by Holly Webb
Luckily, the cat dancing game worked almost as well with string, especially when Jasmine invented a brilliant new cat toy by tying some of the feathers and wool from a craft set she had on to the string to make it more exciting. They had a brilliant game with it after school on Thursday afternoon. Lara was there, too, to celebrate the start of the Christmas holidays. Mum had got them the ingredients to make some snowmen cakes, which Jasmine had seen in a magazine, and they sat in the kitchen taking turns to lick out the bowl while the cakes cooked. Lara offered a teensy bit of mixture to Star, who was sitting next to her on a chair, purring loudly.
Jasmine laughed as Star eagerly licked Lara’s fingers. “Don’t give her any more. She’s such a piglet. Even with all the exercise she’s been getting, she’s still got that little round tummy. In fact it seems bigger! But I know we’re not overfeeding her, I’ve checked the instructions on the cat food really carefully.” She sighed. “I wonder if she’s helping herself to food out of another cat’s house? I wouldn’t put it past her. She’s so cute she can get away with anything.”
Lara nodded. “I can’t believe she won over your mum and dad, after all you said about them not liking cats.”
Jasmine smiled. “It’s amazing. I’ve loved looking after Star so much, and I’m really going to miss her when the Murrays get back. I know she’ll only be next door, but she won’t be sleeping on my bed every night. I’ve been hoping Star might have charmed Mum and Dad enough that they’d let me have a cat of my own…”
“You really think they will?” said Lara excitedly.
Jasmine reached over and tickled Star lovingly under her chin. “I’m not sure… If the Murrays come home and say Star’s got fat because we’ve been overfeeding her, I’ve got no chance!”
“But I’m sure the Murrays will see how happy Star is and how well you’ve looked after her. You really love her, and she adores you – you can tell she does.” Lara licked her spoon. “You wouldn’t mind having a cat that wasn’t Star, though?”
Jasmine looked thoughtful. “It would be weird,” she admitted. “Star’s so special. But I know she isn’t mine. I’ve always known that. And you’ve not seen her with Helen and Andy from next door. She’s clearly their cat. I mean, she likes me, but it isn’t quite the same.” She grinned at Lara. “I need Star number two!”
Jasmine woke up the next morning feeling so happy. At first she couldn’t remember why, but then she realized it was the first proper day of the Christmas holidays, and she had a busy day of making Christmas cards and wrapping presents planned. The weather forecast had said there would be snow today, too, lots of it. It sounded as though it was going to be a real white Christmas. Jasmine smiled to herself, imagining Star chasing snowflakes, batting at them with her little paws.
She yawned and sat up, ready to stroke Star. But she wasn’t there. Surprised, Jasmine looked under her duvet, in case she had crept underneath. She did that sometimes. No Star. She wasn’t hiding in Jasmine’s wardrobe, under the bed, or on her beanbag, either.
Jasmine threw on her dressing gown, and went downstairs, feeling worried. Star was always there when she woke up! Or sometimes she got sick of waiting and rubbed round Jasmine’s face until she woke up. But she’d never gone downstairs without Jasmine before.
She found Star in the kitchen, mewing at her mum, who was scooping cat food into her bowl. She didn’t even look at Jasmine, just danced and hopped round Mum’s legs until she put the bowl down.
“She seems hungry this morning!” Mum commented.
“Mmm.” Jasmine didn’t want to say anything. She felt a bit silly, as if she was making a fuss about nothing.
But it was the same all day. Star didn’t seem to want to play. She ignored the string and feathers toy when Jasmine waved it in front of her nose, and she didn’t seem interested in present wrapping at all. She went and slept on the sofa for the whole afternoon, and Jasmine felt really lonely. It was stupid, because she’d only been looking after Star for a couple of weeks – but now Star didn’t want to be with her it felt awful.
Jasmine watched Star anxiously as she bolted down her tea. It was the only time Star had been friendly all day – when she wanted Jasmine to feed her.
“She’s starving again,” Mum commented, smiling as she watched Star gobbling her food.
Jasmine nodded. “Mum, do you think Star’s all right?” she asked worriedly. “She hasn’t been very friendly today, not like she usually is. And she slept all afternoon!”
Mum looked at her in surprise. “Well, I don’t think she’s ill, not the way she’s eating!”
Jasmine sighed. “I suppose not. Maybe I’ve been fussing over her too much.”
Mum gave her a hug. “Don’t worry. Maybe cats have moods just like people. Perhaps Star just feels like some time to herself today.”
Star licked all the way round her food bowl, and looked at it for a moment in case it magically refilled itself. Then she turned round and walked out of the kitchen, without even looking at Jasmine.
Chapter Five
Star was feeling odd. She didn’t know why, but things felt different. She knew she needed to find somewhere quiet and warm, and just curl up and be on her own for a while. But no one seemed to want her to do that!
Star loved Jasmine, and usually she adored all the attention and cuddling she got at Jasmine’s house, but not right now. After breakfast that morning, she set off determined to find herself a quiet little nest.
But everywhere in the house seemed busy, and noisy, and full of people – which, considering only Jasmine and her mum were there, was rather strange. Grumpily, Star wandered back into the kitchen to see if there was any more food in her bowl. She was so hungry at the moment! Then she spotted the perfect place…
Jasmine’s mum had been looking for the red tablecloth she liked to use for Christmas lunch, and she’d left a drawer in the big kitchen cupboard half open. Star peered into it interestedly. It was full of hand towels, tea towels and tablecloths. Warm, soft, clean things that would be perfect to snuggle up and snooze on. Star wondered why she had never noticed it before – it was just right! She stepped in and curled up at the back of the drawer, yawning and closing her eyes.
Some time later, Star woke up to find herself in complete darkness. She opened her eyes very wide, her heart thudding, unable to think where she was. Then she remembered. Her soft, cosy nest. What had happened to it? Why had it gone dark? She edged forward to where the opening had been and pawed at the wooden walls. She was shut in a tight, dark box! Panicking, Star scratched and scuffled at the front of the drawer, and mewed frantically.
Jasmine and her mum were making cards at the kitchen table. “That sounds like Star,” said Jasmine. “I was wondering where she was. She’s shut in somewhere, Mum!”
“I don’t understand,” Jasmine’s mum muttered, opening cupboards. “Where can she be? Oh! Oh dear, the drawer!”
Star blinked and cowered as her nest moved sharply, bumping her head against the top of the drawer. She was pulled out into the light, huddling against the towels.
“Oh, poor Star…” Jasmine lifted her out, and Star snuggled gratefully against her.
“What on earth was she doing in there?” Jasmine’s mum asked, sounding rather guilty – she had been the one who shut Star in.
“I suppose she was just looking for somewhere cosy to sleep,” Jasmine suggested. “It wasn’t your fault, Mum, you couldn’t have known she was there.” She stroked Star’s head gently. “I know we’re cutting back, but I think she really deserves a cat treat!”
Mum and Jasmine went back to card-making, and Star played half-heartedly with some pencils, but she couldn’t enjoy the game properly. She was still feeling the need to find herself a quiet place to rest, and she sneaked away to go searching again. This time she found a space under the stairs. It was quiet and dark, and it didn’t have a door that anyone could close on her by accident. There were lots of odd things stored under there: wellies, roller skates, and a bi
g basket full of gloves and scarves and hats. Star scrambled up the side and turned round several times, purring throatily. This was just right. She would stay here.
But it didn’t last. Star was sleeping peacefully when she felt her hiding place shudder as Jasmine raced up the stairs over her head, calling for her. And then Jasmine’s mum hauled out the vacuum cleaner, which was right next to her basket bed.
“Oh, Star, I didn’t see you. She’s down here, Jasmine!” Mum called. And Jasmine came dashing down the stairs again, thud, thump, thud, and picked Star up for a cuddle.
Star was still half-asleep, and she was grumpy. She didn’t want to be picked up. She wanted to be left alone. Crossly, she gave a loud hiss, lashed out with her claws and scratched Jasmine’s arm.
Jasmine was so surprised she yelled and dropped Star, who hissed and shot into the kitchen. There she yowled at Jasmine’s mum until she opened the back door.
Jasmine clutched her arm, which was oozing a few spots of blood. She entered the kitchen just in time to see Star’s grey and brown striped tail disappearing round the back door. Then she sat down at the kitchen table and cried. Star had scratched her – and then Jasmine had scared her so much by shouting that she’d run away!
Star stayed out in the garden until it got dark, hiding under a clump of bushes. She was shivering from the cold and knew she couldn’t stay out all night. But she’d spent a long time trying to work out where she could go and hadn’t found anywhere good. Everywhere was too busy, too full of people.
She crept out from under her bush and sneaked over to the hole under the fence. She didn’t quite have the energy to climb over the fence right now. She dug a little with her claws, widening the hole, then squeezed herself underneath. She had been back to her own garden quite a lot while she was staying at Jasmine’s house, trying to make sure all the local cats still knew it was hers. Perhaps she could go and make a nest in the bramble patch? She shivered again. No, it was far too cold, colder than she’d ever felt it, and the ground was frozen hard. She needed somewhere really warm.
Her house! Of course. She had been back a few times since she’d been staying with Jasmine, to see if the Murrays had come back, but it felt strange and empty. Now the quiet house felt like just what she needed.
Eagerly, Star scurried over to the door and nosed at her cat flap, squeezing herself in.
It was so quiet. No one around. Quite warm, or at least warmer than the bramble bushes. Perfect. She looked round the kitchen thoughtfully, trying to think of a good place to go.
After her experience with drawers at Jasmine’s house, she didn’t want anywhere too small and tight. Star set off upstairs, and tried all the beds, but they weren’t right either – too out in the open. At last, in the smaller bedroom, she found the airing cupboard. The door was shut, but it only had a light catch, and the door itself was made of wooden slats that were perfect for claws to hook between.
Star pulled it open and crept in, sniffing delightedly at the clean, fresh smell. The floor was covered in a pile of old towels, and she curled up on them, closing her eyes peacefully. She was home. Just in time.
Chapter Six
It was almost bedtime. By now Jasmine was panicking. She couldn’t find Star anywhere. She’d even checked the kitchen cupboard drawer, just in case.
“She’s run away because I shouted at her!” Jasmine wailed. “It’s all my fault!”
“She’s probably just out exploring,” Jasmine’s mum suggested, trying to calm her down. “You know she likes to go off and sniff around in those brambles next door.”
Jasmine bolted out into the dark garden, without even putting on her coat, and raced down to the end. She climbed up her mum’s rockery – which she definitely wasn’t allowed to do – and peered over at the brambly bit at the end of the Murrays’ garden. A few tiny snowflakes drifted gently past her nose, and she shivered.
“Star! Star! Here, puss, puss…” She tried again and again, but no little stripy cat appeared out of the trailing branches, looking up at her lovingly.
Jasmine wandered sadly back up the garden. She looked so unhappy that her mum didn’t bother telling her off.
“She isn’t there.”
“You don’t know that, Jasmine. She might just not want to come out.”
“But why?” Jasmine cried. “Why doesn’t she want to play any more? What have I done to make her not like me? I was supposed to be looking after her! She used to like me, I know she did, but she even scratched me! She’s never done that before.”
She slumped down in a kitchen chair, and her mum sat down next to her. “Jasmine, it isn’t your fault. You’ve looked after her really well. Cats are like that sometimes. They can get touchy and grumpy, just like people can. She’s probably stalking blackbirds in a garden a few doors down. I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”
Jasmine gave her a disbelieving look. “It’s starting to snow out there, Mum! It’s freezing! Star wouldn’t want to stay out in this weather – she likes being warm.” Jasmine looked over at Star’s bowl, which was full of food. “She hasn’t even come back for her tea and she must be really hungry by now. Oh, what if she doesn’t come back? What are we going to do? How will we tell Andy and Helen?”
Mum thought for a moment, then smiled. “Do you know what I think, Star’s probably gone back home!”
Jasmine’s mouth opened, then she grinned back at her mum. “Of course she has!” She hugged her round the waist lovingly. “Oh, Mum, you’re so clever, why didn’t I think of that?”
The house felt strange, rather cold and very quiet. Jasmine couldn’t help feeling guilty, as though she was trespassing. She was glad Mum had come with her.
She had hoped that Star would come out to meet her as soon as she opened the door, but no little stripy cat appeared, mewing in welcome. Then Jasmine had an awful thought – what if Star had accidentally got herself shut in somewhere like she had earlier? That was only because Mum had shut the drawer, of course, but Star could easily have got herself trapped if a door had swung closed. And no one had been here to let her out! Jasmine ran through the house, calling and calling for Star, until her voice hurt and Mum told her gently to stop.
Tucked away inside the warm airing cupboard, Star could hear Jasmine calling her name. She was tempted to mew and let Jasmine know where she was – she missed her soft stroking, the loving whispers, and the delicious treats Jasmine always had for her. But for now she needed to be alone. She wasn’t ready quite yet. Soon.
Mum had her arm round Jasmine as they walked back home. “She’ll turn up,” she told her, trying to sound encouraging. “You know Helen said she’d been wandering a bit.”
“Did you find her?” Dad opened the front door as they came down the path.
Jasmine shook her head sadly, and Dad gave her a hug. “I’ll help you look for her tomorrow,” he promised. But he gave his wife a worried frown over Jasmine’s head.
“I don’t think we’ll ever find her!” Jasmine wailed.
“Oh, darling, you’re getting way ahead of yourself! If she isn’t back in the morning, then we’ll go and look for her. But she will be. You’ll see.”
Just before Jasmine went to bed that night, she went to draw her bedroom curtains and peered out at the night-filled garden. There were deep shadows everywhere and it looked frightening. Jasmine hated to think of Star out there somewhere all on her own. Last time Star had been out at night, Jasmine had rescued her. But now she wasn’t even sure Star would want to be rescued. Or at least not by her.
“If only I hadn’t shouted at her like that,” she whispered miserably to her reflection in the window.
Suddenly the dark sky filled with thick snowflakes, and Jasmine watched sadly as they began to cover the garden in frozen whiteness.
Chapter Seven
To: Jasmine
From: Helen Murray
Subject: Hello!
We’re having a wonderful time. Saw a newspaper and can’t believe it’s snowing back at home,
and we’re sunbathing and swimming in the sea here! Hope you’re really enjoying it though – it’s the first time Star has seen snow. Make a snowman for us!
Love from Helen and Andy
PS Happy Christmas! Go next door and look in the cupboard under the sink, just a little present for you and one for Star, her favourite salmon treats!
A fat tear splashed on to the keyboard. It was snowing still, just in time for a white Christmas, the first one for years. Everyone was really excited about it, but Jasmine couldn’t care less. Lara had invited her to go and build an igloo in her garden, but Jasmine couldn’t face it. She just kept imagining poor Star, shivering in the middle of a snowstorm, ice dripping off her whiskers. It was the worst Christmas ever. She couldn’t even feel excited about presents.
“Do you think we should call and tell them she’s gone?” Jasmine asked her mum sadly. The Murrays’ email said they’d got her a present, to say thank you for looking after Star so well… She felt so miserably guilty. “They left the number of their hotel, didn’t they?”
“Yes, they did,” said Mum. “But Star’s only been gone one night, and we don’t want to ruin their holiday. There’s nothing they could do. I’m sure she’ll be back by the time they fly home in a few days anyway.”
Jasmine nodded. She supposed Mum was right. It would only make the Murrays really sad, and there was a chance she might still find her…
She’d spent the morning going up and down the street with Dad, peering under bushes and looking behind walls. Jasmine had even asked everyone she knew in the street to look in their sheds and garages, and tell their neighbours. Feeling helpless, she went to put on her coat. She didn’t really think she’d find Star now, but she couldn’t give up. It was Christmas Eve tomorrow. How could she leave Star lost out in the snow at Christmas?
