BooksBarbecue
Back The Copycat Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Epigraph
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Chapter One
  7. Three
  8. Four
  9. Five
  10. Six
  11. Chapter Two
  12. Seven
  13. Eight
  14. Nine
  15. Chapter Three
  16. Ten
  17. Eleven
  18. Chapter Four
  19. Twelve
  20. Thirteen
  21. Fourteen
  22. Chapter Five
  23. Fifteen
  24. Sixteen
  25. Chapter Six
  26. Seventeen
  27. Eighteen
  28. Nineteen
  29. Chapter Seven
  30. Twenty
  31. Twenty-One
  32. Twenty-Two
  33. Chapter Eight
  34. Twenty-Three
  35. Twenty-Four
  36. Twenty-Five
  37. Chapter Nine
  38. Twenty-Six
  39. Twenty-Seven
  40. Chapter Ten
  41. Twenty-Eight
  42. Twenty-Nine
  43. Thirty
  44. Thirty-One
  45. Chapter Eleven
  46. Thirty-Two
  47. Thirty-Three
  48. Thirty-Four
  49. Thirty-Five
  50. Chapter Twelve
  51. Thirty-Six
  52. Thirty-Seven
  53. Thirty-Eight
  54. Chapter Thirteen
  55. Thirty-Nine
  56. Forty
  57. Forty-One
  58. Forty-Two
  59. Chapter Fourteen
  60. Forty-Three
  61. Forty-Four
  62. Forty-Five
  63. Forty-Six
  64. Forty-Seven
  65. Chapter Fifteen
  66. The Following Summer
  67. About the Author
  68. About the Publisher

Ms. Ryder crouched and extended an open palm. “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty.” Ali wanted to run away, but she couldn’t. As Ms. Ryder drew closer, she understood why: Ms. Ryder held a piece of turkey. Ali took a deep sniff and slunk closer. As she leaned in for a bite, Ms. Ryder scooped her up. “Naughty kitty!” she cooed.

Principal Birchwood stepped out of her office. “Ms. Ryder, why do you have a cat?”

“The poor thing must have slipped into the building,” said Ms. Ryder. “I was about to put it outside.”

Principal Birchwood sniffed. “Do so right now. I’m allergic to cats, and my asthma will be out of control.”

As they made their way to the nearest entrance, kids begged Ms. Ryder to let them pet Ali, which was kind of nice but also kind of creepy. Ms. Ryder pushed the door open with her back and set Ali down. “Go home, kitty. Thanks for visiting Princess Elizabeth School.” She closed the door, and Ali was alone.

For a brief moment, Ali considered turning back to herself. But someone might see her and make her go back to school. There was no way she was doing that. She could never face Emily again. She would go home and try to convince her parents to homeschool her. But to do that, she’d have to stay a cat.

Until this moment, Ali had believed cats had it easy: they went where they wanted to go, caught the odd mouse, curled up in sunny windows for long naps, were fed and petted by adoring owners. She was wrong. She was outside Princess Elizabeth School for all of three minutes when some boy she didn’t recognize tried to grab her. She wiggled free, scratching him in the process, and raced off. Right into the parking lot, where Vice Principal Campbell, who was just pulling her massive truck into her parking space, almost ran her over. But Ali the cat was fast; she flung herself under the next car.

She hadn’t reckoned on the sensory overload. The sound of Vice Principal Campbell slamming her truck door was the rumble of an earthquake. A screeching seagull was fingernails on a chalkboard. Her hiding place was a sickening blend of motor oil, asphalt, and already-chewed gum. Her eyes were magical; even in the dim light she could see ants scurrying by, the miniscule writing on a balled-up fast-food wrapper, the movement of a tiny mouse six cars over. And though her cat instincts were desperate to chase the mouse, she held herself in check. There was only one objective: home.