The Usuki Singing Stars #7: The Miss-Fortune Teller

“I see something. Yes, something good.” A brown Aisha was hovering her hands over a colourful crystal as she spoke to a nervous pink Bruce. “I see a well... a wishing well. And I see a wish that is floating out of the wishing well. Could it be the Wishing Well? Could the wish be an avatar?”

     “Is it real?” Sparkles wondered as she stared into Aubri’s crystal ball. “Because I would never wish for an avatar, especially not for the Wishing Well one. But could it be a sign that my wish for nail polish would come true?”

     Aubri stopped looking into the crystal ball. “I don’t know what the heavens have in store for you,” she admitted. “But what I do know is that if you make a wish at the Wishing Well, it will come true... and you can leave now.”

     “Thanks, Aubri,” Sparkles said happily. She skipped away from Aubri’s fortune telling booth and skipped towards a very tired faerie Shoyru. “Pat! You won’t believe what Aubri predicted for me!” she exclaimed.

     “You actually went?” Patricia groaned. Ever since Aubri brought her ‘EZ® See Crystal Ball’ to school, everybody was asking Aubri to predict their futures. Patricia couldn’t believe how gullible everyone, and Sparkles, was.

     “Why don’t you go to Aubri and let her predict your future,” Sparkles suggested, but Patricia immediately shook her head.

     “I don’t believe in psychics,” she admitted. “Especially fake ones.”

     “But Aubri’s crystal ball works!” Sparkles exclaimed. “It told Jimmy that he will find his missing sneaker today. And he did this morning! What other proof do you need?”

     “Your wish for nail polish coming true,” said Patricia. But after a brief moment of thinking, Patricia sighed and said, “Oh okay, I’ll try it. But if it doesn’t work, which it won’t, then you owe me a hundred neopoints.”

     “Deal,” Sparkles agreed. She then took Patricia’s hand and led her to Aubri’s semi-popular fortune telling booth. The booth was nothing but a run down lemonade stand with a fortune telling sign in front if it. In front of them were seven other Neopians who were anxiously waiting for Aubri, which was a big surprise to Patricia. When she and Sparkles were finally called, Patricia felt like she had been waiting for a long ten minutes.

     “Aubri,” Patricia mumbled.

     “Patricia,” Aubri replied. “So, I guess even you want to see your fortune, right?”

     Patricia shrugged. “I guess,” she said. “I mean, I know all of you ‘psychics’ can’t actually predict the future. But if you want I’ll listen for a little bit.”

     “Excellent,” Aubri said with a sly smile. As she looked into her toy crystal ball for answers, Patricia just stared at an insane Aubri and yawned. “I see... a curse!” Aubri said in a low voice. “Yes, a curse. A curse that only fate itself can break free.”

     “Oh no,” Sparkles gasped. Patricia just yawned again, not convinced that Aubri’s prediction was true.

     “I can see that the clouds will be stormy,” Aubri continued, “and Neopia itself is in a terrible peril. I can see you running away from... oh my... the goddess herself! You are in deep troubles and must find the fate to break the curse.” After her prediction, Aubri smiled back at Patricia. “You can go now, ‘cursed one’,” she said.

     “Yeah, whatever,” Patricia sighed. As she and Sparkles walked home, Patricia was still thinking hard abut Aubri’s ‘predictions.’ I doubt they’ll come true. Patricia smirked to herself. Only a real dodo would listen to anything Aubri and her fake crystal ball says. Who is really that stupid to believe in a curse?

     ***

     “It’s raining!” Alan screamed in delight. The blue Shoyru grinned as he watched the rain pour harder and harder outside. His petpet Marc was sitting right beside him. The Puppyblew barked at the rain as it fell from the sky. Alan and Marc were waiting for Patricia to come down. But she was taking a while longer than she claimed.

     When she finally came out, Patricia glared at Alan and asked, “Have you seen my purse? I could have sworn I left it in my room.”

     “Nope,” said Alan. “Marc and I were busy playing today to snoop in your room. But look!” He pointed to the living room window and said, “It’s raining! And because your umbrella broke, you can play with Marc and me today instead!” Marc barked with excitement.

     Patricia eyed Alan with suspicion. “How did you know that my umbrella was broken?” she wondered.

     “Because Mommy told me,” Alan explained with ease. “She told me as soon as she accidentally sat on it this morning. I guess you left that on the sofa.”

     “What! But I have to go to the Smoothie Shop right now,” Patricia groaned. “But I guess I can go without it.”

     “You can’t go! You said you’d play with me today,” Alan whimpered. He sniffled a little and hugged Marc, who was totally oblivious to what was going on.

     Patricia sighed and said, “Oh all right. I’ll play with you later okay?” After Alan nodded with satisfaction, Patricia grabbed her raincoat and ran out into the gloomy weather. The rain was pouring very hard, and Patricia found herself caught in a thick wave of fog, which forced her to strain her eyes in order to see through it. By the time she got to the Smoothie Shop, Patricia was out of breath and soaking wet. And to think she'd thought checking the weather forecasts in the Neopian Times was a waste of time!

     “Oh, there you are!” Lola gasped as Patricia entered the shop. The yellow Cybunny pulled a chair out for Patricia, who sank in it with misery.

     “We were all worried that you couldn’t make it,” said Lola. “But guess what? Sparkles’s wish for nail polish came true! Can you believe it?”

     “What!” Patricia couldn’t believe what she had heard. But Sparkles was grinning from ear to ear as she pulled out a bottle of pink Usul nail polish from her purse. Feeling like she was dreaming, Patricia just stared at the bottle with a blank glance.

     “I guess my wish came true after all,” Sparkles declared happily. “And Aubri’s prediction was also correct. Perhaps she was right about your curse, Pat... ” The pink Bruce smiled at Patricia with a gloating smile.

     “I’m sure it’s not Patricia’s curse that the rain began,” Lola protested.

     “Yeah,” said Patricia. “And because, maybe... umm... maybe there are a lot of people who still need the Gloomy avatar?”

     Sparkles just shook her head. “Poor Patricia,” she tusked. “Poor, poor, poor, poor, poor Patricia. If only you would just confess the fact that you are officially cursed by Aubri, then the curse may end and you’ll be free. And you know; I read a book today that claims that most non-believers are stuck with curses longer than believers. They are let go after just one day.”

     “That’s just a bunch of dung,” Patricia insisted. “And besides, I am NOT cursed! I’m sure Aubri’s fancy crystal ball toy is just making all of this cursed stuff up.”

     “Suit yourself,” said Sparkles. “Oh, and by the way, Pat, you may want to get yourself a new raincoat. I’m sure your ‘curse’ isn’t responsible for that big blob of bubble gum you just sat on.”

     “Gum?” Patricia squeaked, hoping that Sparkles was just pulling her tail. But sure enough; right on Patricia’s chair was a squished blob of bubblegum. Both Lola and Sparkles got up to see the gum cling onto Patricia’s raincoat.

     “Umm, Pat,” Lola gasped, “why are there onion bits in your gum?”

     “Because... ” Patricia squeaked quietly. She didn’t even want to answer Lola’s question. Let alone face the superior smirk that Sparkles was giving her.

     “How about we go see Aubri first thing in the morning?” Sparkles suggested with a smile. “Maybe then will you realize that curses do exist!!?”

     Patricia sighed with defeat. “Oh, all right," she said. “But before we do... can somebody pass me some scissors?”

     Lola nodded. “Oh, by the way, Pat,” she said, “you left your purple satin purse at my house yesterday. Do you want me to give it to you tomorrow at Neoschool?”

     Patricia clenched her teeth. “Scissors... NOW!” she demanded.

     ***

     “I see a- Oh, it’s you. What do you want now?” Aubri demanded. She was drumming her fingernails on her wooden table as she waited for Patricia to answer.

     “Well,” Patricia began, “let's just say a certain somebody here has learned her lesson about ‘curses’. And guess what? I did! Isn’t that amazing?” After a nervous chuckle, Patricia said, “So Aubri, ole buddy ole pal, is there any way you can... oh, I don’t know... reverse a certain somebody’s curse before she’s hexed for life?”

     “What?” Aubri asked blankly. “Oh, that. P-uh-lease, I’m all over that gypsy garbage, you big dodo. I’m more interested in cootie catching.”

     “Well, that’s nice and all,” said Patricia, “but what about-”

     “Oooooh, do my fortune, Aubri!” Sparkles exclaimed. Aubri just rolled her eyes at her, while Patricia shook with fear.

     “Look, losers. I would be honoured to do some voodoo for you two,” Aubri said slyly. “But unfortunately, I’m becoming more private. And by private, I mean I don’t do losers anymore. Got it?”

     “But what about my curse!?!?” Patricia exclaimed. “Ever since you cursed me, I’ve had nothing but bad luck! So you have to reverse it right now.”

     “Oh, my goodness,” Aubri giggled. “I can’t believe you fell for it! As if you were ever cursed, you stupid Shoyru. I just made that up because I hate you, that’s all. Since there are no such thing as curses.”

     “But what about your predictions?” Sparkles wondered. “You said my wish would come true. And guess what? It came true!”

     “Oh, halleluiah,” Aubri mumbled. “Look, losers, I have to go now. Have fun believing in your little curses and fairy tales.” Patricia glared at Aubri as she walked away.

     I wish you would be cursed, Patricia thought angrily. Then you’ll be sorry! But Aubri just kept on walking towards the Neoschool. But then Aubri tripped over a tree root, and fell face flat into a puddle of mud!

     Sparkles gasped. “Oh, no! Do you think Aubri could have been struck by bad luck?”

     “If she did, then that would be very un-fortunate.” Patricia giggled as Aubri groaned on the ground.

The End