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noonetosmilefor · 6 years ago

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Sweetheart asks ❄️

So today I’m answering a lot of questions, thanks to @uneven-odds <3

Talk about your first love. - He was very special and back than one of my best friends and it was just perfect. It ended because we figured out, that we’d be better as friends.

What’s the most beautiful songs you’ve ever heard in your opinion? - Therapy by All Time Low.

How’s your heart feeling right now? - Okay, kinda sad.

What kind of self care is your favorite to do? - Listening to music alone.

What’s your skincare routine? - I don’t really have one. Here and then I use some face masks but that’s it.

How did you get to be so beautiful? - Uhm, thanks but idk if I’m that beautiful.

Do you have any stuffed animals? - Not anymore.

Best trip you’ve ever been on? - Since New York City has always been a dream of mine, I really loved it when I went there back in October 2017.

Favorite thing about your room? - My bed and my bookshelves.

Opinion on love? - Love has to be real, honest and trustful otherwise it’s not love. And love is not only necessary in relationships with a partner, but also in friendship!

Are you affectionate? - Depends on the person.

Who do you look up to? - My mum and dad.

Favorite poet? - Don’t really have one.

Song that makes you happy? How about one that calms you down when you’re in a bad place? - A song that makes me happy is Backseat Serenade by All Time Low and a song that calms me down is Catch Me If You Can by Walking On Cars.

Do you play an instrument? - Yes, transverse flute.

Do you do art? Using what (pencil, watercolor, etc)? - Not really.

Do you dance? What style of dance? - Nope and if I do so, mostly classic.

What’s your zodiac sign? Do you believe in astrology? - Cancer, yeah kinda.

Favorite old film? - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

What’s your hairstyle? - Short and a bit curly.

What weather is the most beautiful, in your opinion? - Sunny and cold, like the way it is in autumn.

What upsets you most about the world? - War and stupid and racist people.

Are you in love right now? - Not really.

Do you have a crush? If so, talk about them! - A bit maybe? Idk, he’s really sweet and caring always manages to make me laugh. He also sends me a shit load of text messages but I love it.

Do you have pets? Talk about something sweet about them! - Yeah, a lot of cats. I love when they’re affectionate and sleep. They look so cute.

Do you have a lucky number? - Yes, 3.

Have you ever wished on a star? What about on a fallen eyelash? - Both, yes.

Do you believe emoji spells to work? - Nope.

Do you believe in magic in general? - Yes.

What’s the most beautiful thing in life, In your opinion? - Being aware of a situation where you’re truly happy, looking around you and seeing the people you love and care about being as happy as you are and enjoying that moment. It would be great to just press pause in that exact moment and hold it dear and as close as I can.

Opinion on the color pink? What about baby blue? - Don’t really like these two colors.

What instrumental sound is your favorite? - Acoustic guitar.

Do you like the sound of wind? What about the sound of rain? - Wind, nope but rain: YES!

Who makes you happy? - My friends, my family and my pets.

What makes you happy? - Books, happy people and good food.

Imagine your ideal life, the life you wish to make, what will that look like? - A lot of traveling with my friends, spending as most time with my family as I have and doing the things I love to do. To be fully happy with my situation and be financial stable.

Do you wear makeup? If so what’s your favorite type of makeup or specific makeup product? Favorite store to buy makeup? - Yes, I do wear makeup but I don’t really have a favorite type of makeup or store where I buy it.

Do you wear dresses? If so what’s your favorite dress you own? - Yes, but only black dresses haha. My favorite dress is my long black one.

Ever been heartbroken? How do you deal with it? - Yes. I don’t talk that much and barely do anything but sleep.

Who’s your closest friend? What do you love about them? - I think I have 3 really close friends, who are the closest I ever had! @uneven-odds, @handsomestarlord and my best friend Iris. Although it’s not always easy, I know that I can trust them and they’d be there for me if I need them no matter what.

Introvert or extrovert? - I’m a bit of both. But lately I tend to be a little more extrovert which I’m really proud of.

Do you like MBTI? What’s your MBTI? - Yeah. I’m INFP.

Would you be a fairy, a mermaid, a vampire, a siren, a or an angel? - A siren.

What’s the best song a friend has ever introduced to you? - Hurt by Johnny Cash

Parlez-vous français? - No. Je t’aime fromage haha.

Most beautiful place you’ve been to? - Brighton and Amsterdam because it hold so many good memories.

Where/when do you truly feel at home? - When I’m with the people I love most.

Does smiling put you in a better mood? Try it right now, you’re smile is goreous! - A bit.

Favorite shoe you own? - My NIKE sneakers.

Can you walk in stilettos? Do you like them? - I can but I don’t like it.

Do you feel loved? - Yeah.

How do you express love to those you care about? - By surprising and making them laugh.

Favorite term(s) of endearment? - Hugs and intensive eye contact.

Most romantic thing someone’s ever done for you? - Someone wrote a song for me.

When is the happiest you’ve ever been? - I think last year in August. <3

Are you happy right now? - Kinda. Not fully atm.

What makes you smile? - The people I love.

Do you laugh a lot? - Depends on who I’m with.

What’s your favorite kind of aesthetic? - I love minimalistic aesthetics.

Do you want to marry for love or for some other reason (like money)? - If so, for love.

What would your dream wedding look like? Do you want to get married? - With all the people I care about around me, not that big but still in a church and a big party afterwards. Idk, if it’s the right person I can imagine getting married, yes.

Favorite flower? - Tulip.

Favorite artist? - Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

Favorite music artist? - All Time Low.

How kind do you think you are? Is kindness important to you? - I’m kind. I think kindness is very important!

Ever made a playlist for someone? - Yes.

Do you have anything you do to physically comfort you when your sad? Such as a favorite blanket? Or a relaxing bath? - I listen to music.

Early bird or night owl? - Night owl.

Morning routine? - Getting up, going to the bathroom, getting dressed, done.

Night routine? - Going to the bathroom, get into my pj’s and going to bed.

What is the most lovely quality a person could have in your opinion? - I love people who care and listen.

Do you cry often? Does crying help you get the emotions out? Do you feel better after? - Not really. Maybe a bit. But yeah I really feel better afterwards.

Do you like hugs? - Yes.

When was the last time you kissed someone? - About 3 months ago.

Are you small or tall? - Tall.

Do you like wholesome memes? - Yes.

Favorite thing about the past? - That I can’t go back.

Do you ever wonder about the future? - Not that often.

Have you ever lived in a different country than you currently live in? - No.

Do you like plane flights? Airports? - YES. I love planes, I love airports and everything about flying.

Sunrises or sunsets? - Sunsets.

The beach or a forest? - Beach.

What time of day do you tend to be in the best mood? - At lunch.

Do you push yourself to act together and in a good mood even when you aren’t? - Yes.

Favorite kind of tree? - Pine.

Do you care about the health of the Earth? - Yes and I do everything I can to care about the earth.

What did you like most about your childhood, if anything? - That everything was good and my family made it as easy as possible.

Do you read a lot? What’s your favorite book? - Yes. Noah by Sebastian Fitzek.

What are you most nostalgic for at the moment? - I think about the good times we had with the mother of my stepsister. She died in 2012 due to cancer and I really miss her. She was like a second mother to me. What made it even worse, she died 1 month before she would’ve gotten married to my dad. Wow, 2012 really was the worst year of my life so far.

What’s your favorite personality trait you have? - My sense of humor and i guess I’m a really good listener.

List at least ONE thing you love about your appearance. - My eyes.

When was the last time you truly felt calm, without much of anything to worry about? - 3 hours ago.

Do you worry a lot? - Currently not.

The dazzling lights of the city or the relaxing countryside? - Both.

Ever changed the shoelaces on one of your shoes? For what reason? - Nope.

Favorite pastry? - Krapfen.

Do you like doing little acts of kindness? - Yes.

How’s your day/night going? - Kinda good, kinda bad.

#about me #personal #personal asks #sweetheart asks #asked

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redditnosleep · 7 years ago

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The Little Melting Girl

by CynicHappy

When I was eight years old, I was badly burnt in a car fire. My single mother had been driving me to school when she lost control of her Toyota Camry on the icy January road and went crashing into a ditch. The car caught fire, and Mum managed to drag me out, but the damage had already been done. I had sustained second to third-degree burns on fifty percent of my body; my limbs had gotten the worst of it. Mum herself was unharmed, save for bruising on her ribs and a cut across her nose.

I spent the next four months in the burn unit at British Columbia Children's Hospital, and the place quickly became a second home. Doctors worked tirelessly to save me. I underwent a total of fifty operations, including skin grafts and the amputation of all five fingers on each hand. I had an endless stream of visitors, but rarely was my mother among them.

One morning, about a week into my hospital stay, my dad stopped by with a bouquet of colourful tulips and a blue balloon. His girlfriend, Jenny, came with him. Dad had been divorced from Mum for two years, but it had been an amicable split, and he was still very much involved in my life.

"Daddy, why doesn't Mummy come see me?" I asked. My words were garbled, given I could barely move my burned lips, but Dad seemed to understand.

"Oh, honey." He sighed, ruffling what was left of my charred hair. "Mummy loves you, more than anyone else in the world. That's why she doesn't come by very often; it hurts her to see you hurt."

"But I miss her."

"She misses you too, honey. But Mummy... well, Mummy has some problems. It's difficult for a girl your age to understand."

"Is she sick?"

"No, no, honey," Jenny piped up. She bent down and kissed my bandaged cheek. "Just... well, like your daddy said, it's hard to explain."

I knew, even back then, that Mum wasn't quite right in the head. I believe that's why Dad left her, but he still cared about her a great deal; not once since the divorce had I heard him say a single negative word about her.

"Will Mummy get better?" I asked.

"She might never be quite 'normal', Julia. But she'll get better. She will always be your mummy."

I never resented my mother for her absence. I guess I was a lot more understanding than most kids my age. Besides, Mum more than made up for it, sending me care packages and letters saying how much she loved me. She promised to throw me a party when I came home, complete with cake and dancing.

I believe it was Mum's love that got me through the pain.

After four long months, I was finally allowed to go home. My burns were still healing, leaving me with tight, warped skin that itched and throbbed every minute of the day. My hands had been reduced to bulbous stumps at the end of each arm, I was stuck in a wheelchair, and had to wear compression garments to reduce scarring. Still, I was home, and that made it all worth it.

As promised, Mum threw me a party. Family, friends, and neighbours all came to celebrate my recovery. I couldn't dance, but I had a great time anyway. Mum kept kissing me and telling me how much she loved me. "Julia, you are a fighter. I am so proud of you."

She smiled, her blue eyes glittering, but I had noticed the blue half-moons beneath them, as well as her hollowed-out cheekbones and threads of silver woven into her shiny auburn hair. She was still so beautiful, but looked older than her thirty-five years.

That night, I woke up in pain, my skin itching as if I had fire ants crawling all over me, a deep phantom ache in my amputated fingers. I opened my mouth to call out for Mum, but the compression mask on my face and the taught skin beneath made moving my lips painful. I tried to sit up, but it hurt too much. A whimper escaped me, and salty tears rolled down my cheeks.

Then I sensed a presence, something watching me from a dark corner. It didn't feel malevolent, but it made my spine tingle. Glancing nervously over my shoulder, I was shocked to see a dark figure standing in a corner, motionless save for the gentle rise and fall of their chest as they breathed.

Quickly, before I could lose my nerve, I reached over and switched on my bedside lamp. A weak yellow glow broke through the shadows, and there was a sharp intake of breath as the figure shrank back at the light.

It was a little girl, no older than myself. She wore a yellow T-shirt and flowery pink shorts. She was grotesquely deformed. Her flesh appeared to be melting off her body, hanging in heavy folds and bags. It was blackened in areas, pink and raw in others. She was completely bald, and not only that, but her scalp had been charred away, revealing a pearl-white skull beneath. Her eyes were impossibly large, lacking eyelids, and had such heavy cataracts her pupil were invisible. Her arms were shrivelled and curled up grotesquely at her sides. But the worst part was her mouth. Her lower jaw hung down at an impossible angle, and seemed to have fused to her chest, leaving her face in a permanent scream.

I nearly screamed myself. I had never seen anything so horrible, and it scared me shitless. But before I could make a sound, the girl raised a shrivelled hand and brought it to her gaping mouth, as if trying to shush me. I shrunk back against the headboard, shaking, as this mysterious apparition approached me. It appeared she was trying to speak, but her frozen jaw made that physically impossible. She placed her hand on my shoulder, and when I forced myself to look into her eyes, I saw compassion. I saw love.

"Who are you?" I whimpered.

She gently pushed me back into a reclining position, tucked the covers around my scarred, wounded body, and smoothed back my hair. Then she turned and walked silently out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

I was shaken. But the pain was gone, replaced by the pleasant sensation of being bathed in warm water. Somehow, despite my fear, I fell asleep.

I never told Mum what I'd seen. She was already so shaken up over my accident, and I didn't want to give her more to worry about. But I couldn't stop thinking about the little melting girl, and part of me wanted to see her again.

Days later, I returned to school. My friends were all delighted to have me back, but many kids avoided me, and some were downright mean. I was still learning how to perform everyday tasks without fingers, which only added a new layer of challenges to the adjustment. During this time, Mum seemed somewhat out of touch with reality. I often caught her staring into space or humming to herself. Sometimes, she would look at me and cry. Dad and Jenny came over a lot to help, and Dad tried talking Mum into seeing a therapist, but she always refused.

Three years passed, and I made remarkable progress. I began walking again, and my burns healed better than my doctors expected. Mum met a wonderful man named David, and they got married when I was eleven. I now had a stepfather and stepsister, and adored them both. By then, I had mostly forgotten about the little melting girl.

Around that time, I was entering puberty, which can cripple the self-esteem of even the most beautiful girls. As well as my injuries had healed, I still had a lot of scarring, and was missing my left breast. My appearance made me a prime target for bullying. One day, when I was walking home from school, a group of older girls followed me home and threw rocks at me. I ran into the house, crying, and shut myself in my room.

I sobbed for over an hour, feeling like a total freak, hideous and unlovable. As I lay on my bed, face buried in a pillow, I felt a hand smooth back my hair.

Mum and David were still at work, and my sister Ava was at band practice. Alarmed, I rolled over and met her cloudy gaze.

The melting girl. She still wore the same outfit, and hadn't aged a bit. Her appearance wasn't nearly as shocking the second time around, but I couldn't stifle a frightened squeal.

"It's you," I gasped.

She nodded, before reaching into the pocket of her shorts and removing a tissue. I sniffled and blew my nose. "What are you doing here?"

The melting girl walked over to my desk and scribbled something on a sheet of notebook paper. She held it up so that I could read: Kids can be cruel, it said.

"I'm so ugly," I whimpered. "I'm a monster."

She shook her head, then jotted down a second note: A few scars mean nothing. You've got beautiful blue eyes, gorgeous, shiny golden hair, and the perfect bone structure. You are amazing.

I suddenly felt pretty shitty for sobbing over my own deformities to this girl who barely looked human anymore. "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

She shook her head, then placed her hand over her heart. I didn't know what that meant, but I guessed it must be a sign of her sincerity.

"Who are you?" I demanded. "Are you a ghost?"

Once again, she left my room without a word. I tried chasing after her, but she was gone.

After searching the house top to bottom, I figured she must be a ghost, and that she had died in the fire that warped her appearance. But who was she? What had happened? Why did only I see her?

This time, I told Mum. I left out most details, but stated I believed a little ghost girl was haunting our house. She went whiter than the moon, and her eyes grew shimmery with tears, but she forced a laugh and said, "Oh, Julia. Such an imagination."

She seemed so upset that I didn't dare press the matter. But the following day, after school, I made a surprise visit to Dad and Jenny's place.

"Julia, hi!" Jenny greeted me at the door, her two-year-old baby girl on her hip. "What a pleasant surprise!"

"Is my dad home?"

"Yes, he's in his office. I'll go get him." Dad worked from home as a graphic designer, and often became so engrossed in his work he forgot to eat. But I knew he would want to see me.

After catching up over iced tea, I told Dad I wanted to ask him a question about Mum. I reminded him that I was almost twelve years old and had a right to know, and that he had to be honest with me.

"Okay, Julia. I'll do my best. What is it?"

"What happened in Mum's past?" I asked him. "Why is she so... strange sometimes?"

Dad hesitated, biting his lip, and I lost my temper.

"Tell me, dammit!" I snapped.

"Julia! Calm down." Jenny put a steadying hand on my shoulder. Dad flushed and rubbed his temples. "Baby, I'm sorry," he said. "I'll tell you everything I know, okay?"

"Okay." I took a deep breath. "Okay."

Dad poured himself more iced tea and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Even I don't know a whole lot about it. When I met your mother, she was an orphan at twenty-one, and claimed not to have anyone except her grandmother. It wasn't until a whole year into our relationship that she finally confessed there had been a terrible accident in her childhood. She refused to elaborate."

I sank back against the couch cushion, defeated. "So you don't know either?"

"No. I'm sorry, honey."

"Would she tell me if I asked her?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Julia," said Dad. Jenny, sitting next to me on the couch, nodded.

I left their house in a frustrated daze, feeling even more confused than before. The mystery of Mum and the little melting girl was like a constant itch that couldn't be scratched, and the idea that I might never get any answers infuriated me.

This time, five years passed before I saw her again. At sixteen, I my confidence had improved. I had friends, good grades, and a serious boyfriend who accepted me as I was, scars and all. That said, I still had to deal with bullies on a regular basis. But now, I could stand up for myself.

One day, at lunch, my friends and I were discussing the upcoming school dance and what we would wear. Rachel Newton, one of the resident mean girls, sneered at me as she and her friends walked by. "You better not wear anything too short, Crispy. Nobody wants to look at your ugly legs."

"Leave her alone, Rachel." My friend Clara stood up, hands on her hips.

"What? Don't pretend it isn't true."

"You're such a bitch, Rachel," I snapped. "Ever considered seeking professional help?"

She scowled. "Ever considered plastic surgery? It would make looking at you so much easier."

I punched her in the nose. She began screaming as if I'd just gutted her with a butcher knife, alerting a teacher. She sent me to the principal's office, and while Mrs. Radcliffe was sympathetic, she wouldn't let me off the hook.

"Striking another student is against the rules, Julia. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to punish you."

She then told me I would have to clean up the football field every day after school for a week. I understood that I'd been in the wrong to hit Rachel, but I was still pissed. That afternoon, the sky filled with dark grey clouds, matching my mood. As I toiled away, picking up garbage and stuffing it into a large plastic bag, Rachel and her little posse approached me.

"Julia, you bitch!" Rachel's nose was purple and swollen, dried blood crusting her nostrils. "Look what you did to me!"

"Aw, you upset over losing your precious modelling career?" I taunted. Rachel's eyes flashed dangerously, and she lunged at me, knocking me to the soggy grass.

"Rachel!" one of her friends yelled. "Back off!"

I rolled onto my belly and tried to push myself into a kneeling position, but Rachel kicked me in the ribs, knocking me down again.

"I don't think picking up garbage is punishment enough, Crispy." Rachel brought her foot down on my back, pinning me in place. "What do you think, girls?"

"Hell yeah!"

"Get her, Rachel!"

"Stop it! She's had enough."

I began thrashing beneath Rachel's foot, trying to throw off her balance. Dirt filled my mouth. My spine felt seconds away from snapping. I sensed Rachel's fury, her intent on hurting me.

She stooped down and grabbed a handful of my hair, wrenching my head back, and raised her fist, ready to land a punch. I was alone, at this girl's mercy, and I couldn't fight back.

"Help," I whispered.

Rachel's grip suddenly fell away. She staggered back, her eyes the size of dinner plates, mouth hanging open. Her friends looked equally stunned.

"Oh, my God. What is that?"

I followed her appalled gaze to a melted, deformed figure standing twenty feet away. The little melting girl's cloudy eyes were blazing with anger, and her blackened fists kept clenching and unclenching. I was so overjoyed I wanted to cry.

"What the fuck?" Rachel shrieked again. "Who is that?"

The girl let out an enraged scream and charged like a raging bull.

My tormenters took off into the mist, shrieking like banshees. The girl walked over and helped me to my feet.

"Thank you," I breathed.

In her eyes, I saw her words: Let's go home.

She held my hand until we were a block away from the house. Then she hugged me and walked away.

This time, I told Mum everything. When I described the girl's appearance, she burst into tears.

"Oh, God... oh, my God... Julia..." she sobbed.

"Mum! What is it?"

She pulled me into a crushing hug, her chest heaving as she fought for air. "That girl... she's my sister."

I was frozen. "What?"

Mum wiped her eyes. "Oh, honey... I guess I can't hold back any longer."

Finally, after sixteen years, I got to know my mother.

She grew up on a farm in Saskatchewan, with her twin sister, Sarah, and their parents. They lived a happy life until an arsonist set the barn on fire. The girls were inside at the time. In a frantic attempt to escape, Sarah fell and broke her leg. Mum ran to get help, but by then, it was too late. The fire had spread out of control, and Sarah couldn't be saved.

The fire completely broke Mum. She didn't speak for almost a year, and four years later, her parents were killed in a car accident. Mum never recovered emotionally. To this day, I can only imagine what she went through.

"When you got hurt... it brought back so many terrible memories. I couldn't face it. I was a coward, Julia. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." I kissed her cheek. "You're the best mother, and I love you."

She wiped her nose. "I've seen Sarah a few times since she died, but I convinced myself I was dreaming. But it seems she's been watching over you too."

"Like a guardian angel?"

"She is a guardian angel."

That night, I prayed for the first time in years and thanked God for sending down Sarah.

Twenty-one years have passed since that day. I have a successful career; I'm married; I have children. I still see Sarah every now and then, but I don't need her protection so much anymore. I've grown strong and confident. I've come a long way.

I can't explain Sarah's presence in my life, and I guess I don't need to. I'm just so thankful to have her around. She's been there for me during my darkest hours, protected me from a cruel world when I was at my most vulnerable.

My only regret is that Sarah, unlike me, never got a second chance at life.

#creepy #horror story #wholesome nosleep #car wreck #ghosts #author: CynicHappy

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astrophilex3 · 7 years ago

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I know that everyone says it but I can't believe that 2017 is over but at the same time it feels like it dragged on forever. I think that this is probably my best reading year yet since I read 55 books and a lot of them are new all time favourites. In this post I'll talk about 12 (kind of) books (it's actually more since I counted series and books by the same author as one, but shhhh, it's 12). These aren't all 2017 releases, but just some of the books I really loved this year.

These will be in no particular order since I just can't choose my absolute favourite because I love them all so much.

1. “Lord of Shadows” by Cassandra Clare Since this is the second book in The Dark Artifices series I'm not gonna talk about the plot, but if you are interested I have a review as well as a spoilery discussion of this book. This is Cassandra Clare's newest release and I absolutely loved it. The Dark Artifices is my favourite series by her so far, you can really see how much she's grown as a writer, her works have become so much more confident and just please read this series, it's just pure gold.

2. “Six of Crows” and “Crooked Kingdom” by Leigh Bardugo In “Six of Crows” Kaz Brekker is offered a lot of money but to receive it he has to pull off an impossible heist. To do this he needs a crew of people crazy enough to help him. This series is just brilliant... Leigh Bardugo's writing is beautiful and amazing and I just can't describe how much I loved these books. I have reviews for both of them - “Six of Crows” and “Crooked Kingdom” I am also very excited to read The Grisha trilogy this year.

3. “To kill a mockingbird” by Harper Lee I think that pretty much everyone has heard of this book since it's such an important classic, but in case you haven't - this follows the main character Scout and you get to see how she learns about the world. It's an amazing story that deals with racism and since it's told from a child's point of view it's even more heartbreaking but also more amazing. I truly loved it and the characters and think that it's a book which everyone should read.

4. “Gemina” by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff This is the second book in The Illuminae Files series so I can't really give you a synopsis. I loved this book as much as the first one if not more. The first book “Illuminae” follows Kady Grant who's home planet is under attack so she needs to evacuate. But when they get to the space ships they're faced with a new problem - a deadly plague. Both of these books follow awesome female characters and are told through files and pictures in a way I've never seen before.

5. “Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury Like “To kill a Mockingbird” this is another timeless classic that most people have read. It follows Guy Montag who is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which supposedly cause unhappiness and so are forbidden. Even so Guy Montag isn't happy... This was a very powerful and interesting read. I love Bradbury's writing, it's so beautiful and I definitely recommend this book. I'm also excited to read more of his works.

6. “See you in the cosmos” by Jack Cheng This follows Alex, an eleven year old who loved space and rockets. Alex wants to launch his golden iPod into space so he goes on a journey to the Southwest high-lattitude rocket festival, but after that his destinations keep changing as he meets new people and goes on this road trip that will change his life. This book was absolutely adorable. It's told through the recordings on Alex's iPod. I just loved everything about it and even though it's a middle grade novel I think that everyone can read this and enjoy because it's such a heartwarming tale.

7. “The upside of unrequited” and “Simon VS. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli These two books are some of the few contemporaries that I really like. Simon VS. follows the main character Simon who is gay but isn't out yet. He has a boyfriend, Blue, who goes to his school but Simon doesn't know who Blue is. One of their emails gets into the wrong hands and Simon is suddenly being blackmailed by one of his classmates. “The upside of unrequited” follows Molly who has had twenty-six crushes but has never acted on any of them, but then the cute hipster Will enters her life who maybe is more-than-crush material. The only problem is her nerdy coworker Reed on whom she couldn't possibly have a crush. Or could she? (Yes, I know that that description sounds weird, sorry, I'm just not the best at writing synopsises) Both of these books are extremely cute and have a lot of diversity - as I already said, Simon is gay, and Molly is a fat MC. These books were also really quick reads, I think I finished each of them in like two days, they will definitely get you out of a reading slump. Even though I usually don't like romance contemporaries all that much, these have made it on my 2017 favourites list so that should count for something. I'm super excited for Becky's next release “Leah on the offbeat” which follows Simon's best friend Leah and comes out on April 24th 2018.

8. “Geekerella” by Ashley Poston This Cinderella retelling follows Elle who is a huge Starfield fan, it’s the classic science-fiction series, and Darien who is the main star in the new adaption of Starfield. When Elle sees a cosplay contest at the ExcelsiCon she's determined to win unless her stepsisters get there first... Winning the contest would be the ticket out of her stepmother's home that she's been waiting for. Once again, this was so cute! I loved the characters and the plot and the representation of Fandom. This was a cute lighthearted read that you'll probably be able to read in a day or two.

9. “Wishbones” by Virginia Macgregor Feather has two wishes: to get her mum healthy again and to win the Junior UK swimming championships. Sadly her mum refuses to cooperate and after a while Feather's mission to help her mum becomes an investigation to find out what her mum doesn't want her to know. This book surprised me. I found it in a used bookshop when I was in London. I had no idea if I was going to like it but I decided to pick it up anyways and I definitely made the right choice. I was surprised by how serious it was. It was a very interesting read. There is a trigger warning for eating disorders.

10. “Turtles all the way down” by John Green I still can't believe that John Green has a new book out. This follows Aza who suffers from OCD. Her childhood friend Davis's dad disappears and Aza together with her best friend decide to uncover the mystery. Of course I loved this book... It gave a peculiar insight to what it's like to have OCD and for that it is very important. It is a very character driven story, the plot is left more in the background and the most important thing is Aza's thoughts and what's happening inside her head so this will not be for everyone. Trigger warning: OCD

11. “Carry on” by Rainbow Rowell I'm a bit late to the Rainbow Rowell train but I am finally catching up. This follows Simon Snow who is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen. It's a very entertaining story, I hadn't had this much fun reading a book in a long time. It does resemble Harry Potter a lot, but it didn't bother me much. I did also read “Eleanor & Park” this year but I didn't like it much so I don't know how much I'll like Rainbow Rowell's other works.

12. “A darker shade of magic”, “A gathering of shadows” and “A conjuring of light” by V. E. Schwab This trilogy follows Kell who is one of the last Antari -people who can travel between the three Londons, Red, White and Grey- and Lila Bard who is a thief in Grey London. Kell is a smuggler who brings things to the other Londons, which is forbidden, until one time he takes with him something that he probably never should have touched. On the run from people who want to take this mysterious package Kell runs into Delilah Bard... The magic system in these books is absolutely insane. That's also the reason why it took me a bit to get into the first book - there is quite a lot of setup but it's all necessary. I am definitely excited to pick up some more of Victoria Shwab's works this year.

So those were some of my favourites from 2017. Did you read any of these books? What were some of your favourites?

-Astrophile

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raybansandcoffee · 7 years ago

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In the Heat of Los Angeles Bonus: Stray Cat Blues (The Rolling Stones) -- Harry’s POV

So I got this idea. A really cute one and needed to write it. And felt it was perfect from Harry’s POV. So welcome to the first time I’m writing from Harry’s POV for In the Heat of Los Angeles. If this goes over well it might happen more often. It’s obviously not a full chapter but it was just too perfect of an idea to pass up. I hope you enjoy it!

“Thanks for taking me golfing today,” I said to James as we were walking to our cars in the parking lot. I had just managed to survive an entire 18 holes of golf with my girlfriend’s father and actually had fun. We’d started with lunch at the country club he belonged to and then a great round of golf. By the time we made it to the second hole I was significantly less nervous than I had been when I left the house this morning.

Evie had pep talked me before she left for work about how I was going to be fine, that her father was harmless. She was lying through her teeth the entire time. I’d learned how to tell when she was lying not only to me but more importantly, to herself. She was a pro at trying to convince herself that if she said something enough times it became real. She had done it about us early on, that we couldn’t work because of the things she made up in her head. She had evidently done a number on herself when she and Drew split because until the night she finally told me about it she basically acted like she fully accepted the blame for the failure of their relationship. That was how I figured out that she did this to herself. That her crazy inner monologue often was full of negative self-talk.

Before she left for New York we had a long dinner together and she finally told me what happened in their relationship, both the start of the decent and the end. She completely broke down. Admitted that she had started to hate visiting New York because it was filled with memories of them together, despite a lifetime of visiting the city. That his memory had managed to ruin some of the places she loved at home in Chicago even. I made a promise to her that night, I promised that we would make memories to replace her bad ones. That she deserved to learn to love again and that the downfall of their relationship was not her fault, despite the fact that she had over the last year she had convinced herself that it was. I promised to stick by her until she learned to truly allow herself to learn to love with her whole heart and not be afraid of that feeling. I was almost 100% positive that she had gotten to the point where she believed that she deserved to love and be loved in return but I was going to remind her as much as possible of just how much I loved her.

Part of helping mend the broken parts of her heart was to build a relationship with her father. It hadn’t taken long to develop a relationship with her Mom and Dad. Grace and Marco were easy to get along with, James, on the other hand, put up a fight. I often wondered if he also had the crazy inner monologue running through his mind that Evie did. She didn’t even realize that sometimes she talked to herself while she worked, I pointed it out to her one night when I heard her mumbling about how stupid one of her employees was and shortly later started to scold herself about how she shouldn’t call her employees stupid, even if they were. I started to laugh and she asked why. It was pretty entertaining to watch her face as she realized she was speaking the thoughts in her head.

“I’m glad we could do this. It’s nice to be out of the office for an afternoon and it was a great chance for us to get to know each other without Evie’s prying eyes.” I laughed a little bit. “She’s never been very comfortable with me knowing the men in her life.”

“She started out with a lot of walls when I met her. I’m tearing them down, brick by brick, it’s a slow process but she’s worth it.”

“I’m glad you are willing to do the extra effort and I apologize for the slow process, that’s my fault. I set a terrible example for as she was growing up. She saw me with a lot of different women, I regret that now. I regret a lot of decisions I made but potentially being the reason that she allowed herself to stay in a terrible relationship and refused to open up with people is one of my biggest. I’ve always worried that she felt abandoned by me and that I always picked whoever I was married to or dating at the time over her. I hate that I didn’t stop her from feeling that way.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell him but she did see things that way. Which was why how she idolized her father had confused me at first, but I got it now. She was trying to build the relationship she assumed that she missed out on with him while she was growing up. She felt that if she worshipped him that he would find her worthy of his time. After listening to them talk on Sunday it was obvious that he realized he’d failed her at points in her life and wanted to try and fix that.

“You’re both working to fix the problems from your past. That’s all that matters to her.”

“What was she doing this afternoon?” James asked. “I know that she mentioned she’d be out of the office.”

“She had lunch with Rachel and said she was pretty sure that she would be stuck with Rachel and her Mom for the rest of the afternoon.”

“Oh yes, how could I forget? Cyn called me this morning to ask how much she could admit to knowing about you two.”

“You and Cynthia spoke this morning?” I asked. It seemed a bit odd that my girlfriend’s father’s ex-wife was checking to see how much she could ask about my relationship.

“I did, we speak often. She’s becoming a grandmother for the first time. It’s something we often talked about when we were married. All of our girls growing up and starting families. We had always expected Rachel to be first to do that and she is.”

“I’m glad Evie was spending some time with Rachel today. She seems like a very sweet person.”

“I forgot that you met her on your first date. Evie’s protective of how much she tells people about that friendship. People often find it odd that she still calls her former stepsister her sister.”

“Well, they are close it’s a wonderful thing.” We were both now leaning against our cars talking.

“Yes, yes it is. Okay, I should probably get home. Jessica is dragging me out this evening with a few other couples. I need to be on my best behavior tonight.” I laughed at his eye roll.

“I should also probably get going. I need to pick up something for dinner so that Evie doesn’t have to worry about it and can just enjoy time with Rachel and Cynthia.”

“That’s good of you. Enjoy your night with Evie and if I don’t see you before then I will see you Sunday at my house for dinner.”

“Absolutely. Thank you again for the round of golf.” I climbed into my car and pulled my phone out to send a quick text to Evie.

I’m done golfing with your father and should be home shortly. Let’s stay in tonight. I want a little alone time with my girl. Hope you’re having fun with Rachel and Cynthia. See you in a few.

I pulled out of the parking lot and headed to a supermarket near by to pick up things to make dinner. It wasn’t very busy and I didn’t get stopped as I walked around which was nice considering I’d never shopped here. I usually get nervous going new places in town. I picked up everything to make a nice meal for Evie and loaded it into the car. As I went to get in I looked up and saw that there was a small group of shops that shared the parking lot with the market. Inside the window of one of the shops was a group of little kittens playing with each other. The one that caught my eye was a tiny black and white tuxedo kitten with big ears and whiskers. I caught a glimpse at the sign and saw that it was an animal rescue organization. I shut the driver’s side door and locked the car before walking over to the window for a closer look at the kittens. The little tuxedo kitten came up to the window and looked up at me. I rested my head against the window and instantly the kitten put its paw up like it was trying to touch my hand.

“Well hello, there you little one. I think you are pretty cute.” I saw it open its mouth to meow at me but because of the glass was unable to hear it. “Okay, I’ll come in and talk to you.” I walked to the door and opened it before walking in.

“Hello and welcome. Have you stopped into City Kitty Rescue before?”

“I have not. I was in the neighborhood and stopped at the supermarket and this little guy in the tuxedo in the window caught my attention.”

“He’s cute isn’t he?” the woman asked. She was older than I was, probably around my Mum’s age with a very kind face. Her voice told of the care she had in the animals she worked with.

“Incredibly cute. He gave me a high five through the windows.”

“Why don’t I tell you a little bit about City Kitty Rescue and you can hold him for a little bit?” She reached into the area in the window where the kittens were playing and grabbed the little guy handing him to me.

“Hi there, buddy,” I said to him as I held him up to my face. He leaned forward putting his nose against mine.

“I think he likes you.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“Well, City Kitty Rescue was founded in 2005 by a young woman who found a pregnant cat hiding under the front bushes by her apartment. When she asked the shelter what would happen she found out that a large number of cats and kittens in Los Angeles shelters were killed simply because there were so many homeless animals in the city that there simply wasn’t enough space to house all of them. She instantly adopted that cat and fostered the kittens until they were able to be weaned off of their mother and placed in adoptive homes. Once she was done with that litter of kittens she returned to that same shelter and started to adopt the at risk animals. Her friends and family discovered what she was doing and a wealthy friend helped to fund and start the non-profit. We are a 501(c)3 organization that works to help alleviate the burden on Los Angeles city shelters and find homes for all of these adorable little animals. We have a permanent safe haven for the cats and kittens that holds about 200 at a time that is just outside the city. But we’ve seen an influx of cats already this year and have opened this location as our Kitty Pop-Up Shop. The building owners are on our board and had the open space and wanted to do something to help the pet population in this city find homes and work towards the goal of animals in the shelters having homes and not being killed.”

“So you are a no-kill shelter?” I asked.

“Exactly. We don’t ever want a cat or kitten to live in fear that they will be sentenced to death because of space. We have a number of volunteers who foster cats and kittens until they find homes. We survive based off of donations and the fees collected for adoption, though the adoption fees alone rarely cover the care put into the animal. At any given time through our sanctuary, this location, and our foster network we are caring for between 1,000 and 1,500 cats and kittens. We were involved with a rescue of a few hoarding situations this spring with our partners at the city shelters and currently have about 2,000 animals in our care.”

“Wow, that is a lot of animals. What is the adoption fee?” I rubbed the kittens temple causing him to elicit the loudest and most beautiful purr I’d ever heard.

“Each kitten is $150, once they age past 2 the fee is reduced by 50%. And our cats that are over 10 are all available for free to a good home. We just want them to know love in the later years of their lives. We are actually running an adoption special right now because of the number of animals we have in our care, each of them is available for adoption for $50 right now. We also offer items for sale that help generate income for the organization so that every item an adoptive home might need for a new cat is sold here in our location and they can take it all home with them.”

“What is this little guy’s name?” I asked.

“Harry,” she replied sheepishly.

“You’re kidding me? That’s my name.”

“I’m aware of who you are, Mr. Styles. That one was actually named by my 15-year-old daughter, she’s a huge fan. She will be disappointed she isn’t here yet. It was a litter of four kittens brought it while she was helping me out one Saturday a few weeks ago. She named them after you and your bandmates. Louis and Niall were adopted together by a young woman, Liam went to a home about a week ago and little Harry has been here in the window flirting with every person who walks past hoping to find someone to take him home.”

“Well, he’s found someone. Help me pick out all of the things I will need to take home with him.” The woman introduced herself to me, her name was Joy. She had started to volunteer with the organization as a single mother who wanted to teach her daughter that giving back was important despite the fact that they didn’t have a lot themselves. When they had a permanent position available as an adoption specialist she was offered the job and was able to work doing something she believed in. She had been put in charge of the Pop-Up Adoption Center when it opened in spring. Her daughter Taylor had started to work part-time after school and on Saturdays, she was teaching her that the work we do with our lives can have more meaning than just a simple paycheck. Just as she was helping me to pack up the last of Little Harry’s things the door opened and a young girl walked in.

“Hey Mom, sorry I’m late. The bus was running behind,” she said. “And my battery on my phone died because I didn’t realize the charger wasn’t actually plugged in last night. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Taylor. You’re just in time. Little Harry is getting adopted out,” Joy replied.

“Man! I was hoping you’d let me take him home. I feel bad that he doesn’t have his friends with him. I was actually a little disappointed no one thought to name the orange brother and sister that came in last week Ron and Hermoine so at least he had friends whose names fit.” I laughed. This kid was creative.

“Well, I’m glad I snapped him up before you were able to,” I said to her as I smiled. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped. It was a look I was very familiar with. The realization that I was standing in front of someone. I never adjusted to the way it felt to have someone be excited to meet me. I was just a normal 22-year-old lad who loved to golf though I wasn’t great, who missed his Mum when he was gone too long and often times felt slightly out of place in the world I lived in.

“Oh. My. God. You’re him.”

“Who is him?” I winked at her as I asked the question.

“You, you’re Harry Styles. That cat is named after you.”

“Your Mum told me that. I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t get to adopt a few of his friends too. I think Niall would find it hilarious to know I had a cat version of him running around. Please tell me that Niall was the one that stole everyone’s food, it would be only appropriate.” Taylor laughed.

“He was actually, though I didn’t even know it at the time that I named them.”

“Well, as long as each of the boys is in a good home I’ll be happy. Joy, in addition to all of this I’d like to make a donation. Can I do that with a credit card here or do I need to send a check somewhere?” I asked.

“I have a form you can fill out and I’ll run it with a credit card here today.” She seemed excited that someone came in not only wanting to adopt an animal but make a donation.

“Oh, and charge me the full adoption amount, please. This guy has clearly been cared for with love and I would hate to pay any less than his normal rate.” She looked almost as if she would cry when I handed the donation form back and in addition to the normal adoption rate I’d be donating an additional $5,000. The organization seemed like one I would enjoy continuing to support in the future. Cats had always been around my home growing up, Gemma had Olivia at her flat in London, and I’d always felt sad that I couldn’t adopt a cat because I wasn’t in the same place for any significant amount of time. I’d thought about adopting back home in London but knew it would just mean Gemma would eventually end up with two cats. By adopting Little Harry I knew that Evie would have a little snuggle buddy when I was gone. “Thank you, both so much for your help and for giving Little Harry the love that he needed over his first few months of life. I promise to stop back and visit and I’ll bring pictures of him.”

“That is wonderful. Thank you for stopping in and adopting and for your extremely generous donation,” Joy said. I took a few pictures with the cat and Taylor. They asked if they could share the photos on their social media page and of course, I said yes. If by supporting this shelter my fame brought any additional donations it would be completely worth it.

I headed out to my car and put all of the cat things I purchased in the back with the groceries and put the kennel with the tiny kitten in the front seat. As I started the car and the music came on he meowed loudly.

“We are headed home Little Harry,” I said. “We might need to come up with a new name for you though. It might be a bit confusing to have two Harrys running around the house. Though knowing that Evie will be snuggling with a tiny Harry while I’m gone this summer is a bit more comforting than thinking about how Ty will probably try to take up my side of the bed.” The cat meowed a response. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll love Evie. And you’ll probably love Ty too.” I glanced at my phone to see that Evie had responded to my text.

I'm glad you had fun with Pops today. I should be home in time for dinner. We are nursery shopping right now. The stuff that Rachel and Cynthia are picking out is so cute. And they keep calling me Auntie Evie. I think my heart has melted today. I might be a puddle by the time I get home.

I laughed a bit at her. I was glad she was spending time with her sister today and that she was comfortable telling me about how close they were. It had seemed odd that first night that she said she thought of Rachel as a friend. It was another thing that now looking back on it I realized was one of the times Evie had lied. I just couldn’t tell by looking at her then. She had this look in her eyes that gave away that she wasn’t completely telling the truth to anyone she was talking to. She had opened up about it and explained that most people found it odd that she was still close with her former step-siblings especially considering how much she had hated the women her father brought into her life. Though it appeared that if there was an exception to that it was Cynthia. Even James spoke highly of her, it was in the same manner that he spoke of Grace. It made me wonder if he looked at them as the two that got away.

I pulled into the garage at home and started to unload the car. I felt it was best to leave the kitten in his kennel while I brought in the groceries and put them away. That way I could get his litter box set up properly and put some food out for him before he took off around the house. I’d gotten him a little tiny collar that was black with a little gold tag that said his name and had Evie’s office number on it. I was a bit nervous about having my direct phone number listed on the cat’s collar and knew that if for some reason someone found him that Eliza would take care of the situation better than I could.

“Alright, little guy. Time to let you out,” I said. “Now let’s remember that we need to make sure that we don’t destroy the house before Mummy gets home, okay?” He meowed his response to me. “You are seriously so smart.” I opened the door and he came walking out of the cage and went straight to the food and water dish I’d set on the floor in the kitchen. “Okay, Joy said that I should show you where I put your litter box as soon as I took you out of the kennel.” I picked him up and carried him down the hallway to the office. I felt this was the safest place to start with a litter box. They’d also recommended that I have two litter boxes for him so I was going to also put one in the guest bath off of the gym upstairs so he had his choice and if he was upstairs he didn’t have to go downstairs and vice versa. Once I put him in the little house that was his litter box I heard him pawing around in it. He stepped out of it and looked up at me proudly. “You are such a good little guy.” I went to leave the room and like my shadow, he followed me back to the living room. I started dinner and laid down on the couch before he jumped up to join me. He sat on my chest letting me pet him and purring that loud purr he had.

“Hey baby,” Evie said as she walked in the house and saw me on the couch. She had her arms full. “So golf went well?”

“It went great. I mean your father kicked my ass but we decided that I’m going golfing with him again next week. He’s taking me with his normal group that he golfs with on Thursdays I guess.”

“You will end up knowing more of the movers and shakers in the entertainment industry than most people if you golf with my father. His Thursday group is someone who owns an agency that has the best agents in town, which I’m sure is why he’s bringing you. We can represent you in part of it but you’ll need a good agent. Charlie’s agency is the best. It’s also Matt who is an exec at like Fox I think, he just moved there, he used to be with MGM. Then they used to golf with one of the ABC/Disney/Pixar execs but he got pissed when Matt moved to Fox and stopped golfing with them. Those men and their drama.”

“Yeah, your father mentioned something about that.” Evie came over to the couch after she had set down all of her bags. She normally laid down with me when she’d get home.

“What is that?” she asked pointing at the tiny black and white ball of fur on my chest.

“A kitten.”

“I mean, I know it’s a kitten. But why is it in your house?”

“I adopted him today.”

“You adopted a kitten without telling me? What if I was allergic?”

“Your Nonna and Papa had three cats in their house and your Pops has two. Both of which are evidently yours.” She started to laugh uncomfortably.

“They aren’t mine, per say. We adopted Jake and Elwood when I was in high school because Pops felt I needed to volunteer my time when I was living here and not working 40 hours a week. I volunteered at a rescue because it was much less heartbreaking than serving the homeless, or at least I thought it was. I was a sucker and brought the cats home and he’s just been stuck with them. Though I swear to you that he loves them more than he loves me. Clearly, if they were mine they wouldn’t have been named Jake and Elwood, my father named them after The Blues Brothers. But you…you bought a cat.”

“I adopted a cat. I stopped at the supermarket near your father’s country club on the way home. There was a little Pop-Up shop for a kitten rescue there and he started flirting with me through the window. And City Kitty Rescue seemed like a pretty great place and I wanted to give him a home.”

“City Kitty? You…you…you adopted him from the place I used to volunteer.” She looked like she was going to cry as she sat down beside me on the couch and reached out to pet the kitten.

“I didn't realize that was where you volunteered.”

“Yeah, Marissa that started the organization used to work at SME as a receptionist. My father was who funded her first year. He kept paying her normal salary to her and allowed her a year off to start the non-profit. He even threw a huge fundraiser at his house that year to help with more expenses. He does it annually now, it’s one of their biggest fundraisers. I sit on the board for it now, Pops had been on the board for about a million years until I moved out here and replaced him.”

“Then why don’t you have like 80 cats.”

“Because I am not a crazy cat lady. And Ty is mildly allergic. I actually don’t think he is. I think he’s just a pain in my ass who doesn’t want cat fur on everything because he plays with Jake and Elwood and has NEVER had a reaction to them.”

“Well, I thought he was cute and then I realized that with me being gone all summer this is something to cuddle you at night while I’m gone.” Her face softened even further than it had when she realized I’d adopted it from a rescue that was a huge part of her life. “Joy and Taylor helped me get everything he needs.”

“Joy is amazing. Taylor probably had a heart attack when you walked in, didn’t she?”

“She got that look that you’ve seen on girls in the supermarket when they realize I’m standing next to them in the frozen food aisle.”

“She’s a crazy kid. But she’s got a big heart. She wants to go to school for graphic design. I’ve known Joy since I was volunteering there. I babysat Taylor on a few occasions.”

“That’s funny. LA is such a big city you wouldn’t think it could be this small of a world.”

“So what is this little guy’s name?” she asked as he walked towards her on my lap. He really was a flirt, he rubbed up against her cheek and his purr got even louder.

“Harry.”

“Funny joke. What is his name?”

“Harry,” I replied. “I’m completely serious. Joy told me that a litter of four kittens came in together and that Taylor named them Louis, Liam, Niall and Harry. Louis and Niall were adopted together, Liam adopted a week ago, and they left Harry in the window to flirt with every passerby. He started making eyes at me when I was putting the bags in the car, even gave me a high-five through the window. I told him not to get too used to his name because it might get confusing with two Harrys in the family.”

“Nah, I like his name. He clearly takes after his namesake. Flirty, loud and determined to make me fall in love with him,” Evie said as she picked him up and he pressed his nose to hers. “We can call him Little H or lowercase.” I started to laugh.

“Lowercase?” I asked.

“Yeah, my uncle Giovanni has a son named after him. I call him Lowercase G, like the Montell Jordan lyrics.” I looked at her like she was crazy. “This Is How We Do It?” I shrugged my shoulders as I sat up. “This is how we do it, all hands are in the air and wave them from here to there. If you’re an OG Mack or a wannabe player. You see the hood’s been good to me, ever since I was a lowercase g, but now I’m a big G. The girls see I got the money, hundred dollar bills y’all.”

“Did you just attempt to rap?” I asked her laughing.

“Maybe, but I call my cousin lowercase g because of that song. I told him that when he grows up and has kids if he carries on the name tradition he can be the Big G.” My laughing got harder.

“You are so weird.”

“Says the man who adopted a cat that was named after him.”

“He was adorable. And he’s been excited for his Mummy to get home. He bathed himself for a good fifteen minutes so he’d look his best when he met her.”

“Mummy?”

“Yeah, I’ve decided he’s probably British, I mean the tux and all, so he probably will call you Mummy, not Mom,” I said Mom in the most American accent I could which made her laugh.

“Well Little H, Mummy is happy that Daddy is a weak person and adopted you. Mummy is also going to have to call Joy and Taylor to tell them that you get to live with her. Though she’s not sure what to do about you with Uncle Ty.”

“You could just stay here when I leave. You and Little H could have the house to yourselves.”

“I could do that.”

“I was a little uncomfortable about putting my cell phone number on his collar so it’s Eliza’s direct line at SME, that’s okay right.”

“That’s perfectly okay. She’s going to love him just as much as I do.” I watched as Evie took her phone out and started to follow the kitty around the living room taking pictures of him. I went into the kitchen to finish our dinner when I heard my cell phone buzz on the counter. I looked to see that Evie had tagged me in a post on Instagram.

everleemae: Welcome to the family, Little Harry. This little guy was adopted from @citykittyrescuela today by @harrystyles. Turns out the kitty used his giant ears and adorable whiskers to lure him into the Pop-Up today and that the little guy was part of a litter of 4 that were named after the members of @onedirection. Aren’t we lucky that it was Harry that was left! He’s the cutest and anyone who knows me knows that not only am I passionate about City Kitty Rescue and their mission but I’m a crazy cat lady who has been in hiding thanks to having too many roommates. So go ahead and follow @harrystyles_thecat on Iinsta because yeah, I already made him one. Look how tiny he is on the TV box! #kittystyles #harrythecat

She was a weird one but I loved her for it. And I was pretty sure this cat was the perfect addition to our little family.

“Alright Evie put down the Instagram and let’s eat.” She turned to smile at me sheepishly before coming over and giving me a kiss.

“You’re amazing, you know that?”

“I think you’re the amazing one. Just don’t fall more in love with him than you are with me when I’m gone, okay?”

“Okay.”

Okay, anyone who knows me knows that I am a crazy cat lady with a giant heart for local animal rescue organizations. I actually am currently in the process of waiting to adopt a tiny little kitty I found two and a half weeks ago at my local animal shelter, Animal Rescue League of Iowa. She is awaiting surgery to amputate an injured leg so I am trying to be patient in this process. She was found as a stray cat by a police officer and is one tough little kitty at only about 9 weeks old. Also, you just might recognize that Harry the Cat in this bonus is actually my cat, Georgie. I thought it would be fun to share some of George’s photos as Harry and Evie’s cat because no lie there’s probably thousands in my iCloud. He’s my baby and he knows it. The ARL of Iowa is one of my favorite non-profits, they are a shelter that also provides Des Moines with its Animal Control Unit services. ARL due to that cannot be listed as a no-kill shelter because it is required to follow city regulations and laws. But they do not ever kill animals due to space concerns. They provide the greatest care possible and help to give these animals loving homes. They recently opened a building on their property just for cats that will hold upwards of 200 cats at a time as they wait for surgery or adoption. Last summer alone they had over 2,000 cats at times in their shelter. Many people do not understand the importance of spaying and neutering animals as a way to help with the overpopulation of homeless pets.

While I did makeup City Kitty Rescue, I do want to make sure that people know that the pet population in Los Angeles is high and their city shelters are always full. NKLA (No-Kill Los Angeles) is a non-profit founded as part of the Best Friends Animal Society along with local organizations, rescues, and shelters to help eliminate the need to kill animals in Los Angeles shelters due to space. NKLA initially set a goal of having zero animals killed due to space concerns in Los Angeles Shelters. In 2011, when NKLA was formed the save rate for cats in LA shelters was 36.3% which meant the great majority were being killed in the shelters. The save rate for dogs was much higher at 71.3%. In 2012 only 57.7% of dogs and cats were making it out of shelters in LA alive. As of the start of 2017, the save rate was 90.4%! That is an enormous increase in only 5 years. Best Friends Animal Society is one of the leading non-profits for animals in the United States. If you feel like helping save our pet population or care for them as they are in shelters here are a few links to organizations in my local area, Los Angeles, the US and worldwide to help out or learn more.

Animal Rescue League of Iowa: www.arl-iowa.org

No Kill Los Angeles: www.nkla.org

Best Friends Animal Society: www.bestfriends.org

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: www.aspca.org

International Animal Rescue: www.internationalanimalrescue.org

To quote the end of every episode of The Price is Right I watched as a kid: Help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered.

And always remember, adopt don’t shop!

xx AM.

PS I can’t wait to hear what you thought of this chapter. Send me your thoughts on it! If you like the bonus chapter let me know, I might do more in the future. It is always fun for me to tell stories from different perspectives so I have really enjoyed this personally.

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