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“Amber’s got a portable DVD player. I bet she’d lend it to us for the night,” Izzy told her.

Izzy also had a secret stash of chocolate left over from her birthday, and somehow, munching happily and chatting about the worst teachers at their school, Lucy forgot that she wanted to leave Fairford. It seemed all too soon that Izzy’s mum was calling up the stairs to say that Lucy’s dad was here to take her home.

“See you tomorrow!” Izzy waved cheerfully to her as she crossed the road. “Hey, ask your mum if you can walk to school with me and Amber!”

Lucy nodded and waved back.“I will, promise!”

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Lucy walked into the kitchen, smiling happily to herself, and then stopped. Mum and Dad both had serious faces.“What is it?” she asked anxiously.

“Lucy, Mum and I have been talking. About Sky.” Dad’s voice was sad as he looked over at Sky’s basket.

Lucy looked, too. Sky was curled-up fast asleep– she was so cute.

“We really hoped that having Sky to play with and look after would make you feel better about the move. We know you’re missing Ellie and the others.” Her dad sighed. “But I’m sure you’ll settle down after a while. Izzy seems very nice – it’s great that you’re starting to make friends.”

Where is Dad going with this? Lucy gazed at her parents.

“Anyway, it looks like we made a mistake with Sky. We should have talked to you about it first, before we went ahead and brought her home.”

Lucy blinked stupidly. She could see that Dad was telling her something important, but she couldn’t quite seem to understand. Sky was a mistake? Lucy started to feel scared. She looked at Sky, who was still asleep in her basket, although she’d wriggled round and was now lying on her back with her paws in the air. She looked like a toy kitten.

Dad smiled sadly as Sky let out a sleepy half-mew, half-purr.“Luckily the breeder we got Sky from has been very understanding. Tomorrow evening Mum will take Sky back.”

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Chapter Seven

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Lucy felt suddenly cold. It was just like Izzy had said.You might end up having to stay here, and not having a gorgeous kitten.

“Oh, Lucy, don’t look like that!” Her mum came over and gave her a hug. “We’re not cross with you. It was our fault for not talking it over with you first.”

No, you don’t understand! Lucy wanted to cry out.Don’t give her back!I want to keep her! But her voice seemed to stick in her throat as her parents went on talking.

Mum stroked Lucy’s hair sadly. “Sky deserves a home where she’s really wanted. She’s such a loving little kitten – she needs someone to give her loads of love back.”

Lucy had been about to try to explain, but that made her stop. It was so true. Sky did need a home where she was properly loved. Lucy had a horrible feeling that that special home wasn’t here with her. She’d been so mean – Sky didn’t know whether Lucy loved her or hated her.Maybe I just don’t deserve to have a kitten, she thought.

But she had to say goodbye to Sky properly. Even if Sky didn’t understand.

Later, Lucy crept downstairs while her parents were in the front room. Sky was in the kitchen, as she usually was at night, and Lucy opened the door quietly.

Sky saw her from her basket, and laid her ears slightly back, and stared up as Lucy came closer in the faint light from the hallway.

Lucy gulped. It was obvious that Sky didn’t know what was going on. She crouched down by the basket. “Mum and Dad are right,” she whispered to the kitten, running one finger down Sky’s back. “You do deserve a better home than this. I’ve come to say goodbye,” she murmured, her eyes filling with tears. One of them dripped on to Sky’s nose, making her jump.

“Mrow!” she mewed indignantly, and Lucy laughed and cried at the same time, stifling the strange noise in case her parents heard. Sky’s face was so funny, her blue eyes round and cross.

“Ssshh, Sky!” Lucy scooped Sky up, tucking her into her dressing gown. “Come on,” she whispered. Lucy looked round quickly as she opened the kitchen door, then scurried up the stairs to her room.

Sky snuggled against Lucy’s pyjamas, watching curiously as they went upstairs. She’d never got this far before, the stairs were steep and someone always caught her before she’d struggled up more than a few steps.

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Where was she going? Sky purred excitedly as Lucy opened the door to her room and placed her down gently on the floor.

Lucy snuggled under her duvet and watched Sky exploring her bedroom, sniffing her way around the boxes. Having Sky in her room made the little kitten seem much morehers, somehow. Lucy could imagine doing her homework up here, with Sky sitting on her windowsill watching the birds, or snoozing on her duvet. Sky clambered on to the bed next to Lucy, and purred lovingly in her ear.

“What am I going to do, Sky?” Lucy murmured sleepily, stroking her. All of a sudden she was so tired. “I wish you could tell me what to do…”

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Lucy awoke to find Sky licking her face with her rough little tongue.