Read Claws! for Free Online Page B

furiously, like a machine out of control, the cat was ripping out the whole bottom of the couch.
    “We’re going to be really late,” Amanda said. “Let’s go. Give her time to calm down. Maybe she’ll be better if we leave.”
    “But the mess —” I started.
    Riiiip rippp ripppp.
    “We’ll clean it up after school,” Amanda said.She tugged my T-shirt sleeve. “Come on. I can’t stand this.”
    “What’s her problem?” I said.
    Amanda didn’t answer. She was already heading out the front door. I followed her and closed the door behind me.
    We stood on the stoop, catching our breath. I could still hear the cat’s wild screeches from inside.
    I shifted my backpack on my shoulders and started down the steps. I stopped when I saw the three men walking along the sidewalk.
    Three men in gray uniforms.
    I pulled Amanda off the stoop and behind a tall shrub.
    “Look —” I pointed. “He followed us. The guy from Cat Heaven. Lou. And two pals.”
    We hunched down behind the thick bush.
    “It’s too late. I think they saw us,” Amanda whispered.

18
    Peeking through the needles of the evergreen shrub, I watched the three men approach. They were walking slowly, studying each house. I felt my throat tighten. I tried to duck lower. My legs were trembling so hard, I almost fell into the bush.
    Amanda squeezed my arm. “Why did they follow us?” she whispered. “Why did Lou bring two other guys?”
    I couldn’t answer her questions. I just shook my head.
    I stood very still as they came nearer. They were on the sidewalk, staring up at the Caplans’ house.
    I realized I was holding my breath. I let it out in a long, silent whoosh.
    Please don’t see us. Please keep walking.
    “They have hundreds of cats in their store,” Amanda whispered, her mouth right in my ear.
    “What’s the big deal that we stole one little cat?”
    “Shhh.”
I pressed a finger to my lips.
    But she ignored me. “Okay,” she whispered. “So we did a bad thing. We stole a cat. But what’s the big crime?”
    I shrugged. I didn’t know the answer.
    I only knew I didn’t want to be caught. I didn’t like the grim looks on the faces of the three men. And I didn’t like the way they were staring at the Caplans’ house.
    Were they coming up the front walk? Did they know the stolen cat was inside?
    If they came up here, we were dead meat. They would see us hiding behind the bush.
    I held my breath again. And watched them through the prickly evergreen needles.
    They squinted up at the front window. Then they started walking again. They walked slowly, side by side, gazing at the next house.
    And as they moved on, I heard Lou talking to the others. His words sent a chill down my back:
    “We have to find them,” he said. “They have no idea the trouble they are in.”

19
    Amanda and I waited behind the bush till Lou and his two partners turned the corner. My face was drenched with sweat. My backpack felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds.
    Finally, we crept out and began to walk to school. We stayed behind hedges and walked through backyards. I kept glancing behind us. I was sure the three store clerks would sneak up and grab us.
    “M-maybe we should give them back their cat,” I stammered. We were across the street from our school. No other kids in sight. We were definitely late.
    “We can’t do that,” Amanda insisted. “You don’t want to tell the Caplans what happened to Bella, do you?”
    “I—I—” I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just didn’t want three angry-looking men searching for me.
    “They’ll give up and go back to their store,”Amanda said. “It’s just one little cat. It’s not such a big deal.”
    “Then why did they say we don’t know the trouble we’re in?” I asked.
    Amanda shrugged. “Guess they don’t like cat thieves.”
    We crossed the street and ran the rest of the way to the front doors of the school. Miss Harris wasn’t in the classroom. So she didn’t see us sneak in