned and stood up, turning round a couple of times and padding at the duvet to get it just right.

“Is he OK?” Ava sat up in bed to look at him worriedly and Sammy nudged his nose against her cheek.

“I think so.” Harper smiled at her. “He does that, Ava, it’s all right. He’s getting comfy. Go to sleep. Mum said you could only come in with me if you promised not to keep chatting.”

Ava lay back down, and Sammy tucked himself into the nest of duvet between both sisters and started to purr. Some things were different, but this hadn’t changed. This was where he was meant to be, curled up with Harper and Ava.

Harper rubbed her hand gently over his ears and he heard her sigh sleepily.“Don’t worry, Ava. Sammy’s back home.”

53. THE SMALLEST KITTEN

Amina raced up the steps at the front of the animal shelter and twirled round and round in front of the door.“Come on!” she called to the rest of the family. “Zara! Hurry up! Don’t you want to see the kittens?”

Zara didn’t dash after her twin sister. She pushed her hand into Dad’s instead, holding on to him tight. She wanted to go and meet the kittens, of course she did. It was just that she was excited in a different way. She didn’t do dancing about like Amina did. Her excitement was all inside, but it was definitely there. She and Amina had been talking about this moment for so long – imagining meeting their very own kitten for the first time.

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Zara slipped the hand that wasn’t holding Dad’s into her pocket, closing it around the folded printout that she’d been carrying about for days, ever since Mum had emailed the animal shelter to say they were interested in the kittens. Zara had got her to print one of the photos, so she could keep looking at it. It showed all three kittens snuggled up in a soft cat bed, two tabby ones mostly on top of a little black-and-white one. She didn’t seem to mind though. She looked quite comfy with a warm blanket of kitten on top of her.

“Excited?” Mum leaned over to look at Zara, smiling. “I know how much you’ve been looking forward to this.”

Zara nodded hard and smiled back, but she still didn’t say anything.

Up at the top of the steps, Amina was tugging open the heavy glass door…

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When Mum and Dad had told the girls they would be able to go and see the kittens and choose which one they wanted to adopt, Zara had thought they’d only be allowed to look at them, maybe through a door into their pen. But instead they were taken to a special meeting room and James, the man who worked at the shelter, explained to them that they just needed to wait while he went to fetch the kittens.

“Do you think we’ll get to hold them?” Zara asked Mum hopefully as James hurried off.

Amina nodded.“Look! There are cat toys in that basket. I think we can play with the kittens.”

Zara looked round and saw a basket full of all different sorts of toys– balls, feathery birds, squishy mice… Just the kind of things she’d been thinking of buying with her pocket money, ever since Mum and Dad had said they could get a kitten when they’d moved to their new house.

Zara and Amina’s mum had recently changed jobs. She now worked at a hospital that was too far away for her to commute. It was a huge change for everyone – Amina and Zara would have to start at a different school too. But there were some good things about moving. Mum and Dad had always said their old house was too small for pets, and it was by a busy road. The new house had a garden and it was really quiet. Perfect for a cat. Amina and Zara were going to be ten soon – ten was definitely old enough to look after a pet, and they’d promised to help lots. Mum and Dad had promised they would contact the animal shelter as soon as they’d settled in. Even though it had only been a couple of weeks, it felt like a very long wait…

“Is he coming back yet?” Amina asked, bouncing up from her chair.

“It won’t be long,” Mum said, laughing at her.

Dad turned to the door.“I think I can hear them, actually.”

The girls stared hopefully at the door– and Dad was right. James eased it open and stepped through with a cat carrier. Tiny, squeaky, cross little mews echoed from inside, until James set the carrier down and opened the wire door, and then there was a curious silence. Amina and Zara exchanged a wide-eyed look and Amina slipped her hand into Zara’s. After all the waiting…

Two small tabby faces appeared at the door of the carrier and Zara caught her breath. Even Amina was too excited to speak– or perhaps she’d realized she needed to be quiet and let the kittens work up the courage to come out. The two kittens watched the room for a moment, their whiskers twitching. Then one of them padded out of the carrier – he was small enough that it was a big step down to the floor. He stumbled across the tiles to sniff at Amina’s sandals.

“Mum!” Amina breathed, her eyes shining. “Look! He’s tickling me!” She giggled and twitched, and the kitten play-pounced on the fabric flowers on her shoes. The second tabby kitten tumbled after the first one, eager to see what this exciting new game was.

James laughed and handed Amina a feathery toy.“Try this instead, otherwise your sandals might never be the same again.” He smiled at Zara and offered her the basket of toys.

Zara took out a squishy toy fish and sat holding it, wondering if the kittens would come and investigate her too. But they were too interested in the feather wand that Amina was bouncing up and down. The two kittens looked like wind-up toys, turning their heads every time she wobbled the feathers. Mum and Dad and Amina were laughing delightedly, and Zara laughed too, even though she felt just a tiny bit jealous. She didn’t want to take the kittens away from Amina – she only wished they’d play with her as well.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_5]

Then Zara glanced round, her attention caught by the smallest movement over by the carrier. Of course! There was another kitten! Zara had been so caught up watching the two tabby kittens that she’d forgotten about the little black-and-white girl. She was just stepping cautiously out of the carrier, trying to get down over the edge of the door.

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Zara bit her lip as the kitten padded around with one paw, trying to work out how far down the floor was. She was definitely smaller than the tabbies and Zara was worried she might not be able to get out. But eventually the kitten bumped down on to the tiles and stopped to look around again. Zara didn’t know very much about cats – not yet – but she could tell the kitten wasn’t nearly as confident and bouncy as her brother and sister. Maybe she was shy?

Zara was quite used to people talking about her as“the shy twin”, or “the quiet one”. People said it all the time, even though Mum and Dad tried to tell them not to. Only a couple of days ago, Dad had persuaded Amina to walk down to the shops with him, while Mum kept Zara behind to have a “little chat”. Mum wanted to talk to her about the new school they were going to after the summer holidays, and about trying to make friends, and not letting Amina do all the talking. Zara had listened, of course she had, and nodded in all the right places and promised Mum she’d try. But it wasn’t as easy as that. At their old school, Amina had done all the friend-making, and Zara didn’t mind. It made things easier when Amina talked for her. Sometimes she did wish she had a best friend of her own though – as well as her twin, of course.

How do you make friends? Amina wondered as she watched the little black-and-white kitten tiptoe towards her. Perhaps it was just about being brave enough to go up to someone.

“Hey…” she whispered as the kitten paused to sniff thoughtfully at the lace of her trainer and then bat the trailing end with one paw.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_7]

The kitten stopped, staring up at her worriedly, and Zara stared back. She waited for the kitten to dash back to the carrier, but she didn’t. She was too interested in Zara’s shoelace. Carefully, Zara jiggled her foot. Not too hard – she didn’t want to hurt the kitten – but just enough to make her lace bounce up and down.

The kitten watched fixedly, her green eyes round– and then she pounced, flinging herself at the loose shoelace and scrabbling at it with all four paws.

Zara desperately wanted to laugh, but she held it in so she didn’t scare the kitten away. She just watched, grinning to herself, as the kitten stalked her shoelace over and over again.

After a couple of minutes, the kitten seemed to decide she wanted to explore a little further. She’d flung herself right on top of Zara’s trainer with her last leap, and now she wriggled and stumbled her way up Zara’s leg, her tiny claws hooking into Zara’s jeans.

Zara watched delightedly, hardly able to believe there was a kitten climbing into her lap. She stood on Zara’s knee for a moment, watching Amina playing with her brother and sister, and then she turned around and slumped down.

“Zara…” Mum whispered from across the room. “You found the other kitten!”

“She found me,” Zara whispered back. “She was playing with my shoelace.”

“Oh, look at her,” Amina said admiringly. “She’s so little and cute.”

“You know,” Dad said thoughtfully. “I wonder if these tabby kittens belong together, they seem such good friends. We only wanted to get one cat…”

Zara looked up at him, her eyes hopeful.“Please can we take this little one home?”

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The kitten curled up at the back of the carrier. Hopefully she would be safe in here. Everything outside was strange and different. She couldn’t hear the noises she was used to – her brother and sister, the cats in the pens close by, even dogs a bit further away. There were no familiar smells either. She couldn’t smell any other cats at all. She didn’t remember being the only cat, not ever.

She didn’t like it. When she’d been put in the carrier she’d hoped to find her brother and sister again. They had disappeared a couple of days earlier, and the black-and-white kitten had been waiting anxiously for them to come back. She was sure they weren’t here though, she would have smelled them.

She pressed herself tighter against the back wall of the carrier, listening to the noises around. There were heavy footsteps, and lighter ones, and voices.

“Can’t we get her out?”

“I think we should leave it to her. She’s scared, Amina. You would be too. She’s only little.”

“I know… But it’s been ages. I want to play with her.”

“I expect she’ll come out when she’s hungry.” That was a deeper voice. “She just needs time. She was enjoying playing with us at the shelter the other day, wasn’t she, Zara? She’s a friendly little thing. She doesn’t know what’s going on right now. We don’t want to scare her anymore. Let’s put some food down and let her come out when she feels like it.”

There was a sigh and then the first voice said,“I suppose.”

The kitten’s ears twitched as she heard a familiar sound – biscuits rattling against the side of a bowl. She’d heard that noise often at the shelter, when someone brought their food. She was hungry. Still nervous, but hungry… She crept a few steps forwards and caught the scent of biscuits, just like the ones she was used to.

“Just sit back a bit, girls. Give her a chance to come out without having to get too close.”

The voice sounded gentle and whoever was speaking wasn’t right up by the door of the carrier. The kitten approached the door and looked out cautiously. There were four people watching her – two girls sitting on the floor, someone else sitting by the table and another person standing up, putting away a bag that probably had the food in it. The foodsmelled so delicious. She measured the distance to the food bowl in her head. It was close – she could dart out and eat, and if anything frightening happened, she would whip straight back to the carrier where it was safe. She could feel all those eyes staring straight at her and she wasn’t sureabout it at all.

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The kitten hopped out of the carrier and hurried across to the bowl, bolting down the food as fast as she could, while keeping an eye on all the people in the room. They were still staring but they didn’t move and no one tried to grab her. The kitten began to relax, eating more slowly. At last, she finished the bowl of biscuits, licking up the crumbs and sniffing around hopefully in case there was more. But the bowl was definitely empty.

She sat back, eyeing the family thoughtfully and swiping a paw across her whiskers. They had fed her when she was hungry. It didn’t mean she trusted them, not yet – but it was a start. She finished cleaning her whiskers and looked at the girl she’d slept on, back at the shelter.

“Don’t stare at her,” the girl whispered to the other one, who was sitting next to her on the floor. “I don’t think she likes it.”

“How do you know?”

“I just don’t think she does. Please, Amina…”

“OK, OK.”

Both the girls looked down at the floor at exactly the same time and the kitten gave a little jump of surprise. They seemed to move in the same way, these two. Curiously she padded towards them, sniffing at their outstretched toes and then nudging the side of her chin against their feet. Both girls twitched and giggled, and the kitten darted back. But then they settled again and she went back to investigating. That big bowl of food had made her feel sleepy and she wanted to curl up somewhere soft and warm– a basket, or a lap, perhaps.

The first girl stretched out her hand and ran it very gently over the kitten’s back. That was nice. Soothing… The kitten hopped up on to her leg and kneaded at the girl’s soft skirt with her paws. There was a dip, a little hollow that looked comfy, and she settled herself into it, turning herself round and round until she was nestled into the gap between the two girls’ legs.

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“I think we should call her Cola,” Amina said firmly. “Mum, don’t you think that would be a good name? She looks like a Cola.”

Zara looked lovingly down at the black-and-white kitten, who was now curled up in the soft igloo bed they’d bought from the pet shop. She and Amina had kept as still as they could when the kitten had curled up in between them, but eventually they’d had to move. Mum had scooped the kitten up and laid her gently in the basket, and she hadn’t even woken up properly. She’d made a snuffly little noise and huddled into the side of the cat bed. Cola was a cute name, but it didn’t seem quite right. And Zara wanted their kitten to be called something perfect.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_10]

“No.”

Amina swung round, her eyes wide with surprise.“No?”

“I don’t think she looks like a Cola. A cat called Cola ought to be all black. Our kitten’s got a white front and white paws.”

Amina still looked shocked but Mum smiled.“What would be a good name, then?”

“Maybe something that shows how little she is?” Zara suggested.

Amina shook her head.“That won’t work. Of course she’s little now, she’s only a kitten. But she’s going to grow, isn’t she?”

“I know that!” Zara could hear herself arguing, and it was very surprising, as though she was listening to someone else talk, a bit like watching a film. She almost never argued with her twin, it was just easier not to. Amina was louder and more confident than Zara – she always had been, evenwhen they were babies, Dad said. Arguing with her twin just made Zara sad so she didn’t – unless it was really important. Like now. “But she was much littler than the two tabby kittens. I think she’s always going to be small, and she’s got really big, pointy ears too. They didn’t have those. So – so I think she looks like an elf. We should call her Elfie – no! Pixie!” She swallowed hard and saw that Mum was still beaming at her.

“That’s a very sweet name. She does look like a little pixie. I think it would suit her when she’s bigger too.”

“I like it,” Dad said.

“I suppose,” Amina agreed, even though she didn’t sound very certain. “It is cute… Oh, look, she’s waking up! Hey, Pixie-Cola…” She darted a look at Zara, as if she were daring her to argue, but Zara was too pleased that she’d made Amina listen to mind.

“She’s going exploring,” she murmured happily, watching as the kitten stretched and sniffed, and then began to wander slowly around the kitchen. She found the new litter tray they’d bought and weed in it, which was good, even though it was a bit yucky to think about clearing it out. Better there than puddles on the floor, though. Mum and Dad looked relieved.

“Oh, where’s she going?” Amina asked, watching as the kitten pushed her way under the trolley where Dad kept the vegetables. The kitten wriggled right underneath and then popped out again to explore the tiny space behind the recycling bin. After that she settled down behind the wellies by theback door for a few minutes. Amina giggled and nudged Zara. “She’s just like you.”

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“What do you mean?” Zara blinked at her, confused.

“Hiding. You’re always doing it. Remember when you went and hid in the bathroom cupboard and fell asleep, and Mum got in a total panic?”

Dad snorted with laughter and Zara saw Mum giving him a cross look. She felt her cheeks burn. She did like to hide herself away in small, quiet places, especially if she was feeling sad or shy. She wished Amina hadn’t said anything…

Pixie crept out from behind the wellies and sat down on Zara’s foot with a huge yawn. Zara wasn’t sure how she could be sleepy again when she’d only just woken up, but then she had done quite a lot of exploring for someone so small. Carefully, she reached down and scooped the kitten up, snuggling her against her T-shirt. Zara wasn’t really sure if Pixie would stay but she’d liked being curled up on her and Amina before, hadn’t she? And right now, Zara felt sad and hurt, and she wanted someone to cuddle. Maybe the kitten wanted a cuddle too?

She did look a bit surprised for a moment, but then she yawned again and slumped over Zara’s arm, soft and saggy.

It was the nicest thing Zara could remember happening, ever.

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Zara and Amina spent the last couple of weeks of the summer holidays getting to know Pixie and watching her explore the house. She loved their bedroom, and seemed to be happy to spend hours padding around underneath their beds, or wobbling across their duvets between the soft toys. She enjoyed watching the birds from their bedroom windowsill too. Zara thought that she was going to love going out in the garden when she was a bit older and she’d had her vaccinations.

Dad was keen to take Amina and Zara out to look around the town– there was a swimming pool and a cinema, even a bowling alley. But neither of the girls wanted to leave Pixie for long.

“She’ll be lonely,” Zara explained on their way back from getting their library cards. She had a huge pile of books and was planning to turn her duvet into a tent over the top of her bed and read them all. Maybe she could persuade Pixie into the tent too… The good thing about Amina being sobouncy and energetic was that she liked to dance around and get Pixie to chase her toys. Then once the kitten was properly worn out, she’d snuggle up and snooze while Zara stroked her.

“I expect she hasn’t even woken up from her after-breakfast sleep,” Dad said. “Cats sleep for about sixteen hours a day, did you know that? Pixie’s going for the record, I think.”

“She’s not lazy, Dad,” Zara protested. “Haven’t you seen her jumping after her feather toy?”

“And she’s growing,” Amina put in. “She’s much bigger than she was a week ago. Her coat’s different too, she’s not as fluffy. She’s turning silky instead.”

Zara nodded, realizing that Amina was right.“You’d sleep all the time if you had to do all that growing, Dad.”

“I know, I’m only teasing. Anyway, I think you two are going to be the experts on kittens, with all the cat books you’ve borrowed.” He looked thoughtfully at the shops they were passing. “Is there anything we need to get for school?”

“New lunchboxes?” Amina asked hopefully, looking at the Back to School display in the window.

“What’s wrong with the one you’ve got?” Dad asked and Amina shrugged.

“Nothing, I’d just like a new one!”

Zara looked at the school supplies too, suddenly feeling the weight of all the library books in the bag she was carrying. It was only a week now until they started their new school. They’d be going into Year Five, which meant that everyone else would have known each other for years and years. She really wasn’t very good at getting to know new people.

Dad nudged her gently.“What about you, Zara? Need anything? Do you want to get a new lunchbox?”

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Zara shook her head.“No…” she whispered. “I’d just like everything to stay the same.”

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Back at the house, Zara found Pixie still sleeping in her igloo bed in the kitchen and she lay down on the floor next to her, peering in. Pixie was asleep on her back, showing off her tummy. Zara stroked the soft white fur with one finger, and Pixie stretched a little and let out a breathy purr.

“I’d forgotten how close it was to school starting,” Zara murmured. “I’ve been too busy looking after you to think about it.” She stroked one of Pixie’s tiny paws and sighed. “I wish I could just curl up in a furry nest all day. Or hide under all the toys at the end of my bed, like you do when Dad shouts up the stairs.” Zara smiled, remembering Pixie’s tail poking out from underneath her toy octopus like an extra tentacle. Amina had been right about Pixie and Zara both liking small, dark spaces. Pixie definitely felt safe when she was somewhere dark and quiet and so did Zara. “Amina’s totally different,” Zara pointed out to the sleeping kitten. “I think maybe she just gets louder when she’s feeling worried…” She sighed. “I’m going to miss you so much…”

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“Be good, Pixie,” Zara whispered, cuddling the little kitten against her stiff new uniform cardigan as Amina raced around trying to work out where she’d left her pencil case. “At least we’ve only got to do three days this first week, and then it’ll be the weekend. I’ll see you this afternoon when I get back. Wish me luck.” She smiled faintly as Pixie nudged her cheek and purred – her purr was so huge for such a little cat.

“Time to go, girls.” Dad smiled at them encouragingly. “We want to be nice and early on your first day.”

One of the good things about moving was that their house was really close to their new school, only about a ten-minute walk. Once they were settled in, Amina and Zara might even be able to walk by themselves. Zara supposed it was good to be a bit closer– but right now she didn’t want to be at school at all. It didn’t help that they soon started to spot other children in the dark green uniform. There were some girls who looked like they might be in Year Five too, all walking together and chatting and giggling. Zara was sure they were pointing her and Amina out and talking about them. Shehated people noticing her. Now it was going to be happening all day.

Once they arrived at the school, they seemed to be swept up and away into a tide of niceness– the school secretary, and then the head teacher, and then their class teacher, all smiling and saying how good it was to have them there. Amina beamed and chattered about their old school and their move, and Zara managed a small, tight smile.

The two girls were sitting next to each other close to the front of the room when the rest of the class came in.

“Shh, sit down, everyone, please.” Miss Modha smiled around at them. “I hope everyone had a great summer.” She nodded to the twins. “We’re lucky to have Zara and Amina joining our class this year.”

Zara stared at the table, feeling her cheeks redden. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Amina waving and smiling around the class.

“Which is which?” someone whispered.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_15]

“I’m Amina. And we’re not identical, but if you can’t tell, I’ve got a ponytail and Zara has a plait. We always do our hair that way.”

Zara drew her plait over her shoulder, fiddling with the end. It gave her fingers something to do.

“That’s very helpful, Amina. Would you two like to tell us something about yourselves? Only if you want to, of course!”

“We’ve just moved to Stallbridge and our mum’s a doctor at the hospital,” Amina went on. “Oh, and two weeks ago we got a kitten! She’s black and white and her name’s Pixie. Have you still got her photo?” she added to Zara, and Zara pulled it out of her pocket and handed it over. She’d stopped carrying it around once they’d brought Pixie home, but today she’d put it in the pocket of her school skirt, for comfort. Amina held the photo up and Miss Modha leaned over to look.

“So cute! She looks tiny. Lucky you, having a kitten.”

“Does your sister talk?” One of the girls on the other side of their table asked, nodding to Zara. Zara looked down again swiftly, biting her lip.

“Thank you, Amina,” Miss Modha put in quickly. “You’ll all have lots of time to chat to Zara and Amina at break time. For now we need to get on with giving out books. Find a pen, all of you, and I’ve put how I want you to name your books up on the whiteboard.”

Half the morning disappeared in fiddly first-day tasks and the bell for break rang far too soon for Zara.

Several girls gathered around them as Miss Modha shooed them out into the playground, asking questions about their old school and generally being curious.

“I really like your hairband,” one of the girls said to Zara.

“Oh, thanks.” She tried desperately to think of something nice to say back. Mum had said it would be easy – she just had to say the same sort of thing the person talking had said. Mum called it echoing. But the girl smiling at her had short hair, with no clips or bands in it at all. Zara stared at her helplessly and the girl turned to listen to Amina telling a funny story about their old teacher at Springfield Primary who could never remember which of them was which.

“And it’s not like it’s difficult!” she finished off, nodding over at Zara as if to say how different they were. Everyone laughed – because already, after only half a morning, they could see that the twins were nothing like each other at all.

Zara tried to laugh and join in the joke, but it just hurt too much.

“Hey… I loved your kitten.”

Zara jumped and looked round. She’d been trying so hard to be part of the laughing group she hadn’t noticed the girl standing beside her.

“And Pixie’s such a sweet name. Here, do you want to see my cat?” She held up a keyring, the kind you could put a photo inside. It had a very large, very fluffy, very orange cat on it. The cat was lying on its back, showing off a cream and orange stripey tummy. It looked a bit like a rug.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_16]

“He’s gorgeous!” Zara said, before she’d even had time to think. “Um, is he a he? The cat book I got from the library said most ginger cats were.”

“Yup. He’s called Biscuit – like ginger biscuit?”

“That’s clever!” Zara beamed at the other girl and then realized she was actually talking to someone without Amina helping her. She had a split second of panic and then thought that it didn’t matter, because there was something she actually did want to know.

“What’s your name?”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Pixie wandered from the living room along the hall and into the kitchen– again. She’d been back and forth all morning, trying to work out where Zara and Amina had gone. They’d disappeared before, but never for this long.

“Hey, little one.” Dad came out of the office next to the kitchen and crouched down to tickle her behind the ears. Pixie rubbed herself around his ankles but he wasn’t the one she was looking for. It was the girls she was missing.

“They’ll be back later,” Dad murmured, smiling as Pixie plodded determinedly down the hallway again. This time she stopped and looked up at the stairs. Amina and Zara were up there sometimes and they’d pick her up and take her with them too. Maybe that’s where they were? She put her frontpaws on the bottom step, stretching and trying to peer up at the top of the stairs. She couldn’thear them…

Her sharp ears caught a faint crunching on the gravel outside the front door and she turned to look– and then jumped wildly as the doorbell rang.

“It’s OK, don’t panic. I know, it’s so loud, isn’t it?” Dad said as he hurried to answer the door to the friendly woman who delivered the post. He looked round carefully to make sure he wasn’t accidentally going to let Pixie out, but he couldn’t see her anywhere.

Pixie was crouched, trembling, under the potted palm tree at the bottom of the stairs– the pot stood on three little legs and if she squeezed tight enough, she could just about get underneath. Down there it was dark and shadowy and safe…

[Êàðòèíêà: img_17]

[Êàðòèíêà: img_18]

Biscuit’s owner was called Billie and amazingly (or so Zara thought) she seemed to like Zara. At first they’d mostly talked about their cats – Biscuit was only a couple of years old so Billie remembered him being a funny, fluffy kitten. She thought he might actually still be growing, even though if she stood up and held him under his front paws, the tip of his tail trailed on the floor.

“I think he must be about six times the size of Pixie,” Zara told her seriously that first break time. “Amina says Pixie’s going to get a lot bigger but I’m not sure. She just feels like she’s going to stay small forever.”

Billie looked thoughtfully over at Amina, perched on one of the picnic tables in the playground, surrounded by a giggling crowd of girls.“Your sister talks a lot, doesn’t she?”

Zara felt her face grow hot and she stared down at the photo of Pixie.

Billie leaned over to look at her better.“I didn’t mean it in a bad way! It’s just – she’s right, isn’t she? You’re really not that similar.” She sighed.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_19]

“Sorry. I get into trouble for saying stuff because people think I’m being mean. I’m not. Mum says I should count to five and think before I say anything, but who’s got time for that?”

Zara snorted with surprised laughter and Billie grinned at her.“See? You know I’m right.”

“Amina never stops talking…” Zara admitted. “Usually I don’t mind. But…” Billie looked at her curiously. Zara swallowed and went on, “But it’s nice to talk for myself sometimes.” She smiled shyly at Billie and remembered something her mum had mentioned the day before. “Um… It’s our birthday in a couple of weeks.” She took a deep breath. “Do you want to come to our party?”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Zara hadn’t been very excited about having a birthday party when Mum had first mentioned it, but it turned out Amina had been making plans. On Friday evening after school, she hurried Zara upstairs to change out of their uniform and then back down to talk to their parents. Mum had just finished her shift at the hospital and Dad was making dinner.

Zara felt more like lying on the sofa with Pixie than discussing birthday plans– even just three days at their new school had worn her out. Still, looking back on it, the first week had gone a lot better than she’d thought it would – and a big part of that had been finding her own friend. Miss Modha had even asked her if she’d like to move tables and sit with Billie. Zara had said yes before she thought about what it would mean – that she wouldn’t be sitting with Amina. She thought Amina had looked a bit shocked when she told her.

Now she sat down at the table, yawning, and twitched the tail on her leopard onesie for Pixie to chase.

“We’ve been thinking about our party,” Amina announced. Zara looked up, feeling a bit irritated. They hadn’t! Amina hadn’t talked to her about it at all.

“We could go ice skating!” Amina went on, beaming at their parents. “Or maybe just to the cinema and then go for pizza? And can we have a sleepover? With someone to come and do our nails and things? I’ve made a list of who we want to invite.”

“Er…” Dad turned round from the hob looking worried.

“That’s a bit more of a grand plan than we were expecting,” Mum said gently. She looked down at the list that Amina had pushed in front of her and frowned slightly. “You’ve only been at school three days, how can you know so many girls?”

“I know everybody,” Amina said, waving this away. “Mum, we have to have a really good partybecause we’ve only just got there. It needs to be perfect!”

“Zara hasn’t said anything,” Dad pointed out.

“She wants the same as me,” Amina said swiftly.

Zara reached down and scooped Pixie into her lap. Stroking the kitten’s smooth fur made her feel a bit less panicky inside. She leaned over a little so she could see the list that Mum was looking at. Lucy, Harini, Elysha, Iris, Mia… Lots and lots of names – but Billie wasn’t on there.

Amina hadn’t even asked her whoshe wanted to invite– to a party that was meant to be half hers.

“No, I don’t,” she said softly.

Amina whirled round to stare at her.“Of course you do!” She looked utterly shocked – as if she couldn’t understand what was happening.

“You never said anything to me,” Zara told her. “And my friend isn’t on that list.”

“What friend?”

“Billie.”

“Oh.” Amina wrinkled her nose. “Her. I don’t want to invite Billie.”

“That’s not very nice!” Mum looked at Amina in surprise and she shrugged.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_20]

“You just don’t like her because she doesn’t make a big fuss about you like the others,” Zara said.

Amina looked stunned, and Mum and Dad were both staring at Zara now as if they couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Zara kept on running her hand down Pixie’s soft back. She wasn’t sure she could believe it either. Pixie purred and flexed her claws on the furry onesie.

Mum smiled.“So we’ll definitely ask Billie to the party. Any more ideas? Not quite so grand and expensive?”

Pixie was scrambling up the front of Zara’s onesie now. Luckily the onesie was nice and thick, and Pixie ended up perched on Zara’s shoulder looking pleased with herself. Zara was mostly thinking about how funny and sweet she was, so she said what she actually felt, instead of just agreeing to go with what Amina wanted.

“Um… Can we just have a couple of friends round here and have a really nice cake? Maybe a cat-shaped one?”

Amina sighed loudly.“A cat cake would be cute but we want a party everyone’s going to remember!”

“I don’t.” Zara suddenly realized Pixie had stopped purring.

“You don’t understand!” Amina said, her voice starting to rise. “It’s got to be special! Ithas to be!” She smacked her hand down on the table with a bang.

Zara flinched and Pixie panicked and dug her claws in, hard enough that it hurt.

“Ow, Pixie, gently… I still don’t see why we’ve got to have such a special party!”

“Oh! You don’t understand anything!” Amina hissed and she jumped up and dashed out of the room, leaving Zara staring after her.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Pixie snuggled close up against Zara’s onesie as Zara climbed the stairs. She didn’t really understand what had happened earlier on, but she’d known that something was wrong when Zara twitched so suddenly. She’d clung on as hard as she could, worried that she was going to slide off – and then she’d heard Zara gasp and Amina go running off upstairs.

For a moment, Pixie had thought Zara was angry but then she’d reached up and unhooked Pixie from her onesie very gently. She’d smoothed down the kitten’s ruffled fur and whispered to her. She’d spent ages scratching the exact itchy spot under Pixie’s chin while Pixie closed her eyes and almost purred.

But only almost, because she could tell that something was still not right. There was a strange, uncomfortable silence in the kitchen. Even when the family were eating dinner– with Pixie still on Zara’s lap, sniffing hopefully at the food and maybe getting a little piece of fish every so often – no one was chatting the way they usually did.

After the meal, Zara carried her upstairs and rolled a jingly bell across the bedroom floor for Pixie to chase. But she didn’t seem to be trying very hard, and all the time Amina was there, curled up on the other bed instead of joining in. Pixie kept stopping to look over at her, knowing she wasn’t happy – and Zara wasn’t either. When the ball rolled right under Zara’s bed, Pixie and Zara both went under thereto get it – and somehow they didn’t come out again. Zara stayed curled up against the wall and Pixie snuggled up next to her. It was quiet and dark under there, with Zara’s duvet half hanging down.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_21]

Zara only wriggled out from under the bed when Mum came up to turn the girls’ light off. Pixie had expected Mum to carry her downstairs to her basket in the kitchen – that was what had always happened before, but this time she just stroked Pixie’s ears, and hugged Zara and Amina, and left, leaving Pixie sitting on the end of Zara’s bed.

“Mum says you can sleep up here tonight,” Zara whispered, and there was a grumpy sniff from the other bed. “But I’ve got to take you downstairs if you don’t settle.”

Zara was lying down now but the kitten could feel she wasn’t asleep – she was watching. Pixie wobbled her way up next to Zara’s shoulder.

“I promise I won’t roll on you,” Zara whispered, and she sounded pleased. “Goodnight, Pixie.” And she added, a little sadly, “Night, Amina.”

Pixie could just hear Amina muttering,“Night,” from the other side of the room.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_22]

[Êàðòèíêà: img_23]

Even though Amina had calmed down, and they were talking again by the next day, Zara knew that things weren’t back to normal. She wasn’t used to being at odds with Amina – it made her feel weird and twitchy.

Mum and Dad had explained to the girls that moving house had been expensive and a really big party just wasn’t going to happen. In the end they’d settled on something a lot like the party Zara had wanted. Amina seemed to have snapped out of her strange mood but Zara could tell she was still disappointed.

Mum had found someone to make a beautiful cat cake and she’d also ordered cat-shaped invitations, which Dad helped Amina and Zara to write out. Their parents said that six friends was enough – which meant five friends for Amina, and Billie, but Zara was OK with that. The other five girls seemed nice enough, even though she hadn’t spoken to them much.

“I wasn’t sure if you really meant it,” Billie said, when Zara gave her the invitation on Wednesday.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_24]

“You – you do want to come?” Zara said worriedly.

“Of course I do!”

“It’s just going to be at our house, with pizza and games and stuff…”

“That’s much better.” Billie nodded. “If it was at the swimming pool or something I wouldn’t get to meet Pixie, would I? You’re going to have to come to mine some time and see Biscuit too.”

Zara felt herself smiling.

But then Billie glanced at the little group around Amina, opening their invitations, and Zara thought she looked worried for a moment.“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing…” Billie shrugged. “Just Mia doesn’t like me much, that’s all. But I can stay out of her way, don’t worry!”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Amina dashed past, running to ask Mum something vital about the cake, or the party tea, or the treasure hunt– Zara wasn’t sure what. Amina had been wound up all day, too excited to sit still. Now the party was due to start in half an hour, she was non-stop.

Zara felt like curling up with Pixie somewhere quiet and out of the way, but Pixie had sensibly disappeared already. Instead, Zara sat on the stairs, watching the front door and worrying. Would Billie enjoy the party? What if Amina got upset because the party wasn’t the way she wanted it to be? So many things could go wrong…

“Do you know where Pixie is?” Amina called as she hurtled into the hallway.

“No… Why?”

“Iris really likes cats, I wanted to show her Pixie. Oh, why isn’t it four o’clock yet?”

“It’s only five more minutes— Ah, the doorbell!”

“Someone’s early!” Amina shrieked, racing for the door. She flung it open and hugged Lucy and a couple of the others – they must have all come together, Zara realized. Suddenly frozen with shyness, she stayed huddled on the stairs, trying to smile.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_25]

“Come into the kitchen! Mum’s got biscuits for us to decorate!” Amina squealed and three girls raced after her.

The doorbell rang again and Zara looked round anxiously. No one else was coming to answer it… She brushed imaginary dust off her sparkly skirt and went to open the door, sighing happily as she saw it was Billie waiting on the doorstep with her mum.

“Hello! I brought you a present – and this one’s for Amina. Are you OK? You look a bit…”

“Billie…” Her mum made a face. “You look great, Zara. Lovely skirt.”

Billie sighed.“I was only going to say you looked worried.”

Zara beamed at her.“A bit nervous, that’s all. But I’m not now. Thank you for the presents!”

Suddenly, it felt like the party was going to be OK.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Pixie snapped awake. She’d been dozing, snuggled up in one her favourite hiding places – the bookcase in the living room. There was a tall book leaning over that made a perfect kitten hidey-hole. But now there were footsteps clattering past and high, excited voices.

“It’s in here, it’s got to be! Look, there, behind the curtains!” Amina whirled in, snatching a piece of paper from the windowsill and a crowd of girls leaned over her to look at it.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_26]

“The next clue’s in the garden,” one of the girls yelled and they all raced off again, leaving Pixie blinking and confused, the fur standing up along her spine.

“We could just let them go and find it,” someone suggested quietly. “I don’t mind if I don’t win any treasure. And it’s so windy out there today, I’d rather stay in!”

Pixie edged forwards a little. She hadn’t realized there was still anyone in the room.

“Me neither.”

Zara and another girl were standing by the sofa, quite still. They didn’t look nearly as loud and worrying as the others. Pixie stepped slowly out from her hiding place.

“Hey…” Zara tapped the other girl’s arm. “Billie, look. I thought Pixie was hiding upstairs because everything was too noisy but she’s here.”

“Awww. She’s got a little nest in the bookcase!”

“She has hiding places all over,” Zara said, crouching down and holding out her hand. “She’s so tiny, she can squeeze in anywhere. Dad found her in the pan cupboard yesterday. Pixie, come on… Come and meet Billie…”

Pixie padded cautiously across the carpet to nestle against Zara’s hand and then she sniffed Billie too. She could smell another cat on Billie but she hadn’t met enough other cats yet to be nervous. It was just interesting. She licked at the girl’s fingers. Billie laughed. “I forgot how small kittens are – and Biscuit’s got so much fur I don’t think he ever looked that teensy. Can you smell Biscuit, is that why you’re licking me?”

Pixie closed her eyes as Billie stroked around her ears and then tickled under her chin. She liked this girl.

“If you don’t mind missing the treasure hunt, we could take Pixie up to my bedroom,” Zara suggested. “Pixie, come on, want to come upstairs?” She stood up, patting her leg and makingpuss-puss-puss noises, and Pixie followed her and Billie out to the stairs.

“Can she get all the way up there?” Billie asked.

“I think she probably could if she really wanted to but usually I just let her do a couple of steps and then I carry her. She’s growing so fast though. Soon she’ll just race up.”

Pixie hopped up the first step, scrabbling to get her back paws on, and then looked hopefully at Zara.

“See! She knows I’ll carry her!” Zara leaned down and scooped Pixie up. “Come and see our room – Mum made us tidy it for the party.”

The two girls sat on the floor, leaning against Zara’s bed, and Pixie clambered around them, chasing a piece of sparkly ribbon that had come off one of Zara’s birthday presents the day before. It bounced and twirled as Zara shook it and Pixie did huge leaps into the air trying to catch the end.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_27]

“She’s so funny,” Billie gasped, out of breath from laughing. Pixie slumped down on her stripey leggings. She kept just missing the ribbon and she was worn out.

“Awww, Pixie. Here you go.” Zara laid the ribbon in front of her nose and Pixie rolled over, scrabbling at it fiercely with all four paws. Then she stopped, frozen and peering at the door.

Someone was thumping up the stairs.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_28]

“What are you doing up here?” Amina said. She was standing in the doorway with some of the other girls behind her, peering in.

“We’re just playing with Pixie.” Zara looked at her sister in surprise. She wasn’t sure what Amina was so annoyed about.

“The party’s downstairs!” Amina had her arms folded now and she looked cross. “We’re doing the treasure hunt!”

“I know, but me and Billie couldn’t see what the clue said and you took it with you…” Zara’s voice faltered a little bit as she saw Amina scowl. “We didn’t mind!” she added quickly. “I wanted to show Billie our room, and Pixie…”

Amina came further into the bedroom, staring down at Zara and Billie.“You’re spoiling our party! And I wanted to show Pixie tomyfriends too.” She looked strange, Zara thought. Her eyes were big and shiny with unhappiness, almost as if her feelings were hurt. But that didn’t make sense.

“Hey…” Billie said, gently steadying Pixie as the kitten wobbled to stand up, clearly startled by Amina’s sharp voice. “Zara hasn’t done anything.”

“Mind your own business!” Amina said, glaring at her. “I’m talking to my sister, it’s nothing to do with you!”

“I bet Billie made her come upstairs,” one of the others said from the doorway. Zara still mixed them up but she was pretty sure it was Mia. “That’s just the sort of thing she’d do.” There was a nasty little smirk on her face. Zara glanced at Billie and saw that she looked sad – really sad, as though she thought Zara might be about to agree and say it was all her fault. Very gently, Billie put Pixie on to Zara’s lap instead. So she could get up and go home, Zara realized. Pixie had her ears flattened down and she looked miserable too. Mia and Amina had upset Billieand Pixie.

“She did not! Here.” She handed Pixie back to Billie and the kitten let out a worried little mew. “You look after her. I said I wanted to come upstairs because you all ran off and didn’t let us join in. Don’t you dare speak to my friend like that!”

Mia looked quite surprised that Amina’s shy sister was suddenly standing there talking back at her – but it was nothing compared to how shocked Amina looked.

Mia’s mouth twisted in a sneer. “I can see why Billie wants to be friends withher,” she said, nudging Amina with her elbow as though she expected her to agree.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_29]

Zara blinked. She couldn’t help wondering what they’d been saying about her and Billie when theyweren’tthere to listen.

Amina shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable, but Mia was watching her, waiting for her to agree– and at last she nodded.

Zara caught her breath.“Get out of my bedroom!” she snapped.

“I think everyone needs to get out of this room,” Mum said, from behind Mia and the others. “Right now.”

Everyone slunk back downstairs, looking embarrassed. Some of Amina’s friends were giggling but Amina had dark flushed patches across the tops of her cheeks. Which always meant she was upset…

“I’m really sorry,” Zara whispered to Billie, who was walking down in front of her, still cuddling Pixie. “Amina – she’s – she’s not usually mean,” she added, shrugging helplessly. Amina wasn’t, was she? Zara didn’t think so. Amina was always telling her what to do, but not tobe horrible, just because Zara wasn’t very good at making decisions for herself. Zara had never known her speak to anyone the way she had to Billie.

Maybe she doesn’t like it that I’ve got a friend of my own, Zara realized as they followed Mum into the kitchen where the pizzas were laid out on the table.

“It’s OK.” Billie half-smiled. “I told you Mia didn’t like me. She probably said something to Amina.” Then she nudged Zara and her smile turned into a proper one. “I’ve never seen anyone stand up to Mia like that before!”

Zara tried to smile back. When she’d been telling Mia to leave Billie alone she’d felt brilliant, as if she was unstoppable and didn’t care what anybody said. Now that was all seeping away and she was shaky and miserable instead.

Amina was talking and laughing with the others but Zara was sure she was still angry too– that was why she was being so loud and over the top. Zara looked away from her, trying to cheer herself up by feeding a bit of chicken from her pizza to Pixie. She didn’t feel like eating much of the slice herself. She wasn’t hungry at all.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_30]

Zara just wished that Mum would bring out the cat cake she’d been looking forward to so much. It wasn’t that she actually wanted any cake, but the birthday cake was supposed to be the last thing – and then the party would be over.

And when it’s over, I can tell Amina she ruined it, Zara thought suddenly. It was scary, feeling like this, but she’d had enough of Amina getting everything her own way.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

When Mum finally brought out the beautiful cat cake– which did look just like Pixie – Zara managed to blow out the candles without yelling at Amina or throwing icing in Mia’s smug face. But when they’d finally closed the front door behind the party guests, she folded her arms and glared at her sister.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Amina growled. “You were the one who went off upstairs and got us in trouble!”

“I didn’t! You wouldn’t let us join in the treasure hunt, so we did our own thing!”

“Don’t start this again,” said Mum, sounding exhausted. “I was ashamed of you both. After all the work Dad and I put in to your party, how could you behave like that?”

“It was Amina!” Zara yelled furiously. “It was supposed to be my party too, not just hers! I had one friend and Amina was horrible to her!”

“You yelled at Mia! Why are you allowed to be mean to my friends?”

“Be quiet!” Dad said. “Zara, go upstairs to your room. Amina, go to the living room, since you obviously can’t be together.”

Zara could feel tears choking her throat. How could Mum and Dad not see that it wasn’t her fault? Amina and Mia had been so rude… She crouched down and picked up Pixie, wanting to take the kitten upstairs and cuddle her for comfort. Pixie didn’t feel very cuddly, though. Usually she seemed to like being picked up but now she felt like a bundle of furry wires and Zara heard her hiss faintly. Zara was just about to put her down again when Amina lunged at her.

“You’re not having her!” Amina tried to grab the kitten. “You have her all the time! She’s mine too.”

Zara didn’t mean to tighten her grip on Pixie – it was an accident as she tried to dodge out of Amina’s way. But the little kitten let out a frightened yowl and then wriggled wildly, scratching Zara’s wrists as she struggled to get free.

Zara yelped and dropped her, and Pixie shot away from them, her fur standing up all over.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_31]

“Now look what you did!” Amina said triumphantly as Zara sank down on the stairs, looking at the bleeding scratches.

“I didn’t mean to,” Zara sobbed. She really hadn’t, of course she hadn’t. Pixie must have been so scared, to scratch her like that.

“Let me see,” Mum said worriedly. “Oh, Zara. Come on into the kitchen, we need to wash those.”

Zara let Mum bathe the scratches, and she could vaguely hear Dad telling Amina off for grabbing at Pixie and being so mean– but she wasn’t really listening. She’d been so shocked when Pixie had scratched her, she hadn’t seen where the little kitten had run to. She hated to think of her hidden away somewhere, so frightened and upset.

Where had Pixie gone?

[Êàðòèíêà: img_32]

“I’ve checked everywhere I can think of upstairs.” Dad came into the kitchen, frowning worriedly.

“But – but she has to be upstairs,” Zara whispered. “She’s nowhere down here. We’ve looked and looked.”

“She’ll be here somewhere, Zara, don’t panic,” Mum said, hugging her gently. “You know she likes hiding herself away. She was scared and she’s gone to find somewhere that felt safe, that’s all.”

“I don’t want her to be scared of us,” Zara gulped.

Amina sniffed but she didn’t say anything. Zara was too worried about Pixie to keep on being cross with her sister. She wished they hadn’t fought – it was their own fault they couldn’t find her now.

Zara looked round the kitchen again, hoping to see a kitten hiding spot, something they’d missed because it seemed too strange or silly. In one of the kitchen cupboards, maybe? Pixie had climbed in the pan cupboard the other day. But all the cupboard doors were shut tight.

Just as Zara was thinking that, a gust of wind rattled against the kitchen window and the back door out to the garden swung open. Everyone stared at it.

“Hang on – that wasn’t shut?” Mum asked slowly.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_33]

“I suppose when the girls went out to the garden for the treasure hunt no one closed it properly,” Dad said, looking outside. “Pixie couldn’t have got through it though, even if it wasn’t completely shut…”

“But it’s windy,” Mum pointed out. “If the door’s been swinging open and closed we might not have noticed. She could have slipped out.”

“She’s not allowed out!” Zara wailed. “She’s not old enough!”

“She’ll probably just be in the garden somewhere,” Dad said. “Let’s go and look. Don’t get upset, Zara.”

Amina and Zara hurried out into the garden, both of them calling anxiously,“Pixie! Pixie, where are you?”

Zara was hoping that a small black-and-white cat would come darting out of the bushes. Pixie had never been in the garden– they’d been so careful to make sure they kept the doors and windows shut all this time. But someone had forgotten in the excitement of the party.

“Zara, look.” Zara turned. Amina didn’t sound angry any more – she seemed to be as worried and frightened as Zara was. “The gate. If Pixie was out here, she could have gone round the side of the house to the front.”

Zara stared at the side gate– it was one of those fancy metal ones, all twirly bits stuck together. It would be the easiest thing in the world for a little kitten to slip through one of those holes. Thirty seconds later, Pixie could be out on the road.

Zara glanced round to see that Mum and Dad had come up behind them and they were staring grimly at the gate too.

“Right.” Dad let out a slow breath. “Right. OK. We’d better go and look up and down the street.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_34]

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Pixie burrowed into the pile of softness. She was still trembling, the fur along her spine standing up in spikes. She didn’t understand what had been happening – why Zara and Amina had felt so different. There had been something in their voices, a sharpness that had frightened her so much she’d wanted to bite and scratch. And then Zara had squeezed her and she’d panicked… She had lashed out, desperate to getaway.

But now she was safe. It was quiet in here, and calm, and warm. The soft things smelled of Zara and Amina, which would usually have been comforting– mostly it still was. There was just that little edge of worry. She was so tired. So much had happened…

Pixie yawned and kneaded her paws against the soft pile. She slept.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

Zara dashed along their street, stopping to look under every parked car. She hated to think of Pixie out here all on her own. Their kitten seemed so tiny– she just wasn’t big enough and grown-up enough to cope with cars and people – and what about dogs? Zara stopped, breathing hard. She hadn’t even thought about that.

“Zara, don’t go too far!” Mum called. “Stay where we can see you.”

Zara dug her nails into the palms of her hands. She knew that Mum and Dad were just as keen to find Pixie as she was but it felt like they were going so slowly.

“She could be hiding in any of these gardens,” Dad said gently, catching up with her. “We need to call her and give her a chance to come to us.”

“What if she tried to cross the road?” Zara asked, her voice shaking.

Dad looked across at the other pavement, chewing his bottom lip.“The road’s not that busy…” he said at last, but Zara could see he was worried.

Mum and Amina were further up the street, talking to one of their new neighbours. Dad had mentioned that both sets had popped round to say a quick hello, but they’d hardly seen them since then and it wasn’t as if they knew them.

Mum smiled and waved at the elderly man and hurried to catch them up.“Ben says he hasn’t seen her. He’s been working in his front garden all afternoon, but he might not have spotted her if she’d run past quickly.”

“We have to keep looking,” Zara said, flinching as a car drove by – so fast.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_35]

“Mmm.” Mum glanced up at the sky and Zara realized that the streetlights must have come on in the last few minutes. It was getting dark. What were their chances of finding a mostly black kitten in the dark?

“Let’s go along the road one more time and call for her,” Dad suggested. “We’ll cross over and do that side. Stay with me, Zara, OK? I don’t want you running ahead now it’s getting dark.”

They called and called. Zara’s heart jumped inside her when there was a rustling from under a clump of bushes. She thought for a second that they’d found Pixie but instead a curious tabby cat came prowling over and jumped up on to the garden wall. It was so friendly and it wanted Dad and Zara to stroke it, but Zara just couldn’t bear to.

“If you see our Pixie, you tell her to come home,” Dad murmured to the cat. Zara thought he was trying to cheer her up, but it didn’t work.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_36]

There were only a couple more houses now– surely they couldn’t have gone all the way along the road already?

“Shall we go round the corner?” Zara suggested to Dad, but he looked at his watch and shook his head.

“I don’t think we’re going to find her, Zara. We’d better head back.”

“We can’t just leave her out here!” Zara cried. But Mum and Amina were crossing over to them now and Zara could tell from Mum’s face that she was going to say the same thing.

“That book we got from the library said that if your cat got lost you should put their litter tray outside,” Amina suggested sadly. “It helps them follow their own scent back home.”

Zara glared at her. Until now she’d been too worried about Pixie to think much about their fight. But it felt like this was all Amina’s fault! If she hadn’t been so horrible at the party… And then tried to grab Pixie… Right now Amina looked as though she really needed a hug – but Zara couldn’t bring herself to make her sister feel better.

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Zara had liked hiding away in small, tight places ever since she’d been very little. Something about them made her feel safe and secure, especially when she was upset. She always slept with toys piled around her too. Mum said it was just one of those things that made herher. She also said it would be good if Zara could tell someone she was going to disappear off somewhere, or perhaps she could leave her foot sticking out, so she didn’t panic everyone.

Zara didn’t think about that when they got back to the house. Mum and Dad went into the kitchen to make some tea, and Amina disappeared upstairs, and Zara just couldn’t bear the thought of going to bed. She knew she’d only lie there worrying about Pixie – and being angry with Amina. She’d be waiting to feel the soft weight of a kitten snuggled against her foot or curled up behind her knees. She needed some time to be on her own.

They hadn’t been living in this house long enough for Zara to find all the best places, but she knew there was a big cupboard in Dad’s office, one that filled in the corner under the stairs. At the moment it had boxes in it – stuff that hadn’t been unpacked yet. Dad said he had a feeling they’d still have boxes by the time Amina and Zara left home. Zara was pretty sure that even with the boxes there was space for her to curl up in there. There were some toys in one of the boxes too, she thought – Amina’s massive cuddly unicorn and her llama. She could use one of them for a pillow.

Zara slipped into the office, noticing vaguely that Dad’s desk was covered in presents everyone had brought. The party seemed such a long time ago now. The cupboard didn’t quite shut properly because of the way the boxes were piled, but there was still room enough for Zara to huddle herself inside. She could hear the murmur of voices from the kitchen next door, Amina talking to Mum and Dad – and then the front door banging. Probably that was Amina going to put out Pixie’s litter tray in the garden. It was a good idea, Zara admitted to herself. She hadn’t remembered the book said that. She supposed Amina did care about Pixie, really. Zara leaned up against one of the boxes and sighed – a sigh that seemed to come all the way from her toes. She was so tired.

Her eyes were just closing when she heard faint footsteps padding across the office– and someone else climbed into the cupboard next to her.

“I thought you’d be here,” Amina whispered.

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Zara gazed at her sleepily.“How did you know? I’ve never been in this cupboard before.”

Amina shrugged.“I just knew. Um… Are you talking to me? I mean – are you still upset?”

Zara sighed. Was she? She didn’t even know any more. Eventually she shook her head – and then realized that Amina could hardly see her. “Only a bit. Not like I was… I’m just worried about Pixie. I still don’t understand how you knew I was here.” She felt Amina shrug.

“I don’t know either. I just did. Dad went out to call for Pixie again and Mum’s looking for a local Facebook group to post about her being lost. I suddenly thought that I hadn’t seen you for a while. And then I remembered this cupboard. Can you shove up a bit? The corner of this box is sticking into me.”

Zara shuffled her bottom further in, and reached inside the box of toys to grab something for Amina to lean against. Then she blinked and moved her fingers again, very slowly.

There was soft fur under her hand– not toy fur, but real.

Kitten fur. Warm, silky,real kitten fur.

“Pixie,” Zara whispered, screwing up her eyes and trying to see in the dim light from the hallway. “Pixie, is that you?”

There was a faint, hesitant purr and Pixie butted her head against Zara’s hand.

“Pixie’s there?” Amina breathed, her voice shaking with relief.

“Yes! Oh, Pixie! You’re here! You never went outside at all. I bet you’ve been in this cupboard the whole time.” Zara half-laughed. There was a strange, wonderful feeling of lightness inside her as all the worry and panic lifted away. She reached out to grab Amina’s hand so she could touch Pixie too. “There – that’s not one of the toys, it’s her!”

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Amina was now laughing with her.“We’ve been looking everywhere for you, Pixie.”

“I suppose we should go and tell Mum and Dad,” Zara said slowly. She didn’t want to, though. She wanted to stay here with a sleepy, purry kitten and just breathe for a while. Her and Pixie and Amina.

There was a little thud and Zara looked down as tiny paws padded on to her lap. Her eyes were starting to adjust to the dim light now and she could see Pixie slowly turning round and round. The kitten kneaded at Zara’s sparkly skirt with her paws, making herself a comfortable nest. Then she lay down with a thump as though to say she was going back to sleep and she wasn’t arguing with anyone about it. So now they had to stay where they were.

“I was so scared when we were out on the street looking for her,” Amina said quietly. “I really thought she might have been run over.”

“Me too.”

“Can I stroke her?” Amina asked.

“She’s your kitten too!”

“I know, but … I’m sorry, OK?” Amina rubbed Pixie’s ears gently. Then she added, “It’s just – I’m not used to you having different friends to me. And you’re not even sitting with me in class now! Everything feels weird.”

Zara looked at her sister in surprise. Amina was the confident one– she shouldn’t care that Zara had moved tables. “It’ll be OK,” she whispered.

“I suppose. And I suppose Billie’s all right. But I thoughtI was your best friend,” Amina added, her voice very small.

“You are! But I can still have Billie as a friend too,” Zara said.

“I know.” Amina was silent for a moment. “I was jealous,” she admitted. “But I’ll try not to be. And I’m sorry about Mia as well,” she added, her voice suddenly going high and surprised. “I knew she could be a bit catty – sorry, Pixie – but she was horrible! And – and I didn’t tell her to shut up when she said that stuff about you. I should have done.”

Zara was silent. That was what had hurt so much, that Amina hadn’t stuck up for her. “Ireally don’t like Mia,” she said, gently stroking Pixie’s paws.

“I don’t think I do either,” Amina said, her voice very small. “But I wanted everyone to like me. And they all seem to listen to her…”

“Yeah, because otherwise she’ll say mean things about them.”

Amina nodded her head sadly.“But Lucy’s nice and some of the others. I just won’t hang around with Mia so much.” Then she laughed, sounding surprised, and Zara saw that Pixie had poked Amina with her paws.

The kitten stretched one front paw, and then the other, and then both, and then she stuck her bottom up in the air and wriggled it. At last she yawned, a huge yawn that showed tiny teeth, glinting white in the dim light. Then she went into her padding round and round routine again– this time wobbling between Zara’s lap and Amina’s, the way she had done the first day they’d brought her home. She slumped down again across both their laps, stretched out as far as she could, as though she was trying to link them together.

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Pixie could hear the change in Zara’s voice and even more in Amina’s. That sharp angry sound had gone. They were sitting close to each other too. She felt the fear that had been sitting deep down inside her ease away and she yawned. She liked this comfortable space with the boxes and the soft things to lie on, but it was even better when Zara and Amina were there too.

She stretched deliciously, feeling all her muscles tense and relax. Then she stood up, pacing over both girls’ laps and pounding her paws until everything was just right.

Pixie settled down comfortably, rolling on to her back and showing Zara and Amina the soft whiteness of her tummy. She purred wheezily– half a purr and half a snore – and went back to sleep.

Safe and warm and loved.