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Alexis woke to the unmistakable sounds of morning at the
Neopian Pound. All around she could hear the patter of paws rushing to get ready
for their day’s events. Each pet at the pound obviously in a hurry to get to whatever
it was they had planned. Alexis lounged in bed a little while longer. This was
a luxury that didn’t allow for much time. Mr. Pickles would have breakfast ready
soon. If Alexis wanted to get her fill of food for the morning, she had to be
in the dining hall bright and early.
“Good morning Alexis,” came a shrill voice.
Alexis turned her head and looked towards the
doorway of her room. There stood Ruby the red Usul. Ruby was good friend to
have around. She was very helpful and usually did what Alexis requested.
“Do you want breakfast?” Ruby inquired.
“Yeah, but I’ll come down to the dining hall
today,” Alexis replied with a sigh.
Alexis remembered the conversation she and Ms.
Snowflake had the other day. Ms. Snowflake insisted that Alexis come down to
the dining hall for meals. There was to be no more of the other pets bringing
her meals to her, unless she was sick of course. Then she was to have her meals
brought to her in her room.
But I am sick, thought Alexis. Sick
and tired of being treated like everyone else.
Alexis thought more about her plight, feeling
sorry for herself. The fact was, as Alexis saw it, she wasn’t like everyone
else. She was in a league of her own. She was a beautiful striped Shoyru. Shoyrus
are the most popular pet in all of Neopia and have been for as long as she could
remember. Plus, she was painted one of the most coveted colors in Neopian history.
Adding to the list, she was charming, witty and intelligent. For Alexis it was
obvious that she was a pet to be honored and cherished. In all honestly, she
may even be better than most pets of her species as well. So why shouldn’t she
be treated with the respect she deserved?
“No one understands what its like,” Alexis groused
aloud.
“Understands what?” Ruby questioned as she was
tiding up Alexis’s room.
“Nothing,” came Alexis’s reply. “You couldn’t
possibly understand what I have to go through.”
Rising from her bed, Alexis decided to meet the
coming of day. Not to mention, she was hungry. She prepared herself to be presentable
to others. After all, it takes a lot of hard work and inspiration to make herself
look as beautiful as she usually does each day. Taking a last look at herself
in the mirror, Alexis and Ruby left the room and proceeded to the dinning hall.
On the way, they passed the recreation room, where a group of pets were standing
around the announcement board. Alexis realized that something must be going
on to create quite the crowd. She quickly changed directions, bumping into Ruby
in the process. Without so much as a ‘pardon me’ Alexis continued on to the
announcement board.
Many of the other pets automatically moved aside
to allow Alexis access to the announcement board. This wasn’t an unusual action
for others to take because Alexis deserved to go first. She knew it and she
made sure the other pets knew it as well. So it wasn’t surprising to see Alexis
had become irritated when she found a green Elephante standing in her way.
“Excuse me!” Alexis said in an impatient voice.
Alexis watched as the green Elephante, just stood
there for a moment. She could hear her friends, including Ruby, giggling around
her.
What is wrong with this green thing? Alexis
thought to herself, trying to remember that Elephante’s name. El… Ellie…
Elorah!
Slowly, Elorah turned around to face the group.
Alexis stood there, with her paws on her hips, glaring at the Elephante.
“I said excuse me. You’re in my way,” Alexis
complained with an impatient tone
Alexis listened while that large green thing,
Elorah, mumbled her apologies and then quickly left the room. Already in a bit
of a mood, Alexis looked to the announcement board and read the message. The
Neopian Beauty Competition was open! All one had to do was submit a picture
of themselves. Oh this was just the thing Alexis believe would finally show
everyone how much better she was then the other average pets! Still, Alexis
did feel a bit of guilt because if she joined the beauty competition, no one
else would have a chance. Obviously, Alexis had no competition, so she would
win with the unanimous vote. The moment passed and Alexis knew she would sign
up for the beauty competition. Turning away from the board, she went to the
dinning hall for breakfast, accompanied by those pets who always wanted to be
her friends.
Over breakfast, Mr. Shankly mentioned that today,
Ms. Snowflake along with some other staff would be taking a trip to the watering
hole. Alexis was up for that trip. It had been a long hot summer. Besides, she
looked really beautiful when the water shimmered on her wings.
“That’s the picture I’ll send in to the beauty
competition.” Alexis commented to Ruby. “I’ll draw me lightly doused with water
shimmering off my wings.”
Alexis smiled to herself all through the rest
of breakfast and even up to the time when Ms. Snowflake called everyone to the
bus for the trip to the watering hole.
Entering the bus, Alexis and her friends headed
to the back. This was where the best seats were. Alexis always sat in the back
of the bus for trips and no one really bothered to dispute this.
After Alexis was seated, she noticed that Elorah
was sitting up closer to the front. She took up a whole seat by herself! Alexis
couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be that large, that green and that
plain. Just behind Elorah sat Joy, a blue Ixi and Caddy, a yellow Lenny. They
were obviously engaged in a conversation. Alexis focused her attention on Elorah.
She could not believe the nerve of that Elephante, taking up a whole bench seat
by herself. How selfish could Elorah possibly be? If Elorah had given any thought
to others, she wouldn’t have come if she can’t share a seat.
I suppose it’s up to me to take care of this
problem, thought Alexis sighing as if the weight of all the worlds were
resting on her shoulders.
“Some pets would take up the whole bus if they
were allowed to!” Alexis rudely announced.
There was giggling from other pets on the bus.
Alexis looked on to see if her hint had been understood. She saw Elorah and
her friends continuing in conversation. Alexis realized that apparently they
hadn’t heard her.
“There just isn’t enough room on this bus if
others take up whole seats!” Alexis stated with a sigh.
This time, Elorah, Joy and Caddy looked over
at Alexis and then continued on in their conversation. Alexis was again irritated
because of their rude behavior of ignoring her helpfulness. But what could Alexis
do if others weren’t as well mannered as she was.
Alexis put this all out of her mind once they
arrived at the watering hole. She and her friends had fun splashing and playing
in the water. Plus, Alexis had some very good poses to choose from for her picture
she would enter into the beauty competition. It was definitely a good day for
Alexis.
The next morning, Alexis awoke to a lovely summer
day. Once again, she lounged a bit in bed, while Ruby came and cleaned up Alexis’s
room. Alexis thought about how nice it was to have friends willing to help out
when needed.
Soon after, Alexis and Ruby were making their
way to the dining hall for breakfast. Alexis was in an especially good mood
because she had submitted her entry for the beauty competition the night before.
Glow, a lovely electric blue Blumaroo, caught Alexis’s attention and she stopped
to talk for a moment. Ruby decided to move on ahead and save a table for Alexis.
As Ruby passed the recreation room, she noticed Elorah was standing in front
of the entry box for the beauty competition. Ruby made a quick turn and walked
into the room. She watched as Elorah stood there holding a piece of paper. Obviously
that had to be Elorah’s entry for the beauty competition.
“What are you doing?” questioned Ruby accenting
each word.
“Nothing,” Elorah softly replied.
Elorah lowered her head and tried to leave the
room. Ruby positioned herself so she stood between Elorah and the doorway.
“Were you trying enter the beauty competition?”
Ruby laughed. “You? Such a large pet as yourself trying to win a beauty competition?
Hey Alexis, come here! You have got to see this!”
Ruby continued to laugh as she watched Elorah
standing there, holding her picture.
“What?” Alexis answered as she entered the room.
“Look at that! SHE is entering the beauty
competition! As if THAT will win!” Ruby continued laughing in her annoyingly
shrill voice.
Without warning, Alexis snatched the picture
away from Elorah. She took a good look at what Elorah had drawn and then showed
it to the other pets who had come into the recreation room to see what all the
commotion was about. While it is true that Elorah was a great annoyance to Alexis,
she still felt some pity for the Elephante. It has to be very hard to go through
life being so large and unattractive. Being the good hearted pet she was, Alexis
felt she was the one who should set Elorah straight.
“Not bad Elorah,” complimented Alexis. “I just
feel I should tell you though, that pets of your size and ummm… features… don’t
win beauty competitions.”
Alexis watched as Elorah stood there looking
back at her for a moment. Before Alexis could collect her thoughts, Elorah suddenly
moved forward and grabbed the picture back. She ran past Alexis and out of the
room.
To be continued....
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