Petpet Talk: The Party

Arnold the Angelpuss glanced around the decoratively lit backyard. His owner Karl was hanging up bright pieces of paper (most likely left over from his neoschool project) along the windows. Arnold could hear Karl’s mother calling from inside the neohome.

      “Karl! Blah blah blah guests coming blab blab blah!” his mother shouted.

     Arnold yawned, bored out of his mind. It seemed Karl was having some kind of party. Either way, Arnold much preferred napping beneath the refreshments table instead of partying with the guests.

     Karl hurried over wearing a black mask. Arnold jumped at the sight.

      “Blah blah okay, blab blab blah me blah blah!” Karl laughed. “Blah blah blah masquerade blah blah.”

     At that moment the doorbell echoed inside the house. Karl patted Arnold goodbye and rushed off. Arnold sighed; the weather was perfect for some snoozing. He padded over to one of the long tables filled with bowls of snacks. Curious, Arnold stood on his tiptoes and tried to see over the top of the table.

     “Need some help, big guy?” a familiar voice chuckled.

     Arnold turned around. Stacy the Mazzew! From Ms. Finkle’s Sunshine Daycare for Petpets! “What are you doing here?” Arnold asked excitedly.

     “My owner is good friends with your owner, I’m guessing,” Stacy replied. She blinked her large purple eyes. “Say, nice place! And those foods look delicious.”

     “Yes,” Arnold sighed. “But I can’t reach any of them. Say, I wonder if any other petpets are coming?” The idea of a petpet party excited him, but then he wondered, What if Meepits come? Just the thought of a Meepit at his home frightened Arnold. They’ll tear the place apart!

     “Um, hello?” Stacy shook her paw in front of Arnold’s face. “I said Chucky is here. Let’s go greet him!”

     Arnold followed Stacy to the back door of the house, where guests in masks of all kinds filed in the yard. A familiar Polarchuck stood beside his owner, looking longingly at the refreshments table.

     “Chucky!” Arnold shook his head in amazement. “I can’t believe you’re here!”

     The two friends headed for the refreshments table. Chucky’s mouth dropped. “Are those lemon neodrops?” he quavered.

     “Yes, and I heard Karl is serving icy neggs soon,” Arnold replied.

     “Icy neggs!” howled Chucky, holding his white head with his paws.

     Just then, a bell sounded. Karl, surrounded by all his friends, announced, “Blah blah blah all for attending blah blah party blah blah blah birthday! Blah blah blah Arnold!”

     Arnold blinked in surprise, too stunned to speak. “Excuse me, but did either of you understand what my owner just said?” he asked Stacy and Chucky quickly.

     Stacy crinkled her large purple eyes in thought. “Uhh... he said something about your 4th birthday... and something about celebrating?”

     Arnold pointed to himself in awe. “Today’s my birthday? But—but—”

     “Arnold! Blah blah blab blab blah blah present!” Karl shouted across the yard.

     Excitedly, Arnold sprinted across the yard toward his owner. The Kacheek smiled and handed him a brightly wrapped box. “Blah blah birthday!” he cooed.

     Arnold tore off the wrapping paper and bow feverishly. Then he gasped. Curled up inside was a tiny green Mootix!

     Someone in the crowd snickered. Arnold spotted Henry, the snooty, rich Harris from Ms. Finkle’s Sunshine Daycare for Petpets. Growling, Arnold hissed, “Who invited you?”

     Henry crossed his arms, a smug look on his face. “My owner is unfortunately friends with your Karl over there. Of course, my owner’s much richer. Look at his suit—cost him over fifty thousand neopoints at the tailor’s, y’ know.”

     Ignoring the conceited Harris, Arnold picked up the Mootix gingerly. Karl crouched down and asked the Angelpuss, “Blah blah like blah?” Arnold nodded eagerly in reply, purring for effect.

     Henry sneered again. “Please,” he chided. “I used to own over a hundred of those wretched things. Mootixes are so last season, my dear Arnold.” He raised an eyebrow haughtily. “Right now, Moffits are in.”

     Stacy the Mazzew and Chucky the Polarchuck hurried over to admire Arnold’s gift.

     “Wow, imagine that!” purred Stacy. “I’d give anything for a Mootix! I’d name it Taylor and go to Hubert’s Hot Dogs with him—or her—and then we’d go to the Chocolate Factory and get...”

     Arnold tuned the chattering Mazzew out and leaned toward his new petpetpet. “Hey there, I’m Arnold,” he introduced himself. “What would you like to be called?”

     The Mootix snorted. Arnold raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Hey, Chucky? Stacy? Do petpetpets talk?”

     Intelligent as always, Stacy spoke up first. “Well,” she said, examining the Mootix. “I suppose they communicate somehow, like our owners do, but in a language we don’t understand.”

     As if on cue, Karl bounced over and announced, “Blah blah! Blab blab blah blah food blah blah!”

     All the guests hurried over to the refreshments. Arnold, Stacy, and Chucky stayed where they were, thankful for the peace and quiet. Unfortunately, one snooty Harris was still in their midst.

     “I simply cannot imagine what you see in that wretched thing,” Henry said. “Petpetpets are household pests. They bite and itch you all over. I’d much rather play with a plushie... of course, I have thousands, but...”

     “Thanks, Henry, but I love it,” purred Arnold, gently patting the Mootix’s tiny head.

     Henry sighed. “Suit yourself. But do tell me, dear Angelpuss, was that your only birthday present?” The sneer in his voice was hard to miss.

     Chucky hurried to Arnold’s defense. “No way,” the Polarchuck said. “I know my owner brought him a... uh... I know he brought him something, so there!” He turned reassuringly to Arnold and added, “Don’t worry, pal; if my owner did forget, you can have my cookies during snack time at the daycare.”

     Even though Arnold despised Chucky’s Beetle crackers, he managed to utter a polite thank you.

     Suddenly, shouting could be heard across the yard. They weren’t coming from the refreshments table, though. Curiously, the four petpets turned their heads toward the back porch and gasped in horror.

     “The Meepit brothers!”

     Henry cleared his throat. “Ahem, but ah, I simply cannot be seen with those vile creatures. It does no good to my reputation and high status.” He hurried toward his owner at the refreshment tables.

     Nervously, Arnold, Chucky, and Stacy waited as the Meepits dashed toward them with wild looks in their eyes.

     “Howdy, fellas,” Moe said.

     “What—what are you doing here?” Arnold stammered. He really ought to tell Karl about this... What if they wreck the party? My birthday party?

     “We heard about a masquerade slash birthday thing, and we decided to come,” Millicent answered, chuckling evilly. “My brothers and I love parties.”

     “Were you invited?” demanded Stacy.

     The third meepit, Mark, rolled his eyes and nodded toward the tables. “Our owner is friends with that Angelpussy’s Kacheek.”

     “Yeah, why do you ask?” demanded Millicent. “Do you think we crash parties or something?”

     The three Meepits stopped and stared at each other. Then they each cracked up. Arnold, Chucky, and Stacy glanced at each other awkwardly.

     “Never mind, never mind,” laughed Moe. “We just remembered—yeah, we do crash parties, so too bad!”

     Wait a minute, thought Arnold. This is MY party! I get a say in who comes and who goes... right? Bravely, he stepped forward and declared, “I order you three to not crash this party—or else!”

     Mark, Moe, and Millicent laughed. Mark looked Arnold in the eye and said, “We were invited by your owner, remember?” He chuckled and added, “At least, our owner was invited. We just tagged along for the ride.”

     With that, the three Meepits hurried off, whooping and cheering. Twenty-three seconds later, three bowls of neocrackers had been toppled to the ground. Arnold heard Karl yelling.

     “Blah blah blah blah MEEPITS blah blah??!”

     Stacy licked her paw and shook her head. “I’m glad my owner’s sane. Who goes around owning three Meepits?”

     Arnold shook his head at the mess. “I can’t believe it! Another day ruined by Meepits...”

     Chucky nodded sadly. “And I didn’t even get to taste the icy neggs,” he groaned.

     Suddenly Arnold grinned. Stacy and Chucky gazed at him curiously.

     “Hey... this is going to be one long year,” Arnold said gleefully, his eyes shining.

     Stacy paused. “Are—are you saying you want to formulate revenge?”

     “Nah.” Arnold glanced over at his owner, who was busily trying to catch the tiny Meepits. “But let’s just say I’m glad Karl put me in Ms. Finkle’s Sunshine Daycare for Petpets. I’ll get to see those Meepit brothers every day!”

     As ridiculous as the idea sounded, Stacy and Chucky nodded in agreement. Then, with a burst of laughter, the three friends leaned in for a final hug before rushing off to join the excitement.

     Party on, folks!

The End