Chapter
* THREE *

Lauren woke early on Monday morning. She’d been having a wonderful dream about gliding gracefully over the ice in pretty white skates and a shimmering costume trimmed with sparkling white feathers.

The feathers were tickling her nose. Lauren lifted a hand to brush them away, and then she realized that she had her cheek pressed against Storm’s soft, fluffy black fur.

She grinned with delight as she gathered the tiny puppy close for a cuddle. “Hello, you,” she crooned. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you. I feel safe here,” Storm woofed, lifting his head to lick her chin with his little pink tongue.

“I’m glad,” Lauren said. “Because I love having you living with me.” She told him all about her dream. “I was playing Sleeping Beauty in a fabulous ice show. Being a top figure skater was so amazing!”

Storm put his head to one side, his dewy eyes bright. “What is figure skating? Winter is very cold in my homeland, and lakes become covered with ice. But we do not skate on them.”

“It’s something people do for fun. We wear special shoes with metal blades to skate across the ice. But you have to practice a lot and learn to do jumps and twists and stuff in time to music to be a figure skater,” Lauren explained.

Storm nodded. “It sounds very exciting. Are you going to do this?”

“I want to, more than anything. But I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Lauren said, her whole body drooping back against the comforter.

“Why is that?” Storm’s furry little face creased in concern.

“Mom and Dad think that I’ll get bored with figure skating, so they won’t pay for me to join the Ice Academy, and be coached, like all my friends. I did used to get bored with things easily when I was younger,” Lauren explained honestly, “but I’ve changed. I know I have. It means everything to me to become a figure skater. If I could just find some way to prove it, Mom and Dad might change their minds and let me join.”

“Is joining the Ice Academy the only way to get better at figure skating?” Storm yapped.

“It really is—unless I had my own private ice rink. Then I could practice whenever I wanted to!” Lauren joked glumly. “But that’s never going to happen. So I might as well totally give up on the idea. Anyway, this is my problem. Don’t you worry about me, Storm.”

Lauren forced herself to cheer up as she threw back the covers and jumped out of bed. She was usually a happy person and, after all, she had Storm to keep her company now. “Time to get up. I’ve got to get ready for school.”

Storm watched as Lauren began pulling on her school uniform, a thoughtful expression on his little square face.

Lauren smuggled some food upstairs for Storm after she finished her breakfast. She stood by, watching him slurping up the cereal and milk. “Sorry, but that’s all there is for now. I’ll get you some real dog food on my way home from school.”

Storm was licking milk from his chops. “That was very nice. Thank you.”

Lauren beamed at him. He looked so cute with a white milk mustache on his little black muzzle. It was hard to believe that the tiny helpless puppy was really an impressive young wolf.

“Will you be okay hiding up here while I’m at school?” she asked.

“I will come with you!” Storm yapped, his midnight-blue eyes gleaming.

Lauren wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to have a lively puppy bounding around the classroom—even if he was invisible. But Storm looked so eager to come with her that she smiled and gave in. “Well . . . all right, then.”

“Are you ready, Lauren? I’ll be in the car,” her mom called up the stairs.

“Okay. I’m coming!” Lauren answered. She turned back to Storm. “Mom’s dropping me off on her way to work. Why don’t you get in my book bag for now?”

Storm nodded. Lauren opened her bag, and he immediately jumped in and curled up next to her purple fake-fur pencil case.

Ten minutes later, Lauren stood at the school gates and waved good-bye as her mom drove away. “Here’s Jemila. She’s my best friend,” she whispered to Storm as four girls came walking down the street toward her and Storm. “Becky, Katie, and Padmini are all my classmates, too.”

“Hi, Lauren. Here are those skates I promised you,” Jemila said as she reached her friend. She handed her a drawstring bag.

Lauren smiled gratefully as she took the bag. “Thanks. But I don’t think I’ll be needing them now. Mom and Dad won’t let me join the Ice Academy. They think I won’t keep it up. I’ve tried to tell them I will, but they won’t listen.”

“Oh. That’s awful,” Jemila said. “Why don’t you keep the skates anyway, in case they change their minds?”

“And pigs might fly!” Lauren said glumly.

“Tough luck,” said Becky, wrinkling her nose sympathetically.

“Thanks,” Lauren said. Becky was slim with a heart-shaped face and light-brown hair, and she was very popular in class. Her parents always bought her the latest things, and she always looked amazing. But no one minded, because she wasn’t snooty to anyone and was very generous.

“Look! Dad got me the latest copy of Silver Blades,” Becky said, taking a glossy magazine out of her bag. “There are some really cool figure-skating costumes. I’m going to get him to buy me one.”

“Let’s see!” Katie and Padmini chorused. The three of them crowded around the magazine, chattering excitedly about leotards and the latest designer skates. Lauren gazed longingly at the other girls as they wandered away into the playground.

Jemila hesitated and Lauren could tell that her best friend wanted to join the other girls. She wouldn’t have blamed her if she did, but Jemila linked arms with Lauren instead.

Lauren beamed at her friend, pleased that Jemila had chosen to walk to class with her. But she couldn’t help thinking sadly about how all four of the other girls would be meeting up each night for lessons at the ice rink, while Lauren stayed at home watching boring TV.

Lauren slipped her hand inside her book bag. Storm woofed softly and immediately began licking her fingers. Lauren began to feel a little bit better, glad that she would have her secret fluffy friend to keep her company.