It was just another day in Neopia Central. _Ian_ had prepared food for each
of her four very popular pets to bring to school.
“Hey, Mom!” yelled Kiombinie from his room.
“Yeah, Ki?” asked Ian. “Is lunch ready?” he asked, coming out of his room,
munching some fluffy pancakes. “If you mean the food that you’re going to bring
to school today, yes,” replied Ian gently.
“Good Morning, mom,” said Kainene, the oldest of the four, emerging from her
room.
“Good Morning Kai,” replied Ian and Ki in Unison.
“Where are my adorable little sisters?” asked Kai.
“I think Dysu is still in her room, and I think Kin (real name: Kiniane) is
still brainstorming on how to take a proper bath when she’s painted fire,” replied
Ian.
“Mommy,” said Dysu in a fake, sick voice, coming from the play room. “Mommy,
I think I’m sick. I don’t think I can go to school today."
“Now, Dysu. I told you that I’m still trying to get enough money to paint you.
You just have to wait. I mean, you're eight, Kai and kuya ki waited,” Ian told
her NeoPet in a strict voice.
“But Mommy,” objected Dysu, “Leslie the Faerie Poogle is going to make fun
of me again at school."
“Don’t you worry about a thing, sis,” Kiombinie said. “First of all, that Leslie
girl is totally crazy about me. Just tell her I’m you’re my brother and she
will stop bothering you. Second, she’s not even invited to my Painting Party
later, and third, I’ll protect you,” he said with a protective smile.
You see, Dysu is the youngest of four pets. She didn’t have much confidence,
but she was very good at school. Maybe even excellent. Because of this, Leslie,
one of the most popular pets at school made fun of her. The popularity of Leslie
influenced the others to make fun of Dysu too. It’s not fair!! She always
told herself. Kainene and Kiniane and Kiombinie are very popular! They already
got themselves a nickname! The Popular Three! Blech!. If
they really love me, and I know they do, they will let me be a member of the
popular three....
Kainene was good fighter, and a famous member of the Battledome Club. Kiniane
was a great writer and drawer. Kiniane was also the #1 member of the Drawing
Club, and had once brought glory to school after dropping into 1st place at
the Young Novelists International Competition and winning a trophy (the trophy
is displayed at the School Assembly Room). And last but not least, Kiombine
was one of the cutest guys at school, and a Member of the ‘Tomorrow’s Greatest
Bands’, which was actually a singing club. BUT what was she good at? School
and Homework. What club was she a member of? The Science club. Everyone called
her a geek, dork or nerd. It wasn’t that her brother and sisters didn’t defend
her, no. It was that they weren’t there when she was being made fun of. Well,
she thought, at least I have ki’s painting party to look forward to. I wonder
what paintbrush mum got for him?
“Please Dysu?” asked Ian.
“Oh, Alright. But only because you asked so lovingly and we have a Math Test
Today,” replied Dysu.
BEEP-BEEP! BEEEP! All the heads turned.
“Gotta go” said Kai, kissing her mom, and leaving.
“Bye mum,” said Ki, kissing his mom. He picked up both his and Kai’s lunch,
and took off.
“Bye Mom,” said Dysu and Kin in unison. They kissed Ian on the cheek, picked
up their lunch, and went outside together. “Don’t you dare worry, Dysu. I’ll
be hanging around you all day ‘cause my best buds, Jake and Jaqui, are home
sick,” Kin told her sister, in a comforting, but cool voice.
“Thanks Kin. You’re the best,” replied Dysu happily, and she and Kin went
in the bus.
The bus was filled with chatting pets all over. Kin and Dysu saw Leslie in
the front seat, staring at Ki while he was moving back down the seats. Then
to Dysu’s horror, Leslie’s head turned, facing her and Kin. Leslie, being less
popular and younger than Kin, gave her a sweet smile, and then smirked at Dysu,
positively wondering what was Kin doing with her.
“Oh, Hello Kiniane,” Leslie started in a very sweet, but all the same annoying
voice. “What are you doing with that street rat Dysu, who’s owner can’t even
buy her a paint brush?”
Dysu shrugged, humiliated, but then Kin spoke, “Ex-Cuse me! But what did you
just call my sister? STREET RAT?” she bellowed.
Now everybody was staring at Leslie who was shocked, and to Kiniane, who was
flaming mad. “Sister, but I--” Leslie tried to explain. But then she was cut
off by Kai.
“Who shouted?” she said, standing up. When she saw Kiniane, mad, she knew the
answer to her question. But then she saw Leslie, who she also hated for picking
on Dysu. Kiombine, now fully aware of the situation, stood up, followed by Kainene.
They went to the front row. Dysu was now sobbing, thinking that this was all
her fault.
“What the?” said Ki, who was getting angrier by the second, his older and protective
brother instincts getting the better of him.
“What’s the matter Dysu?” asked Ki, trying to make his voice sound as gentle
as he could, which was hard because of his anger.
“(sniff) Leslie (sniff) called me..(Sniff).. a..(sniff) street rat!” said Dysu,
who sounded like she shouted the word ‘Street Rat’ than have have said it, then
she cried again. Ki stared at Leslie, long and hard. Ki was about to tell her
off when Dysu spoke again: “Then (sniff)..then Kin shouted at her..(Sniff) for
(sniff).. calling me a st-street rat!” and she continued her crying. “Leslie!!”
shouted Kai. “How dare you call my sister a street rat?”. “Well, that doesn’t
mean that Ki isn’t my boyfriend anymore, and that doesn’t mean that I am uninvited
to Ki’s party later, right?” Leslie said, in an annoyingly sweet voice. Ki bellowed.
“1st of all, you are not and never were my girlfriend! Second of all, you were
never ever, EVER! Invited to my party! And for your information, the four of
us have the same owner!”
Just then, the bus arrived at school. Kai, Kin, Ki and Dysu went down the Bus
steps together.
“Alright, being the oldest, I say we all stick together during school, recess,
and lunch hours, until we get back home, understood?” said Kai, talking like
a Commander of a Troop.
The other three nodded. They went in school together. Kai, Kin and Ki escorted
Dysu to all her classes, and picked her up at recess. Some of the other pets
greeted The Popular three as they were walking with Dysu, and the three of them,
being polite, greeted back. But no one else talked to Dysu in the halls, unless
it was a matter of school work.
“RRIINNG!!” the bell rang, indicating the start of Lunch. The four pets went
to the playground.
They saw Leslie at her usual rock, boasting. “I’ll be painted Faerie tomorrow,”
she said, surrounded be other pets, all listening intently to her. Then Leslie
caught a glimpse of Ki.
“But Leslie!” shouted a popular and cute Sketch Eyrie. “Sketch Pets are what’s
in now!”
“Yeah, Istonne, doll. But, uh, I have always wanted to have wings." She
winked at Ki, who smirked back. Then she had a sad look on her face.
“Everybody, did you know that Ki broke up with me because I said that Dysu
was not painted?” murmurs swept the crowd. “But, nobody ever knew you were together!
Didn’t he just say--"
“First of all you aren’t my girlfriend!"
“Well…” said Leslie, who was starting to look embarrassed.
The four didn’t mind her, but continued walking, until they reached the Jungle
Gym.
“What colour are you gonna be painted Ki?” asked Dysu rather cheerfully.
“You’ll see, sis. You’ll see,” he replied, his mysterious face, which match
his mysterious voice.
“Hahahaha!” Kai and Kin both broke into a laugh.
Ki was known to make the three of them laugh when they were feeling down in
the dumps.
“What? Iz it something I zaid?” he added in a bad French accent. He laughed.
Dysu laughed. They were happy.
***
The lessons ended, but there were still clubs. They needed to attend their
after-school clubs. They separated, and everything went well for Dysu.
The Bell rang again, signaling the end of the school week (note: it was Friday),
and Kai, Kin, Ki and Dysu went back to the bus. Leslie was still in the front
row, but the Popular Three ignored her. Dysu stared at her with a disgusted
look, then followed her older siblings to the very end of the bus.
“Excited yet, Ki?” asked Kai.
“Of course you Meerca!"
“Well, I’m a Poogle now. I asked Mom to buy a magical yellow Poogle Plushie.
She did. I asked her to paint me purple, she did,” said Kai.
“Well,” said Kin, “I was Red when I was born. Then I was painted Split before
I was even an hour old! Then I was painted Fire two days ago!” boasted Kin,
her voice loud enough to be heard by the bus driver, who was deaf. “Well,” said
Ki sighing deeply, “I’ll be painted later. Mom said either Cloud, Striped, Disco
or Split!”
Then the three stared at Dysu. “Oi! When will I be painted?” asked Dysu.
“Very near!” Ki blurted out. Kai, Kin, and Dysu stared at him, with confused
looks.
***
When they got home, their house was already full of decorations. “Hey mom!
Niiice! What you did with the place?” asked Kin.
“Thank you Kin. I just got the ‘Home Catering and Decorations’ guild to clean
and decorate the house. It was a bargain really. Only cost me 1200 NP!” said
Ian.
“Well, good luck, Ki. I’ll just be up in my room,” said Dysu, her voice a
mixture of sadness, jealousy, and ‘congratulations’
“No, Dysu!” shouted Ian and Ki in unison. “Everybody will go to the Rainbow
Pool! Guests and all! I just found out that you can only use the rainbow pass
once. Ugh!” continued Ian.
“Yah and besides, we have a special surprise for you!” said Ki, his eyes twinkling.
Then the door bell rang. Kai answered it. Guests were starting to come in the
house, greeting Ki. Some of them, strangely, were also greeting Dysu.
Most of the people were Ian’s friends: tiki, misspiggy, supersailormoon, poeker,
rosros, happy_gal_yali, _rryabao_ and more.
Soon, it was time for the celebration. Everybody went to the Rainbow Pool.
When every single guest, owners and pets, were there, Ian called Ki.
“Will Kiombinie please come with me?” Ian asked.
Kiombine stepped forward, and followed Ian to the multicoloured water. Ian
go out… A Split Paint Brush! Ian took the paint brush, and started Painting
Ki. After all the colour was off the paint brush, Kelpie the Stars Uni took
the colourless brush from Ian and went away. Kiombinie was now Split! He glowed,
happy. Then he winked at Dysu.
“Now, will Dysu please come here with me?” asked Ian in a more exited voice.
Ki moved aside, letting Dysu in on the magical water. The Ian showed Dysu a...
Sketch Paintbrush! Surprised, Dysu asked Ian
“Is.. Is that for me?” she said in a hopeful voice. She knew what Poogles looked
like when painted Sketch.
“Yes, Dysu. It’s for you. Now come closer so I can paint you” replied Ian in
a gentle, but very excited voice. Dysu moved closer to Ian. She closed her eyes.
Ian started painting her. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes. Then, she
looked at her paw. It wasn't’t red anymore! It was now Sketch! Dysu was so happy,
that she hugged Ian, the rushed to her siblings to hug them. Then they all went
home and started on the food.
***
The two days passed so slow for Dysu. She wanted to see if Leslie was a Faerie
yet, and to know the reaction of the other pets. Finally, Monday came. Everybody,
even the teachers, were looking and greeting them. They did not know that the
Sketch Poogle was Dysu. When recess came, they saw Leslie, who strangely wasn’t
Faerie but was just silver, at her usual ‘boasting rock’, as Kin usually called
her. But just then, Kai made an announcement.
“May I have your attention please?” said Kai loudly so everyone in the playground
could hear her. Jaqui, Kin’s best friend, started singing the real slim shady.
Kin giggled at her friend. Then all the pets gathered around Kai, Kin, Ki, and
Dysu. Even the ones who were listening to Leslie had left her to listen to Kai.
“Everybody knows,” continued Kai, “That me, my sister kin and brother ki, are
the so called ‘Popular Three’. But now, we are very happy to say, that we are
changing our name to the ‘The Popular Four’ because our sister, Dysu the Sketch
Poogle, is joining our sibling gang!” said Kai proudly.
Murmurs had risen when Kai had said ‘Dysu the Sketch Poogle’, but soon died
out to be replaced by clapping paws (or claws, for some NeoPets ^_~).
“Thanks you guys, for your time!” said Kai, and the crowd went on what they
were doing.
So in the end, Dysu got her two wishes… 1.) To be painted, and 2.) To be a
member of the The Popular Four.
The End | 
