Friendship Forever

by Sue Bentley

  Storm grinned. “My magic will protect me.” He leaped out of her bag, trailing a fountain of golden sparks behind him. Squish! Tyra saw that there was something like a faint gold bubble starting to form around Storm’s body, legs, and paws. Splat! It hardened into something stretchy that changed shape with his movements as he began sniffing around. Storm scampered through the mud, but his fluffy fur stayed clean and dry inside the magical bubble.

  “That’s so amazing!” Tyra said, laughing. Storm looked cute and weird at the same time!

  “What’s amazing, honey?” asked her mom from the doorway.

  “Um … the way the water’s all disappeared. Where’s it … er, gone? You’d never know it was like a swimming pool in here a couple of days ago,” she babbled.

  “I know,” her mom agreed. “And, lucky for us, in a few weeks’ time it’ll seem as if the flood never happened. Any luck finding Jemima?”

  “Not yet,” Tyra said.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Storm digging around invisibly inside his glowing puppy-shaped bubble. She hid a smile, imagining the look on her mom’s face if she could have seen him!

  Tyra saw Storm heading for the open front door. “I’m going to look in the front garden. She might have gotten swept out there,” she said, following him.

  “Okay. But be careful where you’re stepping,” her mom instructed. “I’m just running upstairs to get a few more things to take back to Pam and Mark’s.”

  Outside, Tyra picked her way around soggy plant pots and flattened flowers. She heard a muffled woof and looked over to see Storm scrabbling in a pile of mud. He gave a triumphant yap as he turned and bounded toward her. There was something in his mouth.

  “Have you found—?” Tyra began, but she broke off as she spotted the bedraggled light-blue dress, the matted golden hair, and the doll’s arm that was dangling at an odd angle.

  The following afternoon, Tyra was curled up on the sofa with Jemima on her lap and Storm snoozing beside her. It was a dismal gray day outside. Pam and Mark were at work and Tyra’s mom and dad were in town, shopping for new furniture and kitchen equipment.

  “Poor old Jemima. I thought you were lost forever,” Tyra said. She turned to Storm. “I’m so glad you found her. Thanks again.”

  “You are welcome.” Storm opened one sleepy eye and yawned. Lifting his head, he watched curiously as Tyra picked up a brush and tried to untangle the doll’s hair.

  Tyra wasn’t making much headway with the brush. Jemima’s once-bright gold curls were dull and matted, and her light-blue eyes were wonky and didn’t blink properly any more. Luckily, her dad had managed to reattach the loose arm.

  Storm was just settling down again with his fluffy paws tucked beneath him, when Tyra heard the front door open and close. There was a thud as Rachel dumped her schoolbag in the hall. Rachel’s school hadn’t been affected by the flood as Tyra’s had.

  Storm jumped up, instantly alert. He stared across the room and wagged his tail as Rachel came in and walked toward him.

  Rachel grinned at the cute puppy and stroked his soft little head. “Hello, Storm! Nice to see you, too.” She looked sideways at Tyra. “Why are you sitting there cuddling that old doll? It’s a mess,” she commented.

  “As if I didn’t know that!” Tyra said more sharply than she’d intended. “I don’t want to think about what Shelly’s going to say when she sees her.”

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “According to you, Shelly’s practically perfect. So she’ll be fine about it, won’t she?” she said. She flicked her dark hair over a shoulder and left the room.

  Tyra heard her running up the stairs. Tyra stared after her. “Did you hear that?” she said to Storm, folding her arms across her chest. “What’s Rachel all upset about now?”

  “I think that Rachel seems like a kind person,” Storm woofed thoughtfully. “She gave up her bedroom for you. I wonder whether she would really like to be friends, but is not sure how to tell you.”

  “But I don’t need another friend!” Tyra exclaimed. “I’ve got Shelly and now you. In fact, you’re all I need!”

  A serious expression crossed Storm’s little round face. “I will not always be here. One day I must return to my home world and lead the Moon-claw pack. Do you understand that, Tyra?”

  Tyra felt herself go cold. She couldn’t bear to think of losing her magical little friend. “Yes … but that won’t be for ages, will it?” she asked, her voice catching.

  “I will stay here as long as I can,” Storm woofed.

  “That’s all right with me,” Tyra said, brightening. She gave him a cuddle.

  But she couldn’t help remembering how lonely she had felt before Storm arrived. It might be nice to have another friend my own age, especially since Shelly will be living so far away, she thought wistfully.

  On Saturday morning, Tyra woke to find lemon-colored sunlight pushing through the curtains. Storm was lying on his side, with all four legs stretched out. As Tyra reached over and began gently stroking his soft tan-and-cream fur, his tail thumped against the duvet. Tyra beamed at her tiny friend. “How about a walk before breakfast?” she suggested, throwing back the comforter.

  Storm jumped down eagerly as she dressed quickly in jeans and a sweater. Tyra was going downstairs with Storm at her heels, when she heard voices from the kitchen.

  “Have you made any plans for the weekend?” Pam was asking Rachel. “Why don’t you and Tyra go for a bike ride or have a game of tennis at the playground.”

  “I don’t think she’s that interested in doing stuff with me,” Rachel said quietly.

  “Still not getting along? I thought that you two would be friends right away,” Pam said. Her voice grew gentler. “Give Tyra time. She’s probably still upset about the flooded house, and she’s recently lost her best friend. She’s bound to come around in time.”

  Rachel sighed heavily. “Oh well, I’ll just have to think of something to do on my own, won’t I?” Her voice grew louder as she came into the hall.

  Tyra whipped around and shot back upstairs before Rachel saw her. She felt slightly guilty for eavesdropping and didn’t want to get caught.

  Storm followed her and then stood beside her on the landing. “Is something wrong, Tyra?”

  Tyra nodded as she realized that she had been too busy moping to notice that Rachel was feeling left out. “I haven’t been very nice to Rachel, have I? I feel bad about it. But I didn’t mean to be horrible. I’m not usually like that.”

  “I know that, Tyra,” Storm woofed, his mouth crinkling in a smile. “If you were, I would not be your friend.”

  Tyra smiled fondly at him. “Thanks, Storm. I’m glad you understand. Do you think Rachel will give me another chance?”

  Storm nodded, his tail twirling happily.

  “How can I make up for being so grumpy?” she wondered aloud, and then suddenly an idea jumped into her head. “I know. How about if I ask her to play tennis with me? Oh no, I just remembered I can’t. My racquet and tennis stuff is at our house …”

  Storm’s fluffy little round face lit up. “That is not a problem!”

  Tyra felt a familiar tingling sensation down her spine as bright gold sparks glowed in his thick tan-and-cream fur. There was a whoosh of glitter that trickled down around Tyra in a sizzling cascade and tickled against her arms and legs.

  Tyra looked down at herself. Her jeans were gone and she was wearing shorts, a white T-shirt and tennis shoes. She closed her fingers around the handle of her tennis racket.

  “Wow! Thanks, Storm. You’re brilliant!” she said, smiling.

  The last spark had only just faded from Storm’s pale fur when Rachel appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Her jaw dropped when she saw Tyra standing there in her tennis clothes. “What are you wearing that for?” she asked.

  Tyra thought quickly. “I was just about to come and find you. I … um, heard your mom telling my mom that you liked tennis. I thought you might want to play a game. There are tennis co
urts on the playground, aren’t there?” She swung the racquet about in a pretend volley, so that it made swishing noises in the air.

  A grin spread across Rachel’s face. “You bet! I’ll go and get changed!”

  Tyra, Rachel, and Storm wandered back across the playground later that afternoon. Tyra felt hot and sweaty after an exciting afternoon of tennis. Both girls were good tennis players and were well matched, but Rachel had finally won by two.

  Storm was wandering around, sniffing at things in the grass. He found something smelly and interesting and threw himself on to his back for a good roll. Picking himself up, he shook himself hard before racing after Tyra and Rachel.

  Up ahead, Tyra suddenly spotted a group of teenage boys playing soccer. She felt a stir of unease as she recognized two of them: a tall, thin boy and a shorter, stocky boy with brown hair.

  Rachel saw where she was looking. “Uh-oh! There’s Dale and Ed again. What a pain. Just ignore them and walk straight past.”

  “I was going to,” Tyra said. She didn’t think that Ed would be stupid enough to pick on her again. Not after Storm had taught him a lesson by making his hands swell up and go purple.

  But she remembered how she had hurt her knee when Ed had shoved her against the slide and couldn’t help feeling nervous even being near the rough boys. Dale and Ed were both much bigger than her.

  “Hey, Rachel!” Dale called out. “Do you and your friend need a puppy-walker?”

  “Yeah! We’ll come over and take Storm out for a walk sometime! We don’t charge much,” Ed joked.

  The other boys with them laughed and made hooting noises.

  “As if!” Rachel shouted, sticking her nose in the air.

  Tyra swallowed hard, worried that the boys would carry out their threat. She just hoped that they didn’t know where Rachel lived.

  Growing bored, Dale and Ed turned back to their game. Relief washed through Tyra. She was glad when they reached the road and the teenage boys were just small shapes in the distance.

  “Ready for our bike ride, then?” Mr. Carson said the following morning.

  “Okay,” Rachel said. She made a face at Tyra, who was sitting with Storm on her lap. “Dad’s trying to stay in shape. I have to keep him company or he cheats and calls into the café for a cupcake.”

  “Me?” her dad said innocently.

  Tyra laughed. “We won’t be very long,” Rachel said. “Will you be all right by yourself?”

  I could never be bored with Storm around, Tyra thought. “I’ll find something to do. No worries. Maybe I’ll try to clean up Jemima again, although it’s probably a waste of time,” she said.

  Rachel nodded and Tyra didn’t see the thoughtful look on her face.

  After she and Storm waved to Rachel and her dad as they cycled away, Tyra wandered back through the empty house.

  Tyra’s mom and dad were down at their house. Tyra hadn’t wanted to go with them this time. It was too depressing to see the downstairs rooms, now stripped of all their furniture and carpets and looking horribly bare.

  Pam was in the back garden. She looked up as Tyra and Storm came outside. “Why don’t you keep me company?” she suggested. “I could use a hand.”

  “I don’t mind,” Tyra said, smiling.

  She wasn’t interested in gardening, but she thought Storm might enjoy running around in the fresh air, and she could leave the problem of Jemima until later.

  “You could do some weeding, if you don’t mind,” Pam suggested. She gave Tyra an old pair of gardening gloves and then showed her a small plot with rows of cabbages and other vegetables. “It’s mainly tufts of grass that you need to pull up,” she explained.

  “No problem. I can do that.” Tyra kneeled down and started to work. The spring sunshine was warm on her back. Birds flitted about busily gathering nesting material and two lime-green brimstone butterflies fluttered overhead in a spiral dance.

  Storm snuffled about, exploring the long grass, and then came to sit beside Tyra. He watched her working for a while, before bouncing down on to his front paws. Grrr-ruff! He invited her to play with him.

  When Tyra didn’t respond, Storm darted forward, scattering the pile of weeds on the path beside her. Grasping the cuff of her gardening glove in his sharp puppy teeth, he laid back his ears and tugged. Grr-rufff! he insisted.

  “Hey! Stop it, you pest!” Tyra scolded, laughing.

  Pam laughed, too. “Storm’s one determined little puppy, isn’t he?” she said, reaching out to pet him. “You know, it’s really nice having him around the house.”

  “I thought you didn’t like dogs that much,” Tyra said.

  Pam looked surprised. “What makes you say that?”

  “Well, Rachel’s not allowed to have a dog, is she?”

  “Oh, I see what you mean. I love dogs, but with all of us out of the house all day, it wouldn’t be fair to have one,” Pam explained.

  Tyra nodded in agreement. “No, it wouldn’t. But Rachel really likes Storm. If she had a puppy of her own, we could take them out for walks together.”

  “I’m glad that you and Rachel seem to be getting along better now,” Pam said, smiling.

  Tyra felt herself going red. She nodded. “We didn’t at first, but I think that was probably my fault,” she said honestly.

  Pam patted her arm. “Maybe—but it takes two to argue. Rachel can be moody, too, even though she’s got a heart of gold.”

  Tyra nodded slowly. “That’s what Storm said … I mean, I could tell that Storm liked Rachel as soon as he met her,” she corrected hastily.

  Luckily, Pam didn’t seem to have noticed Tyra’s slip-up. “You know, I’ve been thinking about going part-time at the office for a while now. I think you’ve just helped me make up my mind.”

  “Cool! So Rachel could have a puppy, couldn’t she?” Tyra said eagerly.

  Pam nodded. “But don’t say anything about this to her. All right?”

  “Okay!” Tyra agreed. She felt a tug on her jeans and glanced down to see that Storm was nibbling the hem. A giggle bubbled up from inside her. “Is it okay if I finish off now? I think Storm really needs a walk.”

  “Of course it is.” Pam smiled. “Thanks for your help. Leave those weeds there to dry out. I’ll dump them on the compost heap later.”

  Tyra stripped off her gardening gloves on her way toward the back door. Storm trotted along beside her. Tyra passed two bikes, which were leaning against the house wall. She went upstairs, intending to go to the bathroom to wash her hands.

  As they reached her bedroom, Storm pricked up his ears. “There is someone inside,” he woofed softly.

  Tyra frowned, puzzled. She’d thought the house was empty, and then she remembered the bikes. Rachel and her dad must be back.

  “I wonder why Rachel didn’t come to find us,” she whispered.

  As she went into the room, she saw that Rachel was bending over Jemima. She held the doll in one hand and reached for the scissors with the other.

  Tyra stared at her in shock. Her mind went into fast forward. It all suddenly made sense. Rachel was still jealous of Tyra’s friendship with Shelly and she was about to take her anger out on Jemima!

  “No—don’t! Give her to me!” Tyra cried. She snatched Jemima away before Rachel could attack the doll with her scissors.

  Rachel frowned in puzzlement. “What’s wrong?” she asked, and then her expression gradually changed as she realized what was happening. “You thought I was going to cut up Jemima’s dress, didn’t you? As if I’d ever be that mean. Thanks a lot!”

  “What were you doing then?” Tyra demanded.

  “It doesn’t matter now,” Rachel said bitterly. Her eyes glinted with tears. She got up and pushed past Tyra as she went out.

  While Tyra stood there uncertainly, Storm jumped up on to the bed. He began sniffing the comforter and then gave a triumphant woof as he made a grab for some things that were hidden in the folds.

  “I can’t believe Rachel. I really thought
we were starting to be friends,” Tyra fumed, and then she frowned as Storm padded across the bed toward her with his mouth full of silky material and long trailing ribbons. “What have you got there?” she asked him.

  Storm dropped the objects in front of her. Tyra saw that the “ribbon” was divided up into centimeters on one side and inches on the other.

  “It’s a tape measure. What would Rachel be doing with … ? Oh no.” Tyra groaned as an awful thought occurred to her. She’d just made a huge mistake. “I mentioned to Rachel that I was going to try and fix Jemima up. I think she was going to make something for Jemima to wear! Now I’ve really done it. Rachel will never speak to me again,” she said miserably.

  The next few days were very busy. Tyra didn’t see much of Rachel during the day as Rachel was at school. And most evenings, she and Storm went to the house with her parents. The dehumidifiers had worked really well, and Tyra was happier being there as it was starting to look more normal.

  On Friday evening, Tyra and Storm were returning to Pam and Mark’s house after a visit to the pet store. Tyra stopped to shift her bag onto her other shoulder. It was full of cans of dog food and packets of treats, and it was heavy.

  “I bet we’ll be moving home soon. Rachel will probably be pleased to have her bedroom back,” she said with a sigh, feeling sad about how things had turned out between them. “Anyway, Storm, you’re going to love living there with me,” she said, cheering up a bit.

  “Storm? Did you hear what I said?” she asked, looking down at him when he didn’t answer her.

  But Storm had stopped dead. Suddenly he gave a whimper of terror and shot through the nearest front garden gate.

  Tyra frowned, puzzled. What was going on? She ran into the garden after Storm and was just in time to see him squirming under a hedge. Tyra bent down and peered in to where he was hiding behind a leafy branch. He had his tail tucked between his legs and was trembling all over.

  “Storm? What’s wrong?” she asked worriedly.

  “It’s Shadow. He has found me,” Storm whimpered. “He has used his magic to send some fierce dogs to find me. Here they come now!” Tyra heard a snapping and growling noise from the street. She crept back to peer around the gate and saw a man approaching with two dogs. As she noticed the dogs’ fierce pale eyes and extra-long teeth, she caught her breath.