The Secret Kitten

Gran put an arm round her shoulders. “It’ll get better, Lucy, I promise. In a month’s time, it won’t feel like a new school any more.”

Lucy blinked. She hadn’t expected Gran to notice that she wasn’t really happy. “I suppose so,” she murmured and smiled gratefully at Gran.

“Why don’t we stop in at the baker’s and get a treat? To celebrate school being just about all right?” Gran suggested.

William turned round mid-air and came racing back to them, saying goodbye to Harry. “Cakes? Can we? Can I have a marshmallow ice cream?”

Gran made a face. “I suppose so. I don’t know how you can eat those things, though.”

“It’s really easy,” William told her solemnly and Lucy giggled, feeling the nervous lump inside her melt away for the first time that day.

It was as they were coming out of the baker’s shop, each clutching a rustling paper bag, that Lucy first saw the kittens. She wondered afterwards if they’d heard the bags crinkling, and were hoping that she and William might drop some food.

She’d seen a flash out of the corner of her eye, a darting movement in the alleyway. Lucy almost didn’t stop to look at first – she’d thought that it was probably just pigeons, hopping about after crumbs – but then something had made her turn back and look properly.

The soft grey shadows peering out behind the bins had been cats! No, kittens. Tiny kittens, two of them, their green eyes round and huge in little striped faces.

Lucy reached out her hand to grab at William, who was explaining very seriously to Gran that it was important to eat a marshmallow cone from the bottom up, as then you got to save the marshmallow for last.

“Ow! What?”

“Look…” Lucy whispered, pulling him closer so that he’d see. “But shh!”

“What am I looking at and you didn’t have to grab me, Lucy, Dad says— Oh!”

Gran peered over their heads. “Please tell me that’s not a rat.”

“They’re kittens, Gran. Can we go and take a closer look? Please?”

Gran looked at the shops on either side of the alleyway. “Well, I shouldn’t think they’ll mind. Don’t go into the yard, though, and don’t touch them.”

Lucy and William crept down the alley, holding hands. The little tabby kittens stared at them from behind the wheelie bins. They were crouched low to the ground, ready to spring away to safety, but they stayed still as the children came closer.

When they were almost at the bins, Lucy knelt down, gently pulling William with her.

“Can’t we go closer?” he begged.

“Not yet,” she whispered back. “When I went to Jessie’s house, her cat was really shy and I had to sit like this for ages, but then he climbed into my lap and let me cuddle him. Jessie says he never does that.” Suddenly, Lucy was blinking away tears, thinking of Jessie and all her friends back home.

“They’re coming closer.” William poked her arm impatiently. “Look!”

Lucy dragged her hand across her eyes. It was true – one of the kittens had padded all the way out now – he was almost close enough to sniff at William’s outstretched fingers.

Then, all at once, he darted forward and dabbed his nose at William’s hand.

William squeaked delightedly, “His nose is all cold and damp!”

The kitten disappeared back behind the bins in a blur.

“Sorry!” William whispered.

But it only took seconds for the kitten to be brave enough to peek out again, and this time the other tabby kitten followed him, sniffing curiously at Lucy’s school shoes.

Very slowly, Lucy reached out and stroked the kitten’s stripey head with the tips of her fingers – the fur was so soft, almost silky. And then the kitten purred, so loudly that Lucy couldn’t help giggling. The noise seemed too big for such a tiny creature.

“I wonder where their mother is,” Lucy murmured to William, looking down the alley to see if the mother cat was watching them playing with her babies.

“Are they lost?” William asked worriedly.

“No,” Gran said quietly behind them. “I was just talking to Emma – the girl from the baker’s. She said that they live in the yard – there’s a pile of old boxes and things. She’s been putting some food down for them.”

“They live in a box?” Lucy said, thinking how cold it had been the night before.

Gran nodded. “Yes. But apparently a couple of her regular customers are thinking of trying to adopt these two, once they’re big enough to leave their mother. That won’t be long.”

“Gran, there’s another one!” Lucy gasped. “I was looking for their mum, but there’s a kitten peeping out of that old box! A black-and-white one!”

“So there is!” Gran looked over to where Lucy was pointing. “That’s odd, the lady in the shop only mentioned the two tabbies. Maybe that little one isn’t as friendly as the others. I’m sorry, you two, we have to be off. I need to get dinner ready.” She smiled down at Lucy’s disappointed face. “I’m sure they’ll still be here tomorrow…”

Chapter Three