Jessie Sturm
Honey,come on time to get up! Janey Crawford's eyes slowly fluttered open.She groaned, and with a big sigh rolled over onto her side.Janey,come on Mary Crawford,Janey's mom said.Your gonna be late for school.So?Janey asked.Who cares?I care.Mary snapped she lifted Janey's red quilt off of her and piled them on the top of her bed.Goosebumps immediately filled her arms.She shivered.STOP IT!!Janey yelled.It's already 7:30.Mary said you need to get up now.No.Mary said firmly.She sat up,reached down and yanked her quilt over her head.If you don't get up now,you wont be allowed outside for a month.Mary said.Janey groaned and sat up.Mary grinned.She never would keep her daughter shut up in the house for a month,after all everyone needs fresh air,but threats were now the only thing that would get Janey up.Why should I get up?!Janey yelled.So I can go to school,suffer,get loaded down with homework, come home and go back to sleep so I can do it all over again?!Janey todays friday,you have to whole days off tommorw.So what?Janey grumbled.Mary sighed and left the room.Ever since Janey's Bombay cat Patsy was hit by a truck 3 years ago,Janey had been simply unbearable to live with.She screamed,cried and raised heck whereever she went.She picked fights at school,and her grades dramatically plummeted from an A to an F.Almost everyday,along with an apple core, pencils,gum and coins was a note from Janey's teacher,Mrs.Warabetch.Mary just didin't know what to do with Janey.
Janey kicked a gray pebble into a trash can.She slowly shuffled home with her hands buried deep in her jeans pockets.An angry scowl was spread acrooss her face.Tears gathered in her eyes,threatening to trickle down her face.She missed having a companion.She missed holding a tiny,beautiful creature in her arms,hearing her contented rithmatic purr.Nobody in school was willing to be Janey's friends.Probabley because her attitude scared off most kids.She lived in her mind,all by her self.A cloudy land of depression,worries,anger,hate and sin.She never tried to forgive the man who killed Patsy.And she knew she never would.The man who hit her didin't stop.He didin't even apoligize or exchange grief.He just kept on going.To buried in his thoughts to pay any attention to the world around him.And that's what made Janey's heart ache so much.The fact that there are that many sick and unfeeling people in the world.Meow.At first Janey thought the meow was in her head.She had been hearing meows and purrs so much lately.Then, suddenly an orange and white stripped cat creeped out of a bush just a few feet ahead of Janey.Wha-Janey's words froze in her throat.The creatures lonely yellow-green eyes grew round and filled with fright.The cat shook and dissapeared under the bush.Hey,Come here kitty kitty.Janey whispered getting down in front of the bush on her hand and knees.Here kitty.Come here.The cat hissed and with it's hair standing up raced to the sycamore tree a few yards away and made her way up.Janey groaned.She realized it was going to take a lot of effort to win this cat's trust.She quickly reached up and grabbed her and cradeling her in her arms started home with her.
Mom PLEASE can I keep her.You won't have to lift a finger I swear on the Holy Bible.Please??I'll feed her and clip her nails and play with her and change her litterbox and take her-Please mom can I??Mary sighed and looked over into her husband keith's blue eyes.They seemed deep in thought.He leaned over and whispered in Mary's ear.After a few seconds she whispered something back in his ear.Well,all right.I suppose.What??Janey asked in amazement.Her mom was never so easy to give in.I suppose.She smiled and reached over to scratch the cat behind the ears.Oh thank you!!!!!!Janey screamed she leaned over and kissed her mom,then her dad.What's her name? Keith asked.Janey bit her lip deep in concentration.She know that naming her would be something very important that she could never take back.Then her brown eyes lit up.Hope!!! She yelled with a huge grin on her face.
Hi mom I'm home!Hi hon.Mary said smiling.Hi Hopey baby!Janey cooed scratching Hope's head.She purred rubbing her cheeks all over Janey's hands.Anything in your back pack I should know about?Oh yeah,Janey said.She reached in and pulled out a purple note.
Mary placed the note on the counter top and looked down at Janey who had fallen fast asleep.Hope was curled up on her lap.Deep in a cat nap.Thanks Hope.Mary said with a smile.
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