Life With the Newbies: Part Three

      I would have cried another river if I could. But why would I waste perfectly good tears over someone that never truly loved me? Because I'd loved her, that's why. Could I possibly forgive her?

      “Hey Zainahava, there's your old mom there! Hi!” shouted Billy. I gasped and choked back tears. I saw wilderness behind me, so I ran.

      Sweet Fyora, did I run.

      * * *

      I hid behind a large bush and cried. I didn't care whether Billy came and saw me or Mommy or even Fyora herself, I was going to release all the tension inside of me.

      Stupid Mommy. Stupid Billy. Stupid everyone who was happy.

      No, I couldn't lie if I wanted all the tension to be gone.

      “I miss Mommy,” I said out loud in between sobs. “I miss her a lot. I want my old life back, when I was rich and pampered and nothing mattered but me and Mommy...” I wailed and cried harder. Mommy could have at least let me choose my future house, so I could be rich again too. But no, I got stuck with the noobs.

      Hilly Billy didn't even know I missed Mommy. She called to her as if they were old buddies, seeing each other after a century. She didn't truly know me.

      I decided to become an outcast, or an outlaw. I'd steal from shops to live, or eat wild food in the forests. Or someone rich could adopt me, and I could relive my life.

      But what if the same thing Mommy did to me happened? ABANDONED again. It was a risky matter, so being an outlaw sounded better to me.

      I was still alone by the time the sun was partly hiding. No one had bothered to come look for me.

      “See, Zainahava, this is why outlaw-ness will be great. You'll be dependent on me, myself, and I. People can't be trusted!” I reasoned out loud. I heard a faint call of my name. “Zainahava?”

      I whirled around, looking for anyone that dared call me. When I saw no one, I took awareness and crouched, hoping the tall grasses could hide me a bit.

      It was Hilly Billy. Not Mommy coming back to me, to beg for forgiveness.

      “Zainahava, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings... just come out, please, from wherever you are.” Hilly Billy sounded like she was sorry. Her voice dragged and was full of misery. It almost drowned. I sniffed, and I supposed she heard me because she started to walk in my direction. I took action. I started to crawl slowly, Slorg-like, backwards.

      “Zainahava, please,” she said. Her voice made me want to cry some more. I continued to run away, however. It would save me some misery, as for her too.

      “I can see you.” I stopped abruptly. Holly kind of chuckled.

      “I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings,” she admitted. She sniffed greatly. “I didn't know you still liked your mom. In fact, I thought you picked me to live here. But no, your mom said it was random, and seeing how poor I was, she'd take you back in a second. She said that filthy newbies like me didn't deserve the best of the best, and she'd probably w-”

      “No!” I shouted. I jumped from the grass and surprised-attacked-hugged Holly. My own act of kindness surprised me. “No, don't mind Mommy... she's just a little spoiled brat that thinks she's better than anyone else. But please, don't feel bad. You're better than her anyways.” Okay, so that last part I said out of kindness. Mommy was probably just a bit better, since she used to care about me... but used to.

      “Really?” Holly sniffed and smiled. I hesitated. Her smile shrank. “Oh, Zainahava, I can give you to a better home next month if you wish, to someone that's rich and can provide you with what you need.”

      My eyes widened in panic. “No!” I sobbed. “Don't! I know I'm used to being rich, but that doesn't matter! Mommy was nice to me, but you're nicer. You can see beyond the colors of a pet. Mommy probably only said she loved me because she envisioned me as a Desert Aisha all her life, even before I was painted. I can get used to you and your family, I swear and promise, except that maybe it'll take a bit of time, but I know that-”

      “Shush,” said Holly nicely. She petted me gently on my head. “I understand. I really do love you, Zainahava, but like you said, we probably need to get used to one another. We'll teach you and you'll teach us. But can we get one more chance?”

      I grinned in a smallish way. “You're not the one that needs another chance. I am.” Holly laughed and I laughed and she hugged me and I hugged her back.

      “Ohhh, Zainahava, you have no idea how happy I am right now! We have to go back now. Rosanna, Pancho, and Lily are at home waiting for us,” said my new mommy. For some reason, we both laughed again, and we continued to all the way home.

      * * *

      At home, we sort of celebrated. Holly attempted to make Borovan Brownies, but she failed and we ended up buying them in the Shop Wizard. Rosanna told me how crazy Holly had gone when she saw I wasn't there, and how my old mommy was rude and mean and was spitting at Holly. Lily told me the different pets that went there to get painted. Pancho didn't really tell me anything but 'I wantsa more broonies! (as he calls brownies)'.

      We were all so very happy and merry, and I didn't want it to end.

      * * *

      Later on in our celebration, a White Weewoo swiftly flew into the room. It had a piece of parchment tied around its fragile leg. Rosanna noticed it first.

      “Hey, look! It's a Weewoo, and it has something 'round its leg!” she announced. She was also the first one to rush over to the petpet. It whistled, “Wee-woo...” Rosanna giggled and took the paper from the Weewoo. “It says, um... er... gah...” she said.

      I went with her. “Can't you read?” I asked quietly. She looked at me with somber eyes, which quickly filled with tears. She ran away crying.

      The letter fluttered from her hand. I caught it in mid-air. It was from old Mommy.

      Holly Billy:

      My pet, I assure you, is disgraced with you and your family. You have lowly items, are cheap and corrupt, and have un-handpainted pets. Neopians are disgusted with your ways.

      I demand of you to return my pet. I can pay you what you want, but my pet doesn't deserve you. If I give you money, at least you can have a decent household, and your pets might be happier knowing they're painted. I can pay you exactly what she's worth; around 1.2 million neopoints. Better yet, you can buy two Baby Paint Brushes with that amount of money exactly, and at least you won't be as humiliating to Neopians everywhere as you are now.

      I will send you a Neomail every day until you accept. Many wonderful things can happen if you're rich. Look at me, I have wonderful pets! A Faerie Cybunny and Asparagus Chia. I have well over ten million neopoints, and am quite well known.

      Don't you want this lifestyle?

      I didn't notice Holly was reading over my shoulder until I read the whole thing myself and looked backwards. She looked pretty mad. “Well, too bad for her, but I'm not gonna give up my Zeeny!” she exclaimed.

      She looked at me and smiled. I smiled back. So old Mommy was going to put up a fight? Well, we were going to resist it.

      * * *

      Old Mommy's warnings and persuasions came a lot, almost three every day. Mom simply disposed of them, not answering even one.

      I had felt bad about Rosanna not being able to read, so each day, I'd teach her the different sounds each letter makes and how it's written and things like that, and she was picking up rather quickly. I used old Mommy's angry letters as examples, since the house had no books.

      After our daily lesson, I went to the living room to find Holly reading a letter (probably from old Mommy again). I sat down next to her and she handed me the letter, looking worried.

      Holly Billy:

      Please, give Zainahava back now! I know you're not answering any of my letters, but perhaps these might tempt you:

      My VWN Faerie Cybunny, Estella.

      Three and a half million neopoints.

      A Faerie Queen Doll, or an expensive avatar item of your choice, excluding MSPP and Chokato TCGs. But Super Attack Pea, yes.

      These are all my current offers. I know they're very tempting, but please! Zainahava loves me more than she'd love anyone, and I love her too! You'd be doing someone rich a favor, and then everyone would like you because of your kindness! (I'm that popular.) I hope you can find enough kindness in your heart to give me back my lovely Aisha.

      I was disgusted when I finished reading. “She'd dare do that? I don't miss her! She only wants me back because she doesn't want a newbie like you having me! She's just a jealous person!” I yelled, throwing the letter on the floor and stomping on it.

      “You weren't considering abandoning me, were you?” I asked Holly. She half-smiled. “Of course not, Zeeny.” (Zeeny was my new nickname.) She hugged me and I did too.

      “But I think we need to pay your dear old mom a visit,” said Mom, winking.

      * * *

      Holly finally answered old Mommy, saying she'd meet her by the Rainbow Pool in the 5th day of Eating, Y10. She told old Mommy to bring everything she had offered, just in case she changed her mind.

      I know what you're thinking. That Holly was about to betray me and abandon me too. But she wouldn't, never ever! Instead, we were going to trick old Mommy by acting like we wanted that, but we'd really teach her a valuable lesson!

      The day came. Rosanna, Lily, and Pancho all had to dress up nicely, to make this more believable. We walked to the Rainbow Pool, looking official and trying not to burst out laughing at our seriousness.

      Old Mommy was waiting there, shaking with excitement. She had a bulging bag of neopoints, along with a trunk that had expensive items in it. Her Faerie Cybunny was by her side, whimpering. “Mommy, do you really have to give me away?” she asked sadly. Mommy evil eyed her. “Of course!” she spat. “I can't have a newbie with her, my first pet! You were a lab rat, and fortunately you changed into a Cybunny! So I'm really not spending much! Oh, goody, here they come!”

      We were walking like Stock Market officials. We stopped in front of old Mommy. “So,” said Holly. “We're here.”

      Old Mommy whimpered in excitement. “Here, I have the Zafara Double Agent Plushie, Niten Hiroru, Icy Snowf-”

      “But,” said Holly. Rosanna was shaking, trying to hold in the laughter, “Zainahava has things to tell you first.” Estella looked at me with despise, scoffed, and looked away.

      “Yes?” asked Mommy, kneeling to meet my sight. She looked nice, but I could see right through her. I put on my sweetest, most innocent voice.

      “Mommy, you were very bad to me,” I said.

      “What?” she asked blankly. “I handpainted you and gave you many nice things! I wasn't bad.”

      “But you abandoned me.” My oozing sweetness became unbearably sour. “You abandoned me, even though you said we'd be together forever and you'd always love me. It's not a little white lie, Mommy, it's a BIG lie. I was so miserable.”

      “Okay, so maybe I did lie a bit!” admitted old Mommy. “But I love you again, isn't that enough? In fact, I never did stop loving you.”

      “Really?” Extreme sour now. “Then how come you didn't care what happened to me?! How come you gave me away to some random person instead of thoroughly thinking it out?! How come you have more than one pet if you said one was enough!”

      Old Mommy looked flabbergasted. “B-but I'm taking you back now, sweetie, you can stop being mad at Mommy and we'll all be happy again-”

      “NO!” I roared. I got the attention of many other Neopians painting their pets. “YOU JUST DON'T WANT SOMEONE AS NICE AS HOLLY TO HAVE ME BECAUSE SHE'S A NEWBIE! YOU THINK YOU'RE BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU'RE WRONG! I LOVE HOLLY AND ROSANNA AND PANCHO AND LILY, AND I DON'T CARE AT ALL WHAT YOU THINK OF ME! I'M STAYING WITH MY TRUE FAMILY.”

      Rosanna, Lily, Pancho, and even Estella clapped and cheered. Holly looked at old Mommy smugly.

      “If you excuse us, dear, we're going to have fun, as a family,” said Holly to old Mommy. So Holly grabbed Pancho and cradled him. We all joined hands: Rosanna, Lily, Holly, and I. We went back to our house, cheering loudly, leaving a dumbstruck old Mommy behind.

      * * *

      Well. It's been a little more than a year now. I'm still with Holly and everyone else. Many things have happened in that amount of time.

      Holly's now into games. She plays them a lot and now we're probably almost as rich as old Mommy is. But that doesn't mean she's stopped thinking about us and playing with us. We all go to a different place in Neopia every weekend.

      Rosanna was painted Faerie. She now knows how to read very well and has read over 1000 books. She's trying to get a Neopian Book Award, and we're all encouraging her to. She has a new petpet; a Polarchuck, which she dubbed 'Polly'.

      Pancho is still a Baby Shoyru. Everyone liked him that way, and he does too, so he's not going to change anytime soon.

      Lily was painted Disco. She listens to her favorite band CD every day, Chomby and the Fungus Balls. She's still the calm Chomby she ever was.

      Remember Prissy, the evil Angelpuss? Well, I found him already. He was the lump that was bothering me under my bed (gross, I know). I was cleaning my bed one day, and pop, out he came. He wasn't exactly in a good shape, but no one really mourned his loss.

      And I know you're wondering just what happened. Well, it turned out that when Rosanna left the room to get a beverage, Pancho had felt sorry for Prissy being so grumpy that he gave him a hug. A squeezy, long, huge hug. The poor petpet well... died. Pancho realized his mistake, so he took Prissy and made little paw prints all the way to Holly's room so it would look like he had gone there and mysteriously disappeared. Pancho hid Prissy under the bed, beneath all the toys and tinkers and whatnot.

      And old Mommy. Well, she's still filthy rich, let me tell you that. But she got rid of her Cybunny (another rich Neopian adopted her), since she thought that when she celebrated over not being Holly's pet she had really been celebrating how I had stood up to old Mommy. Her Asparagus Chia is now an only Neopet and is horribly spoiled, and she can barely stand him anymore. But since she's a greedy person and considers him more valuable than any other pet, she still has him.

      And guess what? I don't feel sorry for her at all.

The End