‘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
anxious because our new flat’s pretty cramped and we’re having to make do with grotty old carpets and curtains for the moment, and I haven’t even got my own bedroom. Julie’s bedroom is brilliant, a beautiful deep purple, with silver cushions in the shape of stars, and shelves all round two walls (but she hasn’t got as many Jenna Williams books as I have!). Julie wasn’t a bit sniffy about anything though, and she liked my mum and, weirdly, she adored Jumbo. I was scared he was being a bit of a pain, hanging around us and nattering away nineteen to the dozen, but Julie seemed to find him really funny.
‘You’re so lucky having a little brother,’ she said.
‘You’re so lucky having a little dog,’ I said. ‘I’ll do a swap if you like. I’ll have Bobo and you can have Jumbo.’
The only awkward moment was when we were sitting near my computer.
‘Shall I just show you my Jenna Williams emails?’ I said hopefully.
Julie sighed. ‘Oh, Leonie!’ she said, frowning.
I decided it might be better not to pursue things. Julie was clearly never going to believe me – and it was really all my own fault.
But wonderfully, it really was true. I had yet another email from Jenna Williams on Friday, the day before her big event in London.
Dear Leonie,
I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. I’ve reserved special seats for you at the theatre. Have you made a friend at your new school yet? If so, do feel free to bring her along to keep you company.
Love from Granny
I loved it that she was still calling herself my granny! And now I could bring a friend! I rang Julie straight away. I didn’t say Jenna Williams had specially invited me. I was sure she still wouldn’t believe me.
‘We’ve got special tickets to go to a Jenna Williams talk tomorrow, Julie. Can you come with us? Oh, I do hope you’ll say yes!’ I said.
Julie wasn’t very sure at first, because she usually went to dancing class on Saturday – but she did get excited at the idea of hearing Jenna Williams talk.
‘You really truly have tickets, Leonie?’ she asked cautiously.
‘Really truly, I promise,’ I said.
‘Then OK, yes please!’ said Julie.
So we went to pick her up on Saturday morning, Mum and Jumbo and me, and then we all got the train to London. Jumbo was wild with excitement because he loves trains, and he kept tapping on the carriage window and shrieking, ‘Look, there’s a train!’ whenever he saw one. He saw one all too frequently, and even Julie was a bit sick of him by the time we got to Waterloo. Then we went to a big building on the South Bank – and when we got inside, we saw a great long queue, all the way up the stairs, of girls waiting to see Jenna Williams.
‘Oh goodness, look at all those girls!’ said Julie. ‘Come on, we’d better find the end of the queue.’
‘We don’t have to wait, do we, Mum?’ I said.
‘Apparently not,’ said Mum, and she had a word with one of the ushers in charge of the queue.
‘Oh, yes, so you’re Leonie!’ said the usher. ‘Jenna told me to look out for you. Come this way. She’s in the Green Room signing some books.’
Julie was watching with her mouth open. ‘You actually do know Jenna Williams!’ she gasped. ‘Oh my goodness, is she really your granny?’
‘No, not really – but she signed herself Granny on her email, honestly,’ I said. ‘Oh heavens, my tummy’s gone all funny! I’m really going to meet her!’
‘I feel a bit wobbly too!’ said Julie. ‘I’m scared!’
‘Harry and I think you two are daft,’ said Jumbo. ‘Jenna Williams is just a boring lady who writes books with lots of words. There are no pictures of trains in any of them.’
Julie and I raised our eyebrows at each other. Then we were ushered into a side room, and we felt so weird we actually held hands, clinging to each other. There was Jenna Williams sitting in a corner, signing a huge pile of books. It really was the actual Jenna Williams with her short hair and her earrings and her black clothes and her fancy boots. She smiled when she saw us.
‘Hello, girls!’ she said, looking at both of us. ‘Leonie?’
‘Yes,’ I said, in a little mouse squeak.
Jenna winked at me. ‘Well, come and say hi to your granny then!’ she said.
Julie gasped. I giggled.
‘It’s OK, Jenna. I told Julie I was just fibbing and she understands,’ I said.
‘I’m so sorry our Leonie was so daft, Miss Williams,’ said Mum. ‘She gets a bit carried away sometimes.’
‘It shows she’s got a vivid imagination,’ said Jenna. ‘Perhaps you’ll be a writer like me when you grow up, Leonie.’ She smiled at Julie. ‘What do you want to do for a career?’
‘I love animals so I think I’d like to be a vet,’ said Julie. ‘But you have to be a right old brainy box, so maybe I’ll work in a dog rescue shelter.’
‘Ah yes, you run the famous Pet Girls Club,’ said Jenna. ‘Do you think Leonie could be a proper member if I grant her part ownership of my Lulu?’
‘Where is Lulu?’ I asked excitedly.
‘Ah, she’s having a little nap at the moment,’ said Jenna. ‘Come and have a peep.’
She led us to a corner of the room where there was a big plush navy basket. There, curled up on a soft furry cushion, was a small grey kitten, her head resting on her paws.
‘Oh, she’s beautiful!’ I whispered.
‘She’s so cute!’ said Julie.
‘Can we play with her?’ asked Jumbo.
‘In a minute, when she’s woken up properly and got used to you. Perhaps you’d like to stroke her very gently, Leonie?’
I knelt down carefully beside Lulu’s basket and touched her tentatively with just the tips of my fingers. Her eyes opened and she peered up at me, showing me her little white face. I stroked her neck and she gave a wriggle – and then when I stroked her properly she started making little noises in her throat. I bent closer.
‘She’s purring! She likes me!’ I whispered.
‘Of course she likes you,’ said Jenna. ‘You own a little bit of her. Which bit would you like? Her tail? Her funny whiskers? I know – how about one of her little white paws?’
‘That would be absolutely perfect!’ I breathed.
After a few minutes Lulu jumped right out of her basket, and then we could all join in, throwing a toy mouse for her and playing a game with feathers on a stick. We fed her too, and she golloped up her saucer of chopped-up chicken and lapped at her water bowl. She tried putting her tiny paw in the water and splashed me, which made us all laugh.
Julie took heaps of photos on her mobile phone, including a lovely one with Lulu on my lap, and Jenna sitting beside us, her arm round me. She signed a copy of her new book for me, and one for Julie too – and promised Jumbo that she’d try hard to put a train in her next book specially for him.
Then it was time for Jenna to go on stage to do her talk. She gave us all a hug and told me to email her again to let her know how I was getting on. We went to listen to her talk, sitting in special reserved seats right at the front – and then at the end an assistant carried little Lulu on stage to wave her paw at everyone.
‘That’s my paw!’ I said.
It was the most wonderful day of my life. The next Monday at school was pretty special too. Julie took her mobile phone and showed Keira and Emily and Rosie and Harpreet and Anya all the photos she’d taken.
‘Look, here’s one of Leonie with Jenna Williams and Lulu,’ said Julie proudly.
‘Then . . . is Jenna Williams really her granny?’ asked Keira.
Julie hesitated. She’s not really the sort of girl who tells fibs. ‘I’m not allowed to say,’ she said, smiling mysteriously.
She put her arm round me and we marched off together. I don’t know whether they’ll let me back in the Pet Girls Club. I don’t care. I have Julie as a best friend and Jenna Williams as a pretend granny, and I own a little white paw of the sweetest kitten in the world.
CATWI
NGS
by Ursula K. Le Guin
If you have a pet cat, you’ll know they have an extraordinary ability to disappear. One minute they’re right in front of you, stretching or yawning or idly washing themselves – then you read a few sentences of your book and glance up again and they’ve completely vanished. You look in all their favourite places around the house: the back of the sofa, the cosiest chair, the pile of ironing, under or on top of your bed, but they’re not anywhere.
You wonder if they’ve sneaked out through the cat flap into the garden, so you go and look in every bush and peer up every tree, and they’re not there either. So you repeat the whole process several times, and there’s not the faintest trace of your cat. You sit down again, heart beating fast, trying not to worry but worrying anyway, in case your cat has managed to trap itself in the basement or a neighbour’s garage or has somehow strayed onto the road. And then, suddenly, there is your cat, right in front of you, miaowing nonchalantly, appearing again out of nowhere.
I’ve often thought cats might have the ability to make themselves invisible – but until I read Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin I’d never thought that they might be able to fly. I absolutely love this story about four American kittens, born into a bad neighbourhood, who grow little furry wings and soar up into the air to get away from growling dogs – although the owl is a more frightening enemy.
I’ve checked my kitten Lily’s back very carefully just in case she might be sprouting tiny furry wings. There’s no sign of them so far – but you never know!
CATWINGS
1
Mrs Jane Tabby could not explain why all four of her children had wings.
‘I suppose their father was a fly-by-night,’ a neighbor said, and laughed unpleasantly, sneaking round the dumpster.
‘Maybe they have wings because I dreamed, before they were born, that I could fly away from this neighborhood,’ said Mrs Jane Tabby. ‘Thelma, your face is dirty; wash it. Roger, stop hitting James. Harriet, when you purr, you should close your eyes part way and knead me with your front paws; yes, that’s the way. How is the milk this morning, children?’
Paws and Whiskers Page 3