Rascal the Star

by Holly Webb

  They were having Grandad, Auntie Gemma and Liam over for Sunday lunch, and every time Ellie went to open the front door, Rascal was glued to her heels.

  “Hello, Ellie!” Grandad gave her a hug. “How was your sleepover?”

  “It was great! Lucy’s got an audition to be in a dog-food ad! And she thinks she might get a pet gerbil. But Rascal was really missing me, Grandad. Mum had to ring up so I could talk to him, because he wouldn’t stop howling.”

  Rascal looked up at Grandad. He was sitting by Ellie’s feet, with a saintly expression on his face. Who, me? he seemed to be saying.

  “Little monster.” Grandad rubbed Rascal’s ears. “You’ve got them all wrapped around your tiny paw, haven’t you? Are Liam and Gemma here yet, Ellie?”

  “Yes, they’re in the kitchen with Mum and Dad.” Ellie and Grandad went through to the kitchen, where Mum was preparing the roast lunch.

  Auntie Gemma was looking very smart, in a bright pink dress. When Ellie came in, she glanced up at her boyfriend Liam, and then smiled at Ellie. “Could you get Max and Lila to come down, Ellie? I’ve got some news, and I can’t wait any longer!”

  Ellie dashed upstairs to yell for Max and Lila, and soon everyone was squashed round the kitchen table.

  “We’re getting married!” Auntie Gemma announced. She waved her hand around, showing a sparkly engagement ring, with a green stone in it.

  “Let me see, let me see!” demanded Lila, grabbing Auntie Gemma’s hand. “Oohhh, it’s gorgeous!”

  “It’s an emerald. I’ve had my hand in my dress pocket ever since we got here, I wanted to tell you all at once!”

  “Oh, Gemma, that’s great news.” Ellie’s mum was almost crying. “When are you getting married? Soon?”

  Liam nodded. “Very soon. This spring! Gemma’s started making plans already.”

  “I knew it!” Ellie told Auntie Gemma. “When you found the ring in the Christmas pudding!”

  Auntie Gemma smiled. “I’m sure that did help Liam think it was the right time. Will you and Lila be my bridesmaids, Ellie?”

  Ellie beamed, and Lila hugged Auntie Gemma. “What are you going to wear? What do you want us to wear? Hang on, I saw the most amazing wedding dress in a magazine, I’ve got it upstairs somewhere.”

  Mum laughed. “Lila’s going to be your wedding planner if you’re not careful, Gemma. Oh, goodness, I nearly forgot about lunch! Max, Ellie, can you help me bring all the dishes over?”

  Ellie got up, and sighed as Rascal immediately jumped out of his bed, and sidled up next to her leg, in case she might be about to leave him again.

  Lila raced back into the kitchen, waving her magazine, which had photos of a singer’s wedding. “Look at this! Isn’t it the nicest dress? I don’t really like her music, but that doesn’t matter.”

  “As long as we don’t have to play any of her songs at the wedding.” Liam shuddered.

  Ellie hurried over to the table, clutching a big dish of peas, eager to see the dress.

  Or rather, she meant to hurry to the table. She forgot about Rascal, attached to her feet, and tripped over him, sending the bowl flying and an avalanche of peas all over the floor and the table. And Lila’s magazine.

  “Are you OK, Ellie?” Mum asked, helping her up.

  Ellie nodded. “Did I squash Rascal?” she asked in an anxious voice, looking around for him.

  “No,” Mum sighed. “He’s under the table, eating the peas…”

  Dad was looking at the photos in the magazine, which were now mostly green. “I think a green wedding dress would suit you, Gemma. It’s a bit different, anyway…”

  Auntie Gemma didn’t look as though she thought it was very funny.

  “And that’s what it’s been like ever since!” Ellie told Christy and Lucy at school the next morning. “Wedding, wedding, wedding! I’m really excited about being a bridesmaid, but Mum and Auntie Gemma couldn’t talk about anything else. And Lila’s just as bad.” She shook her head. “I’m glad to get away from them all to go to the park with the dogs this afternoon. You’re both still OK to come, aren’t you? We can’t go for too long, because I’ve got dog training, but even a little bit of practice will help.”

  They had arranged that Lucy and Ellie would come over to Christy’s, and Christy’s mum would take the three girls and Rascal and Bouncer to the park, so they could try to thoroughly de-scare Lucy.

  “What are you going to do, exactly?” Lucy asked, looking a little nervous.

  “We’re not telling you,” Christy said firmly. “But it’s nothing you need to be worried about, we promise.”

  Ellie nodded. She had given Rascal a firm talking-to that morning, all about how he had to be on his best behaviour, and not scare Lucy. He’d stared at her, his big brown eyes looking very innocent, and she’d been absolutely sure he was listening. But then he’d given her a massive lick all down her nose. So maybe not.

  “First, you have to lie down.” Ellie pointed dramatically at the grass, and Lucy looked horrified.

  “Why? It’s all muddy!”

  “It isn’t that muddy,” Ellie argued, looking around the park. “Oh, OK. Maybe it is. Please can you lie on this bench then?”

  “I’m not sure about this,” Lucy muttered, but she did as she was told, peering nervously sideways to try and see what Ellie and Christy and the dogs were doing.

  “What’s that?” she gasped, when Ellie scattered something over her coat. “What are you doing, Ellie?”

  “It’s OK,” Christy said soothingly. “It’s dog treats, that’s all. We’ve covered you in dog treats, and Rascal and Bouncer are going to eat them off you. They’ll be really gentle, I promise. You won’t even feel them, probably.”

  Lucy didn’t actually fling herself off the bench, but she looked like she wanted to. They’d already made her hold the dogs’ leads and run up and down the park, and got her to play Frisbee with them, but this was a bit different.

  Bouncer started delicately crunching the dog treats off Lucy’s knees, and she giggled. “It’s all tickly!”

  “See? We told you it would be all right,” Ellie said. “You’re going to be fine on Saturday after this. We can do a last-minute top-up session on Saturday morning before the audition, too.”

  Rascal was standing on his hind legs, trying to join in with Bouncer, but the bench was too tall for him.

  “Oh no, I didn’t think about Rascal not being able to reach,” Ellie muttered. “Maybe if you hold your arm out, Lucy. Rascal, no!”

  Rascal had given up waiting. The smell of all those dog treats was just too good, and he simply went for them. He jumped on to the bench, straight on to Lucy’s tummy, and starting wolfing down every treat he could see. He had some catching up to do.

  Bouncer obviously decided that if Rascal was jumping up, he could too. He planted his hefty front paws right on to Lucy’s knees, ignoring her squeaks, and went on hoovering up the treats.

  Lucy was giggling and gasping, “Get them off me! I’m squashed!” while Ellie and Christy tried to remove the dogs. But Rascal wasn’t letting anyone catch him when there were still loads of his favourite treats everywhere.

  Once the dogs had finished off all the treats, Christy and Ellie put them back on their leads, and joined Lucy on the bench.

  “That was really funny!” said Lucy, still wheezing with laughter. “How can Rascal be so heavy? He’s tiny!”

  Ellie hugged her. “You’ve just had two dogs jumping all over you, Lucy! And you’re laughing about it!”

  Lucy stared at her. “Did you do that on purpose?” she demanded.

  “No,” Ellie admitted. “It went a bit wrong. We never meant for them to jump on you. But it’s worked, hasn’t it? You weren’t scared?”

  Lucy shook her head, smiling. “I was laughing too much,” she admitted.

  “There you are then,” Christy said. “Mission accomplished!”

  Lucy frowned. “But I want to know exactly what you’re planning for the final session be
fore the audition on Saturday!”

  It was Saturday morning, and Christy and Ellie were in Ellie’s living room. They were waiting for Lucy’s mum to bring her round for a last quick de-scaring session before her audition. The girls still weren’t sure exactly what they were going to do. Lucy’s mum wasn’t as used to dogs as Christy’s mum was, and Ellie didn’t think she’d be happy about Rascal and Bouncer jumping all over Lucy.

  “What about the same thing again?” Christy suggested. “It worked last time!”

  Ellie shook her head. “I’m not sure… Oh, there’s the door!”

  She came back with Lucy following her, and looking rather worried.

  “How are you feeling?” Ellie asked.

  Lucy sighed. “I’m so nervous about this audition – I’m just going to look stupid.”

  She did look really pale, and sort of trembly, Ellie realized. “Hey, you mustn’t worry. Come and sit down.” She towed Lucy over to sit next to Christy, who was on the floor. She was leaning against the sofa, with Bouncer’s head in her lap. Ellie sat down next to them, and Rascal immediately curled up on her legs, and rested his nose on Lucy’s knees, looking up at her and wagging his tail. “See, he wants to cheer you up!”

  Lucy giggled and patted Rascal’s head. Then she laughed out loud as Bouncer heaved himself more on top of Christy, so that his nose was close enough for Lucy to stroke too.

  “Ooof, Bouncer, you’re too big for that,” Christy groaned.

  Ellie watched thoughtfully as Lucy stroked both dogs, and they nuzzled her back. Lucy looked a bit less nervous already.

  So maybe not having a plan had worked out for the best after all…

  “I wish she’d ring and tell us how it went…” Ellie moaned, staring at the phone. “The audition was at eleven, it must have finished by now.”

  “It’s only half-past,” Mum pointed out. “They’re probably just setting off home.”

  “I suppose,” Ellie sighed. She looked over at Rascal, snoozing in his basket.

  He’d been fantastic at cheering Lucy up that morning. Ellie was sure that Lucy could have told the people at the audition quite truthfully that she liked dogs.

  The phone rang, and even though Ellie had been staring at it, waiting for it to ring, it made her jump. She grabbed it out of the holder, her fingers fumbling for the answer button. “Hello?”

  “I got the part!” It was Lucy, squealing with delight. “They said I was great, and they wouldn’t usually say straight away, but they thought I was just right!”

  “That’s brilliant! Well done!” Ellie beamed at her mum, making a thumbs-up sign.

  “We’re just in the car now – Mum let me use her mobile,” Lucy explained.

  “So was there a dog?” Ellie asked. She knew Lucy had hoped there wouldn’t be.

  “No…” Lucy sounded worried.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “They showed me a picture of the dog. He’s really big, Ellie. Really, really big. Bigger than Bouncer, I think. And he’s still only a puppy, it’s a commercial for food for growing dogs. But I can’t imagine that one growing any bigger!”

  “Wow.” Ellie could see why Lucy was worried. “Oh! You met Hugo at the Christmas Fair, didn’t you? Remember the enormous Great Dane? Was he like that?”

  “Kind of,” Lucy agreed. “Yes, he might

  be one of those. I’m not sure I can cope with a dog that big. The script says I’ve got to do tricks with him! How am I supposed to do that?”

  Ellie’s mind was whirring. “OK. Look, the filming isn’t until half-term. We’ve got a bit of time. I’ll see if I can get Jack and Hugo to join in our de-scaring course. I bet Jack would help. And Hugo’s lovely, he’s a big softie, I promise. Don’t worry, Lucy! We’ll sort it out.”

  It was Thursday night, and Ellie and Lucy were in the little park close to the village hall where Jo held their dog-training classes. Lucy’s mum was sitting on one of the benches, chatting to Jack’s mum and Ellie’s dad.

  Lucy only had a few more days until the filming of her TV ad, on the Monday of half-term. She’d been getting more and more worried about the dog in the photo all that week, and she’d been asking Ellie every day if she’d arranged for her to meet Hugo, but tonight was the first chance they’d had.

  “Why do you have to take the dogs for a walk before dog training?” Lucy asked, looking confused.

  “It wears them out a bit,” Jack explained. “That way, they’re better at doing what they’re told.” He grinned. “Hugo needs all the help he can get.”

  “And it means they can have a wee before they go into the hall,” Ellie pointed out. “Rascal weed up one of the radiators once,” she admitted. “It was so embarrassing.”

  Jack shuddered. “Hugo’s never done that. Yet.”

  Ellie giggled. “He might flood the hall if he did!”

  “Can I stroke him?” Lucy asked Jack suddenly. She’d been working herself up to do it, Ellie realized.

  “Course. He’s very friendly,” Jack promised her. “He likes being scratched under the chin and behind his ears.”

  Cautiously, Lucy reached out her hand and rubbed Hugo’s soft ears, as lightly as she possibly could.

  Hugo looked rather surprised, and his ears twitched as though he thought maybe a fly had landed on him.

  “More than that!” Ellie told her.

  Nodding, Lucy patted Hugo’s ears a little more firmly, and he closed his eyes and wagged his tail.

  “See how friendly he is,” Ellie pointed out. “Just because he’s big it doesn’t mean he’s fierce or anything.”

  Jack shook his head. “He’s never hurt anybody. Well, except me, and that’s only because he tries to sit on me.”

  Lucy smiled. She’d stopped looking quite so nervous, and she even laughed as she watched Rascal and Hugo chasing round the park after each other, to work off some energy before the class.

  “Ugh, there’s Amelia, and Goldie,” Ellie muttered, nodding at a girl who’d been at their school till that year, and her perfect little spaniel.

  “I keep hoping she’s going to move up a class,” Jack said gloomily. “But no such luck.”

  “Come on, Rascal! It’s time for dog training,” Ellie called, and Jack waved Hugo’s lead at him hopefully.

  “He really isn’t scary,” Lucy said to Jack and Ellie, as she watched Hugo doing his party trick, drinking out of a bottle of water that Jack held up to the side of his mouth.

  “See? I told you so!” Ellie said triumphantly. “Now you can go to your film shoot and not worry about that big dog. Everything will be fine.”

  Ellie and Jack waved goodbye to Lucy, and dashed off to their class.

  “Wow, look at all these extra dogs!” Jack muttered, as they came into the hall.

  Several new owners were standing at the side of the hall, most of them looking a bit nervous. One girl about their age had a Dalmatian puppy, and she looked so worried, she reminded Ellie of how she used to feel at dog training. I don’t worry about it so much now, Ellie thought to herself with surprise. Rascal must have got better!

  Jo stepped into the middle of the hall to start the class. “Hello, everyone. As you can see, we’re pretty full today. Which means I’d like some of you with slightly older dogs to move up to the intermediate class after half-term.”

  Ellie saw Amelia looking smug, and sighed. Amelia and Goldie were bound to move up. Goldie always did as she was told.

  “Did you hear that?” Jack hissed.

  Ellie blinked. She hadn’t really been listening as Jo read out the names. “What?”

  “We’re moving up! Rascal and Hugo!”

  “Really? Wow!” Ellie beamed proudly. “Well done, Rascal!”

  Rascal just yawned, but Ellie didn’t mind. He was an intermediate dog now!

  “Oh, why does the phone always ring when I’m cooking!” Mum sighed, and licked her buttery fingers before she picked it up. “And watch Rascal, Ellie, he’s about to go for that bit of pastry
!” She shook her head. “If Jo could see him at home, I bet she wouldn’t be putting him up to the intermediate class!”

  Ellie swiped the pastry out of the way, and giggled as Rascal glared at her. That pastry had been his!

  “It’s Lucy, for you.” Mum sounded surprised. She handed Ellie the phone, and Ellie heard Lucy’s panicky voice on the other end of the line. She gave Mum a worried look. It was Monday, the day of the shoot for the ad, and Ellie had been sure that Lucy would be fine! What could have gone wrong? Lucy had popped round the afternoon before to borrow Rascal to rehearse the script with, and it had gone brilliantly. Lucy had been looking forward to the shoot – Ellie would never have believed that she used to be afraid of dogs. She’d known all her lines perfectly too.

  In the ad, Lucy was supposed to throw a ball for her dog to fetch, and she had Rascal racing up and down the garden so many times that he gave up in the end, and went and hid under a bush to sulk because he was too worn out.

  So what had gone wrong?

  “What’s the matter?” Ellie asked Lucy anxiously. “Is it the dog?”

  “Yes!” Lucy wailed. “He’s called Freddie and he’s huge! Well, actually he’s not as big as Hugo, but he’s not friendly like Hugo is, so he seems bigger. He’s really, really scary!”

  Ellie didn’t know what to say. She’d been so sure that Lucy would be OK.

  “He jumped up at me when I was supposed to throw the ball for him,” Lucy explained, sounding rather tearful. “I really thought he was going to bite me. The lady who owns him said he just wanted the ball, but his teeth were so near my hand. I don’t think I’m being stupid, Ellie, he’s not a nice dog like Rascal or Bouncer or Hugo.”

  “So what happened after he jumped at you?” Ellie asked.