The school gym was huge and empty. Pip scrambled up onto the wooden pedestal and stared. The golden trophy was gone. Its usual spot was bare and dusty.
Pip's ears flattened against his head. He noticed a faint trail of golden glitter glimmering across the floorboards. It led toward the hallway. He followed it on all fours, his claws tapping a quick rhythm.
In the music room, glitter led past a tipped-over music stand and a crumpled paper. Pip nosed it gently. 'Surprise!' was scrawled in bright crayon. His tail gave a single uncertain twitch.
Pip tucked the paper into his fur and followed the glitter deeper. It wound past the art room, past the reading nook, and stopped at the library door. His ears perked up. Something was inside.
The library was full of toppled books and soft cushions. Behind the reading rug, Pip found a pile of handmade banners. Each one bore his name in a different color. His ears shot straight up.
A distant sound of shuffling feet drifted from the hallway. Pip's paws froze. His tail went perfectly still. Then the library doors burst open with a loud WHOOSH.
His classmates tumbled into the library, cheering and waving their banners high. Someone held the golden trophy above their heads like a flag. 'SURPRISE, PIP!' they all shouted at once.
Pip's mouth dropped open. Then it split into a wide, toothy grin. The afternoon sun poured through the tall library windows and caught the trophy's warm, glittering surface.
Pip lifted the golden trophy with both paws and immediately carried it over to Ollie. 'Here,' he seemed to say. Ollie took it gently and hooted softly.
Ollie placed the trophy back on its pedestal near the library door. Everyone gathered close, tails and wings bumping together in happy laughter. Pip sat down among them.
The gym was filled with the sound of crinkling banners and happy footsteps. Pip sat among his friends, the trophy gleaming between them like a small bright sun.
Pip looked at the trophy, then at his friends, then back at the trophy. It wasn't just gold. It was theirs. And it was perfect.
