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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

Ali rushed into the house. “Hang on, Alfie!” she implored, hoping he wouldn’t wake up and decide to jump from her arms as she carried him up the steep staircase.

Gigi’s face was the color of her snow-white nightgown. “How is he? I tried to change so I could save him, but my powers are too weak—I couldn’t even fly.”

Ali placed Alfie on Gigi’s lap. “He’s not changing back and he’s bleeding and I can’t tell if he has any other injuries. What do we do?”

Gigi bent forward and ran her hands along Alfie’s squirrel spine. “Get a warm cloth,” she directed.

Ali grabbed the softest cloth she could find, ran it under the hot water faucet, and pulled a fluffy towel off the rack. Alfie was still unmoving when she returned. She handed Gigi the rag and waited, towel at the ready.

“Come on, Alfie,” Gigi whispered. “You need to change back now.” She began to clean his bloody paws.

Ali watched, fearful. Alfie wasn’t even whimpering now. That was a bad sign, wasn’t it? “How long has he been visiting you?” she asked.

Gigi, head down, continued to dab at Alfie’s paws and fur. “He showed up two nights ago. He wanted to wish me a happy birthday. He’s just started to change and he doesn’t have very much control over his powers. He hoped one of us had powers too and could help him. Did he ever ask you for help?”

Ali recalled their last conversation, when he’d told her he was in trouble. She had been mean. This was her fault.

The front door opened. “We’re home!” Digger’s voice called out.

“Digger!” Ali hollered. “Alfie’s up in Gigi’s room and he’s hurt!”

Digger flew up the stairs and through the door, Ali’s mother right behind him. He paused, flustered, and pointed at the squirrel. “That’s Alfie?” When Ali nodded, he leaned forward to take a closer look.

The story came out in one long run-on sentence. “He just got his powers and he came to see Gigi a couple of nights ago to wish her happy birthday and again today and then Topsy attacked him and Gigi tried to help but she couldn’t, so I changed into a cat and drove Topsy away and now he’s not changing back or waking up!”

Digger shook his head. “Oh Gigi—what have you done? You should have told me as soon as he came.”

Gigi began to cry.

“I’m sorry, Digger. I just wanted to meet him. Can you help him?”