Fashion Kitty and the B.O.Y.S. Read online

  Poor Lester.

  Don’t worry, Lester. We’ll help you.

  Halfway through the visit Lester’s mom came in and offered them some snacks, but she left again quickly before anyone could really say thank you.

  By the end of the visit, even though there was still a lot to do, everyone felt they had at least made a good start.

  Goodness! These curls are escaping.

  Snacks, anyone?

  I’m glad we could help him.

  I think

  Lester seems

  okay now.

  I feel better.

  Lester walked Kiki and June to the front door.

  He opened it, and there stood Leon, wearing one of his C.F.K.C. T-shirts.

  Leon brushed past the little group and stomped into the house.

  “I can’t believe it!” said Lester. “I totally forgot to tell you about the statue. Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Kiki and June followed Lester out to the garage.

  I bet you’re

  here for the dumb statue.

  Well, it’s not so great.

  I can’t

  believe it.

  And it’s all marshmallows.

  It’s amazing.

  Fashion Kitty Flies Again

  After a confusing day at school and a long afternoon helping Lester, Kiki was happy to be home. Lana was playing dress-up, Mother Kittie was making dinner, and Mousie was sleeping in her mousehouse.

  Kiki watched Lana.

  I’m glad she’s finished her T-shirt, thought Kiki. I just don’t have the energy for more working together.

  Hmmm . . .

  not so easy

  to walk like

  this.

  T-shirt

  And then, so no one could see her, Kiki quietly snuck up to her room.

  Twenty seconds later Mother called everyone together for dinner. Five seconds after that, Kiki heard another call. This time it was a call of distress—and really it was more of a whimper.

  “It’s happening,” thought Kiki. She felt the familiar tingle in her body. Moments later she burst into the kitchen.

  Guess who?

  “Fashion Kitty!” squealed Lana. She tried to jump up and down but tripped over the T-shirt she was wearing on her legs.

  “Oomf!”

  Mother Kittie ran over to help.

  Fashion Kitty waved good-bye to her family and flew up into the dark blue sky.

  Be careful!

  Of course this always happens at dinnertime.

  Fashion calls me!

  I’m okay.

  Don’t

  worry

  about me.

  Go save fashion!

  If she had been a singing kind of kitty, she would have burst into song.

  “LAAAAAAAAAA!”

  That’s how good it felt to have the crisp night air tickling her whiskers.

  “I am about to help someone,” said Fashion Kitty. Just thinking about it made her fly extra fast.

  She had two thoughts about what could happen

  next, and both thoughts made her nervous.

  Wait a

  minute. I

  recognize

  that house

  Leon and Lester’s house.

  What if it’s Lester and he recognizes me?

  What if it’s Leon who needs help?

  Fashion Kitty looked at the house below and took a deep breath. Courage is not always instantly available. Sometimes it has to be gathered in small pieces.

  A few minutes later, Fashion Kitty was on her way down to the window.

  I am a superhero.

  I can do this.

  I have the power of fashion!

  A Friend in Need

  Fashion Kitty stood on the ledge outside the window and looked in. It was Lester’s room, and it was a mess. A large mountain of paper rose from the floor. Suddenly, like a volcano, the mountain started to shake, and then, out popped Lester’s head.

  “Oh, Lester,” gasped Fashion Kitty. “You do need help.”

  Fashion Kitty tapped on the window. Papers fluttered wildly as Lester stood up and looked around. Two seconds later, he saw her.

  “Wow!” shouted Lester. “I can’t believe it’s you!”

  He rushed to the window, opened it, and stepped back so she could enter.

  “Sorry!” said Lester, pointing to the papers covering the room. “If I had known you were coming, I would have cleaned up.”

  “Lester,” said Fashion Kitty, “a kitty in need should not worry about tidiness.”

  “You’re right,” said Lester, “I am a kitty in need,” and then he sank to the floor and told her all about the Eiffel Tower, the T-shirt project, and Leon.

  And the thing I wanted to do most was the Eiffel Tower, because I really like building stuff.

  Listening

  very

  carefully

  Hmm.

  “Why don’t you do your project on the Eiffel Tower, then?” asked Fashion Kitty.

  “Leon stole my idea, so now I can’t do it anymore!” complained Lester.

  Fashion Kitty thought about Lester’s words for a second, and then she said two words that changed everything.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want to be the same as him,” said Lester.

  Fashion Kitty smiled.

  “Are you laughing at me?” asked Lester.

  “Oh, Lester! Not at all,” said Fashion Kitty. “Let me explain.”

  Suddenly, Lester felt like a giant lightbulb had flashed on in his brain.

  I guess I never really thought about it that way.

  You and Leon could not be more different.

  Do you

  really think that your Eiffel Tower project would be like his?

  On the outside

  we’re the same,

  but inside we’re

  completely

  different!

  If we were

  burritos, I’d be

  cheese and Leon

  would be spicy hot

  peppers and beets.

  Cheese is better,

  right?

  And even though Lester’s description was not one that Fashion Kitty would have thought of, she said, “Yes, Lester! Cheese is excellent. You are an amazing and talented cheese burrito!”

  Lester smiled, and as he started to pick up all the papers, Fashion Kitty thought about something new.

  Oh,

  my gosh!

  You’re

  right.

  My

  T-shirt is pants!

  And then she said . . .

  Fashion Kitty walked to the window.

  Lester was shocked. “What? Aren’t you going to stay and help?”

  “Lester, you don’t need me,” said Fashion Kitty. “You are one of the most creative and interesting kitties I have ever met.”

  “Wow!” said Lester. He blushed a little at the compliment.

  Fashion Kitty waved good-bye and jumped out the window.

  “Wow!” said Lester as he watched her fly away.

  It was that kind of night—a Triple Wower!

  Don’t be afraid

  to try something new. A T-shirt does not have to be a T-shirt.

  That worked purrfectly!

  Plus, Lester

  didn’t even

  come close to

  recognizing

  me.

  C I s for Catch

  When the sun is shining and your insides are excited about something that is about to happen, it’s hard not to think . . .

  Walking to school with her friends, Kiki could tell that they thought so, too.

  Lester was especially excited, and he couldn’t wait to tell everyone why.

  “Fashion Kitty came to see me last night. She’s amazing, just like I imagined! Let me tell you what happened . . . ”

  He told the story of the visit over and o
ver again.

  The only time he stopped talking was when they got to school and saw the Fashion Kitty marshmallow statue sitting right at the front entrance. At that exact moment he felt pride, and somehow pride seemed better in silence.

  Nothing wrecks a quiet moment of appreciation like a school bell. As soon as it rang, everyone scattered and ran to their classrooms. Lester unfortunately bumped into Leon. It was not a happy brother reunion.

  “Where’s your French T-shirt?” asked Lester.

  “Don’t worry about that!” sneered Leon. “How come you didn’t tell me about Fashion Kitty? Now everyone’s laughing at me because I didn’t catch her. And there she was in my very own house.”

  “Catch her? What are you talking about?” demanded Lester.

  “Never mind! I’ll get her! You’ll see!” Leon glared at Lester. He turned, popped a marshmallow into his mouth, mumbled something, and was gone.

  Today is

  going to be a great day!

  Lester was especially excited, and he couldn’t wait to tell everyone why.

  “Fashion Kitty came to see me last night. She’s amazing, just like I imagined! Let me tell you what happened . . . ”

  He told the story of the visit over and over again.

  The only time he stopped talking was when they got to school and saw the Fashion Kitty marshmallow statue sitting right at the front entrance. At that exact moment he felt pride, and somehow pride seemed better in silence.

  I can’t

  wait to get

  to school.

  Guess what?

  Wait until

  you see my

  T-shirt.

  You’ll

  never

  guess.

  Rays of pride

  Wow!

  Lester,

  it’s amazing!

  Nothing wrecks a quiet moment of appreciation like a school bell. As soon as it rang, everyone scattered and ran to their classrooms. Lester unfortunately bumped into Leon. It was not a happy brother reunion.

  “Where’s your French T-shirt?” asked Lester.

  “Don’t worry about that!” sneered Leon. “How come you didn’t tell me about Fashion Kitty? Now everyone’s laughing at me because I didn’t catch her. And there she was in my very own house.”

  “Catch her? What are you talking about?” demanded Lester.

  “Never mind! I’ll get her! You’ll see!” Leon glared at Lester. He turned, popped a marshmallow into his mouth, mumbled something, and was gone.

  That’s

  what C.F.K. stands for!

  Where

  did he get

  that

  marshmallow?

  Catch Fashion Kitty?

  TT I s for

  T- Shirt Trap

  Lester was frantic. He needed his friends. He needed to warn them about Leon. There were kitties running everywhere, but none of the kitties running by were the ones he was looking for.

  “This is impossible,” said Lester. “I’ll just have to find Leon myself and make sure he doesn’t do something awful.”

  Meanwhile, Leon was doing something awful.

  The pile of T-shirts being taken away by Leon

  Aha!

  Just what

  I need.

  Okay,

  Mrs.

  Rumple.

  Okay, kitties,

  just pile your

  shirts here for

  now.

  It wasn’t long before everyone knew about the awful thing Leon had done.

  It was a disaster. A Fashion Disaster! And it was exactly what Leon wanted.

  It’s a Fashion Disaster!

  Our shirts are gone!

  Oh, no!

  Empty space where the T-shirts had been.

  All that yelling

  and screaming will

  get Fashion Kitty’s attention.

  I can’t believe

  it. My plan is

  going to work.

  Leon got straight to work on setting his trap. It was very clever, but unfortunately, it was also very evil.

  LEON’S PLAN

  Get Fashion Kitty’s attention.

  Watch her fly to the school to help with

  the Fashion Disaster.

  Put the T-shirts out so she will see them and go to get them. (It’s a trap!)

  When she flies down to get the T-shirts, run out and catch her using a yellow invention.

  YELLOW INVENTION

  Net that will trap Fashion Kitty for six days

  Supersticky spray

  Six-day spray

  Slimy string

  Leon went over his plan at least fifty times. He did not want to make any mistakes.

  “If I know it by heart, it will work perfectly!” said Leon, and he pulled on a large pair of special gloves.

  Special gloves that can hold anything sticky or slimy and not get stuck.

  The Trick with

  a F rench Twist

  Kiki was helping June with her headband for the fashion show when she heard the cry for help. It was loud, almost a scream, but no one else seemed to notice a thing. Kiki froze.

  “What’s wrong?” asked June.

  Kiki felt the familiar tingling in her body.

  “Oh, no!” said Kiki. She knew what was about to happen. She was changing into Fashion Kitty.

  It can’t happen here , thought Kiki. Not in front of June and the other kitties!

  “Bathroom break!” shouted Kiki, and she raced off to the girls’ room.

  Poor Kiki. She must be nervous.

  I’ll be okay.

  Kiki, just

  call me if

  you need

  me.

  Fun

  headband

  “That was close,” said Fashion Kitty. She gave herself a quick check in the mirror, turned around, and then flew out the window.

  The cry for help was very loud and very near.

  Fashion Kitty hovered above the school and looked down. With her X-ray eyes, she was able to see the problem and the solution within seconds.

  This looks fast and easy.

  PROBLEM

  SOLUTION

  Help! Help!

  Our T-shirts

  are gone!

  Pile of T-shirts

  Very excited

  Hee-hee

  What Fashion Kitty didn’t see was Leon and his friends hiding behind the giant marshmallow statue.

  Leon’s big moment was about to happen. He watched Fashion Kitty in the sky.

  “This is it,” he whispered. “Watch.”

  And then, just as Fashion Kitty swooped down to grab the pile of T-shirts, Leon jumped out. He quickly sprayed the sticky spray onto his handmade net and got into position to throw it.

  “Aha, Fashion Kitty! I’ve got you!” shouted Leon.

  She spun around to see who was talking.

  “What! Who? You do?” asked Fashion Kitty.

  “Yes, I do!” shouted Leon, and then with all his strength he threw his net right at her. Fashion Kitty tried to escape, but she was trapped, stuck against the school in a web of sticky string that looked surprisingly like the Eiffel Tower.

  “Hey . . . How do you know me?” asked Leon.

  He was surprised that Fashion Kitty knew his name. He hadn’t expected that.