Lucie sighed. “I’m so jealous. I love Tiger, but he’s really old and just sleeps all day. Can I come and see Smudge soon?” she asked hopefully.
Olivia nodded. She was desperate to show off how gorgeous Smudge was. “Do you want to come to tea tomorrow? Mum’s doing playground duty, we could go and ask her.”
They ran over to Olivia’s mum, who was turning the end of a skipping rope for a bunch of year one girls. “Mum, can Lucie come to tea tomorrow? She really wants to see Smudge.”
Mum frowned. “Oh, not Friday, Lucie, sorry. Ben’s already invited Rob. I’ll ask your mum about popping over at the weekend,” she suggested, and Lucie nodded, looking pleased, but Olivia was frowning.
“Rob’s coming? To tea? Mum, does he have to? Ben always plays up when Rob’s round, they’ll be awful! They might upset Smudge!”
“I’m sure they won’t, Olivia. Oh dear! Up you get, Sinead!” One of the year ones had tripped over the rope, and Mum went to pick her up.
Olivia sighed, and glanced at Lucie. “I bet they will. You know what Ben’s like. And with Rob there he’s three times as bad. I’ll just have to keep Smudge with me the whole time.”
“Smudge! Where are you, puss?” As soon as Olivia got home from school, she dropped her bag, pulled off her coat, and dashed upstairs to search for him. Maybe he was having a sleep on her bed? As she pushed her bedroom door wide open, there was a little mew and Smudge wriggled out from under her bed. A pile of books toppled over as he shot out and scrambled into her lap. Olivia giggled. “Mum’s right, I really do need to tidy up, especially if you’re going to go exploring under there. Those books nearly squashed your tail!” She settled down to do her homework with Smudge purring on her knee. When she’d finished she carried him downstairs, and wandered into the kitchen to talk to Mum. Ben was out in the garden building a den in the apple tree.
“Mum, does Rob have to come to tea tomorrow?”
Mum looked up from the saucepan she was stirring. “Well, yes. It’s all arranged. What’s the matter, Livvy?”
Olivia shrugged. “I don’t want him to…” she whispered. “He does stupid stuff, and he makes Ben do stupid stuff too. They always get into trouble.”
Mum sighed. “I know they’re a bit naughty. But Rob is Ben’s best friend. Can’t you just stay out of their way tomorrow, love?”
“But what if they upset Smudge? Can I take him up to my room tomorrow to keep him out of their way too?”
Mum looked at her seriously for a moment, and shook her head. “Olivia, Ben wants to show Smudge off to Rob. I know you really love Smudge, and he’s taken to you so well, but he’s not just yours, sweetheart. He’s Ben’s kitten as well.”
Olivia nodded miserably. She knew Mum was right, but it didn’t help. Smudge felt like he was her kitten, and she didn’t want the boys anywhere near him.
“Hello, Smudge!” Olivia’s dad walked in, and tickled the kitten under the chin.
Then Ben flung open the kitchen door, and stomped muddy footprints across the floor. “Is it dinnertime yet?”
“Shoes off!” Mum grabbed him. “And then it is, yes.”
Olivia rolled her eyes at Mum. “You see?” she muttered. She let Smudge down to the floor and went to help pass the bowls of pasta round.
“What?” Ben asked, as he hopped around taking off his trainers.
Olivia folded her arms. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to have Rob over tomorrow. Not when we’ve only had Smudge for three days. Rob’ll probably get Smudge to … to climb trees or something. You always do stupid things with him! Like that time you dug a tunnel and pulled up all Dad’s daffodil bulbs!”
Ben shook his head. “That so isn’t fair! For a start, we didn’t know they were there! And anyway, Rob loves cats. He’s been asking his mum and dad for one for ages. He can’t wait to meet Smudge.”
“Oh…” Olivia muttered.
“Actually, where is Smudge?” Mum asked.
Olivia looked down, expecting to see him by her feet, hoping to be fed. But he wasn’t there.
“I don’t know.” Olivia went to look in the hallway, but then there was a worried little meow from somewhere on the other side of the kitchen.
Mum frowned. “Where on earth is he?”
The meowing got louder.
“I think he’s behind the cooker!” Ben said suddenly.
“But it’s still hot from cooking dinner!” Mum cried.
Olivia dashed over to the cooker. “Smudge, come out of there!”
But Smudge only mewed louder.
“He’s stuck,” Olivia muttered, crouching down and trying to reach behind the cooker. “Ow, and it’s hot. I can’t get to him. I think he got trapped and now he can’t turn round!”
Dad shook his head. “What is it with that kitten? The smaller the space, the more he likes it. I’ll have to pull it out a bit.”
He dragged the cooker out from the wall, and Smudge darted out and ran to Olivia. He was trembling, and covered in dust balls – he looked even furrier than usual.
Mum shook her head. “I don’t think Smudge needs the boys to get him into trouble, Olivia. He can manage it perfectly well on his own!”
Chapter Four
After school on Friday, Olivia ran into the house ahead of Rob and Ben, looking for Smudge.
The little grey kitten slipped round the living-room door, mewing excitedly, and purred as she picked him up. Olivia stroked him lovingly, and then took a step back as Rob came over to her. She was used to Rob racing around the playground with Ben, chasing people and getting into trouble. She wasn’t sure he knew how to be careful with a kitten.
“Hey! He’s really cute!”
Olivia nodded slowly.
“Can I stroke him? Will he mind?” Even Rob’s voice was gentler than usual.
“Um, OK…” Olivia looked on anxiously, but Rob tickled Smudge behind the ears – his favourite place, and Smudge purred and wriggled so that Olivia had to hand him over, letting him fasten his claws in Rob’s school sweater.
“He likes you!” Ben commented. “Come on, bring him up to my room.” He grabbed Smudge’s favourite jingly ball and a squeaky mouse.
“But…” Olivia watched as the boys thundered up the stairs, taking Smudge with them. She started to run after them, but Mum called her back. “Leave them on their own, Olivia.”
“But they’ve taken Smudge up there. What are they going to do with him?”
Mum laughed. “Just play with him, like you do! Rob seems to really like him. Come on, Livvy. Come and make some chocolate-chip cookies with me, we can have them after tea.”
Olivia sighed. She supposed Mum was right. Maybe she was just feeling jealous because Smudge seemed to like Rob.
They were in the middle of cutting out the biscuits, when Ben and Rob and Smudge came down to watch TV. Olivia looked at Smudge carefully, but he seemed to be all right. The boys hadn’t trimmed his whiskers, or painted him blue, or done any of the other stupid things she’d been imagining.
A little later, Ben came into the kitchen. “Are the cookies ready yet? They smell fantastic.”
“The first trayful are nearly done, but they’re for after tea, Ben! We’re having fish fingers. And I can see you stealing the chocolate!” Mum waved a spoon at him, as Ben popped a handful of choc drops into his mouth, grinning.
“Where’s Smudge?” Olivia asked anxiously.
“Sitting on the sofa with Rob – calm down, Olivia! He’s fine. Rob thinks he’s great.”
Olivia stared out of the kitchen door, hoping Smudge might come in to see her. But he stayed with Rob.