A Home for Rascal (4 page)
Authors: Holly Webb
Ellie spent most of the morning on the kitchen floor, playing with Rascal. Max and Lila both joined in for a bit, but then Lila went off to the cinema with some friends, and a mate of Max's came round to go skateboarding.
Ellie shook her head. “I don't know why they want to go out,” she told Mum. “They're missing all this time with Rascal!”
Just then, Christy rang the doorbell.
Ellie was desperate to show Rascal off, and Mum had agreed that Christy could come round straight after her morning walk with Bouncer.
“I need to go and do some work,” said Mum. “You girls will be all right on your own, won't you?”
Rascal peered curiously round the leg of the kitchen table, as Christy came into the room. “Oh, Ellie, he's gorgeous!” she said.
“Just make sure you keep your new trainers away from him!” Ellie warned.
Rascal trotted over to Christy. She held out her hand for him to smell and he gave it a gentle lick.
“He likes you,” said Ellie, as Christy
bowled a ball of rolled-up newspaper towards the puppy. Rascal leaped on it, growling fiercely and tearing it with his little white teeth. “I hope he gets on with Bouncer, too.”
“He's so tiny, Bouncer's going to have to be careful not to squash him.” Christy giggled. “Oh, look, we'd better clear up all that paper before your mum comes back.”
After playing all afternoon, Rascal had keeled over in the middle of a game and fallen asleep, half on Ellie and half on Christy.
“He's like a toy dog when he's sleeping,” Christy whispered, as she gently edged him further on to Ellie. “Bye, Rascal! Why don't you ask your mum if you can take him for a walk tomorrow morning with me and Bouncer?”
Ellie sighed. “I wish we could, but Rascal's got to have his last lot of
vaccinations before he's allowed out. We're taking him to the vet's tomorrow, though.”
She waved Christy off from her place on the floor, then stroked Rascal's head, just with one finger. His fur was so smooth and soft.
Christy had only just left, when Ellie heard Lila come home.
“Hey, Rascal,” said Lila, opening the kitchen door.
Straight away, Rascal opened his eyes. He stood up on Ellie's lap, barking excitedly.
Ellie frowned. Her leg felt funny. Sort of warm ⦠and wetâ¦
“Uuurgh, Rascal!” Ellie groaned. “You're supposed to use the newspaper for that, remember!”
Lila stared at her in horror. “Did he wee on you?”
Ellie lifted Rascal off her damp jeans and nodded. She carried Rascal over to his newspapers. “Here, look, on the newspaper⦔ Rascal looked round at her apologetically and gave his tail a tiny wag. “It's OK, I'm not cross. I'm going to have to go and change, though!”
Lila shook her head and giggled. “I can't believe he weed on you! Rather you than me, Ellie!”
Ellie lifted Rascal out of his pet carrier and clipped on his lead, just in case he wriggled out of her arms in the vet's. Rascal was looking around eagerly, his tail wagging with excitement.
Ellie laughed. “It's only the vet's car park, Rascal! I just can't wait to take him for a proper walk, Mum.”
“It won't be long now. We need to wait a week for the vaccinations to work, that's all.”
“Oh, I thought he'd be able to go out straight away. A week is ages,” Ellie
said sadly. “It'll be almost the end of the holidays by then. And Christy's going to be really disappointed, too.”
“You'll still be able to walk him after school once you go back,” said Mum. “And Christy can come over to play with him whenever she wants.”
The vet's waiting room was empty, apart from one lady with a cat basket, sitting in the corner. Ellie and Mum sat down to wait for their turn, and Rascal sniffed around their chairs, fascinated by all the strange smells.
It wasn't long before he noticed the cat basket, and he eyed it eagerly. Before Ellie could stop him, he'd pulled the lead from her hands and scampered over to
take a look. Ellie dashed after him and grabbed the lead, just as Rascal poked his nose through the bars.
“Rascal, I wouldn'tâ”
There was a burst of angry hissing. Then a sharp-clawed paw shot out of the front of the basket, sending Rascal reeling backwards, right into a display stand of leaflets, which scattered all over the floor.
The cat's owner glared at Ellie, and Rascal scuttled back to her, whimpering. Mum quickly started to pick up the leaflets, looking embarrassed.
Ellie cuddled Rascal tightly and whispered in his ear. “Shh, it's all right.” She lowered her voice even more. “It's a horrible mean cat, just leave it alone.”
“I should have known he'd be trouble,” Mum sighed, as she replaced the last of the leaflets. “I only hope it's our turn soon.”
Mum had arranged ages ago for Auntie Gemma to take Ellie and Lila shopping that Friday. (Max had been invited too, but he’d said he’d rather have his fingers cut off.) Ellie was a bit worried about leaving Rascal, even though he’d been fine since his injections. She’d been out without him, of course, but only for short walks with Christy and Bouncer, and to the shops with Mum. This was a whole day. Still, he’d have Mum and Max.
Auntie Gemma made a big fuss of Rascal. But she wasn’t too happy when she realized he’d chewed through the leather thong holding the charm on to her handbag, which she’d unwisely left under the table. “Don’t worry, I suppose it won’t be too hard to mend,” Auntie Gemma said, as Ellie apologized. “Shall we get going, girls?”
Ellie missed Rascal, even though they had a lovely time shopping. Auntie Gemma bought her a gorgeous purple T-shirt, and a red one for Lila. Then Ellie persuaded her to take them to a pet shop, where she got Rascal a special chew toy with a space to put dog treats in. Ellie wanted to make up for leaving him behind.
For lunch, Auntie Gemma took the girls to a pizza restaurant. Normally, pizza was Ellie’s favourite, but she just couldn’t help thinking about what Rascal was doing without her. She picked at her food, wondering if Rascal would like pepperoni. It felt strange not to have him begging by
her chair for Ellie to feed him little titbits when Mum wasn’t looking. She hoped Mum had remembered to give him all his special meals, and to wash off the sticky porridge one from his ears before it set.
Ellie raced up the path when they got home, and rang repeatedly on the doorbell.
“I’m coming, I’m coming,” came Mum’s voice. She opened the front door, looking harassed.
“Oh, I’m glad you’re back, Ellie!”
“What is it? Is Rascal OK?”
“Well, he sat by the kitchen door and moaned the whole day – when he wasn’t howling! Max tried to cheer him up, but I think he just wanted you. Oh, I’ve got such a headache.”
There was a whimpering and scrabbling sound coming from the kitchen, and Rascal threw himself at Ellie as soon as she opened the door.
“Just look at those scratches on the paintwork!” Mum cried.
Auntie Gemma laughed. “I think you named him just right, Ellie!”
“Rascal, no! Ellie, catch him, please!” Mum sounded cross. Rascal was sick of being shut in the kitchen, and was getting clever at sneaking out whenever anyone opened the door even a crack. “If he escapes again, then no walk today!”
Ellie carefully shooed Rascal back in.
“Sorry, Rascal! This is your room.” She turned to her mum. “You didn’t mean what you said about not going for a walk?” she asked worriedly.
Mum sighed. “No, I suppose not. And we probably should start letting him out of the kitchen now he’s settled in. But he got halfway up the stairs twice last night, before your dad caught him. I think he wants to be with you.”
Ellie imagined Rascal asleep on her bed. She looked at her mum hopefully. “Could I … just once?”
“No! And don’t think I won’t notice if you try and sneak him into your room. He sheds those white hairs
everywhere he goes!”
Rascal looked over at Mum with big brown eyes, as she opened the fridge door. “Oh, yes, you’re very cute, but you’re not getting round me. Don’t try and pretend you’re starving, just because I’ve got the fridge open.” She frowned. “There should be some ham in here I was going to use for lunch. Max must’ve eaten it!”
Ellie opened her mouth and then shut it again, as Max came into the kitchen.
“Mum! I’m starving, what’s for lunch?”
Mum glared at Max. “How can you possibly be hungry when you’ve eaten all that ham that was in here? Toast is what you’ll be getting now; there’s nothing left for sandwiches!”
“I didn’t eat it!” Max protested.
Mum folded her arms. “Like you didn’t eat that whole packet of biscuits last week?”
“I did take the biscuits, I told you I did, but not the ham. This is so unfair!”
“Fine. No lunch,” Mum snapped.
“Um, Mum…” Ellie muttered. “It was me…”
Mum looked at her wide-eyed. “You ate half a packet of ham? Ellie, you don’t even like ham. I always have to do Marmite for you!”
“Rascal likes it,” Ellie whispered.
Mum looked down at Rascal, sitting innocently by Ellie’s feet. “You fed it to Rascal? All of it?”
“He was hungry…” Ellie stared down at the floor. She wasn’t used to Mum being cross with her. “And I thought he might need a little extra, with his first proper walk this afternoon. Sorry, Mum.”
“Ellie, you’ll make him sick if you overfeed him,” Mum explained. “You really mustn’t give him anything that isn’t his proper food. And don’t take food out of the fridge without asking!” She frowned. “You’d better both be angels from now on, or the walk really can wait for another day!”
Ellie nodded. “I will, and Rascal will too, I promise!”
“I just hope he isn’t sick,” Mum muttered.
“Hey, what about me?” Max put in.
“What am I going to have to eat if Rascal’s had all the ham?”
