Crenshaw Katherine Applegate Quotes

Imaginary friends are like books. We're created, we're enjoyed, we're dog-eared and creased, and then we're tucked away until we're needed again.

Fun fact, Jackson. You can't see sound waves, but you can hear music.

I like not knowing everything. It makes things more interesting.

Meantime, I was going to enjoy the magic while I could.

What bothered me most, though, was that I couldn’t fix anything. I couldn’t control anything. It was like driving a bumper car without a steering wheel. I kept getting slammed, and I just had to sit there and hold on tight.

Here’s the thing, Jackson. Life is messy. It’s complicated. It would be nice if life were always like this.” He drew an imaginary line that kept going up and up. “But life is actually a lot more like this.” He made a jiggly line that went up and down like a mountain range. “You just have to keep trying.

And right then I knew, the way you know that it’s going to rain long before the first drop splatters on your nose, that something was about to change.

My mom told me once that money problems sort of sneak up on you. She said it’s like catching a cold. At first you just have a tickle in your throat, and then you have a headache, and then maybe you’re coughing a little. The next thing you know, you have a pile of Kleenexes around your bed and you’re hacking your lungs up.

She said she sometimes wondered if maybe bats are better human beings than human beings are.

I felt like I’d taken off an itchy sweater on a cold day: relieved to be rid of it, but surprised by how chilly the air turned out to be.

Crenshaw and I didn’t chat much during those weeks on the road. There was always someone around to interrupt us. But that was okay. I knew he was there and that was enough. Sometimes that’s all you really need from a friend.

There’s always a logical explanation, I told myself. Always.

sometimes. If

Why can’t you just be like other parents?” I demanded. I was crying hard. I gasped for breath. “Why does it have to be this way?

What’s that expression?” asked my mom. “Fall down seven times, get up eight?

If I never talked about it, I felt like it couldn’t ever happen again.

It’s surprising how much stuff adults don’t know.

I guess becoming homeless doesn’t happen all at once. My mom told me once that money problems sort of sneak up on you. She said it’s like catching a cold. At first you just have a tickle in your throat, and then you have a headache, and then maybe you’re coughing a little. The next thing you know, you have a pile of Kleenexes around your bed and you’re hacking your lungs up.

I noticed several weird things about the surfboarding cat. Thing number one: He was a surfboarding cat. Thing number two: He was wearing a T-shirt. It said CATS RULE, DOGS DROOL. Thing number three: He was holding a closed umbrella, like he was worried about getting wet. Which, when you think about it, is kind of not the point of surfing. Thing number four: No one else on the beach seemed to see him.

What bothered me most, though, was that i couldn't fix anything. I couldn't control anything. It was like driving a bumper car without a steering wheel. I kept getting slammed, and I just had to sit there and hold on tight.

The first time I met Crenshaw was about three years ago, right after first grade ended. It was early evening, and my family and I had parked at a rest stop off a highway. I was lying on the grass near a picnic table, gazing up at the stars blinking to life. I heard a noise, a wheels-on-gravel skateboard sound. I sat up on my elbows. Sure enough, a skater on a board was threading his way through the parking lot. I could see right away that he was an unusual guy. He was a black and white kitten. A big one, taller than me. His eyes were the sparkly color of morning grass. He was wearing a black and orange San Francisco Giants baseball cap. He hopped off his board and headed my way. He was standing on two legs just like a human. “Meow,” he said. “Meow,” I said back, because it seemed polite.

I wasn’t lying, exactly. It was more that I left out certain facts and focused on others. I didn’t want to do it, of course. I liked facts. And so did Marisol. But sometimes facts were just too hard to share. I decided to tell Marisol something about a sick relative,

My parents were more complicated. It’s hard to explain, especially since I know this sounds like a good thing, but they were always looking on the bright side. Even when things were bad—and they’d been bad a lot—they joked. They acted silly. They pretended everything was fine.

But my parents were optimists. They looked at half a glass of water and figured it was half full, not half empty. Not me. Scientists can’t afford to be optimists or pessimists. They just observe the world and see what is. They look at a glass of water and measure 3.75 ounces or whatever, and that’s the end of the discussion.

I guess getting out of homelessness doesn’t happen all at once, either. We were lucky. Some people live in their cars for years. I’m not looking on the bright side. It was pretty scary. And stinky. But my parents took care of us the best they could. After a month, my dad got a part-time job at a hardware store. My mom picked up some extra waitressing shifts, and my dad kept singing for tips. Every time his fishing sign got wet, I made him a new one. Slowly they started saving money, bit by bit, to pay for a rental deposit on an apartment. It was sort of like getting over a cold. Sometimes you feel like you’ll never stop coughing. Other times you’re sure tomorrow is the day you’ll definitely be well.

Facts are so much better than stories. You can’t see a story. You can’t hold it in your hand and measure it. You can’t hold a manatee in your hand either. But still. Stories are lies, when you get right down to it. And I don’t like being lied to. I’ve never been much into make-believe stuff. When I was a kid, I didn’t dress up like Batman or talk to stuffed animals or worry about monsters under my bed.

With a great show of effort, Crenshaw sat up. He stretched, easing his back into an upside-down U. “I don’t think you understand what’s going on here, Jackson,” he said. “Imaginary friends don’t come of their own volition. We are invited. We stay as long as we’re needed. And then, and only then, do we leave.” “Well, I sure didn’t invite you.” Crenshaw sent me a doubtful look. His long, whiskery brows moved like strings on a marionette.

Fine, Jackson,” he whispered, eyes lasering in on the frog. “You win. I’ll leave, do bit of hunting. I am, after all, a creature of the night. Meantime, you get to work.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “On what, exactly?” “The facts. You need to tell the truth, my friend.” The frog twitched, and Crenshaw froze, pure muscle and instinct. “Which facts? Tell the truth to who?” Crenshaw pulled his gaze off the frog. He looked at me, and to my surprise, I saw tenderness in his eyes. “To the person who matters most of all.

I was amazed how easy the lying came. It was like turning on a faucet. The words just rushed right out. I felt guilty for not feeling guilty. I mean, I’d shoplifted. I’d taken something that didn’t belong to me. I was a criminal. But I told myself that in nature it’s survival of the fittest. Eat or be eaten. Kill or be killed. They say those things a lot in nature films. Right after the lion eats the zebra. Of course I wasn’t a lion. I was a person who knew right from wrong. And stealing was wrong. But here’s the truth. I felt crummy about the stealing. But I felt even worse about the lying.

sister Robin

remember when my little sister first came home. But I don’t remember trying to put her in a box so we could mail her back to the hospital. My

The next day, we dropped my mom at her part-time waitress job. Before she got out of the car, she looked at my dad and said, “We have to apply for assistance, Tom.” “We’ll be back on our feet before they deal with all the paperwork,” he said. “Still.” “Plus we probably make too much money to qualify for help.” “Still.” They looked at each other for a few long seconds. Finally my dad nodded. We went to an office called Social Services to find out about help. My dad filled out lots of forms while Robin and I sat on hard orange chairs. Then we went to three hardware stores, where my dad put in applications for work. My dad grumbled about all the gas we used up. To cheer him up, I said maybe we could feed the car water instead. He laughed a little then. “Not having enough work is tough work,” my dad told my mom when she joined us in the car after her shift. He took a deep breath and blew it out hard, like he was facing a birthday cake with too many candles. “Dad?” I said. “I’m kind of hungry.” “Me too, buddy,” he said. “Me too.” “Almost forgot,” my mom said, reaching into her tote bag. “I grabbed some of the bagels that the chef was about to throw out.” She pulled out a white paper sack. “They’re pretty stale, though. And they’re pumpernickel.

تو نمی‌تونی امواج صوتی رو ببینی، ولی میتونی از موسیقی لذت ببری...

wrinkled

cocoon.

dachshunds,

am talking to my imaginary friend. I invented him when I was seven. He is here in our bathtub. He has a bubble beard.

I can feel him. He feels real. He smells like wet cat. He has fingers. Cats do not have fingers.

remember when my little sister first came home. But I don’t remember trying to put her in a box so we could mail her back to the hospital.

I'm a real cat.

so he taped a sign on the bathroom door that said OFFICE OF MR. THOMAS WADE. My mom put a sign next to it that said I’D RATHER BE FISHING.

Robin wanted to name her Fairy Princess Cutie Pie and I wanted to call her Dog.

I can see my imaginary friend. I can hear him. I can talk to him. He is using a towel.

like he was facing a birthday cake with too many candles.

I am talking to a cat. A cat is talking to me.

Sanderson:

For example, if you drop a mostly full bottle of ketchup in the tub, it will not float. But it will turn the water an awesome color. It

Dr. Sanderson:

whined

My friends call me Red,

Robin

wiener

was in her lap. I took her hand and led her back to her bedroom. Her rainbow nightlight painted stripes on the ceiling. I wished I had one in my room, although I’d never admit it. “I heard you talking,” she said as she crawled under her blanket.

Fall down seven times, get up eight.

imaginary friends never leave. He said they were on call. Just waiting, in case they were needed.

„Music is magic“, said my mom. „Love and is magic“, said my dad. „Rabbits in a hat are magic“, said Robin. „I would put Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the magic category“, said my dad. „How about the smell of a new baby?“ asked my mom. „Kitties are magic!“ Robin yelled. „Indeed“, said my dad, scratching Aretha‘s ear. „And don‘t forget dogs“.

„Remember how you went behind the stage and figured out how he was making that rabbit appear? And then you told everybody?“ I grinned. „Figured it right out.“ „But you took the magic away, Jackson“. I liked thinking that little gray bunny appeared in a man‘s hat. I liked believing it was magic.“ „But it wasn’t. He had a hole in the hat, and —„ Marisol covered her ears. „I didn’t care!“ she cried, punching me again. „And I still don’t care!“ „Ow,“ I said. „Again.“ „Jackson,“ Marisol said, „just enjoy the magic while you can, okay?

cerealball,

Crenshaw

Itulah pertama kali aku sadar bahwa orang-orang tidak selalu senang mendengar sesuatu yang benar.

Here’s what I’d been observing: Big piles of bills. Parents whispering. Parents arguing. Stuff getting sold, like the silver teapot my grandma gave my mom and our laptop computer. The power going off for two days because we hadn’t paid the bill. Not much food except peanut butter and mac and cheese and Cup O Noodles. My mom digging under the couch cushions for quarters. My dad digging under the couch cushions for dimes. My mom borrowing toilet paper rolls from work.

You’re not responsible for getting sick, Tom. And you’re not responsible for my getting laid off.” My mom threw her hands in the air. “Oh, what’s the point? I’m going to bed.

I guess becoming homeless doesn’t happen all at once. My mom told me once that money problems sort of sneak up on you. She said it’s like catching a cold. At

I knew we were lucky because we had our old Honda minivan, which had lots of room. I met a kid who lived for a whole year in one of those VW cars. It was red and round like a ladybug and just about as tiny. The poor kid had to sleep sitting up, squished between his two little sisters. Another reason we were lucky was because my sleeping box was just decoration. Some people actually live in boxes on the street.

That’s plenty. Imaginary friends are like books. We’re created, we’re enjoyed, we’re dog-eared and creased, and then we’re tucked away until we’re needed again.

Ms. Malone said maybe bats are altruists, which means they’re sharing to help the other bats, even if it’s a risk. She said some scientists say yes, some say no.

Well, it’s hard being a kid, too,” I said. I was glad I sounded so angry. “It’s hard not to know what’s happening.

I don’t want to go back to that time,” I said, my voice getting louder with each word. “I hated you for putting us through it. It wasn’t fair. Other kids don’t have to sleep in their car. Other kids aren’t hungry.” I knew that wasn’t true. I knew that lots of other kids had it worse than I did. But I didn’t care.

That’s good, right?” I asked. “It’s good,” my dad said. “But it’s not a certainty. Here’s the thing, Jackson. Life is messy. It’s complicated. It would be nice if life were always like this.” He drew an imaginary line that kept going up and up. “But life is actually a lot more like this.” He made a jiggly line that went up and down like a mountain range. “You just have to keep trying.

Itu bukan cuma. Teman khayalan itu seperti buku. Kami diciptakan, dinikmati, dilipat dan dibuat kusut, lalu disimpan sampai dibutuhkan lagi.

Looking at my family, all there together, I felt like a relative from out of town. Like I belonged to them, but not as much as they belonged to each other. Partly that was because they look so much alike, blond and gray-eyed and cheerful. My hair and eyes are darker, and sometimes so is my mood.

I didn’t ask any more hard questions after that. Somehow I just knew my parents didn’t want to give me hard answers.

It didn’t make sense. My mom had three part-time jobs. My dad had two part-time jobs. You’d think that would add up to two whole actual jobs, but it didn’t seem to. My mom used to teach music at a middle school until they cut her job. Now she worked as a waitress at two restaurants and as a cashier at a drugstore. She wanted to get another job teaching music, but so far nothing had come up. After my dad had to quit construction work, he started a handyman business. He did small fix-it stuff, but sometimes he wasn’t feeling well and had to cancel appointments. He also gave private guitar lessons. And he was hoping to go to community college part-time to learn computer programming.

Out of practice doing what?” “Being your friend.” He moved to another nail. “Theoretically, only you can see me. But when an imaginary friend is left to his own devices, alone and forgotten … who knows?” His voice trailed off. He made a pouty face, far better than anything Robin could pull off. “It’s been a long time since you left me behind. Perhaps things have changed. Perhaps the fabric of the universe has unraveled just a tad.

Look,” Crenshaw said as he extracted his claws from my quilt, “I can’t go until I help you. I don’t make the rules.” “Then who does?” Crenshaw stared at me with eyes like green marbles. He put his two front paws on my shoulders. He smelled like soapsuds and catnip and the ocean at night. “You do, Jackson,” he said. “You make the rules.

I wasn’t looking on the bright side. It’s better to have a big car than a little one when you are living in it. And it’s better to have a box in a car than a box on a street. Those were just facts. I wasn’t like my dad, who kept saying we weren’t homeless. We were just car camping.

Hey, I’m Marisol,” said the girl. I’d seen her at recess before. She had long, dark, crazy hair and an unusually large smile. “I have a Tyrannosaurus backpack just like yours. I’m going to be a paleontologist when I grow up, which means—” “I know what it means,” I said. “I want to be one too. Or maybe a bat scientist.” Her smile got even bigger. “I’m Jackson,” I said, and I stood. When I looked around me, I realized that Crenshaw had vanished.

That was the first time I realized people don’t always like to hear the truth.

I closed my eyes. I imagined our things spread out on the lawn tomorrow. My mom was right, of course. They were just things. Bits of plastic and wood and cardboard and steel. Bunches of atoms. I knew all too well that there were people in the world who didn’t have Monopoly games or race car beds. I had a roof over my head. I had food most of the time. I had clothes and blankets and a dog and a family.

my dad was still on the couch, staring at the gray ghosts moving across the screen.

I loved my family. But I was also tired of my family. I was tired of being hungry. I was tired of sleeping in a box.

I missed my bed. I missed my books and Legos. I even missed my bathtub. Those were the facts.

I’d feel hopeful then, for a while at least, that things would get better, that maybe, just maybe, anything was possible.

In any case, Crenshaw had excellent timing. He came into my life just when I needed him to. It was a good time to have a friend, even if he was imaginary.

Dia memberi tahu mereka, tak peduli betapa dewasa aku terlihat, aku pasti akan lebih berkembang lagi setelah remaja.

los amigos imaginarios somos como los libros. Nos crean, nos disfrutan, nos manosean y nos arrugan, y luego nos guardan hasta que nos necesitan otra vez.

maybe books, because those were always important

noticed several weird things about the surfboarding cat. Thing number one: He was a surfboarding cat. Thing number two: He was wearing a T-shirt. It said CATS RULE, DOGS DROOL. Thing number three: He was holding a closed umbrella, like he was worried about getting wet. Which, when you think about it, is kind of not the point of surfing.

Meow,

2

I like facts. Always have.

Facts are important to scientists, which is what I want to be when I grow up. Nature facts are my favorite kind. Especially the ones that make people say No way.

I want to be an animal scientist. I’m not sure what kind.

The trick is that you take so long to hit the target, you forget about being hungry. For a while, anyway.

If you run out of cereal and your stomach’s still growling, you can always try chewing a piece of gum to distract yourself. Stuck behind your ear is a good hiding place if you want to use your gum again. Even if the flavor is gone your teeth get a workout.

I’m fine,” I said quickly. Back in the old days, when we always had food in the house, I would whine if we were out of my favorite stuff. But lately we’d been running out of everything, and I had the feeling my parents felt lousy about it.

Frank and Beans,

There is always a logical explanation for things. I just had to figure out what it was.

bumbershoot,

It seems like I should have thought to myself, Wow, a cat is talking to me, and that is not something that usually happens at a highway rest stop.