As if by magic, a grinning face framed by springy brown curls popped up above Grace’s garden fence. Then, in a flash, it was gone. Grace rubbed her eyes. Maybe she was so lonely she was making up imaginary friends.
The curly head appeared again, bobbing along the fence. Two hands gripped the top of the wooden slats and then the smiling face looked over.
“I’m Olivia,” the curly-haired girl said. “My mum says you’re our new neighbour.”
“Hi,” Grace replied. “I’m Grace.” Her smile was as bright as her shiny blonde hair.
Olivia stood on tiptoes and peered further over the fence. Grace’s garden had a sandpit, a bench, and a vegetable patch filled with juicy tomatoes and stringy beans. But Olivia was staring at a triangular pile of boxes in the middle of the lawn.
“Oh – thanks,” Grace replied. “Those are the removal boxes Mum and Dad have unpacked.”
She grabbed a box and placed it on the top of the pyramid. “I used to live on a farm. It’s funny seeing so many tall buildings around here, so I thought I’d make one myself!”
The sky above them darkened as grey clouds glided across the sun.
“Is it always cloudy in Catterton?” Grace asked.
Olivia nodded. “Pretty much. But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. We can play dressing up indoors or chase rainbows in the garden. The best thing about living here is there’s always someone to play with.” She smiled. “You just have to know where to look.”
Olivia dropped down behind the fence, out of sight. Grace jumped as high as her trainers would take her, but it looked like Olivia’s back garden was empty. She had vanished.
“Close your eyes,” Olivia called.
Grace squeezed her eyes tightly shut.
“Ta-dah!” Olivia said. Grace’s eyes snapped open. Olivia was standing right in front of her.
“How did you do that?” Grace asked. “It’s like magic!”
Olivia’s curls bounced as she shook her head. “It’s not magic,” she said, taking Grace’s hand. “But it can be our secret!”
Olivia showed her a section of the fence that was partly hidden by a rose bush. One of the wooden panels was hanging loose at the bottom. Olivia pulled it so it swung upwards, making a gap just big enough to squeeze through.
“It’s like a giant cat flap,” Grace said as she peeked into Olivia’s garden.
Olivia laughed. “You’re right! Miss Nancy, the old lady who used to live in your house, had seven cats. We made the flap in the fence so I could come and play with them.”
Grace’s mouth fell open.
“Seven cats?”
“I wish I could have just one,” Olivia sighed, “but my dad’s allergic to them. He used to start sneezing if he even looked at one of Miss Nancy’s cats.”
“I can’t have one either,” Grace said. “I’ve got a new baby brother. Mum says I have to wait until he’s older.”
Olivia sat down on the bench, her shoulders slumped. The garden felt empty without Miss Nancy’s cats.
“What should we do now?” she asked her new friend.
“I know! Let’s see how far we can climb up that tree.” Grace pointed to the apple tree at the foot of the garden.
Olivia straightened her spotless denim skirt. “I’m not really dressed for climbing,” she said. “But we could play movie star makeover. I’m going to be an actress one day, so I’ve got everything we need.”
She opened the sequinned bag that was always slung across her shoulder and took out a hairbrush and some sparkly hair grips.
A sudden burst of brightness made both girls shield their eyes. The grey clouds drifted apart and a sunbeam shone down on to Grace’s garden. It showered the cardboard pyramid with sparkling golden light.
Jingle jangle jingle.
“Did you hear that?” Grace asked. “It sounded like a bell.”
“Look!” Olivia shouted and pointed to Grace’s cardboard tower. Sitting at the top of the pyramid, her eyes narrowed in the sunlight, was the cutest kitten either of the girls had ever seen.
