Homeless

Table of Contents

• Chapter One
• Chapter Two
• Chapter Three
• Chapter Four
• Chapter Five
• Chapter Six
• Chapter Seven
• Chapter Eight
• Chapter Nine
• Chapter Ten
• Chapter Eleven
• Chapter Twelve
• Chapter Thirteen
• Chapter Fourteen
• Chapter Fifteen
• Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

Zoe still thinks that Sunita needs a cat. The kids are all heading home on the bus, going to Dr. Mac’s Place, the veterinary clinic where they all volunteer. The perfect way to start the weekend. Sunita says it’s useless, her Mother won’t let her.

Sunita always loved cats. Long-haired, short-haired, tabby, Siamese, or stray. She adores them all. She can watch them for hours. They fascinate her. But Sunita’s mother feels differently. Sunita thinks they scare her, even if she won’t admit it. She gives excuses like their shedding or ruining the furniture instead.

Zoe’s cousin, Maggie, leans across the aisle and says no matter what, Sunita is great with cats and deserves a pet. David turns around from the seat in front of them and says a cat would eat all the mice in the basement. Brenna suggests writing a list of all the reasons Sunita wants a cat.

Sunita, shaking her head, says that won’t help. Mother wants a cat that doesn’t have fur, claws, or teeth, or need a litter box or food. Maggie points out that her mom did let her volunteer at the clinic, and that surprised her. Maggie’s right. Sunita didn’t expect Mother to let her volunteer wtih the others. At first, Sunita thought volunteering would make her not want one of her own. But being around them made her want one even more.

The clinic is run by Dr. J.J. MacKenzie, Maggie and Zoe’s grandmother. Dr. Mac recruited Brenna, David, and Sunita to begin volunteering a month ago, and it’s been the most spectacular thing to happen to Sunita. They see all kinds of animals: cats, canaries, puppies, pigs, and more! The veterinarians let the volunteers help them during examinations and they learn all about things like X-rays and blood tests.

But some of the work is boring and smelly, like cleaning cages and mopping floors. But every job is important. Sunita wants to be a vet when she grows up, so she does whatever Dr. Mac asks. Sunita wants to learn everything she can about animals, especially cats.

All the research Sunita does probably explains why Socrates, Dr. Mac’s cat, loves her. Socrates is huge, almost twenty pounds. His fur is a blend of orange, rust, and yellow, with faint stripes on his tail. Sometimes he acts a bit aloof, and Maggie says that he doesn’t let her pet him or pick him up. But he willingly hops on Sunita’s lap and walks up to Sunita when she enters the clinic to let her pet him. Dr. Mac says he cuddles her because she’s a calm and quiet person.

Sunita has a different idea. She thinks Socrates can tell how much she wants a cat of her own, so he’s adopted her. Sunita’s adopted him, too. He’s become her pet away from home.

Dr. Mac’s Place comes into sight. Dr. Mac’s is a two-story brick building with dark green shutters and a matching green door. The clinic pokes out the left side of the house, a one-story addition. It has a separate door and two windows that face the street. Socrates pokes his head out of the flowers to come to Sunita for some petting. Zoe points to a corner of the yard and says there’s another cat.

The new cat delicately steps onto the grass. It’s a tuxedo cat, mostly black with white paws and patch of white on her chest. She’s very pregnant, with a heavy belly that almost touches the ground. Socrates stiffens and growls. He doesn’t want her here, and he’s telling her to leave. His tail whips back and forth as his ears lay flat on his head. He hisses.