Double Trouble by Sue Bentley Page A

fingertips together and made a friendly noise.
    Bibi opened her mouth and hissed loudly. Suddenly, she ran around to hide behind Kim.
    â€œOw-oww!” Kim yelled in pain as sharp claws dug into her leg through her jeans. She straightened up and wiggled her leg, trying to shake Bibi off. “Help, Mia! Call her off!” she shouted.
    Mia just started laughing. “You should see yourself!”
    Kim’s mom acted quickly. She filled a small glass with water and threw it over the angry cat. Bibi gave a yowl, let go of Kim’s ankle, and ran under the table.
    â€œHey!” Mia ducked down to scoop up her pet. “Did that mean lady throw water on you?” she soothed, petting Bibi’s wet fur.
    â€œAre you all right, Kim?” asked her mom.
    Kim nodded shakily. She rolled up her jeans and examined her leg. There were two long scratches. They stung like crazy, but luckily they didn’t look very deep.

    â€œOh, don’t be such a baby, Kim!” Mia said.
    â€œCat scratches can be really sore, Mia,” Mrs. Taylor said with a frown. “Does Bibi often act like that? You may have to keep her shut in your room if she’s going to attack people.”
    Mia rose from the chair with Bibi under one arm. There was a hurt look in her big blue eyes. “Bibi was only playing. She was being friendly. I’d like to go to my room now, please.”
    â€œYou go on up. It’s the room to the right that faces the front yard. Kim will come up in a minute.” Mrs. Taylor turned to her daughter. “We should clean up those scratches first.”
    As her mom went to get some antiseptic, Kim heard Mia sniff loudly as she stomped upstairs. Kim rested her leg on a chair while her mom cleaned the scratches.
    â€œThere. You’ll be okay,” her mom said a few minutes later, putting the cap back on a tube of cream. “Ready to go up and help Mia unpack?”
    â€œDo I have to?” Kim asked reluctantly. She didn’t feel like being nice to Mia at the moment.
    â€œCome on now. Mia’s our guest. She misses her parents and is feeling lonely.” Mrs. Taylor gave her daughter’s thick brown ponytail a gentle tug. “Let’s try and make her feel welcome.”
    â€œI’ll try,” Kim promised as she got to her feet and went upstairs to find Mia. But she had a sinking feeling in her tummy. She didn’t think having her cousin to stay was going to turn out like she had expected at all.

Chapter TWO
    After dinner on the patio, Kim took Mia and Bibi into the garden. Luckily Bibi was more interested in exploring the flower beds than clawing people’s legs.
    â€œDon’t go eating slugs or snails or you’ll be sick later,” Mia said to Bibi.
    If she is, I’m not cleaning it up, Kim thought. She glanced down the narrow lawn, with its old apple tree at the bottom, to where her dad was stacking old flowerpots and seed trays outside his shed. He saw her looking and called excitedly for her to come down.
    Mia had seen him, too. “Why is he waving like that?”

    â€œI don’t know,” Kim said, walking down the lawn to find out.
    Mia followed her. “I’m coming, too.”
    As Kim and Mia came closer, Mr. Taylor pointed inside the shed and put a finger to his lips. “Shhh! Be very quiet,” he whispered. “See that cracked flowerpot? There’s a robin’s nest inside it.”
    â€œReally?” Kim leaned forward slowly. She saw the nest of woven grass and leaves. Then she spotted five little fuzzy heads, all with their eyes closed. “Oh! There are five chicks in it!” she breathed.
    â€œLet me see.” Mia pushed past Kim rudely. But when she saw the chicks, her face softened. “Aah! They are so cute! Look how they’re all snuggled up together. But how did the robins get into the shed?”
    Kim’s dad pointed to a small hole in the wall, up near the roof. “But it