Random Acts of Kittens

by Yamile Saied Méndez

  From her seat next to the window, Vanesa saw her little brother make a beeline for the main entrance to the lodge, his curly brown hair like a bird’s nest after the flight from California and the drive from the airport. Mami smashed the nestlike hair with a multicolored hat. Hunter pulled it off, and Mami gently ushered him toward the wood-and-glass doors of Pinecloud Lodge. A green flag with the logo—the outline of a cabin with a big dog guarding it—flapped in the wind.

  Vanesa was pleasantly surprised at how fancy Pinecloud Lodge looked. She’d have plenty of photo ops to wow Amber and the Darlings. The main building was an enormous, brand-new log cabin. Tucked behind it, the much-smaller original cabin, built back in the 1800s or something, was now the headquarters for the kids’ club—or so the website advertised. Out of all the fun winter activities at the lodge, Vanesa couldn’t wait to impress her family with her skiing skills. She’d only skied once before (when she was seven), but she’d been so good, she was sure this time she’d be exceptional. And after skiing all day, she’d drink hot chocolate topped with butterscotch marshmallows. At night, she’d watch the blinking stars from the fluffiest bed in the world.

  Judging by his excitement, Hunter couldn’t wait, either. As he got closer to the doors, he nearly ran into a fashionable blond girl not much older than Vanesa. The girl kept walking, a gigantic glittery makeup case in one hand and a book in the other. Her long bright-pink coat fluttered behind her like a cape. Vanesa thought she recognized her from somewhere. Maybe an online tutorial? A YouTube show? She couldn’t tell from so far away. The girl had a glamorous glow. A lot of famous people came to Park City for vacation. Maybe Vanesa would make friends with a celebrity.

  A teenage boy with a green plaid vest like the bus driver’s was sprinkling salt on the icy sidewalk. He hurried to help the incoming passengers down the bus steps and slipped on the ice himself, barely keeping his balance by swinging his arms like a windmill. The glamorous girl didn’t even seem to notice. Vanesa chuckled.

  The bus was mostly empty by now, and Papi called to her from near the front of the bus. “Let’s go, Vane.” He pronounced her nickname the Spanish way: VAH-neh. “Ready to have a blast?”

  Vanesa smiled at him briefly, but she’d just received a request via text from the Darlings.

  Be a Darling, send a picture of the lodge.

  This was message number thirteen, and she had to respond. Amber, Rory, and Peyton were at Amber’s aunt’s house in Florida for break. Pinecloud wasn’t sunny Miami, but it was still pretty to Vanesa. She snapped a picture of the white-covered mountains and buildings against the turquoise sky. She captioned it Winter wonderland and sent it.

  Her heart pounded as she waited for a reply.

  “Do you guys come to Utah to ski often?” the driver asked. When he turned sideways to make room for passengers to slip by him on their way off the bus, Vanesa read his name tag: ZACHARIAH.

  Papi laughed. “We’re not exactly winter people, but Vanesa here loves to ski.”

  “Is that right?” Zachariah asked. “With your tan, I took you for a regular California girl.”

  Vanesa would’ve replied that her skin wasn’t tanned—her skin was naturally brown—or that a California girl was totally allowed to love both the beach and the snow. But she was distracted by her phone’s buzz in her pocket. She looked down at her friends’ replies: three different versions of the Sleepwalker meme—a girl flailing as she fell into a pool.

  Nightmare. We hate winter, said Amber’s caption.

  Rory and Peyton only did whatever Amber said, so Amber’s reply stung the most.

  “Vane, put the phone away. What did Mami say?” Papi urged her forward with a nod of his head.

  Mami had been clear, and Papi had agreed: At the first sign of disobedience, excessive rowdiness, or obsessive checking of her messages, the phone would be gone like that. The snap of Mami’s fingers still resonated in Vanesa’s ears. She couldn’t take any risks. She put her phone back into her pocket and stepped off the bus.

  The cold air was a shock. Vanesa loved the smell of winter—clearest blue. She inhaled deeply and smiled with satisfaction at the crunching sound the snow made under her sneakers. Her phone vibrated in her pocket again. She looked down to check it as she walked into the lobby.

  She never got to read the message because she crashed into someone blocking the entrance.

  “Hey, watch it!” It was the glamorous blond girl Vanesa had seen earlier.

  “I’m so sorry,” Vanesa said. She clutched her phone so she wouldn’t drop it and crack the screen.

  The girl gasped as her eyes swept over Vanesa. She looked disgusted, horrified. Did Vanesa have antlers or something?

  “This is a total disaster!” she said in a strangled voice.

  Vanesa wasn’t sure what she’d done to offend the girl so much. When she put her phone back in her pocket, she touched a piece of candy she’d saved from the flight. She pulled it out and offered it to the girl. “Sorry, do you want a piece of candy?”

  The girl scoffed and stepped back.

  To be sure, Vanesa brushed her hand over her head. No. No antlers there. Before she could ask what was wrong, Hunter ran over to them. Without missing a beat, he exclaimed, “You guys are wearing exactly the same clothes!” and started laughing while pointing at them.

  Writing this book brought such joy into my life, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support, trust, guidance, and inspiration I received from my meowgical editor Olivia Valcarce. Gracias, gracias, gracias! The title is purrfect!

  Thanks to my agent, Linda Camacho, and the Gallt & Zacker family. How did I get so lucky to be on your team?

  All my gratitude and appreciation to editor extraordinaire Aimee Friedman, as well as Jana Haussmann, Caroline Flanagan, Jackie Hornberger, Priscilla Eakeley, Claire Flanagan, Jessica Rozler, Jennifer Rinaldi, Jordana Kulak, Julia Eisler, and everyone else at Scholastic who helps get this book into kids’ hands. And to the Scholastic Book Fairs and Book Clubs teams for championing stories.

  Thank you to my writing communities: SCBWI, VCFA, The Harried Plotters, Madcap Retreats, Pitchwars, Write Out Camp, Storymakers, and WYFIR. To Las Musas Collective, the Latinx Kidlit and IBPOC communities, and Latinos in Action, gracias, familia!

  Diane Telgen, thank you for all your expertise and, most importantly, your friendship. Te quiero!

  Thank you, Jen Cervantes, my friend and beta reader.

  Veeda Bybee, dearest friend, thanks for listening to me, checking up on me, and being my accountability partner for #5amwritersclub even though we’re now in different time zones. I treasure our friendship.

  Verónica Muñoz and Rachel Seegmiller, nothing would be possible without you. Thank you!

  Mis amigas queridas: Aída, Karina, Anedia, Paty, Hilda Price, Alicia Hortal Campbell, Tania, Iris, and Juli, gracias totales!

  Gracias a mis hermanos por siempre creer en mí, especialment Damián por las noches sin dormir cuando éramos chiquitos y teníamos una mascota que cuidar (RIP, Daisy).

  Thanks to all my family, especially Jeff, Juli, Maga, Joax, Lel, and Valen, for all your support and, more than anything, the inspiration to come up with adventures for my characters! Thanks also to the cat angels in my life who inspired Queen Georgiana: Mamushka, Gigi, and her meowjesty Queen Coraline.

  Last but not least, thank you to my wonderful readers! You make it all possible. Meow, meow!

  There are many organizations devoted to helping animals that depend on volunteers for all they do. While writing this story, I turned to my friend, writer and editor Diane Telgen, for advice on how to support these organizations. She has volunteered and fostered cats and kittens with various groups in three states over more than fifteen years, and graciously answered so many questions, not only about cats, but also about shelters. Any mistakes in this book are my own. Here are some of the different types of rescues that Diane said may need your support:

  Animal Care & Control (AC&C): These city departm
ents deal with strays, cruelty cases, and hoarding cases found by animal-control officers, as well as animals relinquished by the public. These groups serve on the front lines; despite the best efforts of staff and volunteers, these frequently overburdened shelters may have to euthanize for space.

  City-Affiliated Humane Societies: These organizations are not part of the local government, but have a contract with the city to take in strays and investigate cruelty cases. With large volunteer and foster programs, these facilities can have very high save rates.

  Large Private Shelters: These self-funded groups don’t have government contracts, but rehome animals taken from city AC&Cs and members of the public. They have large facilities and the support of robust fundraising programs and large volunteer and foster networks. They get to choose their animals, so they rarely euthanize unless it’s for medical or behavioral reasons.

  Small Independent Rescues: These are run by a few individuals. They may have a small facility, or they may use a big foster network instead. Some specialize in a particular breed of cat or dog, or animals with special needs, or just cats/just dogs. Many will house animals until they are rehomed.

  Although most animal shelters have volunteer programs, state laws mean there can be age restrictions. Some groups restrict kids to administrative tasks, or only allow contact with animals if accompanied by a parent. But some have special training programs for teen volunteers, and most allow families with kids to become fosters. Check with your local shelter or Humane Society chapter to find out how you can help!

  Visit your local chapters of The Humane Society (humanesociety.org), The Kitten Lady (kittenlady.org), and Alley Cat Allies (alleycat.org), among others, for wonderful information and instructional videos on kitten care and cat rescue.

  Yamile (sha-MEE-lay) Saied Méndez is the author of Blizzard Besties and several other books for young readers. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, but has lived most of her life in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains with her husband, five kids, two dogs, and one majestic cat who rules them all. She loves strawberry-scented slime, pastelitos and arepas, and purring kittens. A Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she is also a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Connect with her at yamilesmendez.com.

  Emma’s pug, Cupid, has a hidden talent: He is a master at matchmaking! Her pet seems to have a nose for spotting which two people belong together. But as Emma tries to navigate crushes and secrets, she finds that things are a lot more complicated than they seem. And what if Cupid also has a surprising match in mind … for Emma herself?

  Copyright © 2020 by Yamile Saied Méndez

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First printing 2020

  Cover photo © Melanie DeFazio/Stocksy United

  Cover design by Jennifer Rinaldi and Yaffa Jaskoll

  e-ISBN 978-1-338-57493-7

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