Free Willow the lonely kitten by Tina Nolan

Chapter One
    How do I look?” Eva Harrison asked her friend, Annie Brooks. She stood at Annie’s door, wearing her new Animal Magic sweatshirt. It was bright red, with a small white and gold logo on the front.
    “You look … magic!” Annie grinned.
    “They came in the post this morning,” Eva explained. “It was Jen’s idea – she had it after I’d been on the Tina O’Neill Show on TV. We’ve all got one!”
    “Cool,” Annie sighed.
    “Dad says we’re really popular at the moment, and our website is getting loads more hits than usual. We want to order more sweatshirts and sell them. It’ll help raise money for the rescue centre. Hey, Holly, stay down!” Eva turned to her lively Border collie puppy, who was jumping up at Annie. “Oops!”

    “Too late!” Annie glanced down at the muddy paw prints on her pink and white dressing gown. “Never mind – it’ll wash off. How are you, Holly? Have you been on a nice walk?” She stroked the lively pup.
    “Down by the river,” Eva explained. “I’m doing obedience training with her, so we go out early every morning, before school. Anyway, as today’s Saturday and Mum says we’ll be extra busy, I came to ask if you’d like to help out in Reception.”
    Annie’s eyes lit up. “I’ll be there in a flash,” she promised. “Oh, and Eva…”
    “Yep?” Already halfway down the Brookses’ driveway, Eva paused.
    “Order an Animal Magic sweatshirt for me. I’ll pay with my pocket money.”
    “Sure thing,” Eva replied, putting Holly on the lead and dashing off.

    Animal Magic Rescue Centre stood next door to Annie’s house on Main Street in Okeham village. It didn’t take long for Eva to settle Holly down in the house and make her way across the yard to Reception, where she found the room already crowded with customers.
    “I read about Becks the Yorkshire terrier on your website,” a woman was telling Heidi Harrison. “I’d like to offer her a home.”
    Eva’s mum smiled brightly. She was wearing her red sweatshirt under her white vet’s coat. “Can I take your name and a few other details? Becks is very popular – two possible owners have already visited her earlier this week.”
    “Here’s Suzi.” Jen, Heidi’s assistant, wasshowing another woman a black cat who had come into the centre only the day before. “You can see how she’s licked the fur off her tummy – that’s over-grooming due to stress, I’m afraid.”
    “Poor thing!” the woman murmured. “Will the fur grow back eventually?”
    “Oh yes –definitely,” Jen assured her.
    Quietly, Eva made her way behind the desk to find her brother, Karl, printing out an email.
    “Take a look at this,” he said, grinning.
    Eva picked up the printout. “Dear Animal Magic,” she read out loud, “Scott and I saw the New Year feature about you on the Tina O’Neill Show and we wanted to write and tell you how Honey, our retriever, is getting along. She’s now fully grown, and is much loved, with a silky-soft golden coat and gorgeousdark-brown eyes. She loves her walks with Scott in the park at the back of Beech Grove – all thanks to you! With very best wishes, Ruth Penny.”
    “What do you think of that?” Karl asked.
    “Cool.” Eva blushed and looked up from the email. She remembered Honey so well – how she’d been secretly dumped on their doorstep by the Pennys’ lodger, abandoned in a cardboard box. She put the printout down on the table. “Mum, what job shall I do first?” she asked, breaking into Heidi’s conversation.
    “Groom Dougal, please. His new owner is coming to collect him at ten o’clock.”
    Eva nodded. “Will you ask Annie to come to the kennels when she arrives?”
    “Will do,” Heidi replied.
    Escaping from the busy Reception, Eva picked up a dog comb and brush from thestoreroom and hurried on to the kennels. “Hi, Becks, hi, Rocky!” she greeted the yappy Yorkshire terrier and a big, dark-grey dog with floppy ears and sad eyes. She went