The Smallest Kitten

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.

“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!”

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.

“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.

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.

“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 making puss-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.

“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.

“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 to my friends 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 Billie and 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 with her,” she said, nudging Amina with her elbow as though she expected her to agree.

Zara blinked. She couldn’t help wondering what they’d been saying about her and Billie when they weren’t there 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 to be 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.

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.

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.

“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?

“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.

“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.”

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 get away.

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.

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.