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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 wasn’t a fan of mice. They were dirty and had the nasty habit of terrifying you when they darted out of places they had no business being in, like the cupboard under Gigi’s sink. But Murray and Cassie were being so nice that it seemed rude not to try. She pictured the mouse she’d seen in Gigi’s house last week, a fawn-colored thing with a tail twice the length of its body. Seconds later, she was perched on her hind legs, looking up at two gigantic faces.

“Wow!” whispered Cassie.

Murray was speechless.

Their gawking was interrupted by the morning bell.

“Change back!” whispered Murray. To Ali’s tiny mouse ears, it was like bellowing.

Panicked, Ali struggled to turn back. But the deafening noise of students outside the computer lab, coupled with the flustered looks on Cassie and Murray’s faces and her own inexperience as a Copycat, unnerved her.

ALI’S RULES ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULDN’T CHANGE AT SCHOOL

  1. School is dangerous enough as it is without putting yourself in physical danger.
  2. No easy escape routes.
  3. What if you can’t change back?????

“Hurry up!” Cassie was halfway to the door.

“Can’t you change?” Murray asked.

A mortified Ali the mouse shook her whiskers.

“We can’t just leave her here,” said Cassie. “What if someone stomps on her?”

Without asking, Murray reached down, grabbed Ali by the tail, and with one swift move, tossed her into his shirt pocket. “Sorry,” he whisper-yelled at where a shocked Ali lay upside down in his pocket. “We’ll figure you out later. Can’t be late for class.”

Cassie’s monstrous eyes glanced in at where a squirming Ali tried to right herself. “I hope she can breathe.”

“She’ll be fine,” Murray said, which made Ali furious, because how could he know that?

Ali was pummeled and buffeted like an astronaut blasting off into space as Murray ran toward homeroom. Could mice throw up? Ali wondered. A moment later she discovered they could. At least none of it landed on her.

“Did you just pee on me?” Murray demanded, looking down at the small wet spot in the corner of his shirt pocket.

“I wish I had” was Ali’s angry retort, which came out as a squeak.

“Shh!” Cassie admonished. “We’re going into class.”

Murray took his seat, which was a relief to Ali’s seasick stomach.

Ms. Ryder began taking attendance. “Here!” Murray boomed. Why was he so loud?

“Has anyone seen Ali Sloane?” Ms. Ryder asked. “I was sure I saw her arrive at school earlier this morning.”

Ali held her breath.

“I don’t think she was feeling well,” Cassie called out. “Maybe she went to see the nurse?”

“Thanks, I’ll go check on her after class. Get out your books, everybody; we’ll get started right after morning announcements and the national anthem.”