Thanks & Giving

  Hello, everyone, it's Hope here!
  Now, we all know that Thanksgiving is coming up, only... *calculates* nine days away! 
  So I wanted to talk about the many things I am grateful for. I was sitting here on the computer, thinking about what I should post, when I realized that I have been taking things for granted. And I decided not to do that, not anymore.
  I also wanted to remind you guys of the little things that you may have forgotten. That is at the bottom, and many are personal enough that you might not understand the feeling, but they are wonderful things, to me.
  Here's my list:

My House

  So, I am starting out basic. My house! 

  I am so privileged that I get to live in such a nice house! It bigger than a lot houses of I have seen, and I have my own room, which I know many kids don't have.
  
  Fun fact: I am literally living in the house that my dad lived in as a kid! Isn't that cool?

My Room

  I already mentioned my room, but let me describe it: I have a huge closet (not a walk-in, but it's bigger than many), a full-sized bed, my mother's own desk, nightstand, and dresser from her childhood (which are surprisingly new-looking), a shelf, and a huge four-pane window. 

  It has wood floors and pink walls, and the whole thing is pretty - pretty.

My Brother

  He's a computer/video game/gaming device nerd. He is also pretty into acting and martial arts. He loves to tease me and make jokes, and, although it's not always the perfect-sibling relationship that can only happen in TV shows, it's one of the best things in my life. He's always there.
  
  To my bro: If you're reading this, don't think I'm going to start laughing at all of your jokes, playing all of your weird games, or agreeing with your every word I was in a grateful mood, okay?
  
  Just saying. 

My Mom

  She is a really nice, supportive mother, who teaches me at school! Dun-dun-dun...
  
  I'm home-schooled, by the way.
  
  She is also, very patient and tolerant, which I've known from the start. I mean, she teaches me. Me.
  
  I love her so much, even if I get frustrated when she tells me that lunch-break is over. She is probably the best mom ever; that's what I've always assumed.
  
  To Mom: If you're reading this, everything I said in here is true, although I'm still uncomfortable with saying 'I love you' out loud.

My Dad

  He is a wonderful, quite humorous, surfer dude. He is a pretty devoted Grateful Dead fan, and he likes a lot of older music, not the cheesy pop these days. 
  
  In this way, I have gotten exposed to many wonderful artists, like Blackmore's Night, Over the Rhine, Joan Baez, Billy Joel, and so many more!

  He is also very supportive, and practically lives on super-foods, along with green smoothies and salads.
  
  Basically, amazing.
  
  To Dad: If you're reading this, I just want to say that I wasn't saying the fact that you're healthy and Grateful-Dead-supportive in a bad way. It's all good. Skaka-bra! 
  
  (That was an inside joke, so if you don't get it, it doesn't mean you're crazy.)


My Grandpa

  He is a professional photographer for baseball games, and his pictures have appeared on many newspapers, and websites. I believe the total is 70?
  
  I love him because he knows so much, especially about writing, photography, old movies, and old literature. I can (in complete honesty) talk to him about a random object for an hour, because almost every word we say brings up a new conversation. Sometimes we completely forget what the point of it was.
  
  Good times, good times.
  
  To Grandpa: If you're reading this, I do want to say how much I enjoyed our conversation about the unkillable monk.

My Grandma

  She is a wonderful woman with impeccable taste, and she's not bad in the kitchen...
  
  She's full of stories from her childhood. Whenever I see her, we can get immersed in the stories she tells.
  
  Another thing is, when she is giving her opinion on something, she doesn't act like anyone else needs to have the same opinion, like many other people do. She is also very helpful when talking about clothes.
  
  Isn't that how every grandma should be?
  
  To Grandma: If you're reading this, please realize that I mean everything I said. You are amazing. What else can I say?

My Friends
  
  They are all super approachable, really nice, increasingly helpful, infectiously humorous, predictably unpredictable, randomly random... and, they all take ballet with me, in the same level! 
  
  They're amazing, the best friends you could ask for. I'm not going to do the whole 'To __________ ', because they don't actually know that I have a blog                                  Insert name here

My Pets

  First, Daisy, my cat. She is a beautiful tabby with all white paws and this little white streak on her nose (we all joke that she got paint on her nose, and now all the cats at kitty school will tease her - not that there is a kitty school -) . 

  I love her because when she doesn't get up and leave, you know that she's loving you at the moment. She's very honest in that way.
  
  Second, my dog, Stella. (By the way, 'my' doesn't mean I own whoever it is that I am referring to. It just means the family... whoever.) She's a blue poodle. Sounds weird, right? But blue doesn't mean literal blue. Right now she just looks ebony-ish, but she will turn a sort of silver-blue color when she's older.
  
  The great thing about her is that when you get home from dance or activities, she jumps on you and licks you like you've been missing for years.
  
  Nice to be appreciated.

Ballet

  I am so grateful that ballet was invented, and I'm so, so grateful that others appreciate it as much as I do, enough to teach it to us. I send my thanks.

All of the Little Things 
  
  (They sound weird, but if you think about it, we all experience some form of enjoyment from little things, we just never take the time to think about them.)
  I love running my hands through Stella's curly fur, looking at the flaming sunset,

                           Here's a picture that I hope will make you feel grateful
                                         that things so beautiful were created in the first place.
                                       (I did not take this picture, it was just a sample picture 
                                                       that the computer already had.)



staring at the moon, hearing the national anthem play, finishing a wonderful book, rehearsing for a performance, being struck by a new idea, seeing my name on the cast list on the bulletin board, finding out that the next outfit I have planned is my favorite, daydreaming, reading about people who made a difference, pushing myself to do better, competing with my friends to see who can jump the highest, get our legs the highest, singing like no one hears me, seeing someone else smile when I compliment them, dancing to the music in my head, watching a show I enjoyed as a little kid, finally learning to do a bun almost perfectly, discovering a little cheat in a game, running so fast that I just have to laugh, laughing at a stupid commercial, nearly going hysterical at a senseless joke a friend made, picturing myself winning a grammy award for Best Starring Actress, looking at the flowers that only bud in spring, examining the leaves in the fall, hoping for the snow that probably won't fall, coming up with a new dance move, stepping on stage, finally understanding how to execute a formerly impossible move, listening to the wind blow in the trees, zoning out on something that only comes into focus later because it's beautiful, taking a long, hot shower, letting chocolate melt in my mouth, saving a worm from the harsh sunlight so that it can live, pushing the elevator buttons so that they light up, jumping high into the air and landing in a cool position, seeing my performance costume for the first time, doing a somersault into my grandparents' pool... 

  There are so many things! You just have to take the time to appreciate them! There are so many people I am grateful for as well, more than 90 individuals, but for their privacy... well, you know.

  I also wanted to say that I am so sad about what happened in Paris! I am sending my prayers to them constantly. 

  If you are reading this, please pray that they will be okay, and they will eventually be safe. Send your love, it truly can make a difference. 

  How? Well, maybe someone in Paris is wondering if anybody is praying for them, is unsure that anyone cares. If you pray, you will know that they are cared for, and maybe they will come to realize it too.

  Thank you for reading this. I love you all so much! 

                                                                                                - Hope :)   

  
  

Let Me Explain...

  Hey, people of earth! The following is a rather long disclaimer about my crazy brain, why I haven't been posting for a week, and how you guys are going to help me. Okay, so, here we go.

____________________________________________________________________
  
  I just wanted to say that I am so, so, so, sorry that I haven't posted for a whole week!
  You see, I write all the time. I have started at least seven stories in different files on my computer, not counting this blog. I seem to always have an idea, no matter how crazy. 
  Trust me, I surprise myself sometimes...
  I've heard of other people having writing blocks, but I had a hard time believing that those could happen. Until it did. 
  So, I have been having a majorly huge writer's block all week, and I think it's taken me even longer to come up with ideas because I have never experienced one before. It confused me for a couple of days, but then, on probably the fourth day, I eventually came to the conclusion of the writer's block.
  And that's where you come in.
  You guys are going to do the following. Hopefully.

  1. Go to the comment section.
  
  2. Give me feedback about literally anything in or about the story: how much longer you think it should be, what you want to happen, where you think the story is going, what you think makes a story complete, what touches you, what you think the cheesiest thing in stories are, what you like, what you don't like, why I'm so amazing...
  Okay, so maybe not that last one, but everything else.

  3. Hit 'Send', or, in this case, I do believe it's 'Publish'. (Does it matter?)

  So, yeah, I really hope you guys have enjoyed my posts before this whole block thing. And I will keep making posts, don't worry. But they'll be even better with your help!
  You only have one option...
  No, you can actually do whatever you want, but I've always thought that that's a really cool, dramatic line to say.
  Keep coming back! I will post soon! (Well, this is technically a post, but it's not the story kind, so...)
  Bye!
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                                                                                                  - Hope :)
  
  

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 7: Savior

Disclaimer: I wrote this, but the backstory to it is all Mackall's. Blah, blah. Okay, we're done! Read, read, read...
                                                     - Hope :)
____________________________________________________________________

  
  I sat up fast, and literally banged my face into Catmans. 

  We both yelped. Catman rubbed his nose. I caressed my forehead. 

  Catman raised his eyebrows at me, but he didn't seem really annoyed. More like... amused. 

  "Oops." I said. 

  Catman just grinned a little. 

  "Is your nose okay?" I asked awkwardly. 

  "Yeah, man, it's chill. Far out, waking up like that! What's the skinny?" He sat down cross-legged on the ground to the right of me. 

  "Er- well..." I hesitated. Things had worked out in reality, but in my sleep, it had turned to... a nightmare. My dreams had slurred  together, one in which the girl had gotten hurt; the next one involved somebody burning, but I couldn't see who. 

  The family sentenced me to the fire for not saving their daughter, in the next one.

  After that, it got even worse. The fire wasn't just fire anymore: it was Hell. The girl turned into a formerly sinful sort of devil, and everyone I had loved turned away from me, for saving her. 

  This morphed into an ugly scene in which fire demons appeared, everyone I had ever even seen was present, and the devil himself challenged me to a duel. He fought with ice, and I fought with fire, which, of course, makes no sense.  

  Then he froze everyone with his ice powers, and I tried to free them, but the fire somehow broke them apart, and soon, there was nothing left but one million pieces of ice, scattered all over the floor, and I was alone. 

  Note to self: Don't go through that mess again. It already fried your brain for the day.

  Then I realized that Catman was still waiting for an answer.

  "Nope. All good," I said.

  I was surprised when he didn't question me. Maybe he believed me, or maybe he was just that good of a guy.

  I hoped for the latter.

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 6: My Miracle

 Disclaimer: I know, you want to get on with the story. Fine. Mackall owns this, not me. There. Disclaimer's done. 
 Wow. That was quick.
  Please comment and give me more ideas! Please. 
 Do it for my sanity...    
                                                                                                                              - Hope :)               
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 My feet landed on what appeared to be a stove, and I didn't stop to think, just hurled myself up and off of it. I hit the ground hard. 

  Once I had steadied myself, I ran toward the pile of wood under which the girl was trapped. I started pulling at the wood, splinters pressing into my palms and fingers. 

  Then I heard a crackle. It was the crackle of fire. 

  I looked up. The fire was spreading towards us! I had to get the girl out of there, or she would be at the center of a bonfire!

  I desperately pulled at the wood pieces. I was slowly making progress, but if I kept it up at this pace, the fire would soon be all I saw. Then, when I was almost ready to give up, I saw a little hole. It was large enough for my arm to fit through. I stuck my wrist in, then wriggled my hand down until I felt a body. I felt a hand grab my hand, and I pulled... up, up, up...

  And, amid an explosion of wood pieces, she was out. 

  I made sure she was okay. She was a little scraped up, but nothing too bad. 
  I looked into her eyes. "Okay, now we have to get out of here, are you ready?" 
  She looked at me, uncomprehending. 
  "We," I said, pointing to each of us in turn. "Have to go," I said, miming running away while pointing for emphasis. 
  "No entiendo," said the girl. It took me a second to realize that she didn't speak my language. 
  "Umm..." I wished my school taught Spanish. 
  Then I heard a shout from behind me. "Correr!" It was Catman. 
  I wasn't sure what that meant, but I used it anyway. "Correr!" I said. 
  The girl's eyes widened, and I could tell she understood, whatever it meant. She watched me expectantly, as if waiting for me to give the cue. 
  "Seguir corriendo?" she asked. She mimicked running, as I had done. 
  "Oh, yes, er- seguir corriendo!" I said, grabbing her hand. I assumed that meant run. 
  We took off towards the nearest exit. We had to jump over the various obstacles, but this time, I did it with experience, pulling her along with me. 
  The exit was only a few yards away. We were almost there. 
  But suddenly, a tree fell across our path, and the fire caught on. I pulled up, halting the girl as well.     We were trapped.
  I assessed the situation, my head spinning, trying to take in the fact that we had no way out. 
  I considered throwing the girl over, but it was too risky; I didn't know what was on the other side, and there was no one to catch her. 
  God, please, help me, one more time. I don't care if I die or live anymore; I'm past that. Just let the girl live, I thought.
  God really must have been with me, because the next thing I saw was a window pane, still whole and unbroken. I ran to it, leaving the girl for a second. My eyes traveled back and forth from the window pane to the girl. Yes, the perfect size. 
  I went back to the girl. I didn't know any Spanish, so I tried to communicate with motions. I pointed to the pane, then back to her. Then I pointed to the fire, and mimicked holding the window in front of me.
   I was trying to tell her to use the window pane as a shield against the fire. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I had to try.
  After a few tries, she got it. I gave the pane to her. And she walked towards the fire. I could see her trembling. Then she was through, and I let out a sigh of relief. 
  But I was still inside. 


  After a few minutes, I finally realized that there was only one solution: I had to walk through the fire. I wrung my hands out and breathed. Then I got as close to the fire as I dared. 
  I tried to think cool thoughts. I pretended that I was in Antarctica. 
  I am in a blizzard. I can feel the ice against my skin, the snow sliding down my face as it hits me. I am cold. I am numb. I am walking into a freezer... not a furnace. I may get frostbite, but that will be fine, because it will not hurt me, no, the cold makes me to numb to feel.
  I took a step forward, and gasped as the heat got harsher. 
  Then, I just couldn't take it anymore. I leapt into the air, up and forward, screaming as the fire licked over my legs. 
  But the second I hit the ground on the other side, I knew something was wrong. My legs... they weren't hurting like they should. I looked down, and gasped: my legs were untouched. I checked my whole body. Nothing. Hmm.
  Note to self: That's another miracle for my resume.

20 Facts About Me: Shhh! It's Classified Information!

 Here are some things that you won't find on my profile! I did this for you Kisses, Rose!
                                                        - Hope :)
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1. I want to learn to shoot a bow and arrow
2. I painted my nails black for Halloween, and now, all of my friends are telling me I'm Goth!
3. I had my room three different colors when I was younger: first, it was lilac, then green, now pink (although I plan to repaint it white in a couple years).
4. I don't have that much time before my computer's battery dies. Ahhh!
5. I don't have a phone.
6. I want a sweet treats waffle stick-maker for christmas. (?)
7. All my friends say I look like Snow White. I'm not sure...
8. I have dimples, and whenever somebody says that, I burst into embarrassed laughter, which makes them even worse!
9. My favorite things to shop for are shoes and home decor, not clothes!
10. I have tried writing a few of my own songs. How do you think that went?
11. I have nine American Girl dolls in all!
12. I live in jeans and dresses! Is that just me?
13. My least favorite food has always been lentils, but I love mushrooms!     
14. I peel all of the white stuff off of the orange before I will eat it.
15. I want to be a model, and a writer, and an actress (and a singer, and a dancer...)...
16. I just plugged in my computer charger, so I should be good.
17. I love libraries, but I haven't been to one in a year. And seven months. And nine weeks... and a few hours...
18. I hate horror movies, but I love being scared!
19. I used to be scared of getting braces, but now I want them. (Idk why, they're just... cute!)
20. I made a bucket list, but I don't think that I'm going to complete most of it...  
21. __________________________________________________________________
22. I hope you guys enjoyed this, let me know (in the comments...) if you want something similar! And that's a fact!  
23.                                                     - Hope :)

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 5: Into The Fire

 Disclaimer: You guys probably don't want one, after what happened in the last chapter, but Mackall did a wonderful job, and none of this is mine. Sorry if I've said that a thousand times.
  Please comment, guys! I still have literally one commenter! One! 
  Shout out to my one and only commenter: Kisses, Rose! I will, once again, put a link to her channel below (it's good, check it out!).
  Hope you guys enjoy it!
                                                       Hope :)
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  As I ran towards the main fire, my heartbeat seemed to resound throughout my body, every inch of me alive. Adrenaline surged through my veins, making me faster, stronger, braver. 

  I was nearing the girl now. I still had to go underneath the archway, and jump over the fire, but I was still relatively closer. 

  I stopped short. I hadn't realized that the archway was so close. It was literally right in front of me. 

  All of a sudden, it lurched, and I jumped. The archway was collapsing! 

  There was no way to go through it now, it was too dangerous. 

  I looked around for a solution, until finally I realized. The archway was the only way. If it collapsed with me still on the outside, the little girl would die. There was no other way to do this. 

  What would Catman do? I wondered. Wait, why am I asking myself this? Because I know that he would do the right thing, no matter what? Or because I care enough to consider him?

  It lurched again. The family screamed, but I could barely hear them over the roar of the fire.

  You know what Catman would do, so do it.  It's now or never, I thought. How about... now.

  I took a few steps back. Then I ran, faster than I ever had before. I dived through it, and I must have gotten through at the very last second, because when I turned around, there was nothing but a burning pile of wood. 

  But I didn't even have a second to breath, because the girl screamed again. I whipped around to face her... wait. Where was she? She had been there a second ago. How did she...?

  I saw something move. Underneath a pile of wood. 

  Oh my God. No. 

  She was trapped. Cornered.

  And she was about to be dead. 

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 4: Too Much

Disclaimer: Don't tell me. I know. Disclaimers are old news. 
  Oh well. 
  But seriously, thank Mackall, not me. She created, I renovated. (That's probably not correct, in any way, but I'm sticking with it.)
  Please comment peeplezz! I have one commenter, and she's amazing - you could be, too, just comment! - and she's helped me a lot. 
  Shout out to Kisses, Rose. I will provide the link to her blog at the bottom (it's really good).
                                                        - Hope :)
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  I rode through the forest, Catman behind me on Nickers. 

  I scanned the ground for anything that might help us. Catman shifted behind me. Nickers breath blew a strand of her mane out of her eyes. My hair was hopelessly tangled from the wind. 

  And all was quiet. And calm. And... boring.

  You know you don't want something exciting to happen, I told myself. 

  But I do, I replied back. 

  Whatever happens won't be good, said the logical side. 

  So what? said the other part. 

  How about nothing happens. Maybe you could talk to Catman, reasoned my content side. 

  No way, it's too weird, said my restless side.

  You're frustrating, I told myself.

  So you are, said myself. I blinked. This was no good. You can't really win these battles. 

  Catman rested his hand on my waist. At first I, started, thinking it was with care. Then, I realized that he was trying to get me to see something. I turned around, pulling Nickers up short. And I saw what it was.

  Smoke.

  "Where's it coming from?" I asked Catman in a whisper. I didn't know why I whispered, it just felt wrong to actually talk out here, in this peaceful winter land.

  "Dunno. Let's go," he commanded. "What? Wait, Catman! Go... towards it?"

  He nodded.

  I turned Nickers toward the smoke, trying to find the most clear path. It was such a confusing trail that I knew it'd be hard to get back. But I could feel Catman, tense behind me, obviously worried sick about his parents.
  Well, not obviously. He was hiding it, and pretty well. But I knew him. And he was a master of disguise.
  I had to push on, for him. 

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 3: That's What Friends Are For

    Disclaimer: Yep, another one. I'm sorry if it bothers you, but, first of all, that's part of the rules(copyright), and second of all, Mackall deserves credit. She did an amazing job, and look at what I get to work with! :D
  Remember, comment! Review! Give me ideas! I will do shout outs, I promise you, but let me know if you don't want one for your privacy. I understand. 
  Enjoy!
                                                 - Hope :)
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  Two days later, I ran up the steps of Catman's house and knocked loudly on the door, eager to tell him my plan. Once he opened it, I sprang inside, barely even noticing the usually disorienting time travel. 

  Catman stared at me, waiting for me to say what I obviously had to say.

  "Okay, so, I was thinking about what you said, and I have an idea!" I said excitedly, bouncing on my toes. 

  He raised both eyebrows. "I dig. What's the skinny?" He leaned against the wall.
  "I've been researching, and apparently, a plane just went missing. It was a private jet, owned by someone named..." 
  I took off my backpack and began rummaging through it. 
  "Hold on... just a second... oh, wait, the zipper's stuck..." 
  Catman watched me with an amused expression. But I didn't care, because I had finally gotten the paper out. I'd printed out something from a website featuring our local paper. I read off the paper, "...someone named Alessandra Lucy-Anne Rebecca Johannson. Pretty sure you hippies call it a 'bad handle', right? Familiar?" When I didn't get an answer, I looked up. 
  Catman's face was pale. 
  "Catman... what's wrong?" I asked uncertainly.
  "Family... friend. Man, she used to watch me when I was an ankle biter." 
  From knowing Catman, I was familiar enough with hippie slang, and ankle biter meant 'kid'.
  "Hated her. Claire and Bart were gone for anniversary. Burg was crashing on me." Burg was one of Catman's many feline followers.
  "She came in, bagged some bucks and booked." 
  I stared at him. I was still learning the hippie language. 
  Catman understood, because he repeated the sentence, this time in English. "She came in, stole some money and ran off with it." 
  I nodded in comprehension."What did your parents say when they found out?" I asked.
  "Didn't." 
  "Catman!"
  He shrugged. "What's the plan?"
  The plan. Right.
  "Well, what if they were on the same plane with her? They could be somewhere close, with no help! We have to find them!"
  Catman whistled. "Far out!"
  "Wait, so you're actually... agreeing with me?" I said, hesitating on the word 'agreeing'.
  "Yeah, man, whatever it takes."

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 2: What That Meant

     Disclaimer: Yeah, guys, another disclaimer. I'm putting one at the top of every chapter. If that annoys you, I'm sorry, but I want to give credit to the author. It's her work of art, I am simply recreating it. Remember, only the forthcoming story is mine, the backstory is completely her property; she had the rights to it.
   Please comment and review, guys! Help me, give me ideas! I swear that if you give me an idea, I will put it in the story, in whatever way I can (within reason, of course). If you have enjoyed this story so far, please tell your peeps! It would mean a lot.
   So, thanks for reading! Bye!
                                                                  - Hope :)      
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   As I rode to Catman's house, I wondered exactly what was going on. 

    Okay, so maybe this was the third time I had wondered. Or the fourth time. Or maybe the fifth time. 

   Anyway, I was still confused, and whatever was happening was affecting me, so I thought I had the right to know. 

   We pulled up to Catman's house, or, as I called it, Coolidge Castle. 

   Coolidge was Catman's last name, and his mansion really did look like a castle. I had thought it was haunted the first time he took me to it. Until I'd seen the inside.

   Then I noticed that something was missing. 

   "Where are the lawn ornaments?" I asked. I stared at Catman's cheeks: they were nothing short of crimson.

   "Chill Win. Bart couldn't dig new ones. Need to restock." 

   He said it coolly, but there was something weird about the way he said it. He was keeping his gaze away from mine. And he had never called me 'Win' before.

   I scanned his face. I knew that he was lying, I just didn't know why. 

   "Okay... let's go inside," I suggested. Catman immediately started up the steps. I followed him. 

   Stepping into the house, I had the exact same feeling that I always did: as if I had gone back in time. The Coolidge house's interior was old and classic, with velvet couches and many other, almost indescribable antiques, some valuables. 

   I waited for the noise on the stairs, the alert that Claire Coolidge, Catman's mom, was going to come down and make a fuss over my hair. It didn't come. I turn towards the stairs. No one is there. 

   "Catman... where is your mom?" I asked. 

   He looked up at me and said quietly, "Dunno." 

   "You don't know! What do you mean, you don't know?" I cried. 

   Catman grabbed me by the shoulders and said tensely, "I don't know, Winnie. Called. Asked around. Called again. Looked around the neighborhood, and Winnie," he said desperately. "I just don't know." 

   I stared into his eyes, as, finally, they met mine. 

   I could see that he was scared. And that scared me even more. Because Catman never got scared. Ever. He had only gotten scared three times that I knew of. 

   Once, when Bold Beauty had fallen in a ditch with me on her back, he had gotten scared. 

   Once, when I had fallen off Bold Beauty and blacked out because of a jump that I hadn't been ready to take, he had gotten scared. 

   And once, when I had stood directly in the path of a charging, powerful Morgan, named Midnight Mystery, he had gotten scared. 

   Now that I thought about it, the only few times that Catman had been scared, it had been for... me. I hadn't ever really thought about that before, but now that I did, I wanted to hug him, but I resisted, because I knew that he wasn't comfortable with hugs. 

   "Okay," I said, trying to take control of the situation. "How long ago did this happen? How long have they been gone?" 

   "About a week," said Catman, glancing away.

   "A week! Catman... oh, Catman... why didn't you... you could've... oh my God, Catman!" I cried. I suddenly couldn't resist any longer, and I hugged him tightly, trying to keep my tears in. 

   "Catman you are the stupidest... thing! Why didn't you tell me this?" I said, pulling back, and I almost laughed at the surprised look on Catman's face.

   "What? What's wrong?" I asked. Catman blinked. 

   "Uh, nothing. You've just, never hugged me... like... that before." 

   "Oh, wow, I can't believe it! I hugged you! That's so much more startling than the fact that your Mom is missing." 

   "Bart too," said Catman.

   Bart was his dad, but he only called him 'dad' to his face. When his parents weren't around, he called them Claire and Bart.

   He turned away.

   "What?" I asked, more than a little concerned by his behavior. It wasn't like Catman to nearly break down. At least he wasn't fully. That would be bad news.

   "Didn't want to tell you." his voice sounded muffled.

   "Why not?" I demanded.

   "Didn't want to worry you, man. I can't dig it." I stepped closer to him. 

   "Why not?" I asked again.

   "I dunno. Just... didn't want to." 

   He turned around again to face me. "Can you... help... me?" I could tell he was not accustomed to asking for help.

   I grabbed his hand, and I felt him tense, then relax. 

   "Of course I'll help, Catman. That's what friends are for."
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   I'm sorry if this chapter was a little bit short (let me know if you thought it was or not), but I couldn't resist ending the chapter with, "'That's what friends are for'"! I had to! 

  Sorry, guys, I get excited easily.

  Tell me if you enjoyed it, and remember, comment and review. Please! I'm begging you!

                                                  - Hope (your BFF!)

(Winnie the Horse Gentler) Chapter 1: Like Glue

  Disclaimer: Guys, Dandi Daley Mackall owns this book, these characters, & all of the backstory behind this. I do not own anything, although the idea of what happens next is entirely my own work. 
   Please do not copy my ideas or progress without my permission, but if you want to, just E-mail me and I will let you. 
   Thanks, peeps!
                                                  - Hope :)
_________________________________________________________________________________

  Come on, Winnie. You should have known better, I thought. I was standing in the doorway of the barn, and there they were. As always. 

  Catman, Barker, and M. I shouldn't have been surprised to see them there, but I was still a bit unused to all the attention. 

  By attention, I mean that it had only been a few months since I turned thirteen, and all of a sudden, Catman, Barker, and M were following me around everywhere, and I couldn't really have privacy anymore. They were like glue.

   "Hey, Winnie," said M. I was startled, because M didn't usually speak at all. He is one of my close friends, even though we're in different grades, and even though he almost never speaks.  
   He did blow everyone away at a school debate one time, though. He was on my team, and everyone knows that he's the only reason we won.

   "Hey, man," said Catman.  At least he didn't seem any different. Well, he might have already crossed the line of 'different'. 

   Catman is my best friend, a teenage throwback. He's a hippie like you've never seen, if you're my age. He has long, wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes that can make you feel like you're under X-ray. 

   He pushed his gold, wire-rimmed glasses up his nose, staring at me. Uncomfortably, I glanced at Barker.

   "Hi Winnie! Where's Lizzy?" he asked. I smiled. At least I knew what was going on with Barker. Just recently, he'd been harboring what seemed like a mega-huge crush on my sister, Lizzy.
   Note to self: Drop more than one hint to Lizzy.

   "Right here," I heard a voice behind me. I whipped around, and Barker's ever-present smile widened. Lizzy was standing behind us. 

   Lizzy is who I compare myself to, all day and every day. She's younger than me, but she's taller, prettier, more popular, more social, and more skilled. She had dark hair that always seems to fall into place perfectly, perfect teeth, flawless skin, zilch acne, perfect nails. Everything. she has everything, especially when compared to me. 

   I have the same dark brown hair as her, but mine is like a lion, it will not stay down. It takes me about twenty minutes to brush it and put it in a simple braid every morning. 

   My teeth are okay, but my skin is almost sickening. I have bruises everywhere from falling, which happens a lot when you work with horses. I also have scratches from the thistles that I had to reach into the other day. 

   Somehow, Nickers' best bridle had gotten in the very middle of it. I thought Mason did it; his horse, Buddy, had been acting strangely lately, jumping at every little thing. The bridle especially had been freaking Buddy out, and I couldn't figure out why.
   Note to self: Next time, how about you put the bridle in the bush. At least then you'll be your own nemesis.

   I also have bits of acne on my chin, and a little near my hairline.

   My nails are almost nonexistent. I chew them like crazy of late. Bad habit.

   Basically, I am ugly, and Lizzy is gorgeous. That's how I see it anyway.

   Barker walked off with Lizzy, Lizzy chatting about her lizard, Larry, and Barker simply smiling, shaking his head in apparent amusement.

   I turned to Catman and M. They didn't seem to have taken their eyes off of me for a second, and it was getting on my nerves. 

   "Er- come on, let's get Buddy and Nickers out," I said awkwardly. I went to get Nickers, expecting one of them to come with me while the other got Buddy, but not so. Catman and M both tried to follow me into Nickers' stall. I raised an eyebrow. They exchanged a look I couldn't understand. Then M came with me. Catman went to the neighboring stall with a rebuked look on his face. 

   As I greeted Nickers, my beautiful Arabian, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that M was smirking. I ignored it and led Nickers out.

   I had a harder time saddling Nickers than usual because M was so close. He seemed to be edging closer by the minute. I held my ground, not sure of what to do. We were almost hip to hip when Catman rescued me. 

   He walked over and said loudly, "Nickers saddled?" 

   I glanced at him, grateful. "Yes," I said. "Let's bring her out; M, could you get Buddy?Catman will help me with Nickers." 

   M glared at Catman, who shrugged. 

   Once we were in the pasture, I climbed onto Nickers and squeezed her sides gently. Immediately, she took off, and I could hear M and Catman gasp. 

   Eagerly, I leaned forward, urging her towards a hedge jump. I relaxed completely, letting Nickers know that this was what I wanted her to do, that I was ready for it. 

   She picked up on my body language and made a flying leap. 

   My heart pounded. 
   You know you can do it, Winnie. You've done it before.
   I could feel it pulling me over the hedge, a reminder of when I had worked with Bold Beauty on this same hedge. We soared over it, and her hooves thudded, one after the other, onto the ground. 
   We did it.

   I let out a sigh of relief. I heard applause, and I turned around, smiling. M and Catman were cheering for me. I waved. 

   I sent Nickers into a canter, and instead of going through the gate of the pasture, I jumped over the fence. Another round of cheering.

   I slid off of Nickers and into the dirt. As Catman and M came running towards me, I kissed her nose. 

   "That was, like, far out!" exclaimed Catman. M just nodded. 

   "Thanks! Keep Nickers out here while I run Buddy around, okay?" I traded Nickers' rein for Buddy's. 

   Catman and M just stared at me as if I was the Holy Grail. 
   I sighed.

   
   

Me, Myself & I

   Hey Guys! I thought I would tell you guys some things about me, although you can learn a few tidbits on my profile, so check that out, if you will! 
   Now, as I was sitting here trying to figure out what to type, it came to me that maybe I should do a page on  my life, and how I can relate to you. Which I can. Very easily!
   
    What I do: I take dance at my local Center, three days a week. Every class is an hour and a half, but I also take lower level classes for practice, so I technically take it five days a week. I also have morning rehearsals on Saturdays, so that's a grand total of six days a week! Wow...
   I have been in two plays. The first one is a funny story, actually. My brother decided to audition after we were walking across the street from the building, so we all turned back to audition. Then, at last minute I decided that I wanted to audition as well. I had barely gotten my number pinned onto my shirt when Mom told me to go, sit down and talk to people. That terrified me, because I was really super shy then. 
   I sat down next to a girl, who was looking at something with her back turned to me. When she turned around again, she was startled that I was there. 
   "There's a person there!" she said, and we both laughed. Then we started talking, and we became friends. 
   For her privacy, I will not state any personal information about her, including her name, interests, dwelling, or identity. 
   When I got up to  audition, I was accidentally paired with my brother, so when we auditioned we did it together. The "judges" asked us if we knew each other. They cracked up when we said were siblings! 
   In less than two days, we got a call asking us if we wanted to be Hansel and Gretel! We said yes, and that was the start of my love of acting.
   The next play I was "in" didn't actually include me as one of the cast. I was the student choreographer! It was amazing, I got to work with some really cool girls, and it was a wonderful learning experience for me.
   Favorite Colors: (In order of ranking, from highest to lowest) Yellow, green, orange, pink, purple, berry, maroon, gray, blue, black, white & red.
   Favorite Shoes (random): Brown hiking boots with knit fabric at the tip of the top. (Ha! Tip of the top! I love myself!)
   Top 3 TV Shows: The Voice, The Flash & Once Upon A Time ("All magic comes with a price, dearie...").
   Top 3 Artists: Sabrina Carpenter, Bea Miller, & Bridgit Mendler.
   Top 3 Songs: White Flag, Smile, Hurricane.
    Halloween Costume: Tribal Wolf Spirit... thing.
  Question: Can you guys help me decide what to say next? I can't think of anything...