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Isla and Hailey flopped down on the bench outside the back door to eat their lollies. It was so hot that the patio felt like it was burning Isla’s feet. She drew them up on to the bench and looked at Hailey. “What are you staring at the bushes for?” she asked, trying to see where Hailey was looking.

“We’ve started letting Silky go out in the garden,” Hailey told her. “She loves it. I was just seeing if I could spot her.”

“Oh! I thought she must be asleep on your bed or something!” Isla said, looking around eagerly. “I didn’t realize she was out here too.”

“She likes the garden on the other side of our fence,” Hayley explained. “She creeps underneath it. They’ve got a pond with fish in – she sits and watches them.”

Isla smiled, imagining it. A pond must be a bit like kitten TV. After that, she kept an eye out in case Silky popped back under the fence but there was no sign of the little kitten.

Isla’s mum took Sienna and Chloe home after a bit – she said the big girls needed some time to themselves – and Hailey and Isla flopped down on to a picnic rug. They were chatting when Isla suddenly froze – she’d caught a movement in the bushes by the fence. “Is that Silky coming back?” she whispered to Hailey

“Yes! Oh look! She’s spotted a butterfly. She loves trying to chase them.”

Isla watched, holding her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Silky was bounding about after the peacock butterfly, even hopping up on to her hind paws to try and catch it. But it kept swooping away, just out of reach.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_19]

After one really acrobatic jump, the butterfly soared over Silky’s head, and she tried to lean back and snatch it out of the air. Hailey and Isla caught their breath as the tabby kitten teetered and fell over backwards. She squirmed upright again at once, looking disgruntled.

“Awww. Is she OK?” Isla eyed Silky worriedly. She was washing her ears very thoroughly – maybe they hurt?

Hailey grinned.“She’s fine. Cats do that when they’re embarrassed. She’s pretending it didn’t happen!”

“She looks as though she’s enjoying the garden… So are things a bit better with her and Pickle?” Isla didn’t look at Hailey as she said it – she didn’t want to keep going on and on.

“Ye-e-e-es. I suppose so.” Hailey sounded doubtful.

Isla waited.

“It’s better now that Silky can go outside. But Pickle still hisses at her all the time. And if he comes into a room, then Silky runs out.” Hailey fiddled with the daisy chain she was making and sighed. “Actually, it’s horrible.”

“Oh… Well, at least Silky’s not still shut in the dining room. That’s good, isn’t it?” Isla said.

“Yeah…”

“Um, maybe we can do this again tomorrow,” Isla suggested, trying to think how to cheer Hailey up. “You could come over to ours. I bet Mum wouldn’t mind. I can ask her?”

Hailey shook her head.“I wish I could. But we’re going away – it’s my gran’s seventieth birthday. There’s a party and all the family’s going to stay in a hotel for the night.”

“Oh wow, lucky you!”

“I don’t want to go,” Hailey said miserably. “I tried to talk to Mum about it but she said we had to. It’s been planned for ages and it’s Gran’s special day.”

“But why?” Isla asked, frowning. A night away in a hotel sounded great to her. “It’ll be fun. The hotel might even have a proper pool!”

“Silky and Pickle.” Hailey looked up at her anxiously. “We’ve got two special cat feeders with timers on, so Mum says it’s OK to leave them because it’s only overnight. But they’re always fighting! What if they have a big fight while we’re away? Silky’s already got a scratch on her nose. I don’t want to leave them alone together – but I don’t want to miss Gran’s special birthday either.”

Isla stared at the pattern on the rug, trying to think. After the way she’d seen Pickle behaving before, she wouldn’t want to leave them overnight either. “Could you put Silky back in the dining room?” she suggested. “I know she probably won’t be that happy about it but at least she won’t be able to fight with Pickle.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Hailey nodded. “She’ll hate it but you’re right – it’s better than keeping them together.”

Isla jumped up.“Hang on a minute! I’ve had an idea but I just need to pop home for a second.” She darted along Hailey’s side path and dashed down the street to her house.

“Mum, are we doing anything tomorrow or Sunday?” she asked hopefully when her mum answered the door.

“I’m not sure. Why?” Her mum sounded cautious, as though she thought Isla might be about to plan a sudden day out, or maybe a huge party.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_20]

“Hailey’s family are going away because it’s her gran’s birthday. It’s just overnight, but Hailey’s worried about leaving Silky and Pickle – you know how they keep fighting. Could I be their cat sitter? Just pop in every few hours and make sure they’re OK?”

“I suppose so,” Isla’s mum said slowly. “Dad or I would have to go with you but that shouldn’t be a problem. We’re around most of the weekend. Do you want me to talk to Hailey’s mum about it?”