Different

      Medina found her way outside, and a footman hurried to open the door of her luxurious Uni-carriage. The tiny little royal Acara scowled. The footman, a young blue Scorchio, was too plain and polite for her liking. His name was Edrick. He nodded to her and closed the door.

      "Oh, Edrick! Close it quietly! My perfectly beautiful ears will ache horridly if you don't! Oh, if you do it again, I'll have you fired, I will!"

      Edrick said softly, "Yes, ma'am."

      The carriage took off. The Unis, clomping about, tried to be quiet for fear of losing their job. Misses Medina and her owner, Madam Jessenia, were horridly prissy and mean, but they paid 10,000 NP a week. Finally, with a sigh of relief, they reached the school without losing their jobs.

      Margery Moscow Malden's Highly Expensive School For Rich Ninnies (MMMHESRN) was the prissiest, cleanest, most amazing school Neopia (or Kreludor, for that matter, though Kreludor has no schools I know of) has ever seen.

      "Medina, I understand your dress got dirty yesterday. I'm soooo sorry!" laughed Twanda sarcastically. Twanda was an amazingly beautiful Faerie Usul with perfectly groomed fur, and wings that were polished, massaged and cleaned to perfection every morning.

      "Um, uh…" Medina mumbled.

      "Why don't you go play with your friends? Oh, I forgot…you don't have any! Besides, who in their right mind would want to be friends with a stuck-up, spoiled, uncaring, unkind PRINCESS???" Twanda laughed with a group of worshipful pets.

      Medina just stuck her nose in the air and left.

      She stood next to a group that was standing by the water fountain.

      "Hi," she mumbled. The pets slowly backed away, with faces horror-stricken.

      Medina sighed. She walked up to a small, lonely white Aisha that was fiddling with her locker.

      "Hi," she said a bit louder. The Aisha was startled, then frightened.

      "Um, were you the person I was supposed to do Geography homework for? Oh, I'm so sorry, I-I finished Tyrannia and Faerieland, but-but I had other work, please don't hurt me, I-I'm really sorry…" the poor pet uttered.

      "No, no. You weren't supposed to do homework for me. I was wondering, what's your name? I've always seen you, but never heard you," Medina said steadily.

      "M-my name? L-Lilly. Lilly4186100, but I'm just called Lilly. I was supposed to be in 3rd form, but my teacher put me up here in 6th form. I- I find it easy," Lilly explained. She fumbled with the pink hair bow she wore on one long ear. She was neatly dressed in school uniform: plaid pleated skirt, white blouse, blue sweater with MMMHESRN logo on it, and white stockings with brown oxford shoes. Everything was neat and pressed; she even wore a string of pearls 'round her neck. Her fur was smooth and silky, her eyes deep, beautiful amber, and her face was perfectly shaped.

      She's rich and beautiful, Medina thought, yet all everybody notices is her schoolwork and for that she is marked nerdy. No, this beautiful, smart, kind creature has been kicked into the dust because of her smarts! How horrible! Just then, Medina remembered that she, too, had kicked her into the dirt. She remembered their first and only conversation.

      * * * * *

      "Hi. I bet you're Medina. Ms. Denise said I was supposed to sit next to you," the young white Aisha had said cheerfully.

      "Yeah, so? And guess what? I don't need a nerdy little girl like you to be my friend. So leave me alone, got it?" Medina had snarled.

      From that point on, Lilly realized that this form would tear her up socially. And it did. From then, Lilly never spoke to a "popular" pet again.

      * * * * *

     "Why don't you come over to my house for tea and we can play with my Usuki Dolls? I have every single one. TWO of every single one. And my servants will give you whatever you want. They have to. I can make them."

     "Okay!" Lilly exclaimed.

      Their friendship grew. And grew. And grew. Every day after school, Lilly would come over and play at Medina's house (*cough* mansion *cough*)

      Her father, Matt, began to worry. His little pet, which he had sent to a highly expensive school so she could get education, NOT friends, was beginning to grow socially. As Lilly walked to her house, a shabby little shack located on Dark Forest Path in the Haunted Woods, she shivered and pulled her sweater closer.

      Her owner, whom she was expected to call Father, opened the door and smiled. He and his pet were very close, even though he was quite strict. He always kept her clothes clean and neat and her room neat and tidy and the shack as comfortable as possible.

      "Lilly, I need to talk with you," Matt said.

      "Yes, Father," Lilly answered promptly. They went inside. She sat on the couch, which was losing its stuffing and color. He sat on the armchair, which was equally as shabby.

      "Lilly, I've noticed a decrease in your grades. This is very serious," Matt said sternly.

      "Yes, Father," Lilly answered again, this time bowing her head.

      "This is not allowed. You know that. Let's count our money, shall we?" Matt said. He lifted a small cardboard box from the shelf and set it down. Lilly dug into her pockets.

      "Let's see. I've got 2, 500 NP savings, and 600 NP pocket money. How much do you have, Lilly?"

      "250 NP, Father."

      "This is not much. Not much at all. So, that is why I have sent you to the school you currently attend. So you can become very smart, get a high paying job, and we can finally have enough. Has this…Melissa….found out we are poor?"

      "No, Father. Medina has not found out. She believes I am rich because I wear Mother's pearls," Lilly answered solemnly.

      "Good. Now, you may never see this…Miranda…again. Dismissed."

      The next day, as Lilly and Medina were walking to Medina's house (*cough*mansion*cough*), Lilly tore away from Medina and ran as fast as possible back to her shack. Medina, who had taken a couple seconds to react, beat her Faerie wings in a hurry, and followed the white Aisha silently. As they arrived at the shack, Medina gasped, which blew her cover.

      "See? You see now how poor I am. I live with my Father, and we have hardly anything!

      I can't see you anymore. I'm sorry. I - I didn't want to, but, but, but Father said so!!!!" Tears began to roll down the soft white cheeks of the girl's face, and she began to weep and ran into the house, never to speak to her friend again.

      * * * * *

     The weeks passed. At school, Lilly and Medina exchanged glances of both hatred and sorrow. Medina fell into a deep black hole in which she could feel not joy, sorrow, anger, or anything. She was a body without feelings, without kindness or comfort.

      Now, you may think, Oh, she can HIRE friends, for goodness' sake! Why can't she be happy when she's got it all??? Ah, but no living soul can be happy without warmth, when they've felt it and lost it.

      Medina began to yearn for her friend, and seemed not to care anymore that Lilly had lied to her. She certainly did not care that Lilly was poor. She followed Lilly to her shanty, as she had done all those weeks before.

      All of a sudden, Balthazar jumped out and growled at Lilly. Lilly screamed and ran. Balthazar snatched her skirt, and Lilly was caught. Medina hurried and found a broken glass jar Balthazar used for capturing Faeries, and beat him over the head with it. The shaggy Lupe fell unconscious. The two dragged him to some nearby blackberry bushes.

     Lilly sighed in frustration.

      "I thought you hated me after I lied to you…and I am poor. You must think I am a horrible person who can't even buy an Earl Grey Tea when she feels like it!"

      "No! Not at all! I really miss you…but your owner…" Medina said.

      "Oh, we can reason with him," Lilly said.

      "Friends?"

      "Friends."

      The two linked paws and set off into the sunset.

~ The End ~