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“We thought you’d love a kitten,” Dad said, shaking his head. “I just don’t understand. All that time you used to spend playing with Nutmeg and Ginger next door. Mrs Jones used to joke that they were more your cats than hers.”

Lucy’s eyes filled with tears again at the thought of Nutmeg and Ginger. She missed them so much.

There was another mournful cry from downstairs.“That poor kitten,” Mum said. “She doesn’t know what’s going on. We’d better go down so she isn’t all on her own. Lucy, I know you’re missing our old home, but we thought Sky would cheer you up. She really needs someone to look after her.”

Lucy didn’t answer, and kept her eyes fixed firmly on the floor. She knew that! She was desperate to go and cuddle Sky, and tell her everything would be all right. But things weren’t all right, and it was no use pretending.

Lucy glanced up as her parents shut the door. As soon as she was sure that they were both at least halfway down the stairs, she buried her head in her pillow and cried and cried. A kitten! At last! And she couldn’t keep her!

Eventually, Lucy dragged herself up from her bed. She wanted someone to talk to– she wanted Ellie! Lucy took out a pen and her favourite cat writing paper from one of the boxes, and started to write to her about everything.

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Lucy started to cry again, and her tears smudged the ink on the page. She scrunched up the unfinished letter and threw it in the bin. It was just so unfair! A beautiful kitten, just like she had always wanted, but her parents had only got Sky to make Lucy forget her real home.

“Well, I won’t!” Lucy muttered fiercely, gulping back sobs. “They can’t make me! Not even with a kitten…”

By now Lucy had cried so much that she was desperately thirsty, and her head ached. She threw on some clothes, and opened her bedroom door quietly. Kieran had gone out to play football, and Mum and Dad were in the garden, looking at the rickety old shed. She could creep down and grab a glass of juice without having to talk to anyone.

Upstairs in her room it had been terribly difficult to tell herself she didn’t want a kitten. Downstairs in the kitchen, with Sky staring at her with huge, confused, sad blue eyes, it was completely impossible. Lucy held out for as long as it took to go to the fridge and pour her juice, and drink a few thirsty gulps. But the sight of Sky lost in her too-big basket was irresistible. Lucy put the glass on the table and knelt down beside Sky.

“You don’t know what’s going on, do you?” she asked gently. “I’m not trying to be mean, honestly,” she sighed.

Sky just wanted someone to play with her. She stood up, stretched, and put a paw on Lucy’s knee. She gazed at her, her head on one side questioningly. “Maaa?” she mewed pleadingly. Lucy’s mum had left a cat toy in the basket, a little jingly ball with ribbons attached to it, and Sky pawed at it hopefully.

Lucy shook her head, smiling.“OK. When it’s just you and me, I’ll play. But we have to pretend, all right? When Mum and Dad are around, I won’t be able to play at all.” She looked at Sky. She knew a kitten wouldn’t understand that sort of thing, even if she did look very intelligent.

Sky batted at the ball again. Enough talking. She wanted to play.

Lucy danced the ribbons in front of Sky, bouncing the little ball up and down, and sending Sky in crazy, skittering circles all over the kitchen. It was so funny! Lucy hadn’t known Nutmeg and Ginger when they were kittens, and she hadn’t realized how much more playful a little kitten would be than her two middle-aged, rather plump cat friends. Sky danced, she jumped, she tumbled over and over, attacking the fierce ribbons. “Oh, Sky!” Lucy giggled.

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Then she heard voices coming up the garden path. Mum and Dad! Swiftly she stood up, and dropped the jingly ball back into Sky’s basket. Sky watched her, puzzled. Was this a new game? Was she supposed to jump into the basket and pull it out again? She dived in, and popped up with a mouthful of ribbons. But Lucy had turned away. She was standing by the table, drinking her juice. Sky waited. Maybe she was supposed to creep up on Lucy, and give her a surprise? Yes! It was a hunting game! She dropped the ball and leaped sneakily out of her basket. Tummy low to the ground and ears pricked with excitement, Sky crept across the kitchen floor – slowly, slowly, now pounce on Lucy’s foot!

Just then, Lucy’s parents came back into the kitchen. They saw Sky standing on her hind legs, her paws on Lucy’s jeans, gazing pleadingly up at her. Lucy was ignoring the kitten entirely, not even looking at her.

Lucy’s mum sighed, and went to pick Sky up and stroke her. Sky gave a tiny purr – it was nice to be cuddled – but she was still gazing at Lucy. She was confused. Why didn’t Lucy want to play any more? What had gone wrong? It was as though Lucy was a different person. And not a very friendly one.

Chapter Four

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