Free The Courage of Cat Campbell by Natasha Lowe Page A

doing in there?”
    â€œHiding. Peter told me Auntie Charlie was coming to see you.”
    â€œAhhh!” Poppy walked over to the cupboard and sat down on the floor. “So he told you she was going to try to change my mind, did he?”
    Cat nodded, crunching up her hands and pressing her knuckles into her cheekbones.
    â€œAnd you’re wondering if I’m going to let you apply to Ruthersfield, are you?”
    Cat nodded again, holding her breath.
    â€œWell, Marie Claire pointed out that I was behaving just like my mother used to. But it took Auntie Charlie to convince me, which of course she did! So I’ll call them tomorrow,” Poppy said, putting Cat out of her misery. “There are no guarantees though,” Poppy added as Cat screamed and rolled out of the cupboard into her mother’s lap. “They don’t take many girls your age. There are only a few places for Late Bloomers.”
    â€œI don’t care, Mamma. You’re the best!”
    Poppy smiled, putting her arms around Cat’s waist. “Charlie made me realize that I’ve got to let you apply because this is what you want. It’s your dream, Cat, and however hard it is for me, I’m not going to stand in your way.”
    â€œOh, Mamma, I love you, I love Auntie Charlie, I love everyone,” Cat cried. “This is the happiest moment in my entire life so far. I get to try out for Ruthersfield!”
    â€œBut no more attempting spells until your interview,” Poppy said. “Magic really can be dangerous, Cat, without proper supervision.”
    â€œDad would be so happy, wouldn’t he, Mamma?”
    â€œKnowing your father, I believe he would be.”
    â€œI told him already,” Cat confessed. “I wrote him a letter after I found out I was magic.”
    â€œWell, you know he’ll come home when he can, then,” Poppy said. “Now, how about you bring a bucket of hot soapy water up here and scrub those walls clean. Not sure how you’re going to manage the ceiling though,” she added, tilting her head back. “Didn’t think I noticed that, did you?”
    After her mother left, Cat picked up the walkie-talkie. “Peter Parker, Peter Parker, come in,” she whispered, pressing the talk button. “Are you there, Peter Parker? Come in.”
    There was a loud crackling, and then Peter’s voice came over the airwaves. “I hear you, Cat Campbell. What’s the news?”
    â€œNews is good, Peter Parker,” Cat said. She smiled at her handset. “News is really, really good.”
    â€œI worked out your odds,” Peter told her. “You have about a one in eight hundred chance of getting in.”
    â€œThanks, Peter. That makes me feel really confident!” Cat said, but not even terrible odds could dampen her mood. “And judging by your asteroid calculations, I’m not exactly worried.”
    â€œThey have twelve places for the Late Bloomer class,” Peter explained, sounding as if he were right there in the room with her. “And going by last year’s numbers, two thousand and nineteen girls applied. So if you factor in the variables, like genetic strength from prior generations, strength of magic shown, et cetera, your odds come out to about one in eight hundred.”
    â€œWell, that’s not so bad,” Cat said hopefully. Now that she had her mother’s support, Cat was certain she could conquer any challenge. And sitting still in her bedroom, she could almost feel her magic fizzing quietly inside her.

Chapter Nine
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An Interview at Ruthersfield
    T HE MORNING OF HER RUTHERSFIELD interview, Cat was too excited to eat breakfast. She skipped around the kitchen, glancing at the clock every few seconds and polishing the magic wand, which her mother had given back to her. “Is it time to go yet? I don’t want to be late.”
    â€œYou have a whole hour before you need to