by Sue Bentley
Flame nodded.
“I’m coming, ma’am,” Alice called, buying herself some time.
Shivering, she draped her towel around her head and shoulders. Alice took a deep breath and unbolted the changing stall door.
Ms. Ritson stood there with her hands on her hips. “Are you ready to tell me what’s going on now, Alice? And where’s that kitten?”
“I don’t know. It … um, ran off. It must be a stray or something,” Alice said, with her head bowed.
Ms. Ritson peered into the changing stall suspiciously, but she couldn’t see Flame, who was curled up invisibly on Alice’s school uniform. “I’ll get someone to look around for it later. But what I’d really like to know, young lady, is how you changed from a nervous beginner into an excellent swimmer in about sixty seconds.”
Alice gulped, racking her brains for something to say.
“I’m waiting,” Ms. Ritson said.
“I … It must be a miracle,” Alice burst out. “Yes, that’s it! My thin blood has just got better all by itself. I bet it was the shock of diving in. As soon as I was in deep water, my arms and legs just started moving by themselves and suddenly—I could swim. Isn’t it amazing? I’m definitely not sure it could ever happen again … ,” she babbled.
“Alice,” Ms. Ritson said warningly, “I’ve had just about enough of this.”
Alice’s shoulders slumped. She realized that it was time to tell her teacher the truth. “I’ve … um, always been a good swimmer,” she admitted.
“Then why did you pretend you could hardly swim at all?”
“I didn’t exactly say that. I just let you think I meant that,” Alice went on miserably. “The thing is … I was the best swimmer in my class at my old school. And some of the girls thought I was showing off. They teased me about it all the time, so I started trying to get out of swimming lessons.”
Ms. Ritson frowned. “I understand now. That must have been really awful for you,” she said gently. “But not everyone gets jealous when they see others doing well. I’m certain that no one here is going to tease you. Your classmates were really impressed by the way you dived in and saved that kitten.”
“Were they?” Alice asked uncertainly, still having trouble believing this.
“I can see that you’re not convinced. I’ll prove it to you,” Ms. Ritson said. “Come with me.”
Trying not to drag her feet, Alice nervously followed the teacher to the changing stall door. Ms. Ritson opened the door a crack, so that she and Alice could hear the other kids talking outside in the pool area.
“Did you see Alice’s amazing dive?”
“Yeah! It was really cool.”
“She’s a fantastic swimmer. I hope she’s on my team for the meet.”
Alice’s eyes widened as she heard all the good comments. She finally realized that Ms. Ritson was right. Her new classmates weren’t jealous of her at all! She breathed a long-overdue sigh of relief as she realized that she was going to be able to relax and enjoy her swimming lessons from now on.
Alice turned to the teacher. “Thanks, ma’am!” she said, her eyes shining.
“You’re welcome. Just one more thing, before you get showered and changed,” Ms. Ritson said seriously.
“Yes?”
“If you have any problems from now on, speak to me or your mom about it. Promise?”
Alice blushed, but she felt a grin stretching from ear to ear. “Promise!” she agreed.
Chapter
SIX
“Everyone’s talking about how you dived into the pool to save a gray-and-white kitten. It was Flame, wasn’t it?” Ben said, as he and Alice walked home after the bell had rung.
“Um … yeah. He must have jumped into my school bag when I wasn’t looking,” Alice said hastily. “But … I … um, ran home at lunchtime and took him back up to my bedroom.”
Ben dragged his bookbag on the floor behind him. “I never get to spend time with Flame,” he complained.
Alice realized this was true. All she seemed to do lately, where Flame was concerned, was tell Ben to buzz off. “How would you like him to sleep on your bed tonight?” I’m sure Flame won’t mind, she thought.
“Cool! And can I feed him, too?” Ben asked, beaming.
Alice smiled. “Of course you can!”
Over the next few days, Ben was really careful to be gentle with Flame. He helped Alice smuggle food up to her bedroom for him and was delighted when Flame slept on his bed for a second night.
“I washed Flame’s food bowl,” Ben said to Alice, one evening just before bedtime. “We have to be careful Mom doesn’t see it.”
Alice smiled. Ben hadn’t sulked for ages, and he was being really protective of Flame now. “Thanks, Ben. See you in the morning,” she said.
“Night, Alice.”
The following morning, Flame lay stretched out on Alice’s comforter, looking relaxed and content as she was getting ready for school.
“I’m getting along well with everyone in swim class now,” Alice said. “I don’t have to worry being teased at all, and I can just concentrate on improving my stroke.”
Flame nodded. “You are a very good swimmer, Alice.”
“Thanks! I’m not bad,” she said modestly.
The extra practice at the after-school club was helping, too. Alice’s mom was happy for her to go along for an hour on two evenings a week.
Today was Monday, and Alice felt excited and a tiny bit nervous. Ms. Ritson was going to be picking the teams for the swim meet before the day’s normal lesson started.
She finished putting on her school shoes. “Come on, Flame. Let’s go and get some breakfast! I want to get to school early to make sure I get picked for lots of teams.”
Flame gave an extra-loud purr and trotted after Alice. Out on the landing, she bumped into her mom going into the bathroom. Mrs. Forester was still in her dressing gown. She looked pale and tired.
“Are you okay, Mom?” Alice asked worriedly.
Her mom shook her head carefully. “I woke up with a splitting headache. I’m going to have to take an aspirin.”
“Poor you,” Alice sympathized. “Why don’t you go back to bed and I’ll bring you up a cup of tea? Don’t worry about us. I’ll get Ben’s breakfast and get him ready for school.”
“Thanks, honey, you’re a star,” her mom said, smiling weakly. “Just give me half an hour. I’ll be fine by the time Esme and Luke arrive. Oh, I just remembered. Ben’s school shirt needs ironing.”
“No problem!” Alice said, going downstairs into the kitchen.
After taking the tea up to her mom, she got out the ironing board. As Alice was sorting a shirt out of the pile of ironing, Ben came into the kitchen.
“Where’s Mom?” he asked.
Alice explained about the headache.
“Oh. Can I have eggs and toast for breakfast?” Ben asked.
“Sorry. I don’t have time to make that. Can you have cereal?”
“If I have to …” Ben went to the pantry and took out a box of Chocco Blasts. He shook the box. “This is almost empty. And I don’t like anything else.” He stamped over to the table and sat there with his chin in his hands. “I guess I’ll just have to starve,” he moaned.
Alice sighed. She didn’t need this right now.
She felt a tiny paw pat her ankle and looked down to see Flame beckoning to her to follow him. The moment he scampered into the laundry room, there was a tiny flash and a fountain of sparks.
A plastic shopping bag appeared out of thin air. Inside it was a mega-size box of Chocco Blasts.
“Wow! Thanks, Flame. But could you make the box a bit small—” she began, and then she stopped hurriedly as Ben came in.
He immediately spotted the enormous box of cereal. “Hey! Great! Mom must have got these on sale!” Wrapping both arms around the box, he went into the kitchen with it.
“Let me help you pour some out,” Alice said, following him.
“I want
to do it!” Ben exclaimed.
He tore open the box and aimed it awkwardly at the empty bowl. A landslide of Chocco Blasts shot out.
They overflowed the bowl, piled up on the kitchen table, and shot all over the floor with a spattering noise.
“Oh, great! Now I’ll have to vacuum all this up!” Alice grumbled.
Ben wasn’t listening. “This is awesome!” he said, sloshing milk around and shoveling chocolate cereal into his mouth.
“I am sorry, Alice. I was trying to help,” Flame mewed softly.
“I know you were. Never mind. At least Ben’s happy!” she whispered, going back to ironing his shirt.
Ten minutes and three bowls of cereal later, Ben got down from the table. He had a sticky rim of chocolate-colored drool around his mouth. “Don’t feel very well,” he murmured.
“I’m not surprised. You’ve really been pigging out!” Alice said, wiping his mouth with a paper towel. “Put this shirt on and don’t you dare be sick!”
As Ben finished dressing and then went off to change for school, Alice heard her mom moving around upstairs. “Oh no! Mom’s getting up. She must be feeling better. I’ll never have time to clean this up!”
“Do not worry,” Flame purred. He pointed a tiny front paw and there was another crackle as a fountain of sparks shot toward the table. The box of Chocco Blasts shrank to normal size, and all the spilled cereal and pools of milk melted away with a fizzing sound.
“Phew! Thanks, Flame. Quick, can you jump into my bookbag? Let’s grab Ben and head off to school before he says anything to Mom!”
Chapter
SEVEN
“… and finally, Tim Wagnall and Alice Forester. That makes up the relay team,” Ms. Ritson said, finishing choosing teams for all the races.
“Yay!” Alice cried, jumping up and down. She was also in the girls’ breaststroke, the mixed front crawl, and the interclass race, but her all-time favorite was the relay race.
She glanced over to where Flame was curled up on a windowsill. Quickly checking that no one was looking, she gave him a sneaky thumbs-up.
“The pool’s grand opening is next Saturday, so it’ll be closed on Friday to get ready for the celebrations. We have a special guest coming to do the honors: Judy Blasket.”
“She’s an actress from Ivygreen—my mom’s favorite TV soap opera! Just wait until I tell her,” Alice said excitedly.
“We’re hoping Judy will attract a big crowd!” Ms. Ritson smiled. “Okay everyone, you have four days to practice your swimming, including today’s lesson. So grab your stuff and we’ll go straight across to the pool.”
“Great! Come on, team. Let’s grab a relay baton and start practicing!” Tim jumped up and did one of his front-crawl impressions across the room and out into the hallway.
The other kids laughed, but Alice couldn’t bring herself to join in. She still hadn’t quite forgiven Tim for kicking Flame into the pool. She knew it had been an accident, but it wouldn’t have happened if Tim wasn’t always fooling around.
“Can you stay over by the snack bar this time? I don’t want anything else to happen to you,” she whispered to Flame.
Flame nodded and gave her a furry grin. “I do not feel like going into the pool again!”
As Ms. Ritson blew her whistle for the end of the lesson, Alice climbed out of the pool.
Her muscles ached, but she didn’t feel a bit tired. She’d swum really well today. In relay practice, she’d passed the baton smoothly at each change-over. She couldn’t wait for the meet on Saturday.
“Well done, Alice. I’m glad to see you enjoying yourself,” Ms. Ritson commented. “I think I picked the right girl for our relay team.”
Alice beamed at her. “I hope so, ma’am!”
Some of the kids were grabbing their towels from the radiators, where they’d left them earlier, and going up to get hot drinks from the snack bar.
Alice wrapped herself in her warm towel and also headed for the snack bar.
She was looking forward to telling Flame how great swimming had been today.
But when she reached the snack bar, she couldn’t see him anywhere. She checked beneath all the chairs and tables, but there was no sign of him.
Maybe he was waiting for her in the locker room. Alice went straight back to her changing stall. But Flame wasn’t there, either.
After showering and dressing in double-quick time, Alice hurried back to the classroom and arrived before everybody else. She looked for Flame on the windowsill and the tops of the cabinets.
But there was still no sign of him.
After checking under all the desks, Alice sank into her seat. She wasn’t sure what to do next. “Flame? Where are you?” she said out loud, worried.
There was a very faint whimper. It sounded as if it had come from inside her bookbag.
“Flame?” Picking up her bag, Alice slipped her hand inside. “Ah, there you are …” Her fingers brushed against a tightly curled furry little bundle.
She was so glad to have found him that it took her a moment to realize that the tiny kitten was trembling all over. Alice felt a stir of alarm as she opened the bag up wider. A pair of troubled emerald eyes glowed at her from the interior.
“What’s wrong? Are you sick?” she asked gently.
“My uncle’s spies are very close,” Flame whined in terror.
Alice bit back a gasp. The moment she had been dreading was here. Flame was in terrible danger. Even though she hated to think of losing her friend, she knew she was going to have to be strong.
“Are … are you leaving now?” she asked.
Flame shook his head. “I will hide in here. My enemies may pass me by, and then I will be able to stay with you.”
“Right! We’re leaving! I’ll find somewhere else to hide you. I just have to think of something to tell Ms. Ritson.” Alice decided.
“No, Alice. That would just draw attention to me,” he interrupted. “Just leave me here for a little while.” Flattening his ears, Flame curled into an even tighter ball.
“All right,” Alice whispered.
As her classmates began filing into the room, Alice tucked the bag with the terrified kitten inside under her desk.
Alice’s chest felt tight as she tried to push away the awful thought that Flame could still be found at any moment. She didn’t know how she was going to concentrate on her work, but there was nothing else she could do.
Chapter
EIGHT
Alice hardly dared look inside her bookbag. Somehow she resisted checking on Flame until it was time to go home.
Her heart was beating fast as she opened her bag.
Flame was gone.
“Oh!” Alice gasped, biting back tears. She felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She hadn’t even said good-bye.
Alice went to meet Ben. As they walked home together, she felt as if she was in a daze.
“Are you okay?” Ben asked worriedly.
Alice nodded. “I’m just tired, that’s all.” She didn’t feel up to telling him about Flame yet.
Back home, she dumped her coat and bag in the hall and went straight upstairs. Ben was just coming out of her bedroom.
“What are you doing in my room?” she snapped, before she could stop herself.
Ben blinked at her in surprise. “I was just saying hello to Flame. I’m going downstairs to watch TV now.”
“I’m sorry, Ben. I didn’t mean to shout at—” Alice stopped and did a double take. “Did you say—Flame?”
“Yeah,” Ben said, giving her a funny look.
Alice shot into her room. Flame was sitting on her bed washing his gray-and-white fur. He looked up as she came in, and she saw that the tip of his tiny pink tongue was still hanging out.
“Oh, Flame. You came back!” she exclaimed, giving him a cuddle.
An enormous happy grin spread over Alice’s face. She thought she might burst with happiness.
“I laid a false trail and escaped my uncl
e’s spies,” Flame purred. “But if they come again, I may have to leave at once.”
“I’m just glad you’re here now!” Alice said.
Flame’s bright emerald eyes crinkled in a smile. “So am I. I am looking forward to watching you swim in the meet!”
Alice felt excited as she and Flame, her mom, and Ben walked through the school gates on Saturday and joined the crowds already there.
Strips of colored paper and bunches of balloons hung outside the pool building. A huge banner read MELDWAY SCHOOL SWIMMING POOL, GRAND OPENING.
Alice saw a fancy car pull up. A pretty blond woman, wearing bright makeup, a jade-green dress, and lots of jewelry, got out.
“That’s the actress from Mom’s favorite soap opera,” she whispered to Flame.
Flame was in her bookbag. He had his head sticking out and was watching everything with great interest.
Everyone cheered as Judy Blasket smiled and waved. The principal gave a speech and then the glamorous actress cut the ribbon and declared the new pool open.
As a man from the local paper began taking photos, Alice and Flame and all the other children taking part in the meet went inside to get changed.
“See you in there!” Alice called to her mom and Ben.
“All right, honey!” Mrs. Forester called from the line of people waiting to get Judy Blasket’s autograph.
In the locker room, excited voices filled the air. Alice’s whole class was taking part in the meet, so she had to share a changing stall with a classmate.
“Where are you going to be today?” she whispered to Flame worriedly, once the other girl had gone out.
“I found a safe ledge to sit on when I was laying a false trail for my enemies,” Flame mewed.
“Okay. I’ll see you after the meet. Wish me luck!” Alice picked Flame up. Breathing in his sweet kitten smell, she kissed the top of his head.
“Good luck, Alice,” Flame said with an extra-big purr.
As Alice emerged from the foot bath, she saw that the pool looked even bigger and more impressive with seats lining the sides and so many people watching. The snack-bar area was full of spectators, too.