Double Trouble (4 page)

“No, it's not. It's only a sheep!” Kim said, relieved. “You must have left the field gate open, Mia, and they've wandered into the garden.”

But Mia didn't seem to hear and only screamed even louder. Now Bibi joined in and started to meow. The sheep with its head inside the tent bleated in terror and rolled its eyes in fright before hurriedly backing out.

The noise everyone was making was deafening. Kim groaned. The whole street was going to wake up at any minute.

She took a deep breath and yelled, “SHUT UP!”

Mia stopped screaming abruptly and looked hurt. “There's no need to shout!”

But Kim was already crawling toward the tent flap. She stuck her head outside. There were at least twenty big white sheep in the garden, munching on flowers, lettuces, and young carrot tops in her dad's prized vegetable patch. Her dad was usually really easy-going, but he was really strict about keeping the field gate closed.

“When Dad sees this, he's going to go bananas!” Kim shuffled back inside the tent. The only sign of Mia was a big lump halfway down the sleeping bag. Kim shook it urgently. “Mia! Come on. Get up!”

“Leave me alone!” said a muffled voice.

“Look, I'm really sorry I shouted at you,” Kim said. She felt desperate. “You've got to help get those sheep back into the field or I'm in for a major punishment!”

“Tough!” Mia said stubbornly.

Kim didn't waste any more time. “I'll just have to do it by myself then,” she whispered to Flame as she crawled out of the tent.

“I will help,” he meowed beside her.

Kim ran toward the nearest sheep. “Shooo!” she whispered, flapping her arms at it. But instead of heading toward the field, it ran in circles. The other sheep started running in all directions. Kim threw up her hands in despair. “I'm never going to get the silly things back in.”

But just then, from the corner of her eye, Kim saw Flame run forward, his coat glowing with silver sparks and his whiskers crackling with electricity. A cloud of tiny silver sparks rose into the air and fell on the sheep like gentle glittery rain.

Kim watched in amazement as each one of them began to swell. They grew fatter and fatter, until they turned into surprised-looking woolly balloons that floated a few inches off the ground!

Kim tapped one of them gently and it began drifting down the garden toward the field. Gaining confidence, she ran to each one of them in turn. Soon all the sheep-balloons were floating down the garden and heading back over the fence.

Kim watched them sink gently down to the grass and turn back into normal-looking sheep.

“Phew! Thanks, Flame!” she said as she closed the gate.

“You are welcome!” Flame gave her a whiskery grin.

“What's going on out here?” Kim's dad came running down the lawn in his pajamas. His hair was all messed up and he looked sleepy-eyed and grumpy.

“Er . . . it was only a couple of sheep in the garden,” Kim said hurriedly. “One of them stuck its head in the tent. It was really funny. Mia thought it was an alien . . .” She stopped as her cousin crawled out of the tent with a face like thunder.

Mia ran straight up to Kim's dad. “Oh, Uncle Brian! Kim's been so mean to me. I was really scared, but she didn't care. She just yelled at me. It's not my fault she left the gate open!”

“But, that's not true . . .” Kim stared at Mia in shock. “I mean, I did shout at her, but . . .”

Mr. Taylor held up his hand for silence. “I've told you a hundred times about leaving that gate open. It was up to you to check it. Mia's a guest, so she can't be expected to know the house rules.”

“Yes, I know. But . . .” Kim burst out.

“That's enough, Kimberly,” her dad said sternly. “Next time you lose your temper, try counting to ten, okay?”

Her dad only used her full name when he was about to explode. Kim gave up.

“I think it's best if you both spend the rest of the night indoors,” Mr. Taylor decided.

Kim and Mia trudged into the house behind him. Kim didn't trust herself to speak to Mia. She went straight up to her bedroom and flung herself on her bed. Flame jumped up next to her.

“It's not fair!” Kim fumed. It didn't seem to matter how hard she tried to get along with her cousin, they just kept fighting!

Flame licked her hand with his rough little tongue. “Don't feel sad,” he meowed.

As Kim pet his soft fur she started to feel a little bit better. “I'm so glad you're here, Flame. You're a real friend.”

Chapter FIVE

Kim stared down at her egg on toast. She had dreamed of floating sheep chasing her down a long winding path. All of them had Mia's face.

Flame was eating a dish of cat food.

“Have you and Mia made any plans for today?” her mom asked.

She shook her head. Mia had asked for breakfast in bed as a special treat. Kim hadn't spoken to her yet. Mia was probably still sulking.

Kim's mom poured herself a cup of tea. “Why don't you two bike over to see your grandparents?” she suggested. “You know how you love going over there. Mia might enjoy it, too.”

Mike and Ruth Taylor, Kim's dad's parents, lived in a rambling, redbrick house that backed onto the river. They'd recently bought the
Sally Ann
, an old houseboat, and were enjoying fixing it up.

Kim felt herself warming to the idea of going to visit them. “Mia could ride my old bike and we could put Flame and Bibi in the baskets. I'll go and call Gran and tell her we're coming.”

Her mom looked happy. “Tell Gran we'll come along later. We'll bring a picnic with us.”

 

 

Flame lifted his head to sniff at all the delicious smells of spring as Kim and Mia biked along. They passed trees heavy with pink and white blossoms.

Mia seemed to have cheered up a bit and on the way Kim told her about the
Sally Ann
.

“I love boats,” Mia said. “One of Dad's friends has an amazing yacht. We sometimes go for a cruise on it.”

They turned onto an avenue where primroses dotted the bushes. Kim saw a figure come out of a large, redbrick house. She waved. “Gran!”

“Hello, you two!” Ruth Taylor smiled as Kim and Mia slowed their bikes. They dismounted and wheeled their bikes through the garden gate.

Kim took Flame out of the basket and went to give her grandmother a hug. “Hi, Gran. This is Flame.”

“Hello, sweetie.” Her grandmother returned the hug and pet Flame. “What a gorgeous little kitten!”

Flame purred loudly.

“Hello, Mia. It's lovely to see you, too,” Mrs. Taylor said. “And this must be Bibi. She's a champion, isn't she?”

“Yes, she is,” Mia said, looking pleased.

“Where's Granddad?” Kim asked.

“I'll give you one guess!” her grandmother said.

“Working on the boat?” Kim said with a grin.

Mrs. Taylor took them into the back garden and through private gated woods. The path came out at the riverbank. Kim could hear the faint sound of rushing water from the steep dam in the distance.

There was an old houseboat, with peeling red and white paint, tied to a small wooden dock. The name
Sally Ann
was painted on her bow.

Mike Taylor was on the deck. He wiped his hand on his overalls and waved an oily rag in the air like a flag. “Ahoy there!” he called.

“Is that their boat? What an old mess!” Mia said in a piercing whisper.

“It's got a stove and a bed and everything inside. I love it,” Kim said, feeling embarrassed by her cousin's rudeness.

But Gran just winked at Kim. “So do we! Come and have a look. Watch your head, Mia.”

Kim ducked and went into the cabin. Gran and Granddad had been hard at work. It smelled of fresh paint and brass polish. There were new lace curtains on the windows and cheerful knitted cushions on the chairs. Even Mia was fascinated by the way the table and bed folded away.

Flame went right over and curled up on a cushion.

Kim smiled. Anyone would think he'd lived on a houseboat all his life!

“I was just about to plant some window boxes before you arrived,” Mrs. Taylor said. “Would you like to help?”

“We'd love to, wouldn't we, Mia?” Kim said.

“Sure,” Mia agreed.

Gran grabbed some soil and trays of plants and they got to work.

About ten minutes later, Mia sat back and dusted dirt off her hands. “I'm bored now. I want to do something else,” she declared.

“Why don't you go take a look around,” Mrs. Taylor suggested. “The garden is pretty at this time of year.”

“Okay. See you later,” Mia called as she wandered away with Bibi trotting at her heels.