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that’s it! I’ll call her Puppy 24!”
    “Not bad,” Granny says, scratching my puppy’s floppy ear.
    “We can call her Puppy for short.” I am loving this new name. On account of I go by the name of Natalie 24. And my cat, Percy, goes by the name of Percy 24.
    “Puppy 24,” I say, while Granny and I walk to the house, “just wait until you meet Percy 24!”
    “Yeah,” Granny says really soft. “Just you wait.”
    Granny unlocks the front door, and Puppy and I race inside. “Percy! Percy! Where are you?”
    Percy does not come running.
    Percy never comes running unless it’s his idea.
    “I’ll bet he’s in my room,” I tell Granny and Puppy. “That cat loves my room best of all.” I love that about my cat. He could sleep anywhere in our whole entire house. But he picks out my bed. With me in it.
    “Percy 24, have I got a surprise for you!” I carry Puppy to my room. And there is Percy curled up on my bed. “Found you!” I shout.
    I scootch in next to Percy, with Puppy on my lap. “Percy 24, meet Puppy 24.”
    Puppy’s tail wags so fast that it thumps my arm. She slides off my lap and tries to touch noses with Percy. They are exactly the same size. Except Puppy is bigger.
    All of a sudden, Percy wakes up. He jumps to his feet. His white fur stands up on his sticking-up back. Ffffft! Percy hisses. Yeowl! Percy says.
    “Percy!” I shout.
    Percy hisses again. Then he jumps off my bed and runs out of my room.

Chapter 13
Percy 24 vs. Puppy 24
    “Percy! Come back here!” I can’t believe what my cat just did. “That’s so not nice!” I call after him. “Bad cat!”
    Puppy’s tail stops wagging. She hides her head under my arm. She is shaking like a scaredy-cat.
    Granny walks in. “I just met Percy in the hall. What did I miss?”
    “Percy scared Puppy, Granny. Why would he spit and be so mean to my puppy?” I keep petting the soft brown fur.
    Granny sits down with Puppy and me. “That cat of yours has ruled the roost around here for a long time. I suppose having another pet in the house will take some getting used to.”

    “But all Puppy wanted was to be friends,” I tell her. I am very aggravated at Percy.
    “Try hard to understand, okay, Nat?” Granny asks. “That cat has given you a lot of loving.”
    “I know,” I admit. “Percy stayed with me when I was sick for almost a whole week.”
    “And remember how he let you and Laurie dress him up and push him around in Laurie’s doll baby buggy?” Granny adds.
    “Plus, he was my helper detective. Kind of.”
    “So give him some time to get used to the idea of another pet,” Granny says. And I agree with her.
    Granny and I have to go out and buy puppy food. Plus a puppy food dish. And a water dish. And a collar. And a leash. And puppy toys.
    When we get back, Percy is sitting on our front step. I hold him while Granny opens the door. And guess what. Percy purrs.
    Inside, I set down my cat. Then I run to free my puppy from the kennel.
    Arf! Arf! Puppy jumps against her kennel. When I open it, she jumps on me.
    I carry my puppy to the living room. “Percy?” I call.
    But Percy already isn’t there.
    That night Granny and I put Puppy to bed in her kennel. Then Granny tucks me and Percy in.
    “Granny, do you think Mom and Daddy will love Puppy 24?” I ask.
    Granny sits on my bed between Percy and me. “I’m sure they will. Those two have a lot of love in them.”
    We say our prayers. Granny goes first. She prays for Mommy and Daddy and China. And for her new grandson.
    Granny prays more stuff. Only I stop hearing after that word, grandson.
    “Nat? Aren’t you going to pray?” Granny asks me like she’s been waiting forever.
    I start out with “God bless everybody.” Only I wonder if Mommy and Daddy are praying this right now too. Only in China. And my head is wondering if right now they are tucking in their other kid. And praying with that kid.
    And I wish they were doing that with me.
    Charley the Chevy takes me to