“Guys, you can set up the stage and we’ll get moving as soon as you’re ready.”
Jessie stared, glancing momentarily at Harry. “What’s the nerd brigade got to do with this?” He just shrugged in response.
The next wave of teenagers brought with them an accessory – dogs, cats, rabbits, and a goat. They led the animals in, holding them close with their leashes. They formed a group on the other side of the backstage area, waiting patiently for their cue.
“Are those the animals from the shelter?” Cory gasped. “What are they doing here?”
“Saving the shelter,” Hannah replied simply. She didn’t have time to get into the details, not when the third wave of volunteers were just arriving.
The next group were the complete opposite of Hannah’s friends. They mostly wore black skinny jeans and ironic old band t-shirts. They carried with them guitars, drum kits, microphones, and anything else they needed to perform. They moved to the front, waiting for instructions.
Hannah gathered them all together. “Thanks for coming guys. We’ll get started in a minute.”
Cory stopped Hannah mid-stride. “Hannah, what is going on? What are all these people doing here? And where is Lady Antelope?”
“They couldn’t make it, they had a scheduling conflict,” she answered quickly, looking over her shoulder at a wide eyed Jessie. “These guys are all going to make sure the people out there don’t even miss Lady Antelope. I have to go. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
In a stunned silence, she let Hannah go. Everyone was just staring at her in gaping surprise, Harry included. She pulled back the curtain and stepped on stage for the first time. Her legs were like jelly as she kept going, all the way until she reached the microphone standing like a lone soldier at the front.
She had never seen that many people before and that many people had definitely never been staring at her before. It was terrifying standing there, every one of them waiting on tenterhooks to hear what she had to say. Hannah knew at that moment that veterinary was definitely her career choice, not being a pop singer.
“Thanks for coming,” Hannah said meekly, swallowing to try to get some moisture in her mouth. She looked down at the sea of faces, seeing individual people for the first time. Some she recognized, most she didn’t. But what she saw next warmed her heart.
When Veronica, Coco, and herself had started a serious call around the previous afternoon, she had asked anyone coming to the concert to bring their pet. It wasn’t just going to be a concert, but a celebration of animals. She didn’t think people would actually listen to her. Yet on the ground, hairy faces were upturned towards her too. Dogs of all kinds were standing diligently with their human friends, their hairy tails wagging happily.
Hannah suddenly felt a calmness wash over her. She was going to do it, she was going to pull the whole thing off. She took a deep breath. “Thank you for coming. I know you were all expecting Lady Antelope and I’m sorry to say they have had to pull out at the last minute. What we have for you, however, is something much better. Today, for your entertainment, we have a battle of the bands. Please support these emerging superstars of tomorrow.”
Silence. She looked around, half-expecting a riot to break out. People shuffled from foot to foot while they waited but there was no mass hysteria. She continued.
“So, without further ado, let’s hear it for the first band. We have the Streakers from Mapleton High School.” She stepped back and the band of four teenagers ran out on the stage. She held her breath.
As they picked up their instruments and strummed their first chord, the crowd erupted into a round of applause. Hannah couldn’t remove the smile from her face as she retreated backstage again.
Chapter 11
Hannah couldn’t believe how well the day had gone so far. It was just after lunchtime and they hadn’t even got to her favorite part yet.
While the bands were great, and such good sports for turning up with such little notice, she had something extra special in store for everyone. They just didn’t know it yet.
Cory approached, standing next to Hannah as she watched the crowds. She wasn’t that interested in the bands, it was more fun to watch the pets in the audience as they talked to each other and enjoyed time with their humans.
“The bands are great, huh?” Cory commented, nudging her with her shoulder.
“Yeah, I think everyone loves them.”
Silence lingered between them, although it wasn’t awkward with so much to look at. Hannah sensed Cory wanted to say something, she waited patiently for what was about to come. Would she get in trouble for changing the schedule without telling her? Maybe she didn’t want the animals to leave the shelter? She could only imagine what she was about to say.
“Hannah, I-”
“Before you say anything,” Hannah butted in. “I’m sorry I took the animals out of the shelter. But there is something coming up that I needed them for.”
Cory laughed. “I think what you’ve done is great. What I was going to say was that I don’t really know what happened here this morning, but I wanted to thank you for it. Without you, none of this would have been possible, I’m sure.” She gestured around to the stage and the audience. Not to mention the students playing with the shelter animals on the lawn.
“I really wanted to save the animals,” Hannah confessed. That was the crux of it, anything else paled into comparison.
“Hopefully we’ll do that. We’ve still got a way to go yet, but we’re close.”
Cory patted her on the shoulder before leaving her alone. Despite the joy at seeing the concert being successful, Hannah had thought it would be enough to save the shelter. She imagined the ticket sales would be sufficient. She was going to have to work even harder before the day was out.
“Hey,” Harry said, sidling up to her. “This is amazing. So what really happened to Lady Antelope?”
Hannah stared at him, she had a lot to say to Harry but it would have to wait. It was a long story that she didn’t want to get into. Not when the main show was just about to start.
“I have to go, Harry. I’ll talk to you later.” She didn’t look at him before hurrying over to her friends. “Five minutes to the show. Stylists, do your magic.”
Hannah watched as a team of professional dog dressers from Pooch Couture, the fancy animal clothes boutique in town, gathered around the shelter animals. They had a designer outfit for each of them, pampering them like they had never experienced before.
By the time the clock struck one, every single animal looked like a million dollars. There were bows in hairs, a pug was dressed as a security officer, a poodle was parading around like a princess, the fluffy white dog that hated bathing was dressed in a yellow raincoat. Every animal was dressed to match their personality. Their coats had never looked shinier, their eyes never so alert, and their tails never so waggy.
Hannah lined them up and waited for the band to finish their set. She wasn’t afraid of going on stage and talking to thousands of people this time, she was determined to raise enough money to keep the doors open. A bit of shyness was nothing compared with the tragedy of still having to close down the shelter.
The band left and took a bow to a deafening round of applause and cheer from the audience. They were pumped, it was an excellent way to lead into the main event.
She hurried out to the microphone and looked around. “Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you’re enjoying the concert so far.” She had to stop until the cheering subsided. “Excellent. Now, we have something special for you. I would like to introduce you to the animals from the shelter, wearing designer outfits from Pooch Couture who have been kind enough to donate their time and allow us to use their clothes.”
Hannah nodded to her waiting friends backstage and they started streaming out. She couldn’t be prouder of them for working so hard and offering to help without any notice. They were all the shy, quiet types too. Parading on stage was not something they would normally want to have done
. Yet for the animals, they would all do anything.
“While you’re welcoming them, please also give a round of applause to the Mapleton Student’s Science Club for accompanying them on stage.”
Smiles beamed at her, both from the animals and humans, as they passed by. They paraded around slowly.
“First we have a miniature fox terrier wearing a beautiful spotted outfit to match his own spots,” Hannah started, praying her plan would work. “Maximus is available for adoption, along with all the animals you see here today. He’s got a loving little spirit, always up for a game and, of course, a treat or two. He loves his food but he will love you even more. Let’s give it up for Maximus.”
The audience applauded, they were actually listening to her. And they were enjoying the show. If just one person in the audience fell in love with each of the animals, they would find a home for them. It only took one person to adopt.
Hannah went through each of the animals in turn, even showing off some grumpy looking cats in Halloween outfits. She just knew they were going to scratch her for the humiliation later on. Cats were like that, they remembered everything.
As they did their last loop around the stage, Hannah couldn’t believe how wonderful they all were. None of the pets looked like they had come from a shelter. They looked like loved and well cared for animals. She hoped with all her heart they would find a family to love them by the end of the day. Each and every one of them deserved it.
“If you would like to adopt any of these wonderful little creatures, please see me at the stand near the refreshments van. I’ll be there all afternoon and it will be the best decision you’ve ever made. I adopted a rescue animal a few weeks ago and I can’t tell you how much love he has brought into our home. A house isn’t a home until you have a pet. Thank you.”
She hurried off stage and crossed her fingers. Backstage was chaotic as the animals were removed from their clothes. Loose fur flew everywhere as the excited dogs jumped around and wanted to play some more.
Hannah thanked everyone profusely for their help before braving the throng of people and weaving her way through to the booth by the drinks stand.
She expected to have a quiet afternoon as the bands entertained the crowds. Perhaps a few people might adopt a dog here and there to break up the time.
What Hannah didn’t expect to see was a queue of people waiting for her when she arrived. There were more people wanting to adopt than she had animals for.
By the end of the afternoon, she had a list of families just waiting to adopt. The moment they got something suitable into the shelter, they had first dibs.
And they didn’t just want dogs. According to Hannah’s tally, every single kitten in the shelter would find a new home the moment they returned to the office. Some people were even happy to take the mother cats too, preferring a more mature option than a bouncing kitten that was full of energy.
As the concert came to a close, Hannah was grateful everything had been salvaged from the train wreck it was heading into. There wasn’t one person that left unhappy and not one animal that would return to the shelter – even the goat. She just hoped it would be enough to keep the doors open.
Chapter 12
Hannah was clearing up litter in the park, trying to restore the lawn to how it was before the concert. She was happy to see her friends helping alongside her. All the guests had left and the last of the bands were packing up their gear. That only left the clean up.
Jessie approached. Hannah hadn’t seen her nearly all day. The last she knew, she was helping out with the ticket booth. “Hey, Hannah, can I have a word?”
“Sure,” she replied, figuring her back could do with a break from bending over and picking up rubbish. “What’s up?”
Jessie shuffled from foot to foot, clearly wanting to say something but unable to start. Hannah waited patiently, despite how eager she was to get the job over and done with.
Finally, the girl continued. “I, uh, just wanted to thank you for everything you did today. You could have let it be a complete disaster but you didn’t. You didn’t even tell Cory and Harry what I did.”
Hannah actually felt sorry for her standing there. “You shouldn’t have lied, but I don’t need to tell you that. I just wanted to make sure the shelter stayed open, that’s it.”
Tears started to well in Jessie’s eyes, she was coming apart right in front of her. “I just wanted everyone to like me. I thought if I said Lady Antelope would be here, then everyone would want me around even though I am absolutely hopeless at the shelter.” The words poured from her mouth, interrupted by sobs.
Hannah put her arms around the girl and gave a hug. “We like you anyway. You didn’t need to pretend to be something you’re not. We would have found a way without the concert.”
Jessie nodded as she let her go. “You really like me?”
“You’re getting better at washing the dogs,” Hannah teased, hoping to stop the tears. “A few more dozen and you should be right.”
They laughed together. “Thanks, Hannah. You’re a really good friend.”
Hannah smiled, hoping they really could be friends. The shelter could use as many hands as possible and she didn’t want to scare anyone off.
“Can I have your attention?” They were interrupted by Cory, standing on what was left of the stage. The microphone had been packed away, leaving the volunteers no option except to move closer to hear. “I have done a final count of the proceeds from today and our efforts right up until now.”
Hannah had never been so anxious to hear the news, and she had spent fifteen years awaiting exam results. She crossed both her fingers and toes, praying for the words she desperately wanted to hear.
“I want to thank each and every one of you for donating your time today. And to my regular guys, Harry, Hannah, Jessie, you were extraordinary. We saved lives today, dozens of them. Thanks to you, seventeen dogs, one goat, eight rabbits, and thirteen cats found new homes. Not to mention all the kittens back at the shelter. We accomplished something in one day that would normally take an entire year.”
Hannah felt her eyes starting to tear up at the thought. They had accomplished something great and she was an integral part of it. She had never felt prouder at her achievement.
“So, the tally,” Cory said, pausing for dramatic effect. “We raised thirty-one thousand, two hundred, and thirteen dollars. We’re staying open for at least another year.”
Everyone in the park let out a cheer, hugging whoever was around, and jumping with joy. The shelter was saved. And who knows? Maybe the battle of the bands and dog fashion parade could be a regular event? They could stay open forever, making sure animals always had a safe refuge where they could be cared for and fed without fail. Hannah hoped so, with all her heart, she hoped so.
The celebrations died down as everyone got back to work. They needed their council bond back for the use of the park or their tally would jump down. To do that, they needed to make it pristine.
Yet as they worked now, it was with happy hearts. Somehow the work didn’t seem so bad now, even if it was picking up garbage.
Hannah stopped as she saw feet standing on the ground next to her. Her eyes travelled up until they reached Harry’s face. “Hey, Harry.”
“Hey, can you believe we actually pulled it off? The shelter is going to stay open.”
“I know, right? It’s fantastic.”
Harry paused, looking at her intently. “Jessie told me you organized everything. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have helped.”
Now it was Hannah’s turn to be unable to say what was really on her mind. She had been thinking about it for days, trying to put her finger on why she was feeling so odd. It had come to her during the concert and now the more she thought about it, the more she knew what she had to do.
“Because you wouldn’t have helped,” she started. “You always believed everything Jessie said. You would have been too busy defending her instead of accepting that she got it wrong.”
Harry was taken aback, his brows crinkled in confusion. “No, I wouldn’t.”
“Yes, you would. You’ve got a blind spot for her, which means you’ve got a kind heart, but I don’t need that right now.”
“What are you saying?”
Hannah didn’t know if she was brave enough to say the words but it was now or never. “I’m saying I think we should take a break.”
She waited in the silence, holding her breath. She didn’t know whether she was doing the right thing, she just knew that Harry didn’t have her back over the past few weeks and that wasn’t okay with her. Hannah knew she would have done anything for him, but it was no good if the respect wasn’t mutual.
“Hannah, I don’t understand,” Harry stuttered out. “What’s going on? I thought we were good.”
“So did I,” Hannah mumbled before leaving. She had to walk away or she knew she would take back the words. She needed some time away from it all, some time to think. Her heart was young and fragile, she couldn’t take the knocks to it yet.
The End
A Hairy
Tail 4
Dedication
For All Creatures Great and Small.
Chapter 1
Hannah plastered a smile on her face, hoping it didn’t look as fake as it felt. She laughed, hoping to convince Veronica and Lucas that she was enjoying herself.
“And the look on the girl’s face? It was hilarious,” Lucas laughed, recanting the highlights from the movie they had just seen.
“I know, right?” Veronica snorted back, trying to catch her breath.
Hannah subtly checked her watch, seeing if she had stayed long enough to be polite. It wasn’t so much that she disliked hanging out with Veronica and Lucas, but normally Harry would be there with them. With the four of them, she had never been the third wheel. Now, she was definitely well ensconced in third wheel territory.
Hairy Tail Collection Page 13
