“I thought I’d never find her!” Megan said gratefully, looking at Bella. “You must have run after her really fast. I was worried she might get into the car park.” She shuddered, and Bella put an arm round her shoulders.
“It’s OK, we got her back. Here, let’s put her collar on again.” Bella helped Megan to fasten it, and Bella put Coco down gently. Then she glanced back up at Megan.
“I’m really sorry I agreed with Lara about Sid,” Megan said. “I was so horrible. And to Sarah, too. It’s just, I never thought we wouldn’t be friends, and then suddenly you were with her all the time…”
“She’s nice. A lot nicer than Lara and Chloe,” Bella said. “I still like you, but I don’t want to hang around with them any more.”
Megan looked at her feet. “I know. I don’t like them much either. But if you aren’t friends with Lara, she says bad things about you…”
Bella shrugged. “I don’t care.” And she didn’t, she realized. She probably would, when Lara started up again, but she would tell herself that it didn’t really matter. “We can just walk away,” she pointed out to Megan.
“I suppose so. I’ll say sorry to Sarah.” Megan looked at her hopefully. “Do you think we can go back to being friends?”
Bella smiled. “We could try…”
“How did you get Sid to do that amazing walking on his hind paws?” Megan asked, as they wandered along the path through the park.
It was Sunday afternoon, and Bella had arranged for her and Megan and Sarah and their mums to meet up. She was a bit worried about Megan and Sarah not getting on, so she wanted them to try and get to know each other, before they all had to go back to school on Monday.
“You saw that?” Bella asked, feeling pleased. “It’s all about dog treats. Sid’s really greedy. He’d do anything for them.”
“I wonder if Coco could.” Megan sighed. “She’s lovely, but I’m not very good at getting her to do what she’s told.”
“She is only little,” Sarah pointed out. “She’ll probably get more sensible as she gets older.”
“Maybe… But I wish she’d hurry up,” Megan sighed. “She keeps eating things. One of my mum’s shoes yesterday.”
“Why don’t you bring her to the dog-training classes at the church hall?” Bella suggested. “We’re starting to go next week.”
Megan looked hopeful. “That’s a good idea. Is the class OK for beginners, too? I mean, Sid’s already so good.”
Bella glowed. He was good. He was fabulous, actually. “I’m sure it’s all right,” she agreed proudly, watching Sid and Coco walking sweetly next to each other.
“They look like friends already,” Sarah said, laughing at them. “Look, they’re chatting.”
Bella looked over. It was true. Sid and Coco were standing with their heads together, watching a jogger speeding down the path towards them. They looked so cute beside each other.
“I don’t think they like his orange trainers,” Megan whispered, and Bella tried not to laugh. It felt good, being with Megan and Sarah. And Coco and Sid obviously loved walking together, as well.
“They’re definitely friends,” Bella said, smiling at Megan. She didn’t need to say it, but what she really meant was, We all are…
About the Author
Copyright
STRIPES PUBLISHING
An imprint of Little Tiger Press
1 The Coda Centre, 189 Munster Road,
London SW6 6AW
Text copyright © Holly Webb, 2014
Illustrations copyright © Sophy Williams, 2014
Author photograph copyright © Nigel Bird
My Naughty Little Puppy illustration copyright © Kate Pankhurst
First published as an ebook by Stripes Publishing in 2014.
eISBN: 978–1–84715–617–4
The right of Holly Webb and Sophy Williams to be identified as the author and illustrator of this work respectively has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved.
Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any forms, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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