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Pixie was crouched, trembling, under the potted palm tree at the bottom of the stairs– the pot stood on three little legs and if she squeezed tight enough, she could just about get underneath. Down there it was dark and shadowy and safe…

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Biscuit’s owner was called Billie and amazingly (or so Zara thought) she seemed to like Zara. At first they’d mostly talked about their cats – Biscuit was only a couple of years old so Billie remembered him being a funny, fluffy kitten. She thought he might actually still be growing, even though if she stood up and held him under his front paws, the tip of his tail trailed on the floor.

“I think he must be about six times the size of Pixie,” Zara told her seriously that first break time. “Amina says Pixie’s going to get a lot bigger but I’m not sure. She just feels like she’s going to stay small forever.”

Billie looked thoughtfully over at Amina, perched on one of the picnic tables in the playground, surrounded by a giggling crowd of girls.“Your sister talks a lot, doesn’t she?”

Zara felt her face grow hot and she stared down at the photo of Pixie.

Billie leaned over to look at her better.“I didn’t mean it in a bad way! It’s just – she’s right, isn’t she? You’re really not that similar.” She sighed.

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“Sorry. I get into trouble for saying stuff because people think I’m being mean. I’m not. Mum says I should count to five and think before I say anything, but who’s got time for that?”

Zara snorted with surprised laughter and Billie grinned at her.“See? You know I’m right.”

“Amina never stops talking…” Zara admitted. “Usually I don’t mind. But…” Billie looked at her curiously. Zara swallowed and went on, “But it’s nice to talk for myself sometimes.” She smiled shyly at Billie and remembered something her mum had mentioned the day before. “Um… It’s our birthday in a couple of weeks.” She took a deep breath. “Do you want to come to our party?”

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Zara hadn’t been very excited about having a birthday party when Mum had first mentioned it, but it turned out Amina had been making plans. On Friday evening after school, she hurried Zara upstairs to change out of their uniform and then back down to talk to their parents. Mum had just finished her shift at the hospital and Dad was making dinner.

Zara felt more like lying on the sofa with Pixie than discussing birthday plans– even just three days at their new school had worn her out. Still, looking back on it, the first week had gone a lot better than she’d thought it would – and a big part of that had been finding her own friend. Miss Modha had even asked her if she’d like to move tables and sit with Billie. Zara had said yes before she thought about what it would mean – that she wouldn’t be sitting with Amina. She thought Amina had looked a bit shocked when she told her.

Now she sat down at the table, yawning, and twitched the tail on her leopard onesie for Pixie to chase.

“We’ve been thinking about our party,” Amina announced. Zara looked up, feeling a bit irritated. They hadn’t! Amina hadn’t talked to her about it at all.

“We could go ice skating!” Amina went on, beaming at their parents. “Or maybe just to the cinema and then go for pizza? And can we have a sleepover? With someone to come and do our nails and things? I’ve made a list of who we want to invite.”

“Er…” Dad turned round from the hob looking worried.

“That’s a bit more of a grand plan than we were expecting,” Mum said gently. She looked down at the list that Amina had pushed in front of her and frowned slightly. “You’ve only been at school three days, how can you know so many girls?”

“I know everybody,” Amina said, waving this away. “Mum, we have to have a really good partybecause we’ve only just got there. It needs to be perfect!”

“Zara hasn’t said anything,” Dad pointed out.

“She wants the same as me,” Amina said swiftly.

Zara reached down and scooped Pixie into her lap. Stroking the kitten’s smooth fur made her feel a bit less panicky inside. She leaned over a little so she could see the list that Mum was looking at. Lucy, Harini, Elysha, Iris, Mia… Lots and lots of names – but Billie wasn’t on there.

Amina hadn’t even asked her whoshe wanted to invite– to a party that was meant to be half hers.

“No, I don’t,” she said softly.

Amina whirled round to stare at her.“Of course you do!” She looked utterly shocked – as if she couldn’t understand what was happening.

“You never said anything to me,” Zara told her. “And my friend isn’t on that list.”

“What friend?”

“Billie.”

“Oh.” Amina wrinkled her nose. “Her. I don’t want to invite Billie.”

“That’s not very nice!” Mum looked at Amina in surprise and she shrugged.

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“You just don’t like her because she doesn’t make a big fuss about you like the others,” Zara said.