by Sue Bentley
“Amy doesn’t seem to think so. Neither do I,” Paige replied. “Aren’t you having fun?”
“Well—yes,” Tori admitted.
“What are you complaining about then?” Paige joked, giving her a friendly dig in the ribs.
Tori laughed. “It’s so great that our birthdays are so close together, isn’t it? We’re the Party Girls!” she said, doing a twirl.
Not this year, Paige thought sadly, but she didn’t want to spoil the happy mood by saying anything yet.
When no one was watching, Paige gave Storm some party treats. He sat on the window sill, enjoying watching the party without being trampled on. “I like party food,” he woofed happily, chomping his fairy-sized sandwiches and chips.
When Paige’s taxi arrived to take her home, Amy’s mom handed her a pink, satin goody bag. Paige said her thank yous and good-byes and Amy and Tori waved from the doorstep. “See you at my party on Monday!” Tori called.
Storm sat on Paige’s lap in the back of the taxi. “I don’t mind going back to Debs’s too much. I’m starting to like her,” Paige sighed, stroking his soft, spotty fur. “But it feels mega-wrong not to have a party. Especially as me, Amy, and Tori have spent forever talking about it.”
Storm whined sympathetically.
Debs was waiting eagerly at the door to let Paige and Storm in. “Tell me everything and don’t leave anything out! What did your friends say when they saw Storm? Did you tell them you were taking care of a puppy?”
“Um, yes. They made a big fuss over Storm,” Paige said. She quickly changed the subject. “Amy’s party had a fairy theme. It looked so pretty . . .” she said.
Debs listened as Paige told her about the games and the yummy party food. “I’ve been thinking,” she said when Paige had finished. “It’s a shame that you can’t celebrate your birthday properly with your mom in the hospital. How would you like a tea party here, for you, Amy, and Tori?”
“Really?” Paige said, surprised. She didn’t have the heart to tell Debs that she’d been looking forward to something a bit more special. A tea party didn’t sound all that exciting. “Thanks very much. That would be . . . very nice.”
Debs beamed. “That’s settled then.”
Chapter SIX
The next time Keith took Paige and Storm to the hospital to visit her mom, she made sure she asked him to take her shopping afterward.
“Okay then. But I’m in a bit of a rush. Do you know which store you need?” Keith said.
Paige nodded. She knew just what Tori wanted. She bought her a CD of her favorite boy band, a pack of colored gel pens, and a card in the shape of a shiny designer handbag. “And can we just stop back at the apartment? I want to get some clothes. I’ll be super-quick!” she pleaded.
Keith drove to their block and sat outside with the engine running, while Paige dashed up the stairs and along the concrete walkway. Storm followed Paige into her bedroom and flopped down on her fluffy floor cushion while she burrowed in the wardrobe.
“I like this place,” he woofed, looking around at the bright posters on the walls.
“Me too! It’s tiny but it’s all mine,” Paige said, stuffing a blue top with a sparkly butterfly and her newest jeans into her bag. It felt comforting being back home among her snow globes, framed pictures, and old Barbie dolls. She couldn’t resist picking up the battered, old teddy who always sat on her bed and giving him a cuddle.
When it was time to go, she had to wrench herself away. She sighed sadly as she shouldered her bag and quickly locked the front door. “I wish I didn’t have to go back to Debs. I can’t wait until Mom comes home and we can be a family again,” she said to Storm as they hurried back down to where Keith was waiting.
Only now, it’ll be a different kind of family, she thought worriedly. One with a tiny, smelly, fussy baby that demands everyone’s attention.
On Monday night, Paige dressed in her sparkly butterfly top and jeans.
“Oh, you look so pretty. Wait a minute, I’ve got just the thing to go with that outfit,” Debs said.
Paige made a face. “Oh no. She’s probably going to bring me one of her flowing velvet jackets,” she whispered to Storm.
“Is that a bad thing?” Storm woofed softly, looking puzzled.
“Er . . . yes!” Paige said. “I can’t go out looking like a pair of curtains!”
But Debs returned with a pair of cool clip-on earrings, the same color blue as Paige’s top. Paige put them on. “Oh, I love them! Thanks, Debs. They’re perfect.”
Debs looked pleased. “Would you like me to do your hair? I’ve got a set of heated rollers somewhere.”
Paige was thinking how to refuse politely, not wanting to push her luck, when Amy and her mom arrived to pick her up.
“Have a good time,” Debs called as Paige walked down the front garden. “Oh, just a minute. Didn’t you forget something? Storm!”
Paige froze. Storm was walking invisibly at her ankles. Debs obviously couldn’t see him, so she thought Paige had left him behind. Turning around, she ran back toward Debs. “I left him in my room. He seemed a bit tired,” she said, hoping Debs wouldn’t go upstairs to check.
“What was all that about?” Amy asked as Paige got into the backseat of the car and sat next to her. “She said something about a storm.”
“Um . . . yes. She thought it might rain later . . .” Paige said vaguely. “Anyway, let’s not worry about that. We’ve got Tori’s brother Dean to worry about instead. Yuck! I hope he isn’t at the party—he’s so annoying.”
“You can say that again,” Amy said.
“He’s so annoying,” Paige repeated and they both laughed.
When they arrived at Tori’s house, Paige spotted a tall, thin boy with dark hair and a pimply face. “Oh great. There’s Dean,” she whispered to Storm. “Look out for him. He can be a real nuisance with his nasty jokes.”
Storm showed his teeth in a tiny growl. “That is not a good way to act.”
Amy, Paige, and Storm wandered into the bright, shiny kitchen and gave Tori her presents. There was a big display of expensive gifts on a sideboard. “Those are all mine. Aren’t I lucky?” Tori said proudly.
“Well, you are our bestest, sweetest big girl,” her mom cooed, giving her a hug.
Dean pretended to stick his finger in his mouth and made gagging movements. For once, Paige didn’t blame him. But then he spoiled it by hanging around and making stupid comments while Tori opened her presents. “Felt tips! Bor-ring. You’re ten, not six, aren’t you?” he hooted, when she opened Paige’s.
Paige blushed hotly, as she felt Storm nudge her leg protectively with his wet, little nose.
Tori just giggled. “They’re gel pens actually. Just what I wanted. And this CD is great. Thanks, Paige.”
“That’s okay,” Paige said, glaring at Dean and wishing he’d go away.
Dean made a face at her and walked out of the kitchen.
“This way, everyone!” Tori cried, leading the way into the living room.
The two enormous leather sofas had been pushed back and a shiny covering placed over the carpet to make a dance floor. A stack of disco equipment with big speakers stood near a row of lights flashing different colors.
Paige and Amy were seriously impressed. “Wow! It’s just like a real club!” Amy said.
Tori smiled proudly. “I told you I was having a grown-up party. I’ll put the CD Paige bought on my new player and we can do our routine to it.”
Paige felt self-conscious with everyone watching. But she soon relaxed and remembered all the steps. Everyone clapped when they finished.
Storm barked excitedly, too, but only Paige could hear him. She winked at him when no one was looking.
The dancing was so much fun, until Dean joined in. He jumped around, knocking into people on purpose.
“Ow!” Paige cried, when he leaped on her foot. “Now who’s acting like a six-year-old!” she muttered.
Dean’s face darkened as he heard her. �
��Listen, everyone! Paige’s in a rage! I’m really scared,” he mocked.
“You’re so pathetic,” Paige said disgustedly, turning her back.
Tori’s dad made fruit-juice cocktails with colored ice cubes and little umbrellas. He handed them out on a tray, like a real waiter. “Food’s ready, when you’re finished dancing,” he announced.
Storm followed Paige outside to the supersized barbecue. His little, black nose twitched at the delicious smells wafting toward him. “That human food smells good,” he woofed.
Paige smiled at him. “Knowing Tori’s parents, there’ll be millions of expensive sausages and top-notch burgers. You’ll love them.”
Everyone trooped over to the tables and chairs on the lawn. Storm sat under Paige’s table. She slipped him some meat, but he found plenty to chomp up from all the bits the others dropped. It was all Paige could do not to giggle. He was better than a vacuum cleaner!
“My party’s the best in the whole world, isn’t it? Wait until you see my cake. It’s got three layers and sugar roses. The bottom’s chocolate, the middle’s lemon, and the top’s strawberry. It’s amazing,” Tori said.
Paige fought down a stab of anxiety. Debs’s tea party idea was looking more pale and pathetic by the moment. Maybe she should just tell Debs that she didn’t want a party after all. Amy and Tori were going to be so disappointed with a boring, old tea party.
Paige shook her head sadly as Tori’s mom lit the candles on the amazing birthday cake and everyone sang “Happy Birthday.” Paige took a plate when the multicolored slices were passed around, but she didn’t feel very hungry anymore.
Soon afterward, parents began arriving to pick up their kids.
“Mom will be here for us soon. I’m going to get my coat,” Amy said.
“Okay,” Paige replied. She decided that she’d better fetch Storm. The last time she’d seen him, he was exploring the bottom of the garden.
But Paige couldn’t find him. He definitely wasn’t nosing about in any of the flower beds. Suddenly, a loud yelp of fear came from the direction of the tree house.
Paige gasped as she caught sight of the tiny, spotted puppy wobbling on a branch, high above the ground!
Chapter SEVEN
Paige’s pulse raced as she ran toward the tree.
“Come back here, you stupid mutt!” a voice called angrily and Paige saw Dean leaning out of the tree-house window, reaching for the trembling puppy.
Paige realized that Storm must have been so scared that he’d forgotten to make himself invisible. He couldn’t use his magic to help himself now that Dean could see him.
“Hang on, Storm!” Paige cried as she leaped forward. Suddenly, Storm’s paws slipped and his back legs swung in midair. His tiny legs scrabbled for a foothold and then he whimpered as he felt himself falling.
Paige’s heart missed a beat. She stretched out her arms and just managed to catch Storm, but she was still rushing forward. With the tiny puppy in her arms, she couldn’t put out her hands to stop herself and crashed into the tree trunk with a massive thud.
Paige fell to the ground, dazed.
“Oh, flipping heck!” Dean cried. He ducked inside the tree house and began climbing down.
Paige felt a familiar prickling sensation down her spine as bright gold sparks bloomed in Storm’s spotty fur and his little, black nose glowed like a gold nugget. Storm leaned close and very gently touched her chin with the tip of his wet nose.
A warm, fizzing feeling spread outward from Paige’s chin. It washed over her face and forehead and then trickled down over the back of her neck. In just a second, she felt as clearheaded as if she’d just eaten a very strong peppermint.
She sat up with Storm still in her lap.
Dean appeared beside them, just as the very last spark faded from Storm’s coat.
“You’re sitting up! I thought you—” he said in a panicky voice.
“We’re fine. No thanks to you!” Paige fumed, losing her temper. “What sort of person tries to scare a tiny puppy, especially high up in a tree!”
“I didn’t mean to scare him!” Dean snapped, flushing. “I was just messing around.” His eyes narrowed. “How come you know its name, anyway? Is it yours? I didn’t see you with it at the party.”
Paige hesitated. “I’ve . . . um . . . seen Storm around here before. He must live with one of your neighbors.”
“Funny. I’ve never seen him,” Dean said suspiciously. “I’ll come with you to take him back.”
“No! I mean, I can do it by myself,” Paige insisted, but her heart sank as she saw the determined look on Dean’s face.
As Dean took a step toward Paige, Storm lifted his lip and growled softly. He leaped out of her lap and ran behind the tree.
Paige felt another faint tingling sensation down her spine. A little spurt of gold sparks puffed up from a nearby pile of grass cuttings and vegetable peelings. Suddenly, there was a strong gust of breeze, which blew the entire heap toward Dean.
Whoosh! A cascade of compost swept him off his feet. Splop! It covered Dean up to his neck and held him firmly to the ground. “Help!” he croaked, spitting out shreds of brownish leaves.
Paige left him there. “You’d better stay invisible now. Come on, Amy’s mom’s probably here to pick us up,” she whispered to Storm as they hurried back toward the house. “What you did to Dean was a bit mean,” she scolded gently. “But he deserved it!”
Storm’s bright blue eyes glowed with mischief. He wrinkled his muzzle in a cute Dalmatian grin. “Perhaps it will teach that mean boy a lesson. My magic will wear off in a few minutes.”
Paige laughed. “I’d give two weeks’ allowance to see him trying to explain how a compost heap attacked him! Brothers definitely seem like a real pain.”
Storm put his head to one side. “But having a baby brother might be different. He would be little and helpless and it would be someone to look after,” he woofed softly.
“Maybe,” Paige said, not convinced.
She felt a surge of affection for the tiny puppy. She knew that Storm meant well and didn’t want to hurt his feelings by disagreeing. But she was still very far from being happy about having to share her mom with the baby.
A couple of evenings later, Paige and Debs sat on the dark blue velvet sofa with Storm curled up between them. They were watching a late-night movie on TV about some kids who got trapped in a haunted house.
“I’m not sure your mom would approve. Maybe we should switch channels before this film gives you nightmares,” Debs said, reaching for the remote.
“Oh, I watch much worse stuff than this,” Paige lied. She felt very grown-up, staying up late and eating popcorn with Debs. Besides, nothing could scare her while she was cuddled up with Storm!
She reached down to stroke his smooth, warm, little body. On the TV, a door in the haunted house creaked open, revealing a four-poster bed and heavy furniture. Storm pricked up his ears and sat straight.
“Groof!” he barked, pawing Paige’s arm excitedly. “Why is your bedroom in that box with moving pictures?”
Paige grinned. It did look just like her bedroom. She’d always thought this house was the perfect setting for a creepy film!
An amazing idea for a birthday party jumped into her mind. She was dying to tell Storm about it now, but she didn’t dare to risk it with Debs sitting so close.
As soon as the film finished, Paige jumped up and went into the kitchen to make Debs a cup of tea. She piled some biscuits onto a plate and brought them back in with the tea. She saw that Storm wasn’t on the sofa and decided to go and look for him after she’d spoken to Debs.
“Ooh, lovely. Thanks,” Debs said, taking a sip of tea. “What have I done to deserve this? Are you after something, young lady?” she joked.
Paige felt herself blushing. “Well . . . actually, I did want to talk to you about my . . . um . . . birthday tea party,” she said sheepishly.
Debs dunked a ginger nut. “Fire away then. I’m all ears.”
“I was wondering if Tori and Amy could stay the night. Instead of a tea party, maybe we could have a midnight feast. We could easily all sleep in my bed. I thought we could read ghost stories and play creepy games. It could be a scary sleepover. What do you think?” she asked.
Debs nodded thoughtfully and beamed at Paige. “You clever, old thing, you! I wish I’d thought of it. It’s a great idea. I’ve got some old Halloween decorations in the attic and we could put some candles in glass jam jars. I’ll dress up and be your spooky waitress, if you’d like. How about if I made dead man’s hands, skeleton biscuits, and blood tablets for the midnight feast?” she said, getting into the swing of things.
“Ooh, yes! That would be fantastic!” Paige cried delightedly. “Can I help make them?”
“Of course you can. That’s half the fun. There’s a bus into town tomorrow. We can go shopping, if you’d like. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me and choose a present. And we could stop and visit your mom if we’ve got time. What do you think?”
“Yay! Thanks, Debs. You’re the best!” Paige threw her arms around Debs and hugged her. She couldn’t wait to find Storm and tell him her exciting news.
Chapter EIGHT
Paige skipped upstairs, expecting to see the tiny puppy curled up on her bed, but he was nowhere in sight. “Storm?” she said, looking around the room.
She checked under the pillows and covers and then looked under the bed and in the wardrobe. But there was still no sign of Storm. Paige finally found him underneath the old-fashioned dressing table, curled into a tight ball against the wall.
“Oh, I get it. We’re playing hide-and-seek—” Paige began and then her face changed as she saw that the tiny puppy was trembling. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”