Horses,Hats and ROPES!

Claire set the milks down on the table in front of her two best friends.They smiled happily and in response,took a big drink.

"Wow,I never knew how hard being a farmer was."Nina said thoughtfully.

"Yea,me neither.I didn't think it was easy but I didn't think it was that hard."Ann agreed.They'd just spent three hours trying to round up three cows,two sheep,two horses and eight chickens after Nina had accidentally broken one of the stakes to keep them in.

"Welcome to my life.Try watering all my crops."Claire replied taking a drink.

"Oh watering isn't that hard."Nina argued.

"You don't have to water nearly as many as me."Claire said.Nina shrugged and took a drink.The girls leaned back in their chairs then suddenly Nina leaped up.She had an idea.

"Oh my gosh!I have got the best idea ever!"she exclaimed.Claire groaned.Nina's ideas were always about her and an unlucky male victim.Nina grinned at Claire and dragged Ann far enough away so Claire couldn't hear.

"You know how it took us so long to round up those animals?Well if Claire could spend that much time with a guy,rounding up animals,it'd be a blast!"she exclaimed.Ann's eyes light up and she smiled.Nina was the best match maker ever!

"But who would do that?I mean,there aren't a lot of people that would do that."Ann said.Nina tapped her head.

"I've got it!Does Blue like Claire?"she asked.Ann slumped slightly.

"I don't know.But he'd do it for the animals."she replied.Nina patted her on the back.

"I'm sorry,you have to make sacrifices for your friends though."Nina said.

"Would you give up Basil?"she asked.

"Pft!Heck no!Ok,lets go!"Nina exclaimed.Ann rolled her eyes and they ran out of Claire's house.

"Yea,ok.I'll just..stay here."Claire yelled after them.She drummed her fingers on the table then began washing the dishes.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Um..how is this going to work?"Ann asked.

"Just trust me!We'll let Claire's animals out then I'll run and get Blue and you run and get Claire."Nina explained.

"How come you get to get Blue?"Ann whined.

"Because if you go,nothing will ever get done."she replied.

"How so!?"Ann demanded.

"You'll be too afraid and you'll hide behind the shed watching him,he'll see you,you'll run away and tell me or Claire what happened.Ann,you should know this by now.It happens almost everyday!"Nina exclaimed.Ann crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Nina.

"Are we doing this today?"she asked.

"Well yes,we can't waste anytime!"Nina exclaimed.They walked over to Claire's barn.The animals continued to eat their grass,not looking up once.Ann walked over and moved the stake and everything went wild.The cows mooed,the sheep baaed,the chickens clucked and the horses neighed.They ran every which way.

"Er..maybe that wasn't such a good idea."Ann said.

"Yes it was.Never doubt Nina's ideas."Nina scolded.Ann rolled her eyes and began to walk towards Claire's house as Nina walked to Blue's.

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"Claire!You're animals got out again!"she exclaimed once she'd entered Claire's house.Claire narrowed her eyes.

"How?"she asked.

"Er..one of your cows kicked a stake!"she replied.

"..My cows don't kick anything."Claire replied.She had a feeling that this was one of their 'get Claire a boyfriend' schemes.

"Well..maybe it was..your horse!"Ann exclaimed.Claire hung her head and walked out of her house.Ann pumped her fist in the air and walked out behind her.

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"Blue,Blue,Blue!Can you help me?"Nina asked.Blue stopped brushing one of the cows and looked over.Nina was standing there,with her hands in a begging position,looking frantic.

"..Sure."he replied a little uncertain.Nina smiled and began to tell him about Claire's animals escaping and Claire needing his help.He nodded and ran off to her barn.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Blue?What are you doing here?"Claire asked once Blue had gotten to the barn.

"Nina told me that your animals escaped and you needed my help."he explained.

"I knew it!"she yelled.Blue furrowed his brow.

"Knew what?"he asked.

"Never mind.Since you're here though,you'll help me right?"she asked.He nodded and so began the animal chase.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"I caught a chicken!"Claire yelled a few hours later.Blue smiled as she put the chicken back into the little fenced area.

"Ok.How many more chickens to go then?"he asked.Claire sighed heavily.

"Seven.But we have all the sheep which is good because they're..pretty fast."she concluded.

"Yea,right.After the cows,they're cheetahs!"Blue exclaimed sarcastically.Claire laughed and suddenly got an idea.

"Ok,this might sound crazy but you know how in old western movies they used ropes to catch the animals?"she asked.

"Uh..no.I don't even own a T.V."he reminded her.Claire sighed.

"Ok well in the old western movies they used ropes to catch the animals so I think we should do the same thing."she said.Blue shook his head.

"We don't know anyone who owns rope."he said.Claire smiled and ran away leaving Blue standing there,confused.She came back a few minutes later with millions of bundles of different coloured yarn.Blue shook his head slowly.

"Claire,these are cows.You know,their big,black and white?We're catching them,not bunny rabbits."he said.Claire huffed and threw the yarn away.

"Well their has to be someone who owns ropes."she said.

"Uh..well I think I've seen Katie with ropes before."he replied shrugging slightly.Claire nodded and ran off for Cafe Callaway.

"Katie,do you have any ropes?"she asked.

"Yep,why?"Katie asked.

"Because my animals got out and I'm going to lasso them."she replied.

"I don't know what that is..but ok.Just don't ask why I have them."she said and handed about twenty ropes to her.Claire grinned and ran out and back to her barn.She set the ropes down on the ground and Blue stared at it in awe.

"Why does she have so many!?"he asked.

"Well she told me not to ask but knowing Katie,it's probably for reasons we don't want to know."she said.Blue nodded and they both picked up a rope.Blue stared at it.

"Um..what are we doing?"he asked.

"Heh.Ok,you just make a circle with the rope like so,then you put it over your head and spin it."she explained.Blue did as he was told and the ropes ended up tangled together.

"Oops."he muttered blushing.Claire untangled the ropes and began to spin hers again,this time,away from Blue.She ran after one of her cows.Blue looked over as he heard a loud thud and found Claire on the ground.

"Ow.Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."she said.He laughed as he noticed her legs were knotted together with the rope.She glared up at him and untangled the rope.

"I'll try now."Blue said.He picked up a rope,snuck up quietly,and lassoed the cow.

"Yes!"Claire cheered.He grinned then a look of sheer horror appeared on both faces as the cow began to run.She ran as fast as she could.Claire gasped but began to laugh.Blue held on to the rope for dear life afraid that if he let go,it would result in bloody knees and maybe a face plant.Claire began to run after them although her laughter was slowing her down quite a bit.

"Run faster!"Blue yelled.This caused Claire to laugh more and she stopped.Finally,the cow stopped and Blue slid across the pavement.He let go of the rope,dusted himself off and stormed over to Claire.

"Save your own animals!"he yelled and threw the rope at her.She was on her back,holding her sides.She was laughing so much that tears now streamed down her face.

"W-wait Blue!I-I'm sorry i-it was just t-too funny!"she exclaimed.She began breathing deeply and stood up.Blue ignored her and continued walking.She ran up to him and put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"I really am sorry.If that happened to me though,would you have laughed?"she asked.

"No.I'm not that rude."he said.Claire glared at him.

"Be honest."she said.

"Fine!I would laugh but only because you laughed at me."he replied.Claire smiled and ran over to her cow.She lead her into the fenced area and patted her on the head.

"Ok!Only two more cows,two more horses and seven chickens!"she exclaimed.Blue grunted in response.

"This would be so much easier if you'd bought the bell at the ranch before anyone else."he said.Claire scratched her head sheepishly.

"I..uh..I was the one who bought it."she explained.

"What?"he asked.She laughed then frowned.

"I kinda forgot.Sorry."she said blushing.Blue rolled his eyes and walked away.Claire rang her bell and all the animals went into the fenced area.She put more stakes around the first stakes just to make sure and began walking home.

"Moo!"

Claire jumped back as someone jumped out at her.Ann and Nina laughed their heads off while Claire glared at them.

"That was your worst idea yet!Why oh why would you make me go through that again!?"she demanded.

"Because it's so much fun to watch you suffer."they replied in unison.Ann and Nina walked off to their homes and Claire to hers.That night,she dreamed of an orange cow chasing her around and woke up,sweat dripping down her forehead.

"I am so selling my cows tomorrow."