Downhill

     I remember the day perfectly. So perfectly, because it was the least perfect day of my life.

     This is the story. My story. Mine and Reenie's story. This is how it all happened.

          * * *

     You couldn't exactly call me popular. Actually, I had no friends. Not one. I'm not sure why. I was nice. I was pretty. We weren't poor. We lived in a nice house. I got good marks at school. It just didn't make sense. Maybe it was because Cybunnies usually were good at everything, so I didn't really amount to much.

     I was lying in bed thinking of ways I could make myself the most popular pet in Neopia (win beauty contest, come first at some game, give everyone 10 000 NP, etc.) When I heard something. Something very loud. Somebody was yelling.

     I climbed out of bed and wandered down the stairs. I saw my owner, Trina, following me. 'Oh, gosh,' she moaned, rubbing her head. 'Jendi, what's happening?'

     'I don't know, but I'm going to find out.' I turned and walked towards the door, with Trina following. I pushed it open and stepped outside, where the noise was even louder.

     I was hit with a blast of cold air. Even in summer it was chilly, but at least it wasn't snowing. It was a beautiful crisp Sunday morning, and since the air was so clear I could see the scene in front of me perfectly.

     The source of the noise was a large group of pets called "Lupe Moving Co." Lupes rushed around carrying expensive looking polished tables, lamps, couches, beds and about a million other things into the empty house next door, which obviously wasn't going to be empty anymore.

     I looked around for the new neighbours, and spotted them. They were standing about ten metres away from the house. A woman was holding a faerie backpack in one hand and a hand bag in the other. She really stood out against the snow-covered landscape as she was wearing a black suit and high heels. She was talking to one of the Lupes - bossing him around from the looks of it. She kept flicking her hair and waving her arms and pointing at things and shaking her head.

     I was too busy watching this woman to notice what the pet was doing, and by the time I saw her she was standing right in front of me. I was pretty. She was beautiful. She was a faerie Wocky. She was a little shorter than me, but it didn't make me feel superior - this girl was obviously from a much higher social class than me. She was holding a tray with foil over the top.

     She smiled up at Trina and me. 'My name is Reenie,' she said politely. 'That's my owner, Lilia. We just moved here from Faerieland. Maybe you realised that already?' She gave a high, tinkling laugh. She handed her tray to Trina. 'These are a present for you.'

     'Er… I'm Trina and this is Jendi,' my owner stammered. 'It's very nice to meet you. Thanks for…' she looked at the tray. '…this.'

          Reenie turned to me. 'I'm sure we'll be the best of friends.' She smiled again and then turned and walked back to her mother.

     Trina and I went back inside. I wasn't sure this whole "best of friends" thing was going to work.

     'Do you like choc chip Wocky cookies?' Trina asked suddenly. 'Because we have a whole tray of them.'

     * * *

          I avoided Reenie for the rest of the day. This wasn't easy. I like going outside, so I was usually out playing in the garden. But it seemed Reenie was exploring the neighbourhood. Every time I saw her coming down the street I would sprint back inside and spy on her through the window.

     'Why are you avoiding that Reenie girl?' Trina asked me later, at dinner. 'She seems nice enough.'

     'Are you kidding?' I snapped, tossing my blue mane. 'Did you see her looking down her nose at us when we met her? She doesn't like us. She was avoiding me!' I looked at my plate. If Trina looked into my eyes, she would know I was lying.

     'Whatever,' she answered, and went back to eating her salad. She knew. How did she know? As if reading my thoughts, she added, 'I saw you run in the house every time she walked past. And I saw you spying on her.'

     'Oh.' For a minute I was silent, and then I said, 'I might go to bed.' I put my plate in the kitchen and started going up the stairs.

     'Don't forget to brush your teeth!' Trina called after me. 'I bought you a new blue toothbrush yesterday. It's next to the sink.'

     I brushed my teeth and went to bed. To bed. Not to sleep. I lay for a long time wondering how I would be able to avoid Reenie for the rest of my life. Could I persuade Trina to move? Somewhere really far away, like Mystery Island.

     I eventually drifted off, knowing that would never happen.

     * * *

     I padded along my paws sinking slightly in the snow. It was Monday morning, and I was headed to Neoschool. I was in a particularly good that day because I had no homework due that day at all. I felt like nothing could bring me down.

     'Jendi!'

     Except that. I turned to see Reenie running towards me. I hadn't counted on her going to the same school as me. I felt my whole avoidance plan being sucked down the drain. Why did she have to move in next door? That had started all my problems.

     I faked a smile. 'Hi, Reenie.' I looked jealously at her water faerie backpack. I realised it was probably full of expensive stuff.

     'Hi Jendi. I saw you and thought we should walk together.' She walked gracefully along next to me, her paws leaving little round footprints behind her. 'Will we be in the same class?' she asked.

     'I'm in the top class,' I said stiffly. 'It's very hard to get into. You have to be very smart. So, sorry, but I guess we'll have to be in different classes.' I smiled in a way I hoped looked sympathetic. 'It's unfair, I know.'

     'Oh, I was in the top class at my old school,' Reenie said airily. 'So I suppose we're pretty lucky then, aren't we? Not everyone gets to be in the same class as their friends. I remember…'

     She kept talking, but I stopped listening to her. It was going to be a long day.

     * * *

     All the Neopets ran out of the room as soon as the bell rang for lunch. I usually walked out slowly, behind all the rest, but today I was the first out of the door. I had just spent the entire morning sitting next to Reenie and I wanted to get away from her as quickly as possible.

     I went and sat in my usual spot. Alone. I was just pulling my lunch box out of my bag when somebody sat next to me. I didn't have to look up to see who it was. 'Hi Reenie.'

     'Hi Jendi. Um, I was just wondering…' Her voice sounded different. Smaller. Less confident. 'I went to you house yesterday but I didn't see you.'

     'What? Oh yeah. I was… at the beach,' I said quickly. 'On Mystery Island.'

     'No you weren't. I saw you watching me from behind the curtains.' She turned to look at me. 'If you don't want to be friends just say so.'

     'Well, fine!' I snapped. 'I don't.'

     She stood up and walked away, the light snow falling steadily from the sky settling on her wings.

     * * *

     'Why are you following me?' I demanded. It was Friday afternoon and I was on my way home, and Reenie was about a metre away. This was the first thing I had said to her since our fight.

     'I'm not,' she said, her voice quivering slightly. 'I live next door, remember? We have to walk the same way to get home.'

     We were silent for a long time after that. I kicked at the snow. I was looking forward to getting home. I wanted nothing more than to curl up on my bed with my Wocky plushie and cry. I didn't know why I had that plushie. And I didn't know why I wanted to cry. But I did.

     We reached Reenie's house and she started to walk along the lawn to her front door. I saw a tear roll down her cheek and drop to the ground. She was the one person who had ever wanted to be my friend. And I had sort of wanted to be her friend too…

     'Reenie, wait!'

     She turned and looked at me. Her eyes were dull and her fur was wet from crying. I knew what I had to do and what I had to say. I knew this was my chance.

     'Do you want to come to my house for something to eat?' I smiled. 'I've got a whole tray of Wocky cookies we can have.'

     I saw a smile splitting across her face, but I kept talking. 'Or do you want to sleep over, even?'

     'Really? Wow! I'd love to! I'll just go get my Cybunny plushie and tell my Mum.' She started to run towards her house, but the stopped and turned. 'Um, I was just wondering… Are we friends now?'

     I smiled. 'No. We're the best of friends.'

The End