Free Rascal the Star by Holly Webb

Chapter One
The Doggy Bag
    “Have you got everything you need to take to Lucy’s house?” Mum came out of the kitchen to see Ellie struggling down the stairs so laden down with bags she looked like a packhorse. “What’s all that? You’re only going for the night!”
    “My school bag, my sleeping bag and clothes for tomorrow, that’s all,” Ellie protested. “Um, please will you help me carry it to school?”
    “I’ll have to. You haven’t even got your lunch yet!” Mum sighed. “Leave it all here, and come and have breakfast. Lila and Max are halfway through theirs. And where’s Rascal? He hasn’t turned up wanting his breakfast yet.”
    Rascal came down the stairs after Ellie. He was still such a small dog that he almost had to jump from step to step, but this morning he didn’t seem to be bouncing down the way he usually did.
    Ellie turned round and looked at Rascal anxiously. “I think he’s a bit confused. He doesn’t know why I’ve been packing. Do you think he’ll be all right without me tonight, Mum? I haven’t been on any sleepovers since we got him.”

    “It’s only one night. I’m sure he’ll be fine.” Mum lifted Ellie’s rucksack off her shoulder. “Honestly, Ellie, how many outfits have you got in here?” She unzipped it and looked inside. “You don’t need your dressing gown! Or three cardigans. Put those on the stairs, I’ll take them up later. Come on!”
    Ellie followed her into the kitchen for breakfast, and Rascal trotted after them. He wolfed down his breakfast and wandered back out into the hallway. But when Ellie, Lila and Max went to put their coats on, he was nowhere to be seen.
    “Where is he?” Ellie looked around. Now she thought about it, Rascal hadn’t been sitting at her feet during breakfast,waiting for her to drop him bits of toast, which was very unusual. She put her lunch box on top of her rucksack, so she could go and check upstairs.
    Her rucksack squeaked, and Ellie turned round in surprise. It was wriggling as well. She lifted her lunch box up again, and Rascal poked his head out of the bag, looking cross.

    Max shook his head. “I can’t believe he wants to go to school. You can go instead of me, Rascal. I’ve got a French test. It’s not fair! Tests shouldn’t be allowed on Fridays!”
    “Oh, Rascal.” Ellie lifted the little Jack Russell out of her rucksack and hugged him. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll be home after lunch. It won’t be that long, honestly.”
    She was trying not to sound worried, but it was difficult. What if he really missed her? When they’d first got him, Rascal had made Mum’s life a misery while Ellie was at school, howling and scratching at the doors. Luckily, their dog-training instructor, Jo, had suggested giving him a cardigan of Ellie’s to have in his basket so he wouldn’t miss her, and it had worked. But Rascal still raced to the door to meet Ellie after school, if Mum hadn’t brought him with her to pick Ellie up. And if she went to tea with one of her friends, Lila and Max had told her thathe would sniff them disappointedly, and then go and sulk in his basket till she came home. How was he going to behave now that she was away for a day and a half?
    “Ellie, he’ll be fine,” Mum told her firmly. “You worry about him too much. Let’s go.”
    Ellie nodded, but as Mum shut the front door, she was sure she could hear Rascal whining sadly.

    When Ellie got to school, Christy and Lucy were at the gate waiting for her, looking excited. Sorting Rascal out had made Ellie a bit late, so they hardly had any time to talk about Lucy’s sleepover before school, but as soon as the bell went for break, they dashedout to grab one of the benches, where they could sit and plan.
    “Mum says we can go to the DVD shop on the way home from my dance class,” Lucy told them. She looked anxiously from Ellie to Christy. “You’re sure you don’t mind coming to watch it? It might be a bit boring.”

    “Lucy!