A short message for grown-ups.
Holiday travel with little ones can be an adventure.
Between airport waits and long car rides, it helps to have something calm and engaging ready to go.
Netflix Kids Games has games your kids can play without Wi-Fi, perfect for when you're in the air or on the road.
They feature characters like Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, and Barbie.
And they're educational, too.
Everything's fully unlocked with your Netflix membership, so there are no extra costs.
You can download shows and movies for offline watching, too.
Visit netflixfamily.com slash travel tips for more ways to make holiday travel easier on everyone.
That's netflixfamily.com slash travel tips.
Happy travels, friends.
Hello, friends, and welcome to Sleep Tight Stories.
Kitty is getting ready for school and asks her mom if she has heard the news.
There is a new student coming to their school and the whole town is talking about it.
Vivienne, the new student, came from a fancy academy and is perfectly groomed.
Kitty is worried that she will never fit in.
Kitty and Brutus The Show Cat Kitty poked at her breakfast, pushing the chunks of salmon around in her bowl.
Mama, did you hear?
There's a new student coming today.
I did hear that from Principal Breezy yesterday, her mama said, pouring cream into her own bowl.
She mentioned the family just moved here from the city.
The city?
Kitty's whiskers twitched.
Luffy said she's from some fancy academy, like really fancy, with competitions and everything.
Well, I'm sure she'll be nervous on her first day.
You remember how nervous you were.
Kitty thought about that.
I guess so, but I didn't come from an academy.
Her mama smiled.
No, but you were still worried about making friends.
Maybe you could help her feel welcome.
I can try.
Kitty licked the last of the salmon from her whiskers.
But Fluffy said she might be, you know, snooty.
Kitty.
Sorry, Mama.
They walked to school together, and when they reached Alley Street, Brutus was already at his post by the crossing.
His tail wagged when he saw them.
Morning, Kitty.
Big day today, huh?
You heard, too?
Everyone's heard, Brutus said in his squeaky voice, grinning.
Whole neighborhood's talking about it.
The schoolyard was already buzzing when they arrived.
Fluffy, Cooper, and Bella were huddled by the front steps whispering.
She's already inside.
Luffy said the moment Kitty walked up with Principal Breezy.
What's she like?
Kitty asked.
Didn't get a good look, Hooper said, but her carrier has gold latches.
Gold!
Bella's eyes went wide, and her collar, I saw it through the window.
It had actual crystals on it.
The front door opened and Principal Breezy stepped out, followed by a sleek white cat with perfect posture.
Her fur looked like it had been brushed a hundred times that morning.
The collar Bella mentioned caught the sunlight sparkling.
Everyone, this is Vivienne, Principal Breezy announced.
She's joining us from Belmont Academy.
I trust you'll all make her feel welcome.
Vivienne's green eyes swept across the schoolyard.
Her expression didn't change, but something about the way she held her tail straight up very still made Kitty think of the fancy cat shows her papa watched on television sometimes.
Hello, Vivienne said.
Her voice was smooth, careful.
Charming campus you have here.
Kitty had never heard anyone call it that.
At Belmont, our facilities were a bit more extensive, but I'm sure this will be perfectly adequate.
Luffy's mouth fell open.
Cooper blinked.
Bella looked at Kitty like, did she just say adequate?
Principal Breezy's smile tightened just a little.
Well, let's get you settled in your classroom, shall we?
Kitty, perhaps you could show Vivienne where we keep the extra pencils.
Kitty led Vivienne through the front doors and down the hallway.
Their classroom was the third door on the left.
Kitty had walked this path so many times, she could do it with her eyes closed.
But Vivienne kept pausing, looking at the artwork on the walls. the cubbies outside each room.
This way, Kitty said, holding the classroom door open.
Vivienne stepped inside and her eyes swept across the room.
The reading corner with its cushions, the windows overlooking the playground, the desks arranged in clusters.
She examined her desk like it might have fleas.
She ran one paw along the edge, then sat down very carefully.
Her tail curled just so around her feet.
These are quite compact, she said to no one in particular.
Their teacher, Mrs. Maple, smiled.
We like to think of them as cozy, Vivienne.
You'll be sitting right there next to Kitty's group.
Lovely.
Vivienne's whiskers didn't move at all when she said it.
Mrs. Maple started the morning lesson on fractions.
Kitty was trying to focus, but she kept noticing Vivienne.
The way she held her pencil, very precise, like she was doing calligraphy.
The way she sat perfectly straight, not slouching even a little.
When Cooper dropped his eraser and it rolled under Vivienne's desk, she picked it up between two claws and handed it back without a word, like she was picking up something dirty.
At Belmont, Vivienne whispered to the cat on her other side we had individual workstations, much more conducive to concentration.
Luffy leaned over to Kitty.
What's conducive mean?
Kitty shrugged.
During penmanship practice, Vivienne's letters were perfect.
Not good.
Like the examples Mrs. Maple put on the board, except somehow even neater.
But when the classroom door slammed from the wind, Vivienne jumped, just a little.
Her pencil skittered across the page.
At lunch, Vivienne unpacked what looked like a feast.
Small containers arranged just so.
Each one was something different.
Sliced fish arranged in a little fan.
Cream in a glass bottle with a cork stopper.
Even her water bowl had a pattern painted on it.
Kitty was eating a tuna sandwich.
It felt very boring suddenly.
You're welcome to sit with us.
Kitty said anyway, because that's what Mama would have wanted her to do.
Vivienne glanced at their table, regular lunchboxes, regular food, and sat down at the end.
Not quite with them, but not quite alone either.
At Belmont, we had a four-course meal service, Vivienne said, taking a tiny bite of fish.
With options.
And the dining hall had windows that overlooked the gardens.
We have windows?
Bella offered.
Yes, I noticed.
Cooper was eating something that smelled like sardines.
Vivienne wrinkled her nose but didn't say anything.
Did you compete in shows?
Luffy asked.
With that collar and everything?
Oh, yes.
Several ribbons, actually.
Best in breed twice.
We had rather rigorous grooming standards.
Vivian touched her collar with one paw.
Individual tutoring sessions for proper presentation techniques.
Sounds like a lot of work, Kitty said.
Well, excellence requires effort.
At recess, everyone played chase around the big tree in the yard.
Kitty loved chase.
The way your paws hit the grass, The rush when someone almost tagged you.
Vivienne, want to play?
Kitty called.
Vivienne was sitting on the steps watching.
We played more structured games at my academy.
This seems rather chaotic.
That's kind of the point, Cooper said, racing by.
But Kitty noticed something.
The way Vivienne's ears tracked their movements.
The way her tail twitched when someone laughed.
Like maybe she wanted to join, but didn't know how to say it.
Or maybe she thought she was too good for Chase.
Kitty wasn't sure which.
The afternoon dragged.
Math worksheets, then reading time.
Vivienne answered every question Mrs. Maple asked, her paw shooting up before anyone else's.
Perfect answers, perfectly delivered.
But during silent reading Kitty noticed Vivian wasn't turning pages just staring at the same spot in her book, her ears swiveling every time someone whispered or a chair scraped.
The final bell rang and everyone started packing up.
Kitty shoved her books into her bag.
She'd never mastered the neat packing thing.
Everything just kind of tumbled in.
Vivienne's bag looked like it had been organized by someone's butler.
Each book slid in perfectly.
Nothing creased or bent.
Outside, parents were already lining up.
Kitty saw her mama talking with Cooper's dad by the fence.
Fluffy's mom waved from across the street.
One by one, students bounded down the steps toward home.
Principal Breezy poked her head out.
Vivianne, is someone picking you up today?
My father should be here any minute.
Vivianne's tail was very straight.
He's probably just delayed in traffic.
Would you like to wait inside?
No, thank you.
I prefer the fresh air.
Kitty waved as she left with her mama.
Vivienne lifted one paw in return, still sitting perfectly upright on the top step.
But when Kitty glanced back from the sidewalk, Vivienne was standing now, looking toward the street.
Her tail wasn't quite as straight anymore.
The schoolyard emptied fast.
Parents, students, even the teachers heading home.
Soon.
It was just Vivienne on the steps and the afternoon getting later and still no one coming down the street.
Five minutes passed, then ten.
The shadows from the big tree stretched longer across the empty schoolyard.
A few birds landed near the steps, pecking at something, then flying away.
Vivienne's tail twitched.
She checked the street again.
Nothing.
She stood up, smoothing her fur with one paw.
This was fine.
Father was just late.
Traffic from the city could be unpredictable.
She walked to the edge of the schoolyard, peering down the main street.
Cars passed, but none of them slowed.
None of them were his.
Maybe if she walked toward the main intersection, she'd spot him coming.
Yes, that made sense.
The problem was Vivienne didn't actually know which street led to the main intersection.
At Belmont, there'd been a circular drive.
Very straightforward.
Streets branched off in different directions, and she'd only been driven to school once this morning, while she was too nervous to pay attention.
She chose a street that looked busy.
But after two blocks, it got quieter.
The buildings were different here, older, closer together.
She turned down another street, then another.
Nothing looked familiar.
Vivienne's heart started beating faster.
She was lost.
Actually lost.
In a neighborhood she didn't know, in a town she'd just moved to, and... She stopped walking.
At the end of the street, there was something.
Big, muscular, sitting right in the middle of the sidewalk like he owned it.
A dog.
Not just any dog.
An enormous dog with a pushed-in face and shoulders that looked like they could knock over a mailbox.
His jowls hung down, drool glistening, and when he shifted his weight the whole sidewalk seemed to shake.
Vivienne backed up.
Her perfect posture collapsed.
She pressed against a wooden fence claws clutching on the boards.
The dog noticed her.
He stood up, even bigger standing, and started walking toward her.
Vivienne couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
All her Belmont training, all her grooming standards and competition ribbons and excellent breeding none of it mattered.
She was just scared.
The dog got closer.
Closer?
His shadow fell over her.
And then he spoke.
Are you lost, little one?
His voice was squeaky, high-pitched, like someone had put a puppy's voice in a boulder's body.
Vivienne blinked.
I what?
You look lost, the dog said gently.
Are you okay?
Vivienne was still pressed against the fence, but her claws relaxed slightly.
I'm... I'm fine.
I was just... exploring?
Brutus tilted his massive head.
It's a nice neighborhood for that, but this street can be confusing if you don't know it.
I know exactly where I am.
The words came out automatic, defensive. but her tail betrayed her, tucked close.
Brutus sat down, making himself smaller, less towering.
You're the new student, right?
How did you... I'm the crossing guard.
I know all the students.
He smiled, which looked alarming with all those teeth, but his voice stayed gentle.
Brutus, nice to meet you.
Vivienne, she said quietly.
Pretty name.
You came from the big city?
Belmont Academy, actually.
Some of her composure crept back.
It's a specialized school.
Very selective.
Sounds impressive.
What was your favorite part?
Vivienne blinked.
No one had asked her that.
They'd asked about ribbons, about competitions, about rankings.
Not what she actually liked.
The library.
They had this reading corner with pillows.
Really soft ones.
Prince Street has a good library, too.
Smaller, but Mrs. Whiskers keeps it nice.
They started walking.
Vivienne hadn't quite decided to follow him, but somehow they were moving together back towards school.
Were you scared?
Brutus asked, being lost.
I wasn't scared.
I was just... She stopped.
Yes, a little.
That's okay.
I get scared sometimes, too.
You?
She looked up at him.
You're enormous.
Still get scared, though.
Back at school, the yard was empty except for Principal Breezy's car still in the lot.
Vivienne sat on the bottom step.
Brutus settled onto the grass nearby.
The steps were too small for him.
You don't have to stay, Vivienne said.
I'm sure you have... things to do?
Nah, I don't mind waiting.
They sat in silence for a moment.
Vivienne's tail wrapped around her paws, then unwrapped, then wrapped again.
Everyone probably thinks I'm terrible, she said finally.
At lunch...
The things I said.
Brutus's ears twitched.
You were nervous.
I was being snooty.
She said it like Kitty had that morning.
I just... At Belmont, everyone was competing all the time.
Who had the best grades, the best grooming, the best everything.
If you weren't the best, you were nobody.
Sounds exhausting.
It was.
Vivienne looked at her paws.
And now I'm here and I don't know how to just be normal.
So I thought if I acted like Belmont was better, then maybe... Maybe you'd feel less scared?
She nodded.
I know about that, Brutus said quietly.
Looking one way and feeling another way inside?
Vivienne glanced at him, really looked at him, and understood.
A car turned onto the street.
Vivienne's ears perked up, and yes, that was her father's car.
Finally.
He pulled up fast, practically jumping out.
Vivienne, I'm so sorry, sweetheart.
The meeting ran over and then there was construction and... He stopped, seeing Brutus.
His eyes went wide.
It's okay, father, Vivienne stood up, brushing off her fur.
Brutus kept me company.
He's the crossing guard.
Her father looked uncertain, but Vivienne walked right up to Brutus and touched his paw with hers.
Thank you for waiting with me.
Anytime, Brutus said in his squeaky voice.
Vivienne's father blinked at the sound, then seemed to relax.
Well, thank you then.
Very kind of you.
As they walked to the car, Vivienne looked back once.
Brutus was still sitting there.
And when he saw her looking, he waved.
She waved back.
The next morning, Kitty and her mama passed Brutus at his usual spot.
Morning, Brutus, Kitty called.
Morning, Kitty, his tail wagged.
That new student, Vivienne?
I met her yesterday after school.
Nice kid. just a little nervous about everything.
Really?
Kitty tilted her head.
She didn't seem nervous.
She seemed kind of... snooty?
Brutus's eyes crinkled.
Sometimes those look the same.
Kitty thought about that.
Anyway, I think you'll like her better today, Brutus said.
Kitty wasn't so sure, but she waved goodbye and headed into the schoolyard.
Vivienne was already there sitting on the steps, still perfectly groomed, still wearing that crystal collar.
But when she saw Kitty, she stood up and walked over.
Good morning, Vivienne said, then quieter.
Could I, would it be okay if I sat with you at lunch again?
Of course, Kitty said.
Fluffy and Cooper and Bella joined them, everyone heading toward the door.
At my old school, Vivienne started, then stopped.
Smiled a little.
Actually, I think I like how you do things here better.
Want to play chase at recess?
Bella asked.
Vivienne's tail twitched.
I've never really played it before, but yes, could you show me how?
Behind them, the morning bell rang and they all went inside together.
And that is the end of our story.
Goodnight.
Sleep tight.
