#frenchie bites off more than she can chew

[frenchiefitzhere]

🎼 Announcing the 1st ever Redacted Fandom Virtual Choir!!! 🎤

✅ Are you obsessed with Redacted? ✅ Can you sing (even a little bit)? ✅ Do you have a microphone? Hooray! 🥳 Those are all of the qualifications!

I will post more resources soon, but I just finished the harmonies on

the Dahlia Academy for Magical Novices Alma Mater

If you've never done a virtual choir before, it basically works like this: 1. You learn your part and practice, practice, practice. (I'll post plenty of resources so you can sing along with different versions of the track.)

2. You record yourself singing your part. (You'll listen to a guide track through headphones at the same time so all the parts line up in the end.) 3. You send in your recording! And that's it, on your end.

But Frenchie, what if I'm not a perfect singer?

🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️🗞️ No! Stop it! Stop it right now! a) Your voice is yours and if you want to participate, then don't let self-consciousness stop you! b) You're going to be mixed in with a whole choir.

(Don't make me go all evil sea witch on you bitches /affectionate. I will show up at your doorstep with a haunted-ass seashell and come to collect. 😠 /j)

But Frenchie, what if I don't have professional recording equipment?

Even if all you have is a phone, you should be good to go. The most important thing is that you can get a quiet space to record. Do some experimenting in the meantime.

[UPDATE: 7 JAN 2023 - DRAFT OF SHEET MUSIC AND ROUGH CUT OF SONG MP3 REMOVED FROM ANNOUNCEMENT POST TO AVOID CONFUSION. USE THE UPDATED VERSIONS PLEASE. :)]

So what next?

Stay tuned to *this post* for updates. I'll post a whole process and probably a sign-up sheet and stuff soon. But I wanted to share the announcement and the sheet music. (At the very latest, I want this ready in time for the channelversary, but I'm actually hoping to be done long before then. I'll probably provide at least a month window for people to learn along with the guide tracks and send in recordings, and depending on the level of participation, it may take me a while to produce the final version.)

[emotionally-imbruised]

🎬, you know it.

Ok, I hate myself for this. I’m sorry idk where this came from, but here you are 😂 I also tried so hard to have this written and posted actually on Valentine’s Day, but it turned out way longer than I was expecting, so my baaaad. 

Anywho, here’s my whack at a rom-com au (kinda) from this list of Valentine’s Day prompts

Greased Up Valentine’s Day

In which Harry and Y/N don’t have a regular movie night.

Word count: 12.2k OF NONSENSE

“Hurry up H, it’s starting,” you call to your boyfriend from where you’re sat on the couch. He mumbles an incoherent response from the kitchen where he’s finishing up popping a bag of popcorn, and you roll your eyes before focusing back on the animated intro of Grease that is starting to play on the TV. You hum to the sound of Frankie Valli’s voice as it booms from the television speakers while reaching for one of the chocolate-covered strawberries you picked up from a nearby grocery store to yours and Harry’s shared apartment and take a bite out of it; sighing pleasantly as the flavour envelops your taste buds.

The little old lady selling them at a stand near the grocery stores entrance earlier today lit right up as you approached her and was so excited to talk to you. She seemed very intrigued when you told her your Valentine’s Day plans consisted of a simple night in with the love of your life while watching some of your favourite movies, rather than making a big deal over the whole day. She frowned when you said that though and went into detail about the so-called magic that surrounds the day of love, and how you’ll understand that very soon. You listened to her spiel but didn’t really take any of it to heart as you mentioned you needed to get going so you could beat Harry home. 

After stating you’d like to purchase some of the delicious-looking strawberries she was selling, she didn’t let you take one of the packages she had out on display, but rather rushed to the back of the stand where she reached into a cooler and pulled out a completely different container of the chocolate covered fruit to give to you – saying it was her special batch and could “make people fall even more in love by granting their wishes;” to which you couldn’t help but chuckle at. She insisted that you didn’t pay, but you refused to walk away without giving her something for them; so, when she waved goodbye and looked away, you set a ten-dollar bill onto her table before briskly walking away from the stand and blending yourself into the crowd of people headed into the grocery store.

Once you were done buying all the groceries for yours and Harrys dinner tonight, you went back outside half expecting to be sassed by the sweet, yet odd older woman for leaving her money; but to your surprise her and her stand were gone without a trace, as if they’d never been there in the first place. You glanced down at the strawberries you’d packed into one of the bags and shook your head, feeling as if you were going crazy as you made way to your car and called Harry to tell him about what had just happened as you drove home.

Fast forward a couple of hours to present time where you and Harry have already finished making and eating the pasta and salad you bought once he’d gotten home from the studio and are now ready to start your movie night.

“We’ve seen this movie, so many times love, I don’t think it’ll be the end of the world if I miss a bit of the beginning,” Harry’s voice snaps you out of your trance as he appears in front of the television.

You scowl at him as you finish chewing on the piece of strawberry that still fills your mouth, while he chuckles and tosses a piece of popcorn at you. “Hush, and get your butt over here.”

An hour or so later, the two of you are still curled up on the couch, and you find yourself feeling rather sleepy. You fight to keep your eyes open as Frankie Avalon’s presence takes over the screen while singing Beauty School Dropout to Frenchy and lean your head onto Harry’s shoulder, cuddling up against his warm body as you somehow become even more tired. He glances down at you affectionately and smiles to himself as he shifts to wrap his arm around you, pulling you in even closer before reaching for one of the remaining strawberries and taking a bite of it; humming to himself in satisfaction. “What is with these things? They’re so good.”

“Don’t gotta tell me,” you mumble with a small smile dancing across your lips, before allowing a loud yawn escapes your mouth. You snuggle into the blanket that’s wrapped around the two of you even more before abruptly sitting up straight a little bit so you can get a better look at Harry. “Ever wonder what it’d be like to be in the world of Grease?”

“What?” He asks you incredulously as he chuckles at your words. “You feeling alright there, bub?”

He reaches to place his palm against your forehead, but you swat it away; rolling your eyes as his laughs become louder. “Oh, shut up. Breaking out in songs like Summer Nights and We Go Together or having a love like Sandy and Danny would be unreal, and you know it. I wish we could experience it, I think it’d be cool.”

“Whatever you say Y/N,” he jokes and with another sarcastic eye-roll, you allow yourself to lean against him again to watch more of the movie, and soon enough your eyes begin fluttering shut. Soon enough, the two of you eventually pass right out while cuddled up on the couch together.

You’re not sure how much time has passed since you fell asleep, but when the noise of multiple voices surrounds you; you think that maybe it’s time to wake up. You slowly open your eyes and let out a loud gasp when you see you aren’t laying on the comfy couch of yours and Harry’s apartment, but rather in the backseat of a car with three girls you’ve never met before.

“Christ Y/N, what was that for?” The brunette with short curly hair in the driver’s seat speaks up as she glares at you in the rear-view mirror.

“She was probably busy daydreaming about seeing her beau Riz, cut her some slack,” the girl sat beside you with longer light brown hair speaks up as she stares at herself in a small compact mirror and finishes touching up her lipstick.

“W-what?” You trip over your words as all three girls look at you now is if you’ve grown a second head, and that’s when you notice it. These girls aren’t just any girls, they’re Rizzo, Marty, and Jan; better known as The Pink Ladies in Grease, and they’ve even got the matching pink jackets to prove it. A surprised breath leaves your mouth as you glance down to see that you’re wearing a similar ensemble to the other three with your pink jacket, soft pink tank top, black pencil skirt, and fancy pair of black flats. Alarmed, you reach over to grab the compact mirror out of Marty’s hand so you can look at yourself and are taken back when you see your reflection. Everything about your face is the same, but with the way your hair is pulled back into a high ponytail with a long pink ribbon wrapped around it, and the soft pink eyeshadow that covers your eyelids; it’s just so different from how you’d dress in real life and it’s throwing you right off. “Oh my god.”

“I wasn’t done with that,” Marty grumbles as she snatches the mirror back and glares at you.

“This, this isn’t real.”

“Real?” Jan questions as she looks over her shoulder and takes a bite of an Oreo she’s holding. “Life isn’t real sweetie.”

“Can it, Jan,” Rizzo snaps before glancing back at you. “And to think we thought you were a normal one of us, but French might have you beat now. What’s gotten into you?”

“I don’t know,” you whisper mainly to yourself as you glance out the window and a large building with a sign saying Rydell High School in front of it comes into view and can only think of one thing…Holy shit, you’re actually in Grease.

None of the girls say anything as Rizzo turns into the parking lot and pulls up to a vacant space. They each climb out of the pink car and start walking away as you take it all in. This is by far the weirdest dream you’ve ever had because it just seems so real, but before your thoughts can carry you too far away; you snap out of it and rush after The Pink Ladies. 

You hear them talking about being seniors and instantly know what scene of the movie you’re in once you catch up to them, just as Marty reaches over to smack Jan and says, “Jan that is so adolescent!”

“We are adolescents,” Jan giggles as she continues nibbling on her Oreo.

“We don’t have to flaunt it,” Rizzo adds before looking back at you. She grabs your arm and gently pulls you between her and Jan to continue walking with them.

“This is going to be our year isn’t Y/N?” Marty asks from the other side of Rizzo.

“Uh, I guess…”

Rizzo just smirks in response to this before slinging the pink jacket she’s carrying over her shoulders, and looking at all of you before strutting forwards a little bit. “Okay girls, let’s go get ‘em.”

The four of you make way through the front doors of the school, earning gazes and particular looks as you all walk past everyone – looking as if you own the place. Everything about this feels so weird and you want nothing more than to just pinch yourself so you can wake up, but just as you consider doing that; an all too familiar British voice speaks up from down the hallway, and your eyes widen.

Leaning against some of the lockers is five boys all wearing different coloured leather jackets with a large T-Birds logo printed on the back. With them, standing awkwardly away from the lockers but looking fine as hell, is a sixth boy that you’d never seen in the movie before but are quick in recognizing to be your boyfriend of many years. You pause slightly and shake your head at the thought as you stare at his greased back curls and shiny leather jacket he wears, one that’s similar to what the other boys are wearing. The dimples that you’ve grown to love so much make themselves known as he smiles at something one of the guys have said, and you have to blink a couple of times to make sure its actually him you’re seeing. “Harry?”

At the sound of your voice, Harry snaps his gaze to yours and his striking green eyes widen once he sees you. Without even thinking, he steps away from the boys and makes way towards you; pushing through The Pink Ladies despite the whines and comments they make at him. The closer he gets, the more relieved you can tell he is to see you as he shakes his head and speaks up. “Y/N? What- you’re here to? I thought this was some weird-ass dream, but now I’m-.”

“Just as confused as I am,” you whisper, and glance at the group of people staring at you over Harry’s shoulder. You bite down on your bottom lip and slowly let your gaze fall back onto your boyfriend before letting out a huff. “Harry, what the hell is going on?”

“I wish I knew love, I just remember us watching the movie and now we’re in it? God, did we take some type of drugs or something?”

“Not that I’m aware of!” Your hushed voice rises as you continue taking in just how obscure all of this is. However, before anything else can be said; the bell rings to indicate that school has started. You look to Harry for an answer because there’s no way in hell that the two of you – two full ass grown adults are expected to go to a high school class; however as Marty marches her way over to you and starts pulling you down the hall and away from Harry; you don’t really get the chance to plan your escape to try and figure a way out of this all. You glance over your shoulder at Harry as he’s surrounded by the other guys, and he soon disappears out of sight as you turn around a corner. You look to Marty; who has now let go of your arm before starting to dig through her purse, and you shake your head again. “Where are we going?”

“Homeroom,” she states as if it should be a known fact and looks at you oddly. “Geez Y/N, are you sure you’re not sick? You’ve been acting really weird today.”

“Uh sorry, yeah I guess maybe I am.” Right? That’s the only logical explanation for all of this.

“Well I’d sure say so,” she mumbles as the two of you reach a door and she pushes it open to strut her way inside, you following right after. You both take a seat at one of the many long tables that fill the classroom and she isn’t long in speaking up again. “So, what’s with you and Styles, huh? I thought you were trying to patch things up with Danny.”

“Danny?” You ask skeptically and think back to how he was amongst the other T-Birds leaning against the lockers watching you and Harry moments ago. “There’s nothing between Danny and me, isn’t he with Sandy? Oh wait, he doesn’t know she’s here yet, does he?”

You feel as if you’re finally adapting to how this entire dream is going to work out and end up just like the movie. It has to, and ideally, by the end of it, you and Harry will be out of this weird alternate universe. As you think about how the entirety of the movie plays out, and how you and Harry are going to wake up from this as if nothing ever happened; you can’t help but sigh in relief until you look over at Marty to see her staring back at you with a confused expression. “Who is Sandy?”

“Danny’s girlfriend…”

“No, you’re Danny’s girlfriend.”

“Pardon?” You ask disbelievingly. “No, I’m not.” Danny isn’t real, you think to yourself, none of this is – but yet, everything else that has happened so far has proved you wrong; so you know it is brave of you to assume otherwise.

“Ok well maybe, not technically,” she agrees but isn’t long in justifying her argument. “But you’re the one who broke his heart at the beginning of summer, remember? I don’t know why though because literally, everyone wanted to have a relationship like the two of you had.”

“Marty, I actually have no clue what you’re talking about.”

“Ok, then I’ll show you,” she responds before standing up from her seat and walking towards the back of the room. You watch as she goes up to one of the bookcases and grabs one of the many yearbooks that line the shelves. Once she finds the one she’s looking for, she takes it off the shelf and walks back towards you; tossing it on the table in front of you with a loud thud, before sitting back down. “There’s last semesters yearbook, take a look for yourself.”

You look at her skeptically before sliding the yearbook towards you and opening it up. Amongst the first couple of pages you see pictures of many familiar faces of the people you know as the main characters of this movie; however, pictured with them is you and Harry, and in almost all of them you’re cuddled up against Danny Zuko’s side while he has his arm draped around your shoulder. As you flip through the pages, there’s even more evidence of what Marty said to actually be true, and it’s freaking you the hell out. This dream you thought you were living is turning to be much more than what you bargained for, and with that; you start panicking. “There’s no way.”

Without another word, you slam the book shut and begin pinching yourself. Marty clearly seems to think you’ve gone crazy by the look that’s written across her face, and quickly reaches over to grab onto your wrist so she can stop your actions. “Y/N, what are you doing?”

“Trying to wake up,” you mutter as you move your free arm to start pinching your opposite shoulder again. “Maybe if I pinch hard enough, it’ll work.”

“Can you stop?” Marty hisses and grabs ahold of your other hand. “You’re not dreaming, this is all real and people are going to think you’ve damn near lost it.”

“Well, I pretty much am feeling as though I have Marty,” you snap, and she lets out a huff.

“Let’s just drop it then,” she states with a defeated sigh and moves away. “Class is starting, can you at least try to act normal? People are looking at us weird.”

You mimic her tone under your breath as more people file into the room, and Sonny — one of the T-Birds, makes his way to the two of you and strikes up a conversation. You unintentionally drown out his voice as morning announcements start sounding over the PA system, and glance down at the yearbook; deciding to flip through it once again.

The way you and Harry look so naturally positioned in the pictures with everyone else truly blows your mind. Some of the photos show the two of you at school events, him working in the school’s auto shop, you sitting at lunch with Rizzo, Marty, Jan and Frenchy, and even your class picture amongst everyone else that is apparently in your grade.

This is all becoming so confusing. With all the times you’ve watched Grease before — you know that with everything that’s happening, it doesn’t add up to how the actual movie goes, and that has you wondering. Before you know it, you’ve mindlessly reached the end of the yearbook and are on the pages where students would normally sign their autographs; but this one doesn’t have any. Instead, it’s has only one message scribbled across the whole page in very unique writing.

“An alternate universe is what you wished for, so an alternate universe is what you’ll get. But make sure the story ends the way it’s supposed to, or else it’ll be something that you soon regret. – A friend.”

You stare at the page blankly and silently read the message over and over again, until you soak it all in. Was this some kind of sick joke? When the hell did you wish for something like this to happen? There’s just something about the message that makes you think it was specifically written for you to read, and that thought alone makes you anxious.

Your mind starts thinking back to when you and Harry were cuddled up on the couch watching this movie and you said that being in this movie world would be unreal before technically wishing to be in it. Is that why you’re here now? But why? How? Clearly, this isn’t a dream, this is really happening; but how are you supposed to get back home? All of these thoughts are racing through your mind, but before you know it; the bell rings again to indicate that class is over and you are unable to dig much deeper into the thought of it.

Apparently, the majority of your morning classes are with Marty, but there’s also one you share with Jan, a couple of the T-Birds, but none with Harry. It seems like time is flashing by and you can’t keep track of it. Those classes however, come and go in a whirlwind and soon enough… it’s time for lunch.

You and Jan take a seat in the outdoor cafeteria as you wait for Marty and Rizzo, who are still waiting in line for their food. Jan immediately starts digging into her spaghetti, whereas you just push the noodles around your plate instead of eating any of it. After taking in all that has happened, food is the last thing you’re thinking about at the moment and you remain silent until two familiar voices start singing from a few feet away. You look over to see Rizzo and Marty approaching the table, shimmying as they both finish the little song they’re singing and take a seat next to you and Jan.

Without missing a beat, Jan looks at the two and is the first to say anything. “Hey, did you guys get a look at Zuko this morning? Looking pretty good this year, huh Riz?”

The way she moves the sunglasses that cover her face up and down suggestively makes you recognize the exact scene from the movie that you’re now in, and you know exactly what’s to come after.

“That’s ancient history,” Rizzo states before glancing at you. “That was before him, and Y/N were an item.”

“Well, history can repeat itself,” Marty pipes in and nudges you with her elbow. “Besides, Y/N wants nothing to do with Danny anymore, she’s already moved on.”

“With who?” A voice gasps and your gaze snaps up to that of a girl with dyed ginger hair, and a blonde-haired girl trailing right after her; who you instantly recognize as Frenchy and Sandy.

“Harry,” Marty states and all the girl’s ooh.

“Well that was fast,” French responds and motions for Sandy to sit down.

“It really wasn’t,” you grumble to yourself while thinking of how long you and Harry have been together in real life, which luckily no one hears.

Frenchy starts introducing the four of you to Sandy and going off about how she had just moved here from Australia, just like she does in the movie. You watch the scene unfold in front of you and are too shook to say anything as they all continue on their conversation word for word, all while you’re here living it with them. Everything down to Rizzo sassing Marty about her glasses, and Patty Simcox coming up to excitedly explain how she’s been nominated vice president is the same and you just can’t help but stare. 

Patty invites herself to sit down next to Sandy and lets out a scream as she sits down on an apple left there by Jan, while the four other Pink Ladies huddle together and motion for you to join as Frenchy asks if you all think Sandy has what it takes to be a Pink Lady.

The entire scene has you wondering where in the hell Harry could be in all of this, but if your memory is correct – which it is; he has to be on the bleachers with the T-Birds eating lunch and… oh god, they’re going to break out in song any minute.

As if on cue, Frenchy speaks up again to ask Sandy what she did this past summer.

“Oh, I spent it on the beach, I met a boy there,” the blonde responds, and you press your fingers to your temples as it feels like your mind is about to explode.

“It’s happening,” you whisper as Rizzo makes a comment about Sandy being ridiculous for being so strung up on a guy she met on the beach, and Sandy dismissing her while stating how romantic it was. A distinctive guitar riff starts playing from God knows where and right after, Sandy starts singing her part of one of your favourite songs from this damn movie; Summer Nights.

In some type of crazy unnatural way, you can hear Danny’s voice in the distance as he sings his part of the song and you slowly stand from the table and back away as all the girls in the cafeteria join with Sandy for the musical number… 

This is it. You’ve officially gone crazy and this dream world has become a nightmare. You watch in complete awe as the whole girl’s part of Summer Nights plays out in front of you, and only one thought plagues your mind; you need to find Harry and get the hell out of here now.

Without a second thought, you take off in a sprint away from the commotion just as Marty asks Sandy if this guy – who you know to be Danny, has a car before continuing on with the song. You shake your head as you struggle to run in the long pencil skirt you’re wearing and earn dirty looks from the people you rush by. It doesn’t take long for you to become confused as to why these people are so taken back by you running past them, but unfazed by the random song that just broke out and can seemingly be heard from wherever you are in this place? Bullshit, absolute bullshit.

You’re not really sure where you’re going seeing as you don’t know the layout of the school, but get a pretty good feeling that you’re going the right way as the boy’s voices grow louder, and the girls become a little quieter. A moment later, you turn around a corner and reach a part of the school that overlooks the track field, and sure enough, in the distance is Harry standing on the bleachers with all of the guys looking shocked and unsure of what to do.

With a quick breath, you try to make it down the stairs towards the field as fast as possible without falling, so you can get across the field to your boyfriend and try to figure something out. You watch as all the boys – minus Harry, move across the bleachers in a perfect sequence of one another, and think of how normally you’d appreciate this part of the movie; but right now, you’ve got more important things to worry about.

Some boys who are running on the track look at you oddly as you crash through the gate at the bottom of the steps and mumble a quiet ‘sorry’ as you weave through them. Someone… that you think to be Coach Calhoun yells at you in the distance to get off the track, but you ignore them as you get closer to the bleachers just as Rizzo’s voice sounds in the distance saying how the guy they’re singing about sounds like a drag, and the boys break out into the shoo-bop-bop part of the song while they start shuffling across the bleachers in unison.

You finally reach the bottom of the bleachers and think you’re close enough to get Harry’s attention now. Although you have to lean against the fencepost to catch your breath for a moment, you’re quick in calling out to your boyfriend so he can realize he’s not alone in all this craziness. “H! Harry, over here!”

His green eyes snap to yours instantly, and he wastes no time in rushing over to where you’re standing. A small sigh relief leaves your mouth as he reaches you and immediately pulls you into his chest for a tight hug, smiling as you melt into his touch while he starts muttering some words. “Fuck, I didn’t even know where to look for you in this place. All of them would look at me as if I was crazy for wondering where you were… m’just- I don’t know what to do in all of this Y/N, this is a lot to take in.”

“I know, but we’re going to figure this out together,” you tell him reassuringly as you move away slightly and grab ahold of his hands. You look over his shoulder as everyone on the bleachers keep dancing away, and start pulling him away from them. “Come with me.”

You lead him around the side of the bleachers and move underneath them so you two can talk in private without getting noticed by any of the T-Birds. Once you’re both out of sight, you turn around to face him just as he’s pushing a hand over his slicked curls. “Y/N, I feel crazy for even thinking about it, let alone  saying it out loud but this movie… it’s the same, but different. Like there’s something completely off about it all, and I’m not talking about the part of how we both magically appeared here. It’s just not adding up and God, what the hell is all this?”

“I’m not sure, ok?!” You unintentionally yell at him; regretting your words as you feel the tears prick your eyes almost immediately, and start feeling bad for taking your frustrations out on the last person who deserves it. With a sigh of defeat, once you see the hurt expression that flashes across his features, you start looking anywhere but his eyes before speaking up again. “I-I’m sorry H, I just- I  don’t know… But I’m more than positive that all of this is happening because of me – it’s all my fault.”

“Hey, hey, hey, Y/N- love, there’s no possible way this is your fault,” he tells you soothingly, but a choked sob still manages to escape your mouth. He watches as the tears begin streaming down your face before stepping towards you and wasting no time in lacing his hands with yours so he can gently pull you against his chest again. You instantly melt into his touch as he begins rubbing soft circles on the small of your back and can feel you yourself starting to calm down. “It’s insane that we ended up here yes, but it’s just the movie, right? Maybe all we have to do is make it to the end before being sent back to our real lives.”

“I don’t think it’s going to be that easy H,” you tell him as you move away from his embrace. 

“And why is that?”

“Well, like you said, the movie itself is the same… but it’s also different,” you begin to explain while he looks at you curiously. “We changed it by showing up here.”

“We couldn’t have changed it too much bub,” he states with a slight smirk. “Everything that has happened so far goes perfectly along with the movie, right down to the random breaking out in song during unnecessary times.”“Not everything is the same though Harry, and I think that’s our key in getting out of here.”

He looks at you skeptically before letting out a breath and running a hand over his grease slicked hair. “Alright, you’ve officially lost me.”

“When I was in class with Marty earlier, I found a note,” you explain, and he nods as if silently telling you to continue. “It was in the back of a yearbook and it basically said if the movie doesn’t end the way it’s supposed to, we’re gonna regret it.”

“Ok, but what does that mean love?” He asks with a slightly aggravated tone. “Like I said, the movie has been pretty on track so far… It mustn’t be too difficult to make it stay that way.”

“But that’s the thing H, it may not to stay on track and that’s what we have to worry about. We’ve altered everything just by being here, who are we to say more won’t change the longer we’re here? There might be setbacks we’ll have to face because of it.”

“What kind of setbacks?”

“Well…” You trail off slightly as you think back to what Marty said about you and Danny, as well as all those pictures to prove it. “Apparently I’m the ex-girlfriend of one of the main characters who broke his heart before summer, and now everyone is expecting us to get back together; including him.”

He doesn’t say anything as he stares back at you with complete and utter confusion until a small smile dances across his lips and he lets out a sarcastic laugh. “That’s funny.”

“It’s not meant to be a joke, Harry, I’m serious.”

“How can you be serious when none of this is real, Y/N?” He snaps, and you find yourself flinching at his tone. You stare at him with wide eyes and see how he already feels bad. “Wait, I didn’t mean to snap I-.”

“If none of this is real, then why are we still here, Harry?” You ask through gritted teeth. “Why aren’t we at home where we should be hmm? This isn’t how dreams work, this is actually happening, and I’m going to figure out how to get us out of here whether you help me or not.”

“Babe, you know I’m going to help you regardless. We’re in this together,” he reasons with you and reaches out to grab your hand. “I just- m’not a fan of hearing there’s this other guy that’s gonna try to take you away from me… Even if he isn’t real, it all still rubs me the wrong way.”

“There is nothing for you to worry about H, I’m all yours. Have been for a really long time now and even a young seventies sexy has hell John Travolta acting as one of my favourite characters in one of my favourite movies can change that, ok?”

“Ok,” he replies with a soft smile before leaning down to catch your lips in a sweet kiss. You melt into the feeling of his lips attached to yours, and hum in satisfaction. That’s always something you’ve loved Harry for being able to do. It doesn’t matter how crazy or stressful the situation is, he always knows what to do or say so that the two of you can keep a level head and not take it out on each other. After a moment he pulls away and smirks down at you before mumbling something else. “Just had to throw in young John Travolta being sexy didn’t yeh?”

“Well of course,” you tell him with a smirk before standing on your tip toes so you can peck his lips again. “But that’s beside the point because I haven’t gotten the chance to tell you how good you look in that leather jacket yet.”

Your boyfriend smirks and goes to respond, but before he can say anything else, someone clears their throat from nearby and both of you snap your attention towards them. You were both so caught up talking with each other that you didn’t realize the song had ended, and your bickering was more than likely to be heard; which just with your luck, has now attracted the attention of all the T-Birds as they have now made their way behind the bleachers to see what the commotion was all about. Harry gives you a sideways glance before straightening out his posture a little bit and speaking up with a nod. “Boys.”

“So, it is true,” Danny speaks first, causing you to cringe slightly as you can sense a bit of hostility in his tone. “The two of you really are a thing.”

“Geez Styles, you sure wasted no time in swooping in on that one,” Kenickie mutters as he puffs on a cigarette and leans his elbow onto Danny’s shoulder. “Thought you and Danny were going to work on things Y/N?”

You can’t help the sarcastic laugh that leaves your mouth at his comments and have to roll your eyes as all of them, except Harry, stares at you with rather dirty looks. “Oh, come on, you can’t seriously think I’m a bad guy in this situation. Danny you literally just sang a whole song about a different girl you wanted to bone all summer.”

“Bone?” Doody asks confused, and you mentally smack yourself because there’s no way these guys would know what that means.

“Wait, that wasn’t about Y/N?” Sonny chimes in.

“Well… no,” Danny responds sheepishly, and all you can think is – you fuckboy. “It was a girl I met on the beach, but it’s not like I’ll ever see her again.”

“Wouldn’t be so sure about that lad,” Harry mumbles from beside you, and you send him a warning glare as all of them look at you confusedly.

“What Harry is trying to say,” you start with a forced smile. “Is that anything could happen… even the craziest of things that you’d never expect in a million years to happen, like getting sucked into a movie; but you know, that’s life.”

“What?” All five boys ask in unison, and you grit your teeth for letting yourself rant about your current predicament like that.

“Nothing. But anyways, Danny what I’m trying to say is I moved on, and you should most definitely keep your options open and allow yourself to do so as well, maybe your dream girl is right around the corner.”

“Ooh well played,” Harry whispers loud enough for only you to hear.

“Doubtful,” Danny grumbles. “Doesn’t matter anyways, let’s go guys.”

All the boys start walking away and wave for Harry to join them. He looks at it hesitantly, but you just nod as a way to tell him you’ll be fine on your own. “Go with them and just make sure everything stays the way it’s supposed to, I’ll make sure nothing more changes with the girls either and we’ll be out of here before we know it… hopefully.”

“Ok,” he agrees softly and places a kiss to your temple before stepping away. He makes it a few steps before glancing over his shoulder and winking at you. “You look hot in fifties clothes by the way.”

“Get out of here,” you tell him with a broad smile before letting out a huff and making way back towards the school.

If there’s one thing you’ve managed to pick up on by being in this movie, it’s that time really doesn’t matter. Things that would normally consume a good amount of time in your reality passes by in a matter of seconds here, and it’s quite dizzying. That being said, after meeting up with all the girls after leaving Harry and the boys; the rest of the day flew right by.

It’s now the evening and you’re sat on the back of Rizzo’s car with her, Frenchy, Jan and Marty as you all watch Sandy cheer in the school’s pep rally. After spending the day with all of them, you’ve gotten to know the girls pretty well and find that it’s actually kind of fun experiencing the whole movie world with them – but you also know that this can’t last forever and yearn to be home even more with each passing minute.

You’re fully aware of the plans Rizzo has to take Sandy to where Danny is with Harry and all the other boys as a surprise, and you just can’t help but sit back and watch in awe as every little thing happens the exact same way; just with you part of it. Once Sandy joins the five of you,  you all make way to where the T-Birds are. You think of exactly how the next few minutes are about to play out and are less than impressed by how Danny is a complete asshole to Sandy after realizing they are in the same place again, just like he is in the movie.

You watch with pursed lips behind the girls slightly as it all unfolds but snap out of your daze once Harry steps beside you and nudges your shoulder. “You alright?”

“Yeah,” you tell him just as Sandy storms away upset after being treated like trash by Danny and the boys start praising him for being a jerk. You look at Rizzo – who just smirks to herself for planning all of this, and you know it’s just part of the movie, but man does it sucks seeing someone get treated like that. So, you feel like you need to speak up about it. “Actually no, I’m not. Hey Danny?”

“Yeah,” he responds arrogantly and turns around to face you.

“You’re a real dick, you know that, right?” You snap on him, and everyone looks at you in surprise. Your gaze moves to all the boys standing behind him, and you start going off on them too. “You guys as well for feeding him on like that. Oh, and you too Riz, it’s pretty pathetic that you go out of your way to do something so mean to a person. Geez, grow up – you’re all high school seniors for fuck sake.”

They all stare at you blankly as you let out a huff and grab hold of Harry’s hand so you can storm away with him in tow. You make it a couple of feet before he lets go to rush in front of you; causing you to almost full-on crash into his chest because of how unfocused you were on him. “Woah, hey, that was… that was really brave of you to stand up to them like that Y/N. M’really glad to see you’re still the firecracker I fell in love with, even here.”

“Yeah, sorry for your loss.” You smirk as he wraps a hand around your waist and pulls you closer to him.

“What do you say we get out of here, hmm? Clear our minds up a little bit.”

“How do we plan on doing that?”

“Turns out I have an old cool car in this world too,” he tells you with a wink. You look up at him with a soft smile before nodding in agreement and allowing him to lead you towards a nice-looking black car waiting at the back of the lot. Some voices sound to your right and you can see Frenchy consoling Sandy a couple of feet away, smiling to yourself again when she tells Sandy she could use a girl’s night.

“You’re lucky, I love you. I’m missing out on seeing Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee and Hopelessly Devoted To You in person now because of you.”

“But I’m hopelessly devoted to you my love; and would much rather spend my night alone with you, isn’t that any consolation?”

“Yeah ok smartass,” you murmur jokingly and pull him in for a kiss, before climbing into his car and driving off. You and Harry spend the majority of the night sitting in the diner drinking milkshakes and just talking – mainly about how much you’re both missing your lives at home. It was nice spending time just the two of you, but neither of you knew exactly where to go afterwards seeing as you don’t actually live in this world; so you both settle on sleeping in Harry’s car on the oddly comfortable backseat. You start the night off cuddling but that soon escalates, and before you know it, you’re waking up to the sun beaming inside of the car. The rays dance over the small blanket that covers both of yours tangled legs, up to where Harry’s T-Bird jacket lays to keep from showing off too much of your exposed upper body and chest; causing you to groan to yourself slightly. 

“Another quick round before school?” Harry asks suggestively from beside you with his deep sleep-filled voice. You scoff in response but with the way he starts peppering your neck with kisses – you’re not long in succumbing to his advances.

“As long as we find a place to shower afterward.”

About an hour and a half later, you and Harry walk out of gym locker room showers in at school while trying to act as normal and casual as can be without drawing too much to yourselves; before setting out the rest of the entire crew. You brush out some of the wrinkles of the new top and skirt you wear with your Pink Ladies jacket that you conveniently found in Harry’s trunk, just as everyone in your group seemingly comes bursting through the doors at once before whisking you and Harry away from one another.

Later in the day, you and Frenchy are walking to class together just as some familiar voices sound from down a hallway, and you pause to listen to them. Frenchy stops a few feet ahead of you after realizing you’re no longer beside her, and slowly shuffles back while looking at you curiously. “You ok there, Y/N?”

“Yeah I’m fine,” you tell her with a smile as you look between her and the hallway the voices continue coming from. “Hey French, what’s down there?”

“Oh, that’s the auto-shop. The boys are probably there now.”

“No way,” you exclaim as you know that the boys are about to start singing Greased Lightnin’, and you want nothing more to see Harry take part in that. Without a second thought, you grab hold of Frenchy’s hand and start dragging her towards the source of the noise.

“Where are we going?” She asks between some chuckles as you continue pulling her.

“Oh, you’ll see.”

The two of you reach the end of the hallway where you push open a door and walk to a railing that overlooks the whole auto-shop. Frenchy looks down at the boys and is about to say something, but you shush her just as the boys break out in song again.

You’re still unsure of where the hell the music comes from but brush it off as you and Frenchy watch in pure amusement while the guys dance around singing about what they’re going to do to Kenickie’s car; including Harry. Small laughs leave your mouth as you watch Harry dance alongside Putzie, Sonny and Doody to the entirety of the song; showing off the dance moves he knows just by how much you’ve made him watch Grease. Frenchy seems to be enjoying herself too as they finish up the song and you quickly start pulling her out of the shop before any of them realize that the two of you were there. 

The next few days er-weeks in movie time are spent just letting the film play itself out. Although you’re starting to get tired of sleeping in the back of Harry’s car every night and using the school showers to clean yourselves off, you’ve slowly started adapting to this world and what it entails. You learned that every day without fail, a new outfit just magically appears in Harry’s trunk for you each to wear; and you’ve gotten to the point where you’ve stopped questioning everything and are now just letting it happen because you will probably go mad while thinking of how something like that is remotely possible.

You and Harry have agreed to just go with the flow of the movie and only stepping in to make sure things stay on track if need be. You’re both just sitting back and relaxing, watching everything unfold and being quite entertained by it all; especially after witnessing Danny’s attempts at picking up on a sport in order to win Sandy over again and get her to go to the school dance with him. You’ve both even become friends with all of the characters as well. Harry tells you about what he did that day with the guys each night, while you tell him how you’re really getting along with the girls and feel as if you’re able to confide in them; especially Frenchy.

Soon enough, it’s the night of said school dance; one of the best parts of the movie, and one of the most dramatic. Harry is pretty adamant on not dancing whatsoever, but you egg him on about it until he finally agrees to the two of you slow dancing together to the version of Those Magic Changes the band plays and taking part in the dance line to Tears On My Pillow alongside all of your friends.  

As the song comes to an end, Principal McGee and Coach Calhoun make their way to the stage to discuss the expectations of the dance and how it’ll all be filmed on national television. Principal McGee explains how she will not be judging the dance competition that’s about to happen, but rather the infamous celebrity in the world of Grease; Vince Fontaine. Everyone erupts in excited cheers as they know they’re about to see this huge celebrity, and you casually glance up at Harry with a smile before elbowing him gently until he looks down at you. “Vince is the movie equivalent to you in real life.”

“Shut up.” He rolls his eyes at your comment, but you notice the arrogant smirk dancing across his lips.

Once the rules of the dance competition are explained and the television cameras start rolling in order to film it all, you drag Harry to the dance floor where he has no other choice but to dance along to Elvis’ Hound Dog with you. Despite his complaining, Harry is quick on matching the steps of the people around you and seems to actually be having fun.

You glance to your right to see Frenchy and Doody laughing while dancing together, and the same coming from Jan and Putzie to your left. Marty is to the side, ignoring Sonny, while Danny and Sandy dance their way next to you; sending wide smiles as they do so. Vince Fontaine goes on the stage and starts talking again before the band starts playing Born to Hand Jive, and you and Harry decide to sit this one out.

The two of you stand on the sidelines watching as your friends dance their hearts out to this particular song and can’t help but laugh a little with how offended some of them get by being eliminated from the competition. Harry smirks at you while you find yourself smiling and dancing to the music, however, a slight movement from the corner of your eye catches your attention and you quickly glance over your shoulder to see what it was. Standing behind the crowd observing everyone while dressed up like a janitor much to your surprise, is the old lady who was selling the chocolate covered strawberries outside the grocery store on Valentine’s Day.

“Who are you looking at?” Harry asks while turning to see what it is that’s grabbed your attention.

“That lady,” you tell him and shake your head disbelievingly. “The janitor, she’s the one who sold me those strawberries back home.”

“The one that said all those weird things about Valentine’s Day?” He questions and you nod frantically. As if being able to hear your conversation, the lady’s eyes widen once she sees you and Harry both staring at her before spinning around on one heel and disappearing down the corridor.

“C’mon let’s follow her,” you say before taking off after her; Harry right with you as you go. The two of you enter the hallway to see her shuffling away as fast as she can – watching as she jumps slightly when you call out to her. “Hey, wait!”

She slowly comes to a stop before turning around to face you, smiling as she does so. “Hello, dear.”

“You… all of this is happening because of you, isn’t it?” You question and cautiously step towards her. “It all makes sense now. The strawberries, the whole Valentine’s Day spiel, the being sucked into a freaking movie for fuck sake… it’s all because of you.”

She lets out a breath before nodding her head in agreement. “You caught on a lot sooner than I anticipated.”

“What- how can you even say that?” You snap and feel Harry places his hand on your back as a source of comfort. “You-you just stepped in and messed with my life. I didn’t ask for this, I don’t understand why-.”

“Do the two of you love each other?” She cuts you off, and you squint your eyes at her.

“What?”

“Do the two of you love each other?” She repeats and steps towards the two of you.

“Well yeah, of course, we do,” Harry speaks up. “I love Y/N more than she’ll ever know.”

“Good. And what about you, dear, do you love him?”

“More than anything,” you state as a smile dances across the lady’s mouth. “But why does that matter?”

“The two of you were just put through a major test that many people would be at each other’s throats about by now,” she explains. “The concept of being sucked into a fictional universe is so obscure and unrealistic that many would freak out at even the thought, but not you two. The both of you worked together to make the most out of hand you were dealt, adapting to something so surreal to you, but not letting it effect those who don’t know any different from what rights in front of them.”

She’s talking about your friends, and your heart drops at the thought of it. The T-Birds and Pink Ladies have been completely oblivious to any of this because this has become their reality, a reality that you and Harry are very much a part of now. You shake your head at the thought before looking back at the lady and letting out a chopped breath. “But why, why us?”

“I thought you could use some Valentine’s Day magic,” she responds before turning around and beginning to make way down the hallway again. You watch her make it a few steps before stepping forward yourself and speaking again.

“But how do we get home?”

“Make it to the end of the movie,” she states with a shrug. “Get the ending back on track.”

“It’s already on track,” Harry explains. “Nothing has happened that could possibly change the movies ending now.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she replies before tilting her chin upwards to motion behind the two of you, before disappearing around a corner.

You and Harry glance at each other confused beyond belief of what to do next, but before you can even think up a plan; a soft familiar voice speaks up from behind you. “Guys?”

Your heart plummets into the pit of your stomach as you and Harry slowly turn around to face your friends staring back at you with hurt expressions.

“What do you mean home?” Doody asks first.

“You guys lied to us?” Jan adds in as well, and you feel your heart sinking even more. “Who are you two?”

“Jan we’re still us,” you desperately try to explain as you feel the tears pooling in your eyes. “We’re just not… we’re not the Harry and Y/N you think we are. We don’t belong here.”

“And where exactly is it that you belong then?” Sonny speaks up.

“Far from here,” Harry starts. “You would never believe us if we told you.”

“Try us,” Putzie challenges.

“W-we’re from a different universe,” you explain and feel even crazier as you do so. “This whole world we’re in isn’t our own. Harry and I live in a reality where this is a movie to all of us who live there.”

“So, you’re saying we don’t exist in your world?” Marty asks, still looking confused as ever.

“The actors that play you do, but this,” Harry says and gestures to your surroundings. “This is all part of the movie world.”

The six of your friends that stand in front of you start talking about how ridiculous that all is, and you feel a pressure building on your chest as you watch it all unfold and Sonny finally speaks up again. “Maybe you both should just go back to your little world then seeing as you care so little for ours.”

“That’s not true,” you plead with them and feel the tears streaming down your cheeks now. “You guys have become our friends. This whole thing has been bearable because of all of you, we wouldn’t have been able to figure anything out if it weren’t for you guys letting us in.”

“Well, you can figure the rest out on your own,” Putzie states. “Have a nice trip back to wherever you two are going.”

You watch with a heavy heart as they all send you one last hurt glance before turning around and going back towards the dancefloor; all except Frenchy. A soft sob leaves your mouth as the girl who you’ve become closest with looks back at you with watery eyes. You wipe a tear away before stepping towards her but cringe slightly as she steps back. “French, please let me explain.”

“What is there to explain Y/N?” She asks with a shaky voice. “You lied to us. What did you plan on doing when you reached the end of the movie, huh? Just disappear with no explanation of why? A real friend doesn’t do that if we were actually friends, maybe you would’ve asked us for help.”

“Frenchy, it really isn’t that simple-.”

“Save it Y/N. I hope you guys get back to wherever home is safe. It was nice knowing ya.” And with that, she sends you both a sad smile before disappearing around the corner with everyone else.

You stare at the now empty hallway for a moment before Harry pulls you into his chest and starts rubbing your back while choked sobs leave your mouth. “H, what are we going to do?”

“I don’t know bub, but we’ll figure something out,” he tells you soothingly all while feeling rather shitty about this whole thing as well. “C’mon lets get out of here.”

You and Harry go the next few days/weeks… you’re not sure; without any communication from any of your friends. They all go out of their way ignore the both of you in the hallways, at the drive-in, everywhere and it becomes increasingly difficult to not be able to speak with those who helped you adapt to this world, but there isn’t much you can really do.

The day of the big race at Thunder Road; the race all the boys were fixing up Kenickie’s car for, comes up very fast and you can tell Harry is a little bummed he’s not going to be there to watch his friend win a race with the car he helped fix for it. You watch silently as he pushes around the food on his plate while the two of you are sat in the diner and let out a huff.

You both decided to skip school for the day to clear your minds about everything, and just with watching him quietly sulk to himself; you relate more to when he said comfortable silence is so overrated more than ever. You bite down on your lip as you start feeling sorry for him, before reaching across the table to lace your fingers with his. “H?”

He hums in response but doesn’t make eye contact before some loud, obnoxious voices speak up from a couple of tables away from yours. The two of you glance over at the guys sitting nearby discussing the race at Thunder Road, but these aren’t just any ordinary guys – they’re The Scorpions; the rivals of the T-Birds.

“When they show up, I’m gonna distract them,” the leader of the group tells the other guys. “And then when they’re not looking, I need one of you guys to cut the breaks on Kenickie’s car. Can’t have them winning on our own turf.”

“H, if they do that… Danny won’t win the race,” you whisper to your boyfriend, who gives you a knowing look. “If that happens, Danny could get hurt but-.”

“It also changes how the movies could end,” he finishes for you, and you bite down on your lip again. “Fuck Y/N, we need to warn them. Not only could this be our last chance at getting home, but that’s also our friends out there.”

“I know,” you tell him with a nod before standing up and pulling him with you. “Come on, before it’s too late.”

The two of you rush back to Rydell High, but much to your dismay; everyone has already left to get to Thunder Road. As you and Harry look at each other unsure of what to do next, you see Sandy talking to Rizzo and are surprised when Sandy lights up once she locks eyes with you. “Harry, Y/N, are you two going to Thunder Road by chance? I really need to talk to Danny.”

“Yeah,” you respond and earn an eye roll from Rizzo. “But we don’t know how to get there, Riz do you?”

“Why would I tell you? Haven’t the two of you done enough already? Also, why would you care, this isn’t even your world.”

“Actually Riz, we just overheard The Scorpions plan to cut the breaks on Kenickie’s car; so yeah, you may all hate us – but at least we’re trying to make sure no one is hurt,” you tell her firmly and in all the time you’ve spent in this movie; you see Rizzo speechless.

“Sandy knows how to get there,” she responds, and you nod. “You guys stay safe out there too.”

“Come on we don’t have much time,” Sandy speaks up and starts walking towards the parking lot.

Harry grabs onto your hand to lead you towards the car, but you pause slightly to look back at the leader of The Pink Ladies. “Thanks, Riz, also I know what people are saying about you around the school. Don’t take it too much to heart… you’ll know why soon enough.”

“I forgot about the whole everyone thinking she was pregnant part,” Harry mumbles into your ear as the two of you head after Sandy.

“Yeah,” you tell him softly. “Rizzo means well, as a friend… I don’t want her to beat herself up, you know?”

“I know,” he replies and places a soft peck to your temple before breaking away from you so the three of you can hop into his car and get to Thunder Road.

There’s already a good crowd of people gathered once you get there, and it’s clear that Kenickie and Danny are arguing with the Scorpions in the centre of it all. Away from the commotion, a lone Scorpion is sneaking around the back of Kenickie’s car with a pair of wire cutters in hand and you’ve never seen Harry floor it as hard as he does in that moment. The car skids to a stop once you’re closer to the group and the two of you are quick in climbing out of the vehicle in order to stop the guy. You’ve caught everyone’s attention at this point, but don’t let it faze you as you walk right up to the guy crouching on the ground, still out of sight from everyone else and snatch the wire cutter out of his hands. 

“I’ll take those,” you state with a sarcastic grin as surprised gasps and voices sound from around you.

“That guy was going to cut the breaks,” Doody speaks up, and more chatter rises.

“Yeah, and I would have gotten away with it,” the Scorpion snaps, before standing up and glaring at you.

“Doesn’t matter,” Harry steps in, before looking him up and down. “Now step away from my girl and get out of my face.”

“Wow, these guys really are rubbing off on you huh,” you say to him quietly as the guy marches back over to his group.

“Whatever,” he replies with a laugh. Soon enough, the two of you are surrounded by your entire friend group; minus Sandy and Rizzo and they all stare at you with wide eyes.

“You two just saved Danny’s life,” Marty is the first to say something.

“Boy are we glad you guys decided to show up,” Putzie adds before gripping onto Harry’s hand and pulling him in for a bro hug.

You watch as all the guys huddle around Harry and smile to yourself fondly as they all greet him like an old friend. You’re about to step away and let them have their moment before Jan speaks up.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” She asks you with a raised eyebrow.

“Well I-,” you ramble as Marty grabs onto your hand and pulls you towards one of the many cars nearby.

“You’re gonna watch the race with all of us, right?” The brunette questions with a smile.

“Of course,” you respond as Jan and Frenchy join the two of you.

You look at your orange-haired friend before she sends you a broad smile, before giving you a sideways hug. “Glad to have you back, Y/N. The Pink Ladies felt empty without you.”

With a small smile to yourself and a knowing wink from Harry; you feel better than you have recently with everything that’s gone on. You didn’t really think of it all that much before, but you really are going to miss all these people when you have to leave… If you can leave.

Not much else is said as everyone gets into position, and the race starts. The race plays out just as it does in the movie with The Scorpion leader playing dirty, but Danny turning it around and beating him. Everyone rushes to Danny’s parked car to congratulate him for winning once it’s all done, but you and Harry find yourselves standing back from them.

“Looks like we’re going home soon now, huh?” Your boyfriend asks.

“I guess so,” you respond while scrunching up your face. “Kind of bittersweet.”

“I know, but this isn’t our life to be living in anymore.”

“Can you stop being right all the time?” You start dramatically while he just laughs. “It’s annoying.”

“Can’t, sorry,” he tells you with a shrug, and you swat his arm. “Let’s get out of here though, the carnival scene awaits.”

The next day you’re sitting in class with Marty as Principle McGee is giving her announcement over the PA system to the graduating class. It absolutely blows your mind how everything that has happened took place over eight months…. When really, it’s only been about an hour and thirty minutes in real-time. God, if you don’t get out of movie time soon, you swear that you’re going to get a whiplash or something.

After the announcement is over, all classes are dismissed; therefore, you and Marty start making way out to the football field to meet up with everyone else. The two of you reach the bottom of the stairs and part ways almost immediately. You find yourself wandering around for a few minutes alone before you almost run straight into Rizzo and Kenickie.

“So, you’re leaving after this, huh?” Rizzo asks and looks at you with an unreadable expression.

“Uh yeah, I guess so.”

“Well, this place is going to suck without you and Styles here to mess everything up,” Kenickie adds before him, and Rizzo pulls you in for a group hug.

“Are you two trying to make me cry?” You ask as you hug both of them back, letting out a sigh.

“Is it working?” They say in unison.

“Definitely.”

You pull away from the two, and they say their goodbyes before heading off in a different direction. Just as you’re about to start wandering around again, a strong pair of arms snake their way around your waist and pull you against them. There’s no point in guessing who it is because you’d recognize those ring clad fingers anywhere and have no time to comprehend anything before Harry’s spinning you around in his hold and crashing his lips against yours.

“Ready to finish this up and get home love?” He mumbles against your lips after a moment of making out.

“More than ready,” you tell him and start pulling him towards where you know the rest of your friends are.

You reach everyone just as they’re finishing up singing, You’re the One That I Want, feeling a sudden wave of sadness… You’re going to miss the ridiculously random breaking out in songs like this.  

“Oh look, the whole gang’s back together,” Frenchy says as the two of you approach.

“We’re sure gonna you guys when you leave,” Doody chimes in, and everyone falls silent.

“Try not to forget about us when you go,” Jan adds in as well, and everyone mumbles sad ‘yeahs’ in agreement.

“Nah that’ll never happen,” Danny says while sending a wink your way as you nod in agreement.

“How do you know?” Sonny asks, getting in Danny’s face slightly.

“What do you mean, how do I know?” Danny challenges and pushes him backward. You watch as he falls back onto the high striker game all of you are standing beside and the weight reaches the top with an obnoxious ding. With a loud laugh, you place your hands over your eyes just as Danny says the opening line for the very last song of the movie. “Wop ba-ba lu-mop!”

“Wop bam boom!”

Everyone around your group breaks out in dance to the sound of We Go Together, and you can’t help the giant smile that stays plaster on your face. The fun and happiness radiating off of everyone around you is contagious, and the matching dimpled grin that stays on Harry’s face lets you know he feels the same way.

As much as you really don’t want to join in on the dance, you find yourself busting a move to the catchy tune just as you and Harry get dragged away from everyone by Sandy and Danny. The couple doesn’t say anything as they take you away from everyone to an awaiting car; but not just any car, the car Sandy and Danny fly off in at the end of the song.

The couple doesn’t say anything as they take you away from everyone to an awaiting car; but not just any car, the car Sandy and Danny fly off in at the end of the song.

“What’s this?” You ask them and send a sideways glance to Harry.

“Your way back home,” Danny states.

You feel your heart swell as they both pull you and Harry in for a quick hug and have to take a deep breath to keep yourself from crying. Once they pull away, Sandy looks at you and smiles gently. “Thank you for taking care of us all and making sure our story ends the way it’s supposed to.”

“It was my pleasure,” you tell her before getting pulled in for one last hug.

“Ready to go home, Y/N?” Harry asks softly as Sandy and Danny take off towards the others.

“You bet,” you tell him and pull him down for a quick kiss before climbing into the passenger seat of the car.

Harry gets into the driver’s side and revs the engine a little bit, wrapping his arm around your waist to pull you closer to him before inching forward. The crowd of students starts breaking away to create a path for the two of you to drive down, and you continue smiling like an idiot.

You reach the end of the crowd, and the car lifts off the ground, just like it does in the movie with Sandy and Danny. You glance at Harry; who just smiles, before turning around to wave at all of your friends – watching them disappear as you and Harry are consumed be an extremely bright light.

The annoyingly loud ringtone you have set on your phone awakes you from your deep slumber as you slowly blink your eyes open to the sunlight-filled room. The tone goes silent, but you couldn’t care less as you let out a loud groan and stretch out your very stiff body. You remove Harry’s arm from around your waist and slowly sit up on the couch, rubbing at your tired eyes as you glance at the date displayed on your phone; February 15th.

“Oh my god,” you gasp and look down at your still sleeping boyfriend. You start shaking him and chuckle as incoherent sleepy words leave his mouth. “H wake up, we’re home.”

“We’re what?” He asks before finally opening his eyes. Another soft laugh leaves your mouth as he sits right up and looks around your living room. “Holy shit, we are.”

He looks to you, and as soon as your eyes meet, you tackle him back onto the couch with a hug. “We did it!”

You lean down to connect your lips to his and moan when his hands start roaming your body in a new soft and intimate way; different from how he touched you in the movie while being worried about someone seeing the two of you in the back of his car. After a few moments of doing this, you find yourself breaking away from the kiss and chuckling slightly. “As much as you’ve already managed to turn me on, don’t you think this would be much better in our bed? I miss that thing.”

“You read my mind,” he replies with a laugh before gripping onto your ass tightly and sitting up straight so that you’re straddling him. He connects his lips to yours once again in a quick kiss, but it ends as fast as it started. “Weirdest dream ever, huh?”

“Fuck, don’t even call it a dream; it’ll mess with my head too much. That all seemed so real.”

“Oh, I know,” he tells you before glancing over at the few remaining strawberries that are still in the pack from being left out overnight when you two fell asleep on the couch. “Think Jeff will believe me if I told him what happened?”

“Hell no,” you state firmly.

“Ok, but what if we got Mitch or Gemma to eat the rest of those strawberries?”

“Nope,” you tell him as you scramble off of them and make a dive for the fruit before he can. “These are going in the garbage.”

“You’re no fun,” he whines as you walk over to the kitchen and toss out the container.

“Oh, grow up,” you sass as you walk back into the room. Just as you’re about to say another witty remark, you glance at the television screen where it’s paused on a picture of all eight of your friends from the movie. A smile dances its way across your lips as you look to Harry and gesture for him to look at the screen as well.

He stares at it for a second, before shaking his head and turning back to face you. “I actually miss them.”

“Me too,” you agree and send him a wink. “Guess we’ll have to watch it again so we can see them.

“I think the fuck, not Y/N. I don’t need any more Grease in my life for a long time.”

[justjessame]

Babysitting Butcher Chapter 51

MM had nothing uplifting to tell me, not that he wasn't doing his damndest to find another site where Vought could be pumping the less than fully sane with Compound V to test the likelihood of it doing who knew what on those the world would rather forget. He sounded as light on patience as I was, and I told him to remember self care and the importance of taking care of himself in the madness of the course of our duties.

"Don't worry about me, Ronnie," he promised me he was taking more than enough time to smell the roses, or in his case take his little girl to appreciate the offerings at Baskin Robbins. "We have a standing date, and I do my best to not miss it."

"Good man," I was smiling through the burdens our lack of answers seemed to grow, but knowing that our team was taking the care to keep sane was at least something. "We'll have to work out a monthly get together as a group, maybe -" I was thinking of my added visits with Ryan, weekly as of now, but if Billy's intel showed it necessary and if my own digging proved my worries correct that schedule would grow. "We'll see."

"Hey," I blinked, brought back to the conversation at hand with the phone in my hand and MM in my ear. "Look, you just got back in the saddle, Ronnie." I nodded, but sighed. "Don't think you're gonna have all the answers all at once. Vought is the damndest group of conspiracy shit that I've ever seen, my pops even knew that -" I swallowed hard, knowing exactly what he meant, having dug through his past as well as Billy's and the others. "Rome wasn't built in a day, and Vought won't tumble in one."

"Wise words, MM." I grinned, my eyes landing on the monstrosity of the tower that I normally wouldn't notice outside the bank of windows that made up one wall of my office. "I have to wonder though, if it will ever 'all fall down'."

Mallory agreed to lunch, in the office after I told her it was of a sensitive nature. She surprised me by actually bringing it with her, however. "I thought I'd cut out the middle man, as it were," she said, juggling the bags and drink carrier. I rushed to help her and together we set it up on Billy's desk, still the clearer of the two.

Once our meals were divided up, drinks and chairs situated, I told her the reason I'd asked to see her face to face. "I asked Billy if I could meet Ryan." She nodded around her bite of salad and I went on. "What do you know about his current living arrangement, Grace?"

She chewed carefully as she considered my question, then after swallowing and taking a sip from her drink she answered as I'd expected. "All I really could do, Ronnie, was start the process. You know the majority of my pull is reputation based." That's what the paperwork showed, but I had to make sure. "I sent it up the ladder, a request, that's all I could do."

I'd started eating while she explained, so it was my turn to chew and swallow. "The problem is that I'm not sure who took over after you took that first step." She was squinting in confusion. "I can trace your request. Hell, I can even trace the request that Homelander made to find out Ryan's location." She stared at me in confusion. "It happened the same day you came to tell us about Adana." A nod and I went on. "I put off or pushed away worries about Ryan because honestly I assumed out of sight out of mind was the best way to go with him." Pushing away my own lunch I sat back. "Then my own troubles with his darling sperm donor started and I guess I started thinking about him more often, and it started to nudge me, this worry. Until it was a nagging irritation."

"You asked Billy if you could meet him and he agreed?" She seemed surprised and I smiled. "He really would hand you the world if you asked." I shook my head, I highly doubted that. "What happened when you went to meet him?"

I told her about the area they were keeping him in, the neighborhood that had no neighbors, the tutors instead of school. "He's not being socialized. The guardians are guards, from what I can tell only one is an agent, and her identity is only known from the time she joined up, before that I can't find a single mention of her. The man? Nothing." I groaned. "I haven't a clue of what the tutors are teaching him or what he's being given in the way of nurturing at all. All I know for certain is that he has three chips in him and all are transmitting."

"Three chips?" Now she truly looked confused. "Why would he have any chips?" I stared at her. "Vought had him in a controlled community from the moment of his birth, Ronnie. Why chip a subject you never intend to allow out of your sight? We had no reason to chip him because, honestly, he's a child who has only ONE known enemy and he's a VERY noticeable one. As for the third chip, who would do it?"

"I guessed Stormfront." She waited for me to explain my reasonings and when I did she was shaking her head. "I thought with her background, Ryan would be the epitome of the perfect specimen."

"It doesn't make sense." Grace leaned forward, her lunch as forgotten as mine. "The same reasoning as Vought's. Why chip what you don't intend to allow out of your control? Stormfront had the same over confident belief in herself that they did in their control of him and Becca. Why chip what you don't intend to lose?" I started to point out my own chips, but she held up a hand. "You were different. You're a loose end, Ronnie. No one controls you. They had to chip you to make sure they knew where you were in case you went supernova and exploded. That way they control the narrative. Ryan? He's a child. Minors that young don't just run off, not when they are under control of an adult dependent on the kindness of the company like Becca was, or Homelander and Stormfront." She was making sense and it pissed me off because it left another puzzle unanswered. "These chips make no sense. Not when you really think about them."

Knowing that Grace simply asked for Ryan to be given protective custody, but then left it up to those who took care of that particular designation within the agency wasn't super helpful, but it did cross her off the list of those who could answer more in depth questions about Ryan's current living situation. Her theory about the chips, on the other hand, gave me more questions than answers.

I was going over Davos' short file of service in the agency, trying to see if there was any way that I could finagle her identity through some channel that I hadn't found before, when Billy came back. It was later than I thought, the sun starting to hint at the end of the day, and he looked grim.

"Do we want to talk about it now, or do we want to go pick out our boy from Mom's and hear whether or not they're no longer allowed in the toy stores in the tri-state area?" His lips quirked and he let out a long breath.

"Let's do it on the way," I slipped on my shoes and he held open my jacket for me. His arms wrapped around me and I felt how tense he was, how it released slightly as his body came into contact with mine. "God I missed you."

"Same," I sighed. As we locked up, saying goodnight to the worker bees finishing up and the janitorial staff just starting their shifts, our fingers linked and we both felt that at least we were together again, and we could shift through what we'd come across while we'd been working apart.

Mom and Terror hadn't been banned for life from any of the toy stores. From the sight of how many new acquisitions they'd purchased, I had a feeling I knew why. Terror was bright eyed and drooly, and he rushed over to Billy like he couldn't believe the luck he had in moving back in with him and ending up with this crazy old broad as his daycare provider. I mean, can you imagine being a horny dog and having a babysitter who ended up making sure you never had to hump the same stuffy twice in one afternoon? Life was sweet for the little sweetheart.

Hugging my dad, who was trying desperately not to mock my mom, or laugh his ass off at the insanity, I apologized for making her crazy. "I'm not sure this is your fault, Veronica." He shook his head, trying to hold back on what was clearly laughter to end all laughter. "Maybe we should have let you have a puppy when you wanted one back when you were little." He turned a laugh into a cough and I held mine in until I swore I cracked a rib. Jesus.

We didn't talk about the drones, or Frenchie and Kimiko's help during the 'mission'. Not during the ride to pick up Terror, or during the final leg to our house. Instead we simply enjoyed the lightness of being near one another. The ease it brought to both of us, letting us unwind from what was clearly a stressful day for both of us.

He parked and let Terror chase the fireflies while I got the house opened up and dinner started. We ate in the kitchen, laughing at Terror as he gobbled down his own kibble, rushed outside and did more business, then ran upstairs to his less than posh bed and started snoring.

"I think his daycare tires him out," I offered as I took another bite of my own food. "He might need a break from Mom's house."

Billy snorted, taking a drink from his beer and shaking his head. "I think we'd have a tantrum to end all tantrums if we try to keep the two of em apart." He took a bite and sighed. We couldn't keep work and our debriefing at bay forever. We both knew that. "Want to go first?"

"No, but I will." I smirked. "MM hasn't found anything that remotely resembles what Stormfront did with Sage Grove. Doesn't mean there aren't others, just that he hasn't found one yet." He nodded, thinking about what I was saying as he ate through his dinner and drank through his beer. "Then Grace and I had lunch. She confirmed that aside from asking for protective custody and putting him in the car and handing him off, that's all she did for Ryan's protection."

"Kind of thought so," he sat back and groaned. "Not like she's got that much pull, even if we wish she did." He shook his head. "So she's got no idea about those cunts watchin' him?"

"None," I pushed my empty plate forward. "And worse yet, she doesn't think I'm right about the chips. None of them."

"What do ya mean?" He set his bottle down from where he'd been about to take a pull.

"Her theory is this: why would Vought chip a child that they never intended to let out of their sight? And why would WE chip him for the same reason? Then with my theory about Stormcunt, she asked the same question. And I have to admit, I didn't consider it from that angle."

"But if Vought didn't, and WE didn't, and the cunt didn't -" he stared at me and I sighed louder. "Fuck me, Ronnie. And I thought my day was bad."

"How bad?" I gathered our dishes and loaded the dishwasher, then refilled my glass and got him another beer. When I got back to the table, he reached out and grabbed me, pulling me onto his lap instead of letting me sit on my own chair. "I do prefer this seat." He rubbed his face against my neck, moaning at the scent and feel of my skin.

"Me too," he murmured, kissing me under my earlobe. "Let's see, we got the drones up, after we managed to find cover about half a town over in a park." He groaned. "Between me, Frenchie, AND Kimiko, we manned them and took some usable footage. Got Frenchie editing it so we can work it up to actually show you it." I nodded so he would continue. "Tutors are a man and woman, just like his guards. They go in, but they 'teach' in an interior room. No windows, doors closed." Fuck. "The guards have the tellie on half the time, but it ain't on nothing too traumatizing. Soaps, news, whatever strikes their fancy at the moment." Right, great. "From what we could tell, there are other residents in the neighborhood, but they don't go anywhere. No cars in the driveways, no mailman. It's the weirdest shit I've ever seen."

"Do you think you got a good shot of the tutors for facial recognition?" His hum told me he thought so, but his fingers were busy pulling my shirt free from my slacks. "Are you back to distractions, Mr. Butcher?"

"Think we both deserve a reward, Doc, don't you?" His mouth started to tempt me by teasing against my neck. "Unless you want to debrief more?"

"Oh, I think a gold star is a better idea," I was laughing as he scooped me into his arms, gesturing for me to grab our drinks, as he took me back out to our hanging bed outside.

"Terror snores so damn loud he throws me off my rhythm." He growled before I could ask why we were leaving the comfort of our house. And as I giggled, our clothing hit the porch floor, the lightning bugs were flickering around us, and Billy gave me a few dozen sparkling gold stars and I was sure to give him a couple of his own.

[buynewsoul]

5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems

The post 5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems by Samantha Meyers appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

When I think of puppyhood, I can’t help but think of puppy behavior problems. Case in point: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment.

The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying broken on the floor (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs; quiet, sweet moments; and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do to survive puppy behavior problems.

1. Peeing everywhere

Accidents will happen. But what do you do about this puppy behavior problem? Photography ©Image Source | Getty Images.

Peeing is an inevitable puppy behavior issue. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

What to do: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals, and also limit the amount of space she has to play indoors.

It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

2. Chewing everything

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

What to do: Excessive chewing is a puppy behavior problem — but this is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

3. Too much energy

It’s no surprise if you find your puppy running all over the house. Photography ©YinYang | Getty Images.

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

What to do: Solve this puppy behavior issue by giving your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

4. Nipping everyone

If your puppy starts to chew on you, remain calm. Offer her another “toy” as a distraction. Get some new toys if her interest fades in the old ones. Photography ©castenoid | Getty Images.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

What to do: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if she bit another puppy, and it’s how she learns what is too much.

Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages this common puppy behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

5. Remember puppyhood isn’t forever

Cherish these puppyhood moments. Photography ©Photology1971 | Getty Images.

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out.

When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated with puppy behavior problems, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Audrey Ricks | Animal Haus Media.

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredandIced.com or Instagramming her dogs @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you! 

Read more puppy facts on Dogster.com:

Do You Have Scared Puppy? What to Look For — and How to Help Him

How to Tell If a Puppy Is a Boy or a Girl

5 Puppy Diseases and Conditions You Need to Know About

The post 5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems by Samantha Meyers appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

[daddyslittlejuliet]

5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems

The post 5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems by Samantha Meyers appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

When I think of puppyhood, I can’t help but think of puppy behavior problems. Case in point: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment.

The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying broken on the floor (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs; quiet, sweet moments; and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do to survive puppy behavior problems.

1. Peeing everywhere

Accidents will happen. But what do you do about this puppy behavior problem? Photography ©Image Source | Getty Images.

Peeing is an inevitable puppy behavior issue. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

What to do: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals, and also limit the amount of space she has to play indoors.

It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

2. Chewing everything

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

What to do: Excessive chewing is a puppy behavior problem — but this is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

3. Too much energy

It’s no surprise if you find your puppy running all over the house. Photography ©YinYang | Getty Images.

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

What to do: Solve this puppy behavior issue by giving your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

4. Nipping everyone

If your puppy starts to chew on you, remain calm. Offer her another “toy” as a distraction. Get some new toys if her interest fades in the old ones. Photography ©castenoid | Getty Images.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

What to do: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if she bit another puppy, and it’s how she learns what is too much.

Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages this common puppy behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

5. Remember puppyhood isn’t forever

Cherish these puppyhood moments. Photography ©Photology1971 | Getty Images.

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out.

When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated with puppy behavior problems, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Audrey Ricks | Animal Haus Media.

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredandIced.com or Instagramming her dogs @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you! 

Read more puppy facts on Dogster.com:

Do You Have Scared Puppy? What to Look For — and How to Help Him

How to Tell If a Puppy Is a Boy or a Girl

5 Puppy Diseases and Conditions You Need to Know About

The post 5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems by Samantha Meyers appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

[grublypetcare]

5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems

The post 5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems by Samantha Meyers appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

When I think of puppyhood, I can’t help but think of puppy behavior problems. Case in point: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment.

The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying broken on the floor (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs; quiet, sweet moments; and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do to survive puppy behavior problems.

1. Peeing everywhere

Accidents will happen. But what do you do about this puppy behavior problem? Photography ©Image Source | Getty Images.

Peeing is an inevitable puppy behavior issue. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

What to do: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals, and also limit the amount of space she has to play indoors.

It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

2. Chewing everything

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

What to do: Excessive chewing is a puppy behavior problem — but this is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

3. Too much energy

It’s no surprise if you find your puppy running all over the house. Photography ©YinYang | Getty Images.

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

What to do: Solve this puppy behavior issue by giving your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

4. Nipping everyone

If your puppy starts to chew on you, remain calm. Offer her another “toy” as a distraction. Get some new toys if her interest fades in the old ones. Photography ©castenoid | Getty Images.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

What to do: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if she bit another puppy, and it’s how she learns what is too much.

Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages this common puppy behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

5. Remember puppyhood isn’t forever

Cherish these puppyhood moments. Photography ©Photology1971 | Getty Images.

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out.

When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated with puppy behavior problems, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Audrey Ricks | Animal Haus Media.

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredandIced.com or Instagramming her dogs @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Puppies, a special issue from Dogster magazine. Look for Puppies on a newsstand near you! 

Read more puppy facts on Dogster.com:

Do You Have Scared Puppy? What to Look For — and How to Help Him

How to Tell If a Puppy Is a Boy or a Girl

5 Puppy Diseases and Conditions You Need to Know About

The post 5 Tips to Help You Survive Puppy Behavior Problems by Samantha Meyers appeared first on Dogster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.

[northshoregadgets]

Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems

When I think of puppyhood,  I think of one image: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment. The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying on the floor broken (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs, quiet, sweet moments and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do during the moments your puppy is acting a little less cute.

Puppy problem: Peeing everywhere

A pupping chewing on a shoe. Photography ©alkir | Thinkstock.

Peeing is inevitable. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

Training your puppy not to pee everywhere: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals and also limit the amount of space she has to play in indoors. It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

Puppy problem: Chewing all the things

A puppy chewing on a couch. Photography ©Sunshine_butterfly/Shutterstock.

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

Training your puppy not to chew everything in sight: This is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

Puppy problem: Nipping everyone

A puppy chewing on a pant leg. Photography ©Chris Mueller | Thinkstock.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

Training your puppy not to nip: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if they bit another puppy, and it’s how they learn what is too much. Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages the behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

Puppy problem: Too much energy

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

Training your puppy to behave: Give your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

Remember: Puppyhood isn’t forever

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out. When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Aimes Element | Thinkstock.

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com:

Letting Your Puppy Sleep in Your Bed? Here’s How to Do It Safely

Why We (Almost) Always Foster Two Puppies at a Time

Why I Bought a Puppy From a Breeder Instead of Adopting From a Rescue or Shelter

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredAndIced.com or Instagramming her dogs  @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

The post Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems appeared first on Dogster.

from Dogster http://ift.tt/2x4Kmf4 via http://www.dogster.com

[jeffreyrwelch]

Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems

When I think of puppyhood,  I think of one image: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment. The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying on the floor broken (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs, quiet, sweet moments and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do during the moments your puppy is acting a little less cute.

Puppy problem: Peeing everywhere

A pupping chewing on a shoe. Photography ©alkir | Thinkstock.

Peeing is inevitable. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

Training your puppy not to pee everywhere: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals and also limit the amount of space she has to play in indoors. It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

Puppy problem: Chewing all the things

A puppy chewing on a couch. Photography ©Sunshine_butterfly/Shutterstock.

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

Training your puppy not to chew everything in sight: This is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

Puppy problem: Nipping everyone

A puppy chewing on a pant leg. Photography ©Chris Mueller | Thinkstock.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

Training your puppy not to nip: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if they bit another puppy, and it’s how they learn what is too much. Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages the behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

Puppy problem: Too much energy

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

Training your puppy to behave: Give your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

Remember: Puppyhood isn’t forever

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out. When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Aimes Element | Thinkstock.

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com:

Letting Your Puppy Sleep in Your Bed? Here’s How to Do It Safely

Why We (Almost) Always Foster Two Puppies at a Time

Why I Bought a Puppy From a Breeder Instead of Adopting From a Rescue or Shelter

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredAndIced.com or Instagramming her dogs  @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

The post Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems appeared first on Dogster.

[stiles-wtf]

Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems

When I think of puppyhood,  I think of one image: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment. The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying on the floor broken (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs, quiet, sweet moments and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do during the moments your puppy is acting a little less cute.

Puppy problem: Peeing everywhere

A pupping chewing on a shoe. Photography ©alkir | Thinkstock.

Peeing is inevitable. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

Training your puppy not to pee everywhere: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals and also limit the amount of space she has to play in indoors. It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

Puppy problem: Chewing all the things

A puppy chewing on a couch. Photography ©Sunshine_butterfly/Shutterstock.

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

Training your puppy not to chew everything in sight: This is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

Puppy problem: Nipping everyone

A puppy chewing on a pant leg. Photography ©Chris Mueller | Thinkstock.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

Training your puppy not to nip: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if they bit another puppy, and it’s how they learn what is too much. Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages the behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

Puppy problem: Too much energy

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

Training your puppy to behave: Give your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

Remember: Puppyhood isn’t forever

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out. When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Aimes Element | Thinkstock.

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com:

Letting Your Puppy Sleep in Your Bed? Here’s How to Do It Safely

Why We (Almost) Always Foster Two Puppies at a Time

Why I Bought a Puppy From a Breeder Instead of Adopting From a Rescue or Shelter

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredAndIced.com or Instagramming her dogs  @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

The post Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems appeared first on Dogster.

[justjessame]

Babysitting Butcher Chapter 49

I was on the phone when Billy returned with lunch and he raised an eyebrow when he heard my tone.  “What do you mean you don’t know if that chip has been neutralized?”  I was ready to chew a steel nail in two after the research I was dealing with.  “I’m telling you, there’s OUR chip, another chip that seems to be of an UNKNOWN origin, and then there’s a VOUGHT chip.  So why the fuck hasn’t anyone neutralized at least the unknown one if not both the unknown and the Vought?”  I listened as Raynor’s replacement squawked about the tone and my use of the word ‘fuck’ and rolled my eyes, blood boiling in an entirely normal way.  “Let me explain something to you, I’M in charge of THIS office and at the end of the day ANY and ALL supes come under MY jurisdiction.  Didn’t YOU read the fucking handbook and bylaws?  So when I ask why something wasn’t done from YOUR end, I don’t want a lecture on HOW I asked it, I want to know the ANSWER to the fucking question.  Do you understand?”  I waited, listening to a noise that sounded like teeth grinding and then assurances that she’d find out something for me.  “Good, I’ll expect it by the end of the day.”  Another grinding noise, and a reminder of the time of day and I sighed.  “Fine, the end of tomorrow then.”  

I hung up and smiled up at Billy.  “What’s for lunch?”

“Throwing your weight around a bit are you?”  He leaned down to kiss me, then put the bags bearing the name of our favorite Chinese take-out place on his desk.  “Since your desk looks like you’re preparing to invade suburbia, let’s eat over here.”  

Opening cartons and sighing happily at the scents of my favorite dishes, I told Billy what I wasn’t learning about Ryan’s situation.  “No one seems to know shit about shit, Billy.”  I stabbed a piece of sweet and sour chicken with enough force to make his eyes widen and glared at it.  “The neighborhood?  It’s been bought and sold through so many corporations and our government programs that who the fuck can tell who owns it now?”  Even Joseph was having issues wading through the piles of bullshit that I’d found online and in our own resources.  “The tutors and his guardians?  Let’s see,” I reached behind me and grabbed a sheaf of papers near the edge.  “Blue Eyes is actually Regina Davos, she’s been with the agency for roughly three years, this is her first major duty, before that?  The fuck does anyone know?  Literally, it’s like she never existed.  The male?  I can’t find shit about him.  Not a boo peep.  No facial recognition, nothing.  One part of me is thinking, alright, so our government went fully dark with this particular rotation, but Ryan is under ten, he’s a child who does have superpowers, but aside from Homelander and Vought, he has no known enemies.”  I bit into my crumpling chicken and chewed.  It didn’t make any fucking sense.

Billy was eating as he digested what I told him, or ranted at him as the case may be.  “What you’re saying is that Ryan’s being guarded by two people that have no known background, in a place that has no known owners, surrounded by no neighbors, and being taught by people who I assume fall under the same shit?”  I nodded, in a fucking nutshell.  “And the CIA ain’t got a single solitary fucking clue about the chips?”

I sighed.  “I sent the information the gizmo application that Frenchie set up for me to him and he’s the one who told me there are THREE chips.  Vought’s, ours, and this third one that he can’t tell who implanted, since the gizmo only shows the devices, not who put them there.  We’re guessing about theirs, ours, and the other.”  Billy nodded as he ate his noodles and I went on.  “I call Raynor’s replacement, useless dull witted cunt,” he snorted so hard I thought he was going to blow a noodle out of his nose so I waited until I knew he was safe from death by noodle in the nostril.  “And she’s utterly baffled by the entire idea of Ryan.  The fact that he has chips inside of him is absurd, much less three.”  I rolled my eyes and stabbed another bite of chicken.  “How does this happen, Billy?”

Taking a deep breath, Billy pushed his carton of noodles away and sat back in his chair.  I watched him as he processed what I’d gone on about and I ate more of my chicken and even managed to choke down some rice.  

“Mallory made the arrangements, at least that’s what she told me.” I shook my head, that’s not what the paperwork was showing.  While Grace had an early hand in getting shit started, she’d been cut out of the decisions early on.  “She said he’d be taken care of, that he’d be protected, Ronnie.”  He looked as worried as I felt, which fucking sucked, but I needed a partner in this and who better than the man I love?  

“I’ve put in an order that I’ll be monitoring this weekly,” I sent it up the flagpole, I hadn’t only thrown my proverbial weight to Raynor’s replacement, I’d gone full power mad bitch from Hell while he’d been gone.  “Sundays are now Ryan’s ‘therapy’ days.”  He nodded, biting his lip.  “I think that you’re going to have to do more than sit outside, Billy.”  I hated to do it, force him inside, force him to confront how he felt about Ryan full on, but I didn’t trust that house or those guardians.  

“Wasn’t planning on it if you went back anyway,” he wasn’t looking at me, but I knew from the way he was staring off into thin air that he was planning for something that even I wouldn’t contemplate.  “There’s not a hint of cover in that entire fucking neighborhood, I know, I walked it, rode it, hell I did everything but climb a house.”  His eyes finally met mine.  “Drone.”

Frenchie and Kimiko were in the office the next day when my former supervisor called in with her ‘update’.  Billy and Frenchie were looking over the plans I’d managed to find for the neighborhood that Ryan was living in, while Kimiko listened to them and pointed out things that I’m sure neither noticed.  

“You’re saying that no one has ANY idea who placed this third chip in a child?”  I was fast becoming beyond irritated and had to thank God and the doctor who figured out the cure to what had nearly killed me because I’d definitely be filling my fucking office with steam if I was still under the influence of that shit.  “That while WE definitely thought it was reasonable to CHIP a child like a fucking RESCUE DOG, and VOUGHT also chipped him, we haven’t a FUCKING CLUE who else tagged him?”  Frenchie’s eyes widened at my voice being raised, but Billy tapped his shoulder to get him back on task.  “How is this possible?  We took custody of this minor to protect him and NO ONE considered, I don’t know, deactivating the ONE chip we ACTUALLY fucking knew about?”  I was pissed off, Ryan had NO ONE, no real advocate and this shit was getting tiresome.  “Now that we know about the SECOND chip, is anyone going to, I don’t know, neutralize it?”  I listened to her make noises that were vaguely apologetic but also offered no real answer.  “Great, you’re still as useful as ever.”

Hanging up, I sat back in my chair and stared out the window at the view that Anthony had laughingly called the best view in the building when I first arrived.  Sure, best view if I wanted to stare at the back of the building and an alley and I guess the skylight that showed - fuck.  

“Have we found out anything about the next member of The Seven?”  They were down two, last count.  Translucent and Black Noir, no, wait three, The Deep was still landlocked in Ohio or some shithole.  “Billy?”

“Soldier Twat was being considered,” he’d gone to his desk and was flipping through the files.  “Aside from that, I know they were in talks to rehabilitate Fishy again, but that’s all I heard.”  

“Herogasm is over, the escorts are either being paid off or scraped off the surfaces of where they were fucked into oblivion,” I sighed, considering all the shit that we could be being handed.  “MM is still working on the other possible Sage Groves, and I think I figured out who chipped Ryan.”

I wasn’t looking at the others, my eyes still on the building in the distance.  The one that Anthony or any supe loving freak might think would add to the fucking view.  The Seven’s building, rising like a phallus of bullshit, and in it was Ryan’s dad, who fucked a Nazi willing to do anything to build what her hateful asshole past wanted most of all.  And who better to be the REAL poster child for that cause than a little boy born of an actual SUPE - and not ANY supe, but THE SUPE.  Stormfront, that fucking bitch.  While she and Homelander had taken Ryan on their little kidnapped ‘reality’ run, she’d found a chance to embed her own little homing beacon in him and I’d been running my ass ragged trying to figure it out.  Bitch.  I truly hoped that she was roasting in a Hell that was hotter than anything her tits being lasered by Homelander could have prepared her for.  

Turning back to the room, I shook my head and shuffled the pile of papers nearest me.  One fucking puzzle down, around a million more to deal with, and probably a trillion more lining up behind those.  One at a time, I told myself, as Billy came over and rubbed my shoulders.  One at a time, because that was going to be the only way to manage this entire mess.

[buynewsoul]

Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems

When I think of puppyhood,  I think of one image: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment. The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying on the floor broken (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs, quiet, sweet moments and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do during the moments your puppy is acting a little less cute.

Puppy problem: Peeing everywhere

A pupping chewing on a shoe. Photography ©alkir | Thinkstock.

Peeing is inevitable. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

Training your puppy not to pee everywhere: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals and also limit the amount of space she has to play in indoors. It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

Puppy problem: Chewing all the things

A puppy chewing on a couch. Photography ©Sunshine_butterfly/Shutterstock.

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

Training your puppy not to chew everything in sight: This is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

Puppy problem: Nipping everyone

A puppy chewing on a pant leg. Photography ©Chris Mueller | Thinkstock.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

Training your puppy not to nip: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if they bit another puppy, and it’s how they learn what is too much. Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages the behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

Puppy problem: Too much energy

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

Training your puppy to behave: Give your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

Remember: Puppyhood isn’t forever

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out. When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Aimes Element | Thinkstock.

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com:

Letting Your Puppy Sleep in Your Bed? Here’s How to Do It Safely

Why We (Almost) Always Foster Two Puppies at a Time

Why I Bought a Puppy From a Breeder Instead of Adopting From a Rescue or Shelter

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredAndIced.com or Instagramming her dogs  @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

The post Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems appeared first on Dogster.

[daddyslittlejuliet]

Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems

When I think of puppyhood,  I think of one image: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment. The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying on the floor broken (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs, quiet, sweet moments and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do during the moments your puppy is acting a little less cute.

Puppy problem: Peeing everywhere

A pupping chewing on a shoe. Photography ©alkir | Thinkstock.

Peeing is inevitable. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

Training your puppy not to pee everywhere: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals and also limit the amount of space she has to play in indoors. It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

Puppy problem: Chewing all the things

A puppy chewing on a couch. Photography ©Sunshine_butterfly/Shutterstock.

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

Training your puppy not to chew everything in sight: This is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

Puppy problem: Nipping everyone

A puppy chewing on a pant leg. Photography ©Chris Mueller | Thinkstock.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

Training your puppy not to nip: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if they bit another puppy, and it’s how they learn what is too much. Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages the behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

Puppy problem: Too much energy

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

Training your puppy to behave: Give your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

Remember: Puppyhood isn’t forever

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out. When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Aimes Element | Thinkstock.

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com:

Letting Your Puppy Sleep in Your Bed? Here’s How to Do It Safely

Why We (Almost) Always Foster Two Puppies at a Time

Why I Bought a Puppy From a Breeder Instead of Adopting From a Rescue or Shelter

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredAndIced.com or Instagramming her dogs  @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

The post Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems appeared first on Dogster.

[grublypetcare]

Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems

When I think of puppyhood,  I think of one image: the time I came home from lunch to walk my Frenchie puppy and found that he had somehow escaped out of his crate in our teeny, tiny apartment. The floor was covered in shreds of paper and cardboard, a ceramic vase was lying on the floor broken (with possibly a bite taken out of it?!), a lamp was knocked askew, there was pee inside a shopping bag and, as I took in the chaos of it all, a tiny puppy barked at me and chomped at my shoe. Welcome to puppyhood.

Raising a puppy is full of ups and downs, quiet, sweet moments and moments of patience testing. As you don’t need any advice on how to fall in love with a puppy, let’s talk about what to do during the moments your puppy is acting a little less cute.

Puppy problem: Peeing everywhere

A pupping chewing on a shoe. Photography ©alkir | Thinkstock.

Peeing is inevitable. Accidents will happen, and in some instances you might find yourself thinking this doesn’t feel that much like an accident. You will walk around for what seems like hours outside, and your puppy will inevitably pee the moment you step back in your door. You will find mysterious wet spots on your rug, behind a couch and in places you don’t remember allowing your puppy to be.

Training your puppy not to pee everywhere: Crate training is truly a miracle gift; embrace it. Your dog will not want to do her business where she sleeps and eats. Keep a schedule. Take her outside regularly, especially after food and water time. Limit playtime to short intervals and also limit the amount of space she has to play in indoors. It’s easy for a puppy to get distracted and forget she has to go. You’re the adult here, so keep track! Carry your puppy from the crate or food dish to the outdoors. Give her every opportunity to succeed. Human babies wear diapers for years, so try to keep a perspective on how amazing your puppy is for having any kind of understanding of where to pee.

Puppy problem: Chewing all the things

A puppy chewing on a couch. Photography ©Sunshine_butterfly/Shutterstock.

Puppies explore the world through their mouths, and as those tiny little blades of glory are growing in, they will want to explore equally with their teeth. You will look around your house and wonder how you never knew everything in your home was so delicious.

Training your puppy not to chew everything in sight: This is just a phase, and it will end, so help your puppy get through it. Limit where she can go and what furniture she can access. Your puppy can’t chew what she can’t reach. Provide lots of interesting and different toys for her to chew on and play with. Frozen towels are a great item for teething puppies, and if you want to up the game, fill the towels with food or treats before freezing.

Puppy problem: Nipping everyone

A puppy chewing on a pant leg. Photography ©Chris Mueller | Thinkstock.

Remember when I said puppies like to explore the world with their mouths? You may have already noticed that this includes you. Puppies do everything with their mouths: eat, play and chew on your valuables — I mean approved toys. It’s just part of being a puppy, but it doesn’t mean you want teeth marks on your leg.

Training your puppy not to nip: Stay calm. It’s easy to have a negative reaction when someone is chewing on your arm, but the best thing you can do is stay calm and make a quick yelping noise. This is what would happen if they bit another puppy, and it’s how they learn what is too much. Pushing your puppy away or yelling will make her think you’re playing, which encourages the behavior. If your puppy is regularly using you as a chew toy, it also might be time to get new toys or refresh some of the ones you have. If your puppy is biting you, offer her another toy as a distraction.

Puppy problem: Too much energy

Puppies have tons of energy and only two speeds: on and off. As your puppy grows, you will find the “off” time dwindling as the “on” time gets more involved.

Training your puppy to behave: Give your puppy lots of exercise in the form of walks and playtime. If that doesn’t seem like enough, get toys that require her to use her brain, and enroll her in a basic training class to get her mind working. A tired dog is a well-behaved dog — and a happy one, too.

Remember: Puppyhood isn’t forever

Remember that puppies are just babies, learning how to explore and live in a world with very different rules than what they are used to, and they are more than happy to oblige when it comes to trying things out. When you find yourself getting discouraged or frustrated, the best thing to do is remember that puppyhood isn’t forever. Enjoy it while you can with all it has to offer. You’ll look back at the good with fond memories and the less good with laughter over everything you went through together.

Thumbnail: Photography ©Aimes Element | Thinkstock.

Read more about puppies on Dogster.com:

Letting Your Puppy Sleep in Your Bed? Here’s How to Do It Safely

Why We (Almost) Always Foster Two Puppies at a Time

Why I Bought a Puppy From a Breeder Instead of Adopting From a Rescue or Shelter

Samantha Meyers is a dog lover, writer, baker, crafter and Instagrammer. When she’s not writing, she’s decorating cookies at her blog SugaredAndIced.com or Instagramming her dogs  @FrenchHuggs_ and @Quinnstadoodle.

Editor’s note: This article appeared in Dogster magazine. Have you seen the new Dogster print magazine in stores? Or in the waiting room of your vet’s office? Subscribe now to get Dogster magazine delivered straight to you! 

The post Training Your Puppy and Dealing with Puppy Problems appeared first on Dogster.