Paws and Whiskers Read online

  ‘Read my message then, Jenna Williams,’ I said, and started typing.

  Dear Jenna Williams,

  I feel such a fool writing to you, but I hope you might understand. I was so desperate to be in this Pet Girls Club at my new school that I pretended I had a kitten. I can’t have any pets because my little brother has allergies. I pretended I had a kitten just like your Lulu. Then I took a picture of Lulu to school, but this really nasty girl Keira recognized it. They all turned on me then and said I couldn’t be in their club, and so I did a mad thing and said you were my granny and that you let me share Lulu. They didn’t believe me, and now I don’t know what to do. They all know I’m a liar and I feel awful. If I was a girl in one of your books you’d find a way to make it all come right. That’s why books are better than real life.

  Love from Leonie

  I blushed beetroot red as I typed, unable to believe I’d been such an idiot – but I felt just a little bit better when I’d finished. I wasn’t absolutely sure Jenna Williams herself would ever read my message, but at least I’d confessed.

  I went and had my smoothie and sandwich after all, and then I played with Jumbo because I felt bad that I’d shut him out. I drew him a comic strip about his pet elephant, and then he coloured it in with his wax crayons. He went over the lines and spoiled it rather, but I didn’t point this out.

  Mum made us spaghetti for supper, and Jumbo and I played the slurp-slurp game and Mum didn’t get cross. I still felt pretty miserable though. I felt sick at the thought of facing all the Pet Girls tomorrow morning.

  At bedtime I went to switch off my computer and saw that I had a message. It wasn’t from one of my friends at my old school. It wasn’t from my dad. It wasn’t from my real granny in Scotland. It was a message from Jenna Williams!

  Dear Leonie,

  Oh dear, you’ve got yourself in a bit of a pickle, haven’t you! I do understand though. I sometimes pretended things at school and then got into trouble too. It’s a blessing to have a vivid imagination – but it can also be a curse!

  Whereabouts do you live? I’ve got a new book coming out shortly called My Kitten Lulu, and I’m touring all over the country promoting it. Maybe you could come and see me and meet Lulu?

  Love from ‘Granny’ Williams x

  I gave such a scream that Mum came charging into the bedroom, terrified.

  ‘What on earth’s the matter now, Leonie? You scared me half to death!’

  ‘Look! I can’t believe it! Jenna Williams has replied to me!’ I shouted. ‘Oh, Mum, she wants me to meet Lulu! Please, please, please, can we go to see her?’

  ‘What? I don’t think it can be the real Jenna Williams. And we can’t go hiking all over the country to go and see her,’ said Mum.

  ‘Look, she’s doing a big event in London!’ I said, stabbing at the screen. ‘We could go there. Oh please, Mum.’

  ‘Please, please, Mum,’ said Jumbo sleepily from under his Dumbo duvet, though he didn’t really have a clue what I was talking about.

  ‘Well,’ said Mum, wavering, ‘I suppose we could have a day out in London for a treat. All right. We’ll go and see your Jenna Williams and her blessed kitten if it means so much to you, Leonie.’

  ‘It means the whole world,’ I said solemnly.

  I wrote and told Jenna Williams exactly that.

  Dear Jenna Williams,

  Is it really YOU? I can’t believe you’ve actually replied. You’ve made me feel soooo much better! Please may I really come and see you when you’re in London? And will Lulu really be there too? Will I be able to stroke her?

  I don’t mind so much not having any friends now. I feel that you are my friend. I’m so glad you’re not cross with me for pretending you’re my granny. I still wish you were.

  Love from Leonie

  There was another email waiting for me in the morning.

  Dear Leonie,

  I’m so glad you’ve cheered up. I’m doing the London talk at two o’clock. If you and your mum would like to come half an hour early and talk to my publicist, then you can come and see me – and Lulu too. We’re both looking forward to meeting you.

  Love from Jenna Williams (Granny)

  I was bubbling over with happiness – but all my fizz went flat when I had to go into school. I saw Keira first. She mouthed Liar! at me and stalked off. Emily and Rosie and Harpreet and Anya looked a little anxious, but when Keira glared at them, they all mouthed Liar! too.

  Julie was late getting to school. She only came through the school gate as the bell started ringing. She ran across the playground. I hung my head. I couldn’t bear to see her mouth Liar! too.

  But she didn’t! She took hold of my hand and squeezed it urgently.

  ‘Leonie! I’ve been thinking. I felt so bad last night. We were all so horrid to you. I think it was because you were so clever at fooling us. But we acted like you’d done something terrible and you haven’t really. Will you still be friends?’

  ‘Oh, Julie! Yes, I really badly want to be your friend. But I can’t be a Pet Girl now, can I?’

  ‘Probably not. But never mind. We could maybe start up our own club, just you and me.’

  ‘Oh yes! Perhaps it could be a book club? Do you like Jenna Williams’s books? Oh, Julie, wait till I tell you the most amazing thing about Jenna Williams!’ I said.

  ‘She’s your granny. Not!’ said Julie.

  ‘Yeah, I know, I made that up, I was stupid – but listen, I emailed her and she wrote back to me! She wants me to come and see her and meet her kitten Lulu!’ I said excitedly.

  Julie didn’t look at all impressed. She rolled her eyes and sighed. ‘Now listen, Leonie, you’re going to have to stop all this pretending stuff. You don’t need to any more. We’re friends and we’ll have our own club. It can be a book club if you like. Just don’t start making up stories because everyone will think you’re barmy,’ said Julie.

  She didn’t believe me! And if my special new friend Julie didn’t believe me, then I didn’t have a hope of impressing Keira and all the others. I could always print out the emails – but they could always say I’d written them myself. I decided I’d simply have to shut up about Jenna Williams at school. It seemed infuriating when at last I truly had something to boast about, but it couldn’t be helped.

  I rather hoped Julie would break off with Keira and the others, but she stayed friends with them too, and still spent some playtimes huddled in the corner with them writing in the Pet Book. Keira tore out the page with my drawing of Lulu, crumpled it up and tossed it in the bin. Julie waited until the bell went and then dashed over and retrieved it. She tried to smooth out the creases as best she could.

  ‘There now. It’s still a lovely drawing,’ she said, giving it to me.

  ‘If you bring me a photo of your dog, Bobo, I’ll draw you a picture of him,’ I offered.

  ‘That would be great. Or tell you what, why don’t you come round to my house for tea and then you can see him for yourself,’ said Julie. ‘Your mum won’t mind if you go out to tea, will she?’

  Mum was completely thrilled when I asked her after school.

  ‘I’m so pleased you and Leonie are friends, Julie,’ she said. ‘Of course she can go to tea with you. And you must come to tea with us soon.’

  ‘Oh, that will be great. I’m glad you’re feeling better now,’ said Julie politely.

  Mum looked puzzled. I blushed. Luckily Julie didn’t say anything further. I resolved once and for all never ever to tell any fibs again.

  I had a wonderful time at Julie’s. I especially loved her funny little dog Bobo. He was incredibly naughty, and raced round and round madly, barking his head off – but then he leaped up and licked my face lovingly as if I were an ice lolly! It was quite hard to sketch him because he hardly ever kept still, but I managed to do a quick crayon drawing of him chewing Julie’s dad’s slipper, and the whole family acted as if it were a masterpiece.

  I asked Julie back to our place two days later. I was a bit