When I got home, Mom came into the foyer carrying Stuart Little. “Well? How’d it go with Rachel?”

Tears welled in my eyes. Mom kept the cat in one arm and wrapped her other arm around me, holding me close. “Oh, Tula. What happened?”

“We had a great time. But she wanted me to come over. And I couldn’t face seeing Owen, I just couldn’t.” Stuart Little made little merp sounds that I’d never heard before; he seemed to enjoy being squashed between us.

I pulled away.

Stuart Little’s stripes looked different.

It wasn’t Stuart Little.

“Mom. No.”

“Isn’t she cute? I’ve called her Pippi Longstocking because of her white legs—”

“Mom.”

“Don’t be mad. Angie was—”

“Let me guess, in a pinch—”

“She’s five years old, abandoned by her owners to fend for herself or starve to death—”

“We can hardly afford the cats we have! The apartment’s not big enough for more!”

Now Mom was getting teary-eyed. “I know, I know. But what was I supposed to do?”

“Say no! Oh my God, how many cats will it take to make up for one child?”

Mom reeled back like she’d been slapped. “That was mean.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry, okay? But Dad is going to freak out.”

“He already did. He’s gone for a walk.”

I shook my head.

“I swear this is temporary. I’m trying my best to get them adopted. So please, don’t you be mad at me, too.”

I sighed. “Not mad.”

“Thank you.” She pulled me close again and we stayed like that for a while, the new cat merping happily between us.

—

That night in my room I texted off and on with Jacob. Then I watched a few cat videos, including a couple more in Purrfect Pet Food’s Cat Video Contest.

Ours is so much better, I thought.

I clicked through to Purrfect Pet Food’s site. That’s where I read that the grand prize was a lifetime supply of cat food.

A lifetime supply of cat food.

My parents wouldn’t have to worry about the cost of feeding so many cats. It would be one less thing for them to argue about.

We, of all people, could really use that prize.

I hesitated for only a moment.

Then I found the USB stick Jacob had given me.

Ten minutes later, I’d entered Wuthering Heights: A Cataptation into the contest.

I decided not to tell Jacob what I’d done. Chances were good that nothing would happen.

He’d probably never find out.