Running Wild, page 6
They’re just not like us. They’re loud and rude and noisy. They’d just as soon fight with each other as with us. They’re just. . . different.
I blinked and looked across the room. A smile tugged at the whiskers on the corners of my mouth and chased the frown away.
Okay . . . he was ugly. So? And maybe his room smelled like a pit, and his breath was enough to eat the hair clear off my head. So what?
Willy was my friend.
I crouched low. Wiggled my rear end into a good pounce position. In my mind’s eye I could almost see how startled he would be when I pounced right in the middle of him and . . .
A big brown eye peeked at me. My shoulders sagged. Willy’s other eye opened.
“Getting ready for one of your surprise attacks?”
I shrugged my ears. “Well, you were sleeping so sound, it was hard to resist.”
Willy sat up and shook his head. Slobbers flew from his floppy lips. “Had a late night. My boy kept coming out here to talk with me.” Willy stopped to yawn. “I don’t know what’s going on. He’s really excited about something. But he’s worried, too. He’s never acted like this. I’m happy because he’s excited, but . . . something’s going on.”
Cocking my head to the side, I kind of nibbled at my bottom lip.
“You know, my people are acting weird today, too. The Mama and Daddy didn’t even go to work. They’ve been cleaning the whole house—all morning.”
Willy yawned and got to his feet. Then he shook. Short, black hairs filled the doghouse like a cloud. I darted between his legs and went outside. Willy followed me.
“Did you bring your new friends with you?” he asked.
I shook my head. “They’re not my friends. They told me they would never be friends with a cat who hung out with dogs. So . . . I told them to get lost.”
I thought that would make Willy’s tail wag. Instead, his ears drooped.
“I wish you hadn’t done that, Chuck.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m afraid I won’t be living here. I think my boy is going to move, and I think he wants to take me with him. Only . . . only he’s not sure, so I’m not sure.”
My eyes popped wide.
“Moving?”
“Maybe.”
“Moving away from here? Leaving me?”
“I think. I don’t know.”
It was depressing. Now, I was back to where I was when Tom left. I was friendless.
Willy and I curled close to each other in his backyard and soaked up the warm sunlight. We talked and remembered all the fun we had together. After a while we got up and played tag. Then we rested and talked some more.
When I got home, I saw Roscoe and Rikki playing chase in their backyard. I didn’t give them a second thought. I didn’t wish I could go play with them. They probably wouldn’t have been very good friends, anyway. Friends don’t make you be friends only with them. Friends—good friends like Willy—they understand and like you, no matter what.
The Mama and Daddy were still cleaning when I got home. I climbed to the back of the couch so I wouldn’t get attacked by the noisy vacuum cleaner. I hadn’t even relaxed when the doorbell rang.
In the blink of an eye I hopped off the couch and crawled underneath it. The doorbell meant company or strangers. I would see who was there before I came from my hiding place. When the Daddy opened the door, my heart leaped into my throat.
It was my Katie!
Suddenly the sadness I felt about Willy maybe leaving and the depression I had about not having any friends . . . well, suddenly it was all gone. Suddenly the day was the most beautiful day, ever.
They hugged and kissed and talked and laughed. Then they hugged some more. I rushed to greet Katie, too. Only with all the feet shuffling around, I was afraid I was going to get stepped on. So I waited by the couch.
For a time I was afraid my Katie had forgotten me. Maybe she didn’t love me anymore.
Then the Daddy said: “Come on. Let’s bring your things in.”
Katie shook her head. “No. There’s someone I want you to meet, first.”
“He’s here?” the Mama asked as she leaned to peek out the door.
“No. But he will be in just a second.” Katie smiled. “Is it okay if his family comes, too?”
“Sure.”
“All of his family?”
Mama frowned. “Of course.”
Katie rushed to the phone. Her hands trembled as she punched the buttons.
“Hi.” Katie smiled. Her cheeks turned a little red. “Love you, too. Are you ready? Okay. Give me about five minutes. I haven’t even found Chuck yet.” Her eyes flashed when she spotted me beside the couch. “Never mind. I found him. Come on over.”
Katie hung the phone up and rushed to me. She swooped me into her arms and snuggled me tight. I purred and rubbed my cheek against hers.
I could tell how happy she was to see me. It was wonderful that she still loved me. But I sensed another feeling in her. She was worried about something. So worried, she was almost scared.
I didn’t have time to think about it. The doorbell rang. The Daddy looked suspicious.
“Were they already in the car when you called?”
Katie gave a sly smile. “No. They were home. But like I said, they live really close.”
The Daddy opened the door. Katie snuggled me so tight, she almost squashed me. A hand reached in.
“Mr. Archer? Hi, I’m David Dermott. This is my father, Edward, and my mother, Ruth. And this is—”
“Willy!” I yowled.
Despite how tight Katie was holding me, I managed to spring to my feet and slip through her grasp. Her eyes flashed. A little scream slipped from her throat.
“Chuck!” Willy barked.
I raced toward my friend. Willy tried to race toward me, only he had a collar around his neck. The boy clung to the end of his leash for dear life.
It didn’t stop Willy. Staggering and choking, he dragged the boy into the house and across the living room.
We hardly noticed the terrified gasps and shrieks from the people. We met in the middle of the floor. I leaped to Willy’s back. He flopped down on the ground. I was so happy to see him, I couldn’t stand it. I crawled all over him, kneading him with my claws.
I guess Willy was happy to see me, too. He wagged. He didn’t wag his tail or his rear end. The whole huge, enormous, gigantic dog wagged all over.
“You said you were leaving,” I meowed.
“We are,” he woofed. “My boy’s getting married and is going to live in his own home with his own family. He wanted to take me with him, but he didn’t know if I was going to get along with his new wife’s cat.”
“That must be me,” I purred.
“Must be.”
The frightened looks from the people finally faded when they realized Willy wasn’t going to eat me. Wide-eyed and confused, Willy’s boy finally let go of the leash and sat down on the couch next to Katie. While they talked about wedding dresses and plans for the future, I showed Willy through my house.
After a while the whole bunch of us went to Willy’s. He showed me around. Then the Mama and Daddy went home. David and Katie decided to go for a walk.
We went with them.
“Hey, Chuck,” Willy called. “I got an idea.”
I circled back to him. “I bet we got the same idea.” We both smiled.
• • •
“Hey, there’s me two friends. How’s my little puppy and my big kitty cat?” Luigi’s laugh always made me feel good inside.
Suddenly his eyes flashed.
“Oh, excuse me. I not see you.” He held out a hand. “I am Luigi. I know this kitty and puppy belong to someone who love them.”
David shook his hand and introduced himself and Katie. She shook hands with Luigi, too.
Luigi swung the back door wide. “Come in. The puppy and kitty come for Luigi’s wonderful spaghetti and meatballs. You like, too, I bet. Come on in.”
Willy and I had never eaten inside before. We always ate out back, by the garbage cans. Luigi put our bowls under the table where my Katie and Willy’s David ate. It was neat.
“You know what would be fun?” Willy asked with a little burp.
“What?” I licked some of the meat sauce from my whiskers.
“It would be fun if Katie and David moved into one of the new homes that they’re building behind your house.”
“Yeah,” I purred. “Then we could come here and have spaghetti and meatballs . . .”
“Every day!” we both said, together.
About the Author
BILL WALLACE has had pets for as long as he can remember. He grew up with all sorts of animals around the house.
“Our dogs and cats always got along,” Bill said. “Fact was, I just knew they could communicate and tell what the other was thinking.”
But a friend of Bill’s had a dog who didn’t like cats. When he rode over on his bicycle to play, the dog almost got Mike, a Siamese that Bill really liked.
He used that dog for Butch in the book Snot Stew. Butch was really a “bad guy.” Then a fan wrote and wanted to know why Bill made dogs the villains and told him how his dogs and cats always got along. It was that letter—and the six dogs and one cat that live on the Wallaces’ farm in Oklahoma, combined with Bill and Carol’s “granddogs”—that gave him the idea for this story.
Aladdin
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2000 by Bill Wallace
Illustrations copyright © 2000 by John Steven Gurney
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Aladdin is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
ISBN 978-0-7434-0026-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-7434-0027-5 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4814-3145-3 (eBook)
Bill Wallace, Running Wild
Thank you for reading books on ReadFrom.Net
Share this book with friends
I blinked and looked across the room. A smile tugged at the whiskers on the corners of my mouth and chased the frown away.
Okay . . . he was ugly. So? And maybe his room smelled like a pit, and his breath was enough to eat the hair clear off my head. So what?
Willy was my friend.
I crouched low. Wiggled my rear end into a good pounce position. In my mind’s eye I could almost see how startled he would be when I pounced right in the middle of him and . . .
A big brown eye peeked at me. My shoulders sagged. Willy’s other eye opened.
“Getting ready for one of your surprise attacks?”
I shrugged my ears. “Well, you were sleeping so sound, it was hard to resist.”
Willy sat up and shook his head. Slobbers flew from his floppy lips. “Had a late night. My boy kept coming out here to talk with me.” Willy stopped to yawn. “I don’t know what’s going on. He’s really excited about something. But he’s worried, too. He’s never acted like this. I’m happy because he’s excited, but . . . something’s going on.”
Cocking my head to the side, I kind of nibbled at my bottom lip.
“You know, my people are acting weird today, too. The Mama and Daddy didn’t even go to work. They’ve been cleaning the whole house—all morning.”
Willy yawned and got to his feet. Then he shook. Short, black hairs filled the doghouse like a cloud. I darted between his legs and went outside. Willy followed me.
“Did you bring your new friends with you?” he asked.
I shook my head. “They’re not my friends. They told me they would never be friends with a cat who hung out with dogs. So . . . I told them to get lost.”
I thought that would make Willy’s tail wag. Instead, his ears drooped.
“I wish you hadn’t done that, Chuck.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m afraid I won’t be living here. I think my boy is going to move, and I think he wants to take me with him. Only . . . only he’s not sure, so I’m not sure.”
My eyes popped wide.
“Moving?”
“Maybe.”
“Moving away from here? Leaving me?”
“I think. I don’t know.”
It was depressing. Now, I was back to where I was when Tom left. I was friendless.
Willy and I curled close to each other in his backyard and soaked up the warm sunlight. We talked and remembered all the fun we had together. After a while we got up and played tag. Then we rested and talked some more.
When I got home, I saw Roscoe and Rikki playing chase in their backyard. I didn’t give them a second thought. I didn’t wish I could go play with them. They probably wouldn’t have been very good friends, anyway. Friends don’t make you be friends only with them. Friends—good friends like Willy—they understand and like you, no matter what.
The Mama and Daddy were still cleaning when I got home. I climbed to the back of the couch so I wouldn’t get attacked by the noisy vacuum cleaner. I hadn’t even relaxed when the doorbell rang.
In the blink of an eye I hopped off the couch and crawled underneath it. The doorbell meant company or strangers. I would see who was there before I came from my hiding place. When the Daddy opened the door, my heart leaped into my throat.
It was my Katie!
Suddenly the sadness I felt about Willy maybe leaving and the depression I had about not having any friends . . . well, suddenly it was all gone. Suddenly the day was the most beautiful day, ever.
They hugged and kissed and talked and laughed. Then they hugged some more. I rushed to greet Katie, too. Only with all the feet shuffling around, I was afraid I was going to get stepped on. So I waited by the couch.
For a time I was afraid my Katie had forgotten me. Maybe she didn’t love me anymore.
Then the Daddy said: “Come on. Let’s bring your things in.”
Katie shook her head. “No. There’s someone I want you to meet, first.”
“He’s here?” the Mama asked as she leaned to peek out the door.
“No. But he will be in just a second.” Katie smiled. “Is it okay if his family comes, too?”
“Sure.”
“All of his family?”
Mama frowned. “Of course.”
Katie rushed to the phone. Her hands trembled as she punched the buttons.
“Hi.” Katie smiled. Her cheeks turned a little red. “Love you, too. Are you ready? Okay. Give me about five minutes. I haven’t even found Chuck yet.” Her eyes flashed when she spotted me beside the couch. “Never mind. I found him. Come on over.”
Katie hung the phone up and rushed to me. She swooped me into her arms and snuggled me tight. I purred and rubbed my cheek against hers.
I could tell how happy she was to see me. It was wonderful that she still loved me. But I sensed another feeling in her. She was worried about something. So worried, she was almost scared.
I didn’t have time to think about it. The doorbell rang. The Daddy looked suspicious.
“Were they already in the car when you called?”
Katie gave a sly smile. “No. They were home. But like I said, they live really close.”
The Daddy opened the door. Katie snuggled me so tight, she almost squashed me. A hand reached in.
“Mr. Archer? Hi, I’m David Dermott. This is my father, Edward, and my mother, Ruth. And this is—”
“Willy!” I yowled.
Despite how tight Katie was holding me, I managed to spring to my feet and slip through her grasp. Her eyes flashed. A little scream slipped from her throat.
“Chuck!” Willy barked.
I raced toward my friend. Willy tried to race toward me, only he had a collar around his neck. The boy clung to the end of his leash for dear life.
It didn’t stop Willy. Staggering and choking, he dragged the boy into the house and across the living room.
We hardly noticed the terrified gasps and shrieks from the people. We met in the middle of the floor. I leaped to Willy’s back. He flopped down on the ground. I was so happy to see him, I couldn’t stand it. I crawled all over him, kneading him with my claws.
I guess Willy was happy to see me, too. He wagged. He didn’t wag his tail or his rear end. The whole huge, enormous, gigantic dog wagged all over.
“You said you were leaving,” I meowed.
“We are,” he woofed. “My boy’s getting married and is going to live in his own home with his own family. He wanted to take me with him, but he didn’t know if I was going to get along with his new wife’s cat.”
“That must be me,” I purred.
“Must be.”
The frightened looks from the people finally faded when they realized Willy wasn’t going to eat me. Wide-eyed and confused, Willy’s boy finally let go of the leash and sat down on the couch next to Katie. While they talked about wedding dresses and plans for the future, I showed Willy through my house.
After a while the whole bunch of us went to Willy’s. He showed me around. Then the Mama and Daddy went home. David and Katie decided to go for a walk.
We went with them.
“Hey, Chuck,” Willy called. “I got an idea.”
I circled back to him. “I bet we got the same idea.” We both smiled.
• • •
“Hey, there’s me two friends. How’s my little puppy and my big kitty cat?” Luigi’s laugh always made me feel good inside.
Suddenly his eyes flashed.
“Oh, excuse me. I not see you.” He held out a hand. “I am Luigi. I know this kitty and puppy belong to someone who love them.”
David shook his hand and introduced himself and Katie. She shook hands with Luigi, too.
Luigi swung the back door wide. “Come in. The puppy and kitty come for Luigi’s wonderful spaghetti and meatballs. You like, too, I bet. Come on in.”
Willy and I had never eaten inside before. We always ate out back, by the garbage cans. Luigi put our bowls under the table where my Katie and Willy’s David ate. It was neat.
“You know what would be fun?” Willy asked with a little burp.
“What?” I licked some of the meat sauce from my whiskers.
“It would be fun if Katie and David moved into one of the new homes that they’re building behind your house.”
“Yeah,” I purred. “Then we could come here and have spaghetti and meatballs . . .”
“Every day!” we both said, together.
About the Author
BILL WALLACE has had pets for as long as he can remember. He grew up with all sorts of animals around the house.
“Our dogs and cats always got along,” Bill said. “Fact was, I just knew they could communicate and tell what the other was thinking.”
But a friend of Bill’s had a dog who didn’t like cats. When he rode over on his bicycle to play, the dog almost got Mike, a Siamese that Bill really liked.
He used that dog for Butch in the book Snot Stew. Butch was really a “bad guy.” Then a fan wrote and wanted to know why Bill made dogs the villains and told him how his dogs and cats always got along. It was that letter—and the six dogs and one cat that live on the Wallaces’ farm in Oklahoma, combined with Bill and Carol’s “granddogs”—that gave him the idea for this story.
Aladdin
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2000 by Bill Wallace
Illustrations copyright © 2000 by John Steven Gurney
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
Aladdin is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
ISBN 978-0-7434-0026-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-7434-0027-5 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4814-3145-3 (eBook)
Bill Wallace, Running Wild
