Arthur looked around frantically. While seeing the reunions brought a smile to his lips, he knew there was something missing. “Where’s Bruce? You said you had a Capuchin monkey here.”
“We do,” Harry replied, nodding towards Hannah. She took her cue and carefully retrieved the monkey. It gripped onto her shoulder, its little fingers holding on like an infant might.
She returned to the room, studying the creature for any sign of recognition. She didn’t have to look too hard. The moment the monkey caught a glimpse of Arthur, it shrieked with excitement.
Forgetting all about Hannah, who had tirelessly cared for it for the past few days, Bruce pushed at her to get away and into his owner’s embrace.
“Ah, Bruce, thank God you’re okay. I’ve been worried sick about you,” Arthur cooed as he cradled the little monkey. They stared into each other’s eyes with such love there was no denying that not only did they belong together, but that Bruce couldn’t be mistreated.
Harry stood beside Hannah watching the circus troupe get reacquainted with their animals. He leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Need any more proof?”
She shook her head, watching a clown get wrapped up in a snake and chuckling with every moment. “None. There is no way these animals aren’t being treated with love. I never thought it was possible for a lizard to be in love with someone.”
“Nobody can help who they fall in love with,” Harry commented.
Hannah opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by Arthur. His face beamed with happiness. “I can’t thank you kids enough for keeping these guys safe and finding us. I couldn’t imagine living without Bruce. My wife on the other hand…”
“It was our pleasure,” Hannah replied. Seeing a reunion, whether it was with a fluffy or scaly creature, made her hours of volunteering worthwhile. There was only one other thing that made her feel all warm and fuzzy like that. And she had broken up with him.
“I’d like to give you all passes to the show.” Arthur reached into his pocket while juggling the monkey in his other hand. He pulled out a wad of tickets and handed them to Harry. “And I’d like to make a donation to the shelter, something to cover the costs of looking after all our animal family and more.”
Cory suddenly appeared at hearing the magic word: donation. “We would be more than happy to accept.” She escorted him to her office to take care of business.
Harry looked down at the tickets, the bright, garish faces of clowns stared back at him. “This is awesome.”
Hannah wasn’t so sure. She had seen her fill of clowns and creatures for one summer. “Yeah,” she tried to sound enthusiastic. It didn’t quite work.
After all the lizards, spiders, snakes, and one monkey were gone, there was only one thing left to do – clean up. Harry, Hannah, and Jessie fell into a quiet rhythm as they dusted, wiped, and hosed down the cages.
It was just starting to get dark when Hannah finally made it home. She was exhausted, but a little bit of adrenalin remained at doing something great.
She thought it was funny how she never felt that kind of a buzz from her schoolwork. Volunteering was so much more satisfying than she had ever imagined it would be. What had begun as something to keep her mom happy had turned into something she never wanted to stop doing. Being at the shelter had changed her life, in more ways than one.
“Big day?” Coco asked as she watched her daughter slide onto a stool at the kitchen bench. Billy was jumping at her feet to be picked up.
“We found the owners of all the creatures.”
“That’s fantastic. Who was it?”
“A circus.” Hannah laughed as her mother raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I know, right? Who would have thought?”
“I’m just glad they all made it home.”
“Me too. I’m really glad I don’t have to touch any more snakes… or lizards. Ugh.” She made a face of disgust. Perhaps she would only look after regular pets when she became a vet, nothing of the slithery kind. That seemed feasible.
“At least you’ve had a summer to remember,” Coco said, smiling warmly.
Hannah’s mind flashed with all the things she had seen and done all summer long. Her first kiss, her first love, her first pet. Her favorite memory of them all was being drenched by the ocean on her first date with Harry. She had never laughed that hard before.
It was a summer to remember, she didn’t want to forget any of it – even the parts that had upset her. Everything was a learning experience. And her greatest lesson of them all was that life couldn’t be learned through school textbooks. You had to get out there, in the big bold world, to really live.
Chapter 15
“This is crazy,” Hannah grinned as she looked around. She hadn’t been excited about going to the circus, but everyone else was going and she didn’t want to be left out. So she had put on a dress, a smile, and tagged along. And it had been awesome.
Harry laughed, watching the clowns run around chasing their tiny runaway car. “I know, right?” His enthusiasm was too powerful, part of the reason why Hannah was having such a good time.
Arthur hadn’t just given them tickets, he had treated the entire shelter gang like VIP’s all night. They had the best seats – front row, centre – endless amounts of food, and the magician had insisted on Cory being his assistant for a trick. The entire night was worth all the fear of caring for the gigantic spiders.
Hannah was so distracted by the clowns that she didn’t notice Harry slip away. “Hey, where’s Harry gone?” Jessie shrugged, but the smile on her face told her there was something she was hiding. “Jessie, what do you know?”
“Nothing,” she giggled.
Hannah turned her attention to Cory. “Did you see where Harry went?”
“He probably went to the bathroom or something,” she replied distractedly.
She considered going to look for Harry, but knew there would be no way to find him amongst the hundreds of people at the show. Cory was probably right, he would come back eventually. It wasn’t like he’d accidently get swallowed by the boa constrictor or something, right?
With a honk of their horns, the clowns all took their final bow and received a rousing round of applause for their efforts. They didn’t seem as scary when performing, like they were in context or something.
The tent went dark as all the lights were turned off momentarily. A spotlight came on, aimed at the performance doors. Harry was never going to find his way back in the darkness. Drum beats started, growing faster and faster until it was almost one constant stream. Hannah could feel her stomach knot with anticipation.
Acrobats dropped from the roof, swinging back and forth as they threw a woman between them. Hannah thought the safety net underneath them didn’t appear to be adequate. At any moment she expected one of them to plummet to their death. It was stressful watching.
Through the performance doors, horses with female riders in sparkly costumes started streaming out. The horses went around and around in circles, looping the entire performance centre. It wasn’t long before the girls stood up on their steeds, dancing while riding.
Looking closer, not all the riders were female. Hannah spotted Harry amongst them. He wasn’t standing on his horse, but riding it with enthusiasm. He was dancing while sitting down, using the same dodgy moves he used on the dance floor.
“It’s Harry,” Jessie pointed out, grabbing Hannah on the arm to get her attention. Hannah already couldn’t take her eyes off him. He looked happier than she had ever seen him.
The horses stopped their routine, all lining up to face the front. Harry was in the middle, his face wide with a grin. All the performers jumped to the ground to stand next to their horse.
The spotlights moved up to the acrobats, still swinging and swaying in the air. The one on the left caught the flying girl and she stood on the swing. The acrobat swung again but there was nothing else to catch. Instead, the other acrobat handed him something.
When he swung back, a big sign was re
vealed. They each held an end until it was completely open. Hannah quickly read it, fearing it wouldn’t stay there for very long. It read:
Harry Loves Hannah Forever
It was the most reckless, stupid, charming, adorable, sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. The spotlight moved to Hannah, lighting her up for the entire circus to see. She wanted to yell at Harry for embarrassing her at the same time she wanted to cry over how nice it was.
He had done all the routine for her, secretly arranged for the performance and sign, just to surprise her. All so he could win her back?
It was crazy, he was crazy, was all Hannah could think. Who did that for someone? It was insane, something that only happened in movies. He had warned her he would do something epic to win her back but she never expected him to join a circus. What on Earth was he thinking?
Through the bright spotlight, Hannah looked down at Harry. All the façade of performing was gone, leaving only the face that she knew so well. His kind blue eyes, his dimple on only one cheek, his hair that fell into his eyes because he always needed a haircut. He was worried, she could tell.
He shouldn’t have been. Hannah stood and jumped the barrier separating her from the performance area. The spotlight followed her every move. She ran at him, not stopping until she burst into his arms.
Harry swung her around, over and over again until they were both dizzy and laughing. He let her go, only to cradle her head in both of his hands. “Does this mean I’ve won you back?”
She nodded, worried she wouldn’t be able to say the words without crying.
“I love you, Hannah.”
She risked sounding like a blubbering fool. “I love you too. I never stopped.”
In front of the entire circus, Hannah reached up and planted her lips on Harry’s. A kiss had never felt so good before. It was pure bliss and happiness, promising of nothing but good times ahead.
Butterflies buzzed in her stomach as she remembered her mother’s words – falling was one of the best parts. And she would fall for Harry over and over again if necessary.
When they finally parted, Hannah remembered the hundreds of people watching them. She turned around to face her audience, her face burning red as she blushed. Yet instead of shrinking away like she might have done once, she took Harry’s hand and they bowed. The crowd erupted into cheering and applause. None more so than Cory and Jessie.
It had been a big summer, and Coco was right when she said it was one to remember. In her head, she would replay it over and over again, probably for the rest of her life. But now all Hannah could think of was that she had a new favorite moment. And it was happening right now.
The End
My Hairy Tails
Many of the animals in this series were inspired by my own pets. I would like to introduce them to you.
Tom (Thumb):
Tom was rescued from the pound after being severely attacked by a group of German Shepherds. He was a Chihuahua cross, and brave enough to take on dogs much bigger than he was.
We had him for over sixteen years before he passed away. He was a loyal and loving friend the entire time. And he always thought he was big enough to take on the big dogs.
Tom was the inspiration for Billy in the series.
(Mighty) Max:
If there was something Max loved, it was food. Once, we made the mistake of leaving an Easter egg on the table within reach. Not ten minutes later, he had eaten the entire thing, leaving nothing but the foil scattered across the floor from one end to the other.
Max made a special guest appearance in A Hairy Tail 3 as Maximus at the animal fashion parade.
Snoopy (Mr Magoo):
Snoopy was a breath of fresh air, the loopiest little thing there was. He used to let me cradle him like a baby in my arms, always up for a snuggle. He was brave too, if I screamed he would be the first one on the scene and ready to take on the enemy.
We lost Snoopy only last year and the pain is still fresh. Not a day goes past when I don’t miss his bright little face begging for food.
Angel (Pie):
Angel currently weighs about double what she does in this photograph. She prowls around for food at every opportunity she gets.
Found in her bed, stretched out on her back with her belly in the air, Angel will always take a cuddle and some food (especially the food).
(Wily) Willow & Sophie (Sue):
Willow loves his bed, curling up in a little ball and snuggling away in the bedroom all day. He has this weird way of jumping down from somewhere, he doesn’t exactly jump, just lets himself fall. He’s weird, he fits in well with the rest of the family.
Sophie is my best friend and office assistant. She is always at my feet, no matter where I am or what I am doing. She loves her special bed under my computer and is constantly telling me what to do. She is the boss, definitely not me.
A Message From the Author:
I hope you enjoyed the Hairy Tails series as much as I did writing them. While the adventures of Hannah and Harry were fun to write, there was a message I wanted to get across.
No, it’s not that animals are cute, we know that already. I wanted people to understand how important it is that mistreated, abandoned, and unwanted animals have a place to be cared for. Every animal deserves to be loved, cared for, and kept safe – just like every human.
If it wasn’t for the extraordinary work that shelters do around the world, there would be no-one to give animals a voice to be heard. The people that run these places and generously volunteer their time are true super heroes.
I urge everyone to play their part. Donate a can of food, a blanket, some time. Together, wonderful things can be accomplished to make the world a better place. It doesn’t take much.
And you never know, maybe your Hannah, Harry, or Jessie is out there waiting to meet you.
Support those supporting animals:
The American Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Royal Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Australia
Royal Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - UK
The Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Canada
Stay cool, pups.
xoxo Jamie
About The Author
Jamie Campbell grew up in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie as the youngest of six children. A qualified Chartered Accountant, she now resides on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Writing since she could hold a pencil, Jamie’s passion for storytelling and wild imagination were often a cause for concern with her school teachers. Now that imagination is used for good instead of mischief.
Visit http://www.jamiecampbell.com.au now for exclusive website only content.
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