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Amina was talking and laughing with the others but Zara was sure she was still angry too– that was why she was being so loud and over the top. Zara looked away from her, trying to cheer herself up by feeding a bit of chicken from her pizza to Pixie. She didn’t feel like eating much of the slice herself. She wasn’t hungry at all.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_30]

Zara just wished that Mum would bring out the cat cake she’d been looking forward to so much. It wasn’t that she actually wanted any cake, but the birthday cake was supposed to be the last thing – and then the party would be over.

And when it’s over, I can tell Amina she ruined it, Zara thought suddenly. It was scary, feeling like this, but she’d had enough of Amina getting everything her own way.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_4]

When Mum finally brought out the beautiful cat cake– which did look just like Pixie – Zara managed to blow out the candles without yelling at Amina or throwing icing in Mia’s smug face. But when they’d finally closed the front door behind the party guests, she folded her arms and glared at her sister.

“What are you looking at me like that for?” Amina growled. “You were the one who went off upstairs and got us in trouble!”

“I didn’t! You wouldn’t let us join in the treasure hunt, so we did our own thing!”

“Don’t start this again,” said Mum, sounding exhausted. “I was ashamed of you both. After all the work Dad and I put in to your party, how could you behave like that?”

“It was Amina!” Zara yelled furiously. “It was supposed to be my party too, not just hers! I had one friend and Amina was horrible to her!”

“You yelled at Mia! Why are you allowed to be mean to my friends?”

“Be quiet!” Dad said. “Zara, go upstairs to your room. Amina, go to the living room, since you obviously can’t be together.”

Zara could feel tears choking her throat. How could Mum and Dad not see that it wasn’t her fault? Amina and Mia had been so rude… She crouched down and picked up Pixie, wanting to take the kitten upstairs and cuddle her for comfort. Pixie didn’t feel very cuddly, though. Usually she seemed to like being picked up but now she felt like a bundle of furry wires and Zara heard her hiss faintly. Zara was just about to put her down again when Amina lunged at her.

“You’re not having her!” Amina tried to grab the kitten. “You have her all the time! She’s mine too.”

Zara didn’t mean to tighten her grip on Pixie – it was an accident as she tried to dodge out of Amina’s way. But the little kitten let out a frightened yowl and then wriggled wildly, scratching Zara’s wrists as she struggled to get free.

Zara yelped and dropped her, and Pixie shot away from them, her fur standing up all over.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_31]

“Now look what you did!” Amina said triumphantly as Zara sank down on the stairs, looking at the bleeding scratches.

“I didn’t mean to,” Zara sobbed. She really hadn’t, of course she hadn’t. Pixie must have been so scared, to scratch her like that.

“Let me see,” Mum said worriedly. “Oh, Zara. Come on into the kitchen, we need to wash those.”

Zara let Mum bathe the scratches, and she could vaguely hear Dad telling Amina off for grabbing at Pixie and being so mean– but she wasn’t really listening. She’d been so shocked when Pixie had scratched her, she hadn’t seen where the little kitten had run to. She hated to think of her hidden away somewhere, so frightened and upset.

Where had Pixie gone?

[Êàðòèíêà: img_32]

“I’ve checked everywhere I can think of upstairs.” Dad came into the kitchen, frowning worriedly.

“But – but she has to be upstairs,” Zara whispered. “She’s nowhere down here. We’ve looked and looked.”

“She’ll be here somewhere, Zara, don’t panic,” Mum said, hugging her gently. “You know she likes hiding herself away. She was scared and she’s gone to find somewhere that felt safe, that’s all.”

“I don’t want her to be scared of us,” Zara gulped.

Amina sniffed but she didn’t say anything. Zara was too worried about Pixie to keep on being cross with her sister. She wished they hadn’t fought – it was their own fault they couldn’t find her now.

Zara looked round the kitchen again, hoping to see a kitten hiding spot, something they’d missed because it seemed too strange or silly. In one of the kitchen cupboards, maybe? Pixie had climbed in the pan cupboard the other day. But all the cupboard doors were shut tight.

Just as Zara was thinking that, a gust of wind rattled against the kitchen window and the back door out to the garden swung open. Everyone stared at it.

“Hang on – that wasn’t shut?” Mum asked slowly.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_33]

“I suppose when the girls went out to the garden for the treasure hunt no one closed it properly,” Dad said, looking outside. “Pixie couldn’t have got through it though, even if it wasn’t completely shut…”

“But it’s windy,” Mum pointed out. “If the door’s been swinging open and closed we might not have noticed. She could have slipped out.”

“She’s not allowed out!” Zara wailed. “She’s not old enough!”