My name is Charlie, I'm a girl. I used to get teased a lot for that but not since I learned my fists were good for something. Don't ask me where I got my name; I have no idea, except that I have lived with My Uncle Frank all my life.

I got three cousins, they're boys. They're more like brothers to me. I know my parents died when I was a little tyke, and that doesn't make me sad cause I don't know who they are… er… were.

I guess you could say that I'm a Cowgirl. I live in the Big Sky State of Montana. With all that sky, we get a lot of weather. Two kinds, warm, or freeze-your-rear off.

Horse is Delta; she's a scrappy blue roan mare. I've got black hair that curls when it's wet and blue eyes. Frank said I got them when I was a kid, I looked up so long into the sky that she poured some of her color on me. That's hogwash. I used to believe him, but I know I got my eyes from my mom. I can't remember what her name is right now, but I will.

Fourteen-year-old Charlie slammed her leather-bound journal shut and wedged it under her mattress. She stood up and stretched. The sun was low when she looked out the window of the second story log-walled house.

She wandered downstairs. Her Uncle and two older cousins, Jimmy and Kyle, had already gone to bed after the hard day. Leon, who was just slightly older than Charlie, was reading at the table.

"Hey Charle," he said, sounding pre-occupied.

"Yea Leon, watcha readin'?" she asked, looking over his shoulder. He

slammed the book shut.

"Nothin'…" he mumbled.

"C'mon Leon, tell me," Charlie straddled the chair next to him and watched him.

"It's really nothing… just… a… okay, promise you won't laugh?"

"Me? I don't have a sense of humor," Charlie answered. Leon sent her a blank look, knowing full well she didn't have a sense of humor… she laughed at everything. He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's… a diary…" he said slowly.

"Oh, well Leon, that ain't nothin' to be ashamed of. I got one," Charlie answered.

"Oh, okay," he said, sighing. He never could keep secrets. He knew if he didn't tell her, it would eat him from inside out.

"That's nice Leon," she said.

"You lyin bout havin' one?" he asked, turning his brown eyes on her.

"I got one, sure as hell," Charlie said.

"Yea? Show me," Leon said. Charlie didn't miss the challenge in his eyes.

"Sucker!" Charlie yelped, jumping up and snatching his journal. She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. She clicked the lock just as he rammed into the door.

"Please Charlie!" he begged. Charlie felt a little guilty about it, they had always been close… but this was too good to give up.

She opened it and was welcomed by Leon's messy chicken-scratch. She squinted.

My name is Leon Diesel Redhawk. I am 14 years old and I have to write this cause my teacher told me to. I don't know I'm supposed to put in here… when I asked the teacher what I was supposed to put in an empty book; she said a crush would be a good way to start. So uh… I guess I have a crush on… well shoot… I don't hardly know what a crush is so I'll skip this crap.

"Nice language Leon," Charlie muttered, and then kept reading, Leon's fists pounding on the door died in her ears as she snuck into a young boy's secret world.

I live in Montana. I got a horse named Shucks. That's a dumb name… for a dumb horse. He thinks he's a stallion, which is more dumbness cause we cut his balls off. That's neutering, or gelding.

I got me a problem. I want to do somethin. Aw this is hard to explain… I guess I want to try things out for myself… like… I don't know how to put it. I just feel crazy when I want to go outside and run around like a little kid. Or get on Shucks and ride around the world…

Shoot its Charlie…

"Well well Leon," Charlie nodded.

"What is all this noise?" a voice bellowed.

"Charlie stole my journal!" Leon shouted.

"Charlotte! Give the boy back his diary!" her uncle shouted from his room across from the bathroom before loud snoring resumed.

When Charlie handed it to Leon he took it casually. Charlie eyed him. He kept his expression blank, but Charlie could see the Redhawk fury blazing in the depths of his eyes.

O0o0O0o0O

"Ow…" Charlie groaned. Leon had chased her, swearing painful revenge while she had screamed bloody murder. Then they were scrappin in the hayloft when he tripped and they both tumbled down onto the barn floor.

"If you hadn't stolen my journal…" her cousin started, limping next to her back to the house.

He trailed off as a dark horse rode up.

"Howdy, Nate Ely," the rider said, slipping down from his saddle.

"Hi," Charlie and Leon said in unison.

"I uh…" Nate started. The kid wasn't more than fourteen, but looked really experienced on a horse.

"My Mom was wondering if she could borrow some flour…" he said.

"Yeah," Leon said.

"I'll go get it," Charlie said, going inside and rummaging in the untidy pantry. She tried to remember who… oh yeah. They were their neighbors over the ridge. Mrs. Ely used to be Charlie's fourth grade history teacher until she took a job as a high school teacher. That was years ago though. Charlie remembered Mrs. Ely having bouncy blonde curls and lots of boys, good looking boys.

Charlie grabbed the flour and took it too the waiting boy outside.

"Here," Charlie handed it to him and as he took it, their hands brushed. Charlie felt warmth radiate from him. He tipped his hat at here before swinging up on his chocolate brown horse with a white spot on his chin.

"He was cute huh?" Leon asked.

"Oh shut up," Charlie muttered, shaking Nate's image from her head and turning to go back inside.