most likely she would when she was ready, even when Mrs. Hauser explained that Lady Serena had never been outside before and probably didn’t even know how to GET home.
Even though Mrs. Hauser was nice about my letting her cat out, her youngest daughter sure wasn’t. Everychance she got, Brittany leaned over and hissed, “I’ll get you for this.” Which I didn’t think was very nice, because it really wasn’t my fault. I mean, it was, but it wasn’t.
“I didn’t tell,” I said to her, meaning about the suitcase.
“It doesn’t matter,” Brittany whispered back. “I did this all for you, anyway. You’re the one who’s moving. I wanted to make your last weeks here special by making Mary Kay like you again. But now I see why she doesn’t. You ruin everything, Allie Finkle.”
This was kind of hard to hear. Especially since I knew it wasn’t true. The truth was, Brittany Hauser was the ruiner. Especially the ruiner of cats.
At that moment, I was kind of glad I might be moving. I was kind of glad I might be going away and never going to see any of these people again.
By the time Mom came to pick me up, the only person who was speaking to me was Mrs. Hauser.
“Don’t worry, Allie,” she said as I climbed into our car. “I’m sure Lady Serena Archibald will come home when she gets hungry.”
It was kind of hard to believe she really even thought this, though. Because I could see the tears in her eyes. She was just trying to be brave. She loved that cat so much , even though she’d only had her a few months.
The thing was, I could totally see why. If I had let my parents move and give me Mewsette, I know I’d have loved her just as much.
“I really hope so,” I said as I buckled up. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know you are, sweetie,” Mrs. Hauser said with a smile. But I could tell that beneath the smile she was as worried as I was. More worried, even.
I really didn’t want to make Mrs. Hauser more worried.
But I wanted to make her understand what had happened—why I had done what I had done.
And I also wanted to make sure that if Lady Serena Archibald did come back someday, she wouldn’t need to be rescued again.
So I said, even though saying it made my stomach hurt (and not just because I hadn’t been able to touch mycheesy bread, on account of not being hungry at all after losing Mrs. Hauser’s cat), “It’s just, I really don’t think Lady Serena likes it when Brittany plays lady business executive and puts her in that suitcase.”
Mrs. Hauser looked at me funny, and asked, “What suitcase, honey?”
So I told Mrs. Hauser all about lady business executive. Since Brittany was already mad at me—and I was out of missile range—I didn’t think it would make any difference now.
And it might keep Lady Serena Archibald safe in the future.
Mrs. Hauser got very quiet when she heard about the game her daughter secretly liked to play with her cat.
And when she learned that was the reason I’d accidentally let Lady Serena outside, she said, in a strange voice, “I understand now. Well. Thank you, Allie. Thank you very much for being honest with me.”
Then she turned away and yelled, “BRITTANY!” in the scariest voice I have ever heard.
I was glad when my mom got into the car and started it and pulled away.
“What was that all about?” she wanted to know.
“Brittany Hauser likes to put her mom’s cat in a suitcase and shake her around,” I said. “And I just told on her.”
My mom started to laugh, but then stopped herself.
“Well,” she said. “You’re just having a banner day, aren’t you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I wanted to know. I was having to lean against the closed car window because my head was feeling so heavy all of a sudden. I was glad I was the first one being picked up. I don’t know if I could have handled it if Mark and Kevin had been in the backseat, talking about trucks and bugs and sports and velvet wallpaper.
“I mean, not
Even though Mrs. Hauser was nice about my letting her cat out, her youngest daughter sure wasn’t. Everychance she got, Brittany leaned over and hissed, “I’ll get you for this.” Which I didn’t think was very nice, because it really wasn’t my fault. I mean, it was, but it wasn’t.
“I didn’t tell,” I said to her, meaning about the suitcase.
“It doesn’t matter,” Brittany whispered back. “I did this all for you, anyway. You’re the one who’s moving. I wanted to make your last weeks here special by making Mary Kay like you again. But now I see why she doesn’t. You ruin everything, Allie Finkle.”
This was kind of hard to hear. Especially since I knew it wasn’t true. The truth was, Brittany Hauser was the ruiner. Especially the ruiner of cats.
At that moment, I was kind of glad I might be moving. I was kind of glad I might be going away and never going to see any of these people again.
By the time Mom came to pick me up, the only person who was speaking to me was Mrs. Hauser.
“Don’t worry, Allie,” she said as I climbed into our car. “I’m sure Lady Serena Archibald will come home when she gets hungry.”
It was kind of hard to believe she really even thought this, though. Because I could see the tears in her eyes. She was just trying to be brave. She loved that cat so much , even though she’d only had her a few months.
The thing was, I could totally see why. If I had let my parents move and give me Mewsette, I know I’d have loved her just as much.
“I really hope so,” I said as I buckled up. “I’m so sorry.”
“I know you are, sweetie,” Mrs. Hauser said with a smile. But I could tell that beneath the smile she was as worried as I was. More worried, even.
I really didn’t want to make Mrs. Hauser more worried.
But I wanted to make her understand what had happened—why I had done what I had done.
And I also wanted to make sure that if Lady Serena Archibald did come back someday, she wouldn’t need to be rescued again.
So I said, even though saying it made my stomach hurt (and not just because I hadn’t been able to touch mycheesy bread, on account of not being hungry at all after losing Mrs. Hauser’s cat), “It’s just, I really don’t think Lady Serena likes it when Brittany plays lady business executive and puts her in that suitcase.”
Mrs. Hauser looked at me funny, and asked, “What suitcase, honey?”
So I told Mrs. Hauser all about lady business executive. Since Brittany was already mad at me—and I was out of missile range—I didn’t think it would make any difference now.
And it might keep Lady Serena Archibald safe in the future.
Mrs. Hauser got very quiet when she heard about the game her daughter secretly liked to play with her cat.
And when she learned that was the reason I’d accidentally let Lady Serena outside, she said, in a strange voice, “I understand now. Well. Thank you, Allie. Thank you very much for being honest with me.”
Then she turned away and yelled, “BRITTANY!” in the scariest voice I have ever heard.
I was glad when my mom got into the car and started it and pulled away.
“What was that all about?” she wanted to know.
“Brittany Hauser likes to put her mom’s cat in a suitcase and shake her around,” I said. “And I just told on her.”
My mom started to laugh, but then stopped herself.
“Well,” she said. “You’re just having a banner day, aren’t you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I wanted to know. I was having to lean against the closed car window because my head was feeling so heavy all of a sudden. I was glad I was the first one being picked up. I don’t know if I could have handled it if Mark and Kevin had been in the backseat, talking about trucks and bugs and sports and velvet wallpaper.
“I mean, not
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