“I’ll feed her while you scoop out the litter box.”
“And tomorrow we’ll trade jobs?” I asked.
“Why would we do that?” Amanda replied.
It was early in the morning. I didn’t feel like fighting with her.
We fed Bella and petted her a little. Then we locked the door carefully behind us and hurried to school.
That afternoon, Amanda let me feed the cat. Bella gets dry food in the morning and wet food in the afternoon.
I had a little trouble opening the can. The pulltop snapped off.
“You’re as clumsy as an onion,” Amanda said. I told you she was weird. “Use the electric can opener, Mickey. Want me to do it?”
“I can handle it,” I said.
I opened the can easily. Pulled off the lid. Forked the disgusting, fishy stuff into Bella’s bowl.
“Don’t give it to her like that,” Amanda said, grabbing the bowl from me. “You have to mash it up first.”
“Since when are
you
the cat expert?” I asked.
“Since today,” she answered.
Bella sat on her haunches, staring up at the food bowl. Her yellow eyes didn’t blink.
I don’t think she cared if the food was mashed up or not. But Amanda always thinks she knows everything.
Bella gulped the food down hungrily.
“Should we play with her or something?” I said. “Think she’s lonely?”
Bella answered the question for us. She licked the bowl clean. Then she ran off to another room.
“Maybe cats don’t get bored or lonely,” I said.
“You have something disgusting stuck in your nose,” Amanda said. “I’ve been meaning to tell you all day.”
“All
day
?” I cried. “You waited
all day
?”
She tossed back her head and laughed.
“Mickey, how is it going with Bella?” Dad asked me at dinner that night.
“Perfect,” I said.
“If you have any trouble, just ask your mom or me for help,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. “But there won’t be any trouble.”
Wrong.
The next morning, we fed Bella and gave her fresh water. Amanda picked her up and put her in her lap. The cat pawed at her. She tapped Amanda’s shoulder like she was trying to tell her something.
That made Amanda laugh.
Then I heard her mutter, “Uh-oh. Oh, noooo.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Amanda was tugging hard at Bella’s tail. “We have a little problem,” she said.
3
“Problem?” I hurried over to them on the couch.
“My bubble gum,” Amanda said, tugging at the black fur on Bella’s tail. “It flew out when I laughed. And now it’s stuck to her tail.”
I bent down and studied the pink blob stuck in the black fur.
“Why were you chewing bubble gum at seven-thirty in the morning?” I asked.
“I always have bubble gum after breakfast,” Amanda said. “It helps get the egg taste from my mouth.”
She gave a hard tug.
The cat yowled and tried to jump away.
“Help me hold her!” Amanda shouted.
I grabbed Bella around the middle. She swiped at me with her front paws and tried to squirm out of my hands.
“Can’t you twist the gum off?” I asked, struggling to hold the cat still.
“Her fur is all stuck to it,” Amanda said. “I have to cut it off.”
She pushed Bella at me. I gripped her and held her tight against my chest. The cat’s heart was beating so hard.
I tried to calm her down. But her back was stiff and she held her tail straight out.
Amanda ran to the kitchen. A few seconds later, she returned carrying a pair of scissors. “Hold her still,” she ordered.
“I’m trying,” I said. “She doesn’t like this.”
“She’s being very good,” Amanda said. “She’s a very good cat.”
Amanda slid one hand down the cat’s tail. I couldn’t bear to watch. “Just don’t cut her tail off,” I said.
Snip snip.
“All done,” Amanda said. She held up a glob of pink gum covered in fur.
Bella pulled free and jumped to the floor. She turned and stared at us, her tail curling up behind her.
“Amanda, look what you did!” I cried. “She has a bald spot on her tail.” There was a circle
“And tomorrow we’ll trade jobs?” I asked.
“Why would we do that?” Amanda replied.
It was early in the morning. I didn’t feel like fighting with her.
We fed Bella and petted her a little. Then we locked the door carefully behind us and hurried to school.
That afternoon, Amanda let me feed the cat. Bella gets dry food in the morning and wet food in the afternoon.
I had a little trouble opening the can. The pulltop snapped off.
“You’re as clumsy as an onion,” Amanda said. I told you she was weird. “Use the electric can opener, Mickey. Want me to do it?”
“I can handle it,” I said.
I opened the can easily. Pulled off the lid. Forked the disgusting, fishy stuff into Bella’s bowl.
“Don’t give it to her like that,” Amanda said, grabbing the bowl from me. “You have to mash it up first.”
“Since when are
you
the cat expert?” I asked.
“Since today,” she answered.
Bella sat on her haunches, staring up at the food bowl. Her yellow eyes didn’t blink.
I don’t think she cared if the food was mashed up or not. But Amanda always thinks she knows everything.
Bella gulped the food down hungrily.
“Should we play with her or something?” I said. “Think she’s lonely?”
Bella answered the question for us. She licked the bowl clean. Then she ran off to another room.
“Maybe cats don’t get bored or lonely,” I said.
“You have something disgusting stuck in your nose,” Amanda said. “I’ve been meaning to tell you all day.”
“All
day
?” I cried. “You waited
all day
?”
She tossed back her head and laughed.
“Mickey, how is it going with Bella?” Dad asked me at dinner that night.
“Perfect,” I said.
“If you have any trouble, just ask your mom or me for help,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. “But there won’t be any trouble.”
Wrong.
The next morning, we fed Bella and gave her fresh water. Amanda picked her up and put her in her lap. The cat pawed at her. She tapped Amanda’s shoulder like she was trying to tell her something.
That made Amanda laugh.
Then I heard her mutter, “Uh-oh. Oh, noooo.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Amanda was tugging hard at Bella’s tail. “We have a little problem,” she said.
3
“Problem?” I hurried over to them on the couch.
“My bubble gum,” Amanda said, tugging at the black fur on Bella’s tail. “It flew out when I laughed. And now it’s stuck to her tail.”
I bent down and studied the pink blob stuck in the black fur.
“Why were you chewing bubble gum at seven-thirty in the morning?” I asked.
“I always have bubble gum after breakfast,” Amanda said. “It helps get the egg taste from my mouth.”
She gave a hard tug.
The cat yowled and tried to jump away.
“Help me hold her!” Amanda shouted.
I grabbed Bella around the middle. She swiped at me with her front paws and tried to squirm out of my hands.
“Can’t you twist the gum off?” I asked, struggling to hold the cat still.
“Her fur is all stuck to it,” Amanda said. “I have to cut it off.”
She pushed Bella at me. I gripped her and held her tight against my chest. The cat’s heart was beating so hard.
I tried to calm her down. But her back was stiff and she held her tail straight out.
Amanda ran to the kitchen. A few seconds later, she returned carrying a pair of scissors. “Hold her still,” she ordered.
“I’m trying,” I said. “She doesn’t like this.”
“She’s being very good,” Amanda said. “She’s a very good cat.”
Amanda slid one hand down the cat’s tail. I couldn’t bear to watch. “Just don’t cut her tail off,” I said.
Snip snip.
“All done,” Amanda said. She held up a glob of pink gum covered in fur.
Bella pulled free and jumped to the floor. She turned and stared at us, her tail curling up behind her.
“Amanda, look what you did!” I cried. “She has a bald spot on her tail.” There was a circle
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