Confidence is the Key

     The Peophin stayed on her bed and tried to remember what she had dreamt last night. It was her morning routine. After a couple of minutes of hard concentration she could see a vague image forming inside her mind. She could never remember her dreams clearly but she loved to write about the feeling they left her. She retrieved her diary from a secret drawer in her bedside table and started to write.

     The door creaked as it opened, which gave Joy the perfect time to hide her diary.

     "Are you awake yet Joy?" said a pale-skinned girl with blond hair in a whispery voice.

     "Yeah, I'm awake mom," replied the Peophin to her owner.

     "Great!" cheered the girl in a more audible voice. "Breakfast is ready if you manage to get yourself out of that bed."

     ***

     About fifteen minutes later and much more awake, Joy found herself munching on her Chocolate Dipped Peophin Cookies and drinking her Chamomile Tea rather hurriedly. She had agreed to meet her two best friends on the foot of Techo Mountain and she lived next to the Tropical Food Shop, so it'd be a bit of a long way to get there and she didn't want to be late.

     Joy put her teacup back on the table and stood up ready to leave.

     "Have fun with your friends, honey! And be careful!" Syoamy, Joy's owner stood up and hugged her.

     Joy liked her owner a lot, she was her only family as she didn't have any siblings or even a petpet, and therefore they were very close to each other, but sometimes Syoamy acted as if Joy couldn't take care of herself. Joy suspected Syoamy was overprotective for the same reason: she was the only pet she had to look after.

     ***

     When Joy arrived Lionpardo the Spotted Kougra was already there. They didn't have to wait long for RedAsRuby the Red Techo to appear.

     "I seriously think Weewoos will take over Neopia one day," Lion said breaking the silence.

     "No way! Meepits will!" argued Ruby.

     "Maybe one day someone will put a Meepit and a Weewoo on the Cooking Pot and the resulting creature will conquer!" exclaimed Joy and the trio laughed.

     Joy admired her friends a lot. She could chat with them just about anything and they were as talented as they were nice. Lion was an excellent Battledomer, Ruby was an awesome artist, and her… she was supposed to be the writer, but she knew she wasn't as gifted as her friends. No matter how many times Lion and Ruby complimented her, she often thought her writing was shabby.

     Joy and her friends spent the whole morning playing 'Mystery Island Volcano Plot' until it was time for all to go home.

     ***

     When Joy got back home she found Syoamy with some worn out Denim Coveralls on and looking tired and dirty but happy.

     "Did you have a good time?" asked Syoamy with interest.

     "Have you been working on the garden again?" was Joy's response. "I thought you gave up after that Snake Rose incident…"

     "Oh, the Snake Rose! I had forgotten about that." Syoamy laughed.

     "No, I haven't been working on the garden. I've been spring cleaning!"

     "Good thing. This place needed it," said Joy with a smile.

     "Yeah, and I found some pretty interesting stuff. Wanna see?"

     "All right." The Peophin nodded and followed her owner to the living room. There Syoamy picked up a pile of papers from the center table and handed them to Joy.

     "I found them in your room," she explained, "How come you never showed them to me? I never knew you were such an amazing writer!" said the girl softly. She was mildly surprised.

     "MY STORIES!!" Joy shrieked angrily. She had hidden all those stories because she didn't liked them.

     "Oh, don't be like that Joy. I read them and I'm so proud of you," said Syoamy shocked at her pet's reaction.

     "Well, why you'd want to read them is beyond my comprehension. I suck at writing," said Joy, her anger rising.

     "What?! You are amazing!" stated Syoamy matter-of-factly.

     "No, I'm not! You just say that because you are my owner!" cried Joy and sat on the sofa. She looked sulky.

     Syoamy didn't know what to say. "Honey, If I had known you'd get so upset I would have never read your stories. I'm sorry," she uttered, "but when I say the are amazing is because I really think they are!" she added heartily.

     Joy looked up to face her owner with sad eyes.

     "Don't be so hard on yourself. Live up to your name JoyousSerenity!" Syoamy winked.

     A tiny smile escaped Joy's lips. Syoamy smiled too.

     "Thanks mom, I believe you" assured Joy "but I still don't believe my stories are that good," she said and her face fell again.

     "Aww, no, no. Do not dare to think that!" said Syoamy trying to keep her pet spirits high. "I'll tell you what." Her eyes sparkled like every time she was plotting something. "Just send one of those stories to the Neopian Times." She pointed at the papers Joy was still carrying. "And if it is bad as you say it won't get in. But if it does get in you'll have to admit you are good and my point will be proven. You'll feel better."

     "I don't know how getting rejected from the Neopian Times is going to make me feel better," said Joy, but she didn't seem all that sad anymore.

     ***

     "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Joy couldn't hold herself back.

     "What is it dear?" asked Syoamy clearly concerned.

     "Oh my gosh!" repeated the Peophin.

     "Yeah, you had already said that," mocked Syoamy, but Joy didn't paid attention.

     "I WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE NEOPIAN TIMES!" Joy screamed of joy handing Syoamy the editor's letter.

     "I don't need to see it, honey. I always knew you were!" said Syoamy almost as excited as her pet. "Will you believe now you are good?"

     "I… guess. Yes, I will. I'm good. I AM good."

     Joy and Syoamy hugged each other.

     "Thanks mom, you've really help me build up my confidence. My friends were always telling me I was good, but I never believed them."

     "Oh, you don't have to thank -- Wait a minute… Your friends knew you wrote and I didn't? I can't --"

     "Mom!" complained Joy, "Can't we discuss that later? This is my happy moment!"

     ***

     Joy and Syoamy were the first in line to buy that edition of the Neopian Times as soon as it got out. Syoamy was so proud of her pet she bought extra copies for all their friends and one more just to frame. Joy was proud of herself too, though Syoamy's behavior embarrassed her a little.

     ***

     The next day when Joy went to check her Neomail there were a handful of letter addressed to her. She felt very pleased know they must be about her story and carried them inside to her bedroom.

     She picked one randomly and thrillingly opened the envelope just to find a note that read:

     OMG, lyk, ur stuff in da NT suXxs!

     She chuckled and threw the letter away. If she had received that letter a few days before, she would have been very upset. But not now. Now she didn't need to be told she was good. She knew she was.

The End