Popular for the First Time: Part Two

"I'll be right back, guys." I waved at Peach and Kiley, who were hanging out by Peach's locker during break.

     My next stop was the girls' bathroom to check my makeup. I had already grabbed my makeup bag out of my backpack – it was black with pink lining and pastel scribble hearts on it.

     I heard sobbing coming from the bathroom. I slowly opened the door.

     "It's okay, Bliss," said a cloud Flotsam, "you'll make new friends."

     "Yeah," said a brown Moehog.

     Crud! If only I had brought my compact mirror...

     "It's not fair! First I move away from Vesta, and then my new friend leaves me for those jerks!" Bliss cried.

     "You're a great person, Bliss," the Flotsam said, "and if Maybelle can't see that, she's not worth your time."

     I tried to back away, but the Moehog's eyes burned through mine like a laser beam. I knew she'd already seen me.

     "So, Bliss..." the Moehog said loudly, "are you still having that BIG PARTY next Saturday?"

     "Yeah, the one that you invited all the cool kids to?" Puddles (the Flotsam) asked.

     "Give it up, guys, I heard everything." I entered bravely.

     "Sorry, I don't speak jerk." Roxxi (the Moehog) rolled her eyes.

     "Look, I'm just here to check my makeup," I said. "I had no clue you guys were here."

     The three pets arranged themselves in a fashion that blocked the mirror.

     "Ha-ha, very funny, move!" I tried to push through puffy-eyed Bliss and angry-eyed Roxxi.

     "Go check your stupid makeup somewhere else!" Puddles pushed me down, her air faerie bubble necklace dangling in a way that almost hit my left eye.

     "Eww, this better be water!" I stood up from the puddle I was in.

     "It is." Roxxi rolled her eyes. "I spilled some when I came in here."

     She dangled an empty blue paper cup in front of me for proof.

     "Well, since you're gonna be that way, I'm just gonna have to check my makeup in the second floor bathroom." I stormed out of the bathroom.

     I couldn't believe how aggressive pets get when their siblings are in trouble. Oh, how I wished Butterscotch was a girl so he could have run in there and saved my backside.

     I looked up to Butterscotch a lot. He was more than my big brother – he was my best friend. I knew that if he were a girl, or if that were a unisex bathroom, he would have pushed Puddles down before she could have laid her fin on me.

     *

     "So, where can we pick you up on Saturday?" Paint asked.

     "64105 Summit Strip," I replied.

     "Okay." Peach nodded, handing us our pizza and Neocola.

     "I get cherry today!" I popped the can open.

     "I knew you would be here, so I picked one up for you." The Wocky grinned broadly.

     I looked over at Bliss's table. Her eyes were still red and puffy, and her other siblings were trying to calm her down. I had no clue who the other pet Vesta was that she had been talking about, but something told me that Vesta hurt her somehow.

     "So, what happened in the bathroom this morning?" Paint asked.

     "Huh?" I looked shocked.

     "I dunno, but Bliss seemed pretty upset about something in second period," Paint shrugged, "not that I care. I'll bet you're great at insults, aren't you?"

     "Uh, yeah," I said.

     "Let's see how well you do on that Peophin over there." Kiley pointed to a blue Peophin at Butterscotch's table.

     I nodded, strutting over to the table.

     "Hey, Peophin!" I said.

     "Yeah?" the Peophin asked.

     "Do you know what you're eating?" I pointed to the cafeteria tray.

     "Um..." the Peophin stuttered.

     "Then why are you eating it? You're stupider than a Tyrannian native." I rolled my eyes and walked away.

     "Okay, that was NOT your best put down." Ray wagged his claw.

     "Sorry, I couldn't see anything wrong." I shrugged.

     "That was a trick test," Paint replied. "We just wanted to see what you could come up with."

     I sighed with relief and bit into the pepperoni power pizza.

     *

     "What was up with you and Topaz today?" Butterscotch asked.

     "Who?" I looked up from my celestial salad.

     "That blue Peophin that you insulted," Butterscotch replied.

     "My friends told me to do it." I shrugged.

     "Not your best put down," Butterscotch chuckled. "She did say, however, that she overheard something that happened in the downstairs bathroom this morning. What was that about? You made that Bliss girl cry pret-ty hard."

     "What is up with everybody asking me about that?" I threw my arms up in frustration.

     "Just curious." Butterscotch shrugged.

     ST brought some mint rolls onto the table.

     "Dessert?" I asked.

     "I guess." ST shrugged.

     *

     It wasn't very long before Saturday rolled around. I spent most of the day shopping with Lem, who insisted that I got the latest trends in pajamas and sleeping bags for the sleepover. Our purchases were a Twisted Roses sleeping bag, a green Cybunny pillow, a pair of sleep shorts with a pink heart print, and a white spaghetti strap top with a big pink heart sporting wings and a gold crown.

     Then, I wanted to get a robe, slippers, and a travel bag, so Lem got the robe and slippers in a fluffy white fabric and the bag with a Twisted Roses theme to it.

     When the group arrived, I was reading Neopian Girl magazine on the Ultranova sofa.

     "Cinn, stop that!" I tried to dodge his Meridell spade.

     "Silence, captive!" the purple Wocky shouted.

     "Hello." I opened the door.

     "Are you ready?" Peach asked.

     "Yeah, hold on," I said as I grabbed my stuff.

     We rode on Peach's back until we reached a large marble mansion.

     "We're here." Paint knocked on the door.

     "Hey." Kiley waved.

     Behind her was Stripe, who apparently lived next door.

     "We were just about to start the makeovers." Kiley smiled, letting them in.

     "I brought my makeup," I said, holding up the makeup bag.

     "Great, just dump it into the pile in my bathroom," Kiley instructed as we followed her up the modern purple stairs.

     Kiley's bathroom was huge. I hated to admit it, but her Neohome made mine look like the rubbish dump.

     In 'the pile' was various tubes of lipstick, a few eye shadow compacts, and a lone compact of blush. Once Paint and Peach dumped out their bags, I was amazed at how much makeup there could possibly be in Neopia, and felt poor as I dumped out my small bag.

     "Ooh, pink." Peach lifted up the tube. "I love this shade, but my owner says it makes my lips look big."

     "I don't wear it, because it doesn't go with my fur." I shrugged.

     "Maybelle, you're new, so you can go first," Paint explained.

     Kiley had me lie down on a padded shell chair while she did my makeup and fur.

     "Maybelle, do you own Superstar shampoo?" Kiley asked.

     "Yeah," I replied.

     "Good, because it's the only one that really works." Peach nodded.

     When I looked in the hand mirror, I could see gold lipstick and eye shadow that made me feel special, a light pink blush, red nail varnish, and a luxurious mane that had been tied into a perfect bun.

     "Now I think she should visit my closet," Kiley dragged me into a large room full of clothes.

     "Is this a closet or a mall?" I asked jokingly.

     "Now, that outfit is okay for school," Kiley eyed what Lem insisted I wore – a Twisted Roses t-shirt and a pair of dark wash jeans, "but I think we need to spice you up a little."

     When Kiley had found my outfit, she thrust it at me so fast I could barely catch it.

     The pile contained a Gnorbu wool jumper, a white denim miniskirt, and a pair of sky blue, knee-length leggings.

     "Hmm... I still don't like this jumper." Kiley snatched the top back and thrust me a Peophin exercise tank.

     "Perfect!" I put the outfit on immediately.

     "Hey, uh, Maybelle, why don't you go down to the kitchen and bring up some smoothies?" Peach asked. "I left a box of churro smoothies in Kiley's fridge when I came over this morning."

     "Okay," I replied, making my way for the stairs.

     When I came back, Peach was getting her makeover.

     "Hey, Maybelle, we can use your lipstick, right?" Peach asked.

     "Whatever I dumped there is fine." I shrugged.

     I sat down on the ground with an issue of Neopop Magazine and began sipping my smoothie.

      *

     "Hey, Maybelle." Paint waved to me at school on Monday.

     "Hey." I waved.

     "Did you have fun on Saturday?" she asked.

     "Yeah, that sleepover rocked!" I replied.

     "By the way, I'd stay away from Bliss, Puddles, and Roxxi at all costs," Paint warned me. "They seemed pret-ty mad this morning."

     "Got it," I replied.

     On my way for my makeup check at break, I made sure the bathroom was empty before I ran in. Just in case they showed up, I went into the big stall on the end that had a mirror in it.

     As I applied more gold lipstick, I heard the main door creak open. I saw some golden hooves clacking across the floor. Was it...

     "Stupid Roxxi, stupid mud puddle!" I heard the voice say as the sink water turned on.

     I tried to hide, but Bliss stepped into the shower stall right next to me.

     "Argh, it even got in my mane!" she said as the water began hissing at her.

     Apparently, Bliss was a shower singer. And not a very good one, at that. She began singing a Wock 'Til You Drop song.

     "...we don't care if we never stop... we'll keep on Wock-ing, and we're never gonna drop!"

     I stood on the coral toilet to make sure Bliss didn't see my feet, but my head peeked over the stall.

     "AAAH!" the Uni screamed when she saw me.

     "Bliss!"

     "Maybelle!"

     Bliss looked more angry than surprised.

     "Were you... WATCHING me?" Bliss screamed. "I swear I'll report you! Your owner can get in so much trouble!"

     "Look, I was just doing my makeup, then I saw you and tried to hide, but the stall wall is too short," I explained.

     "Just leave already, then!" Bliss screamed.

     I jumped down from the toilet and ran out of the bathroom.

     *

     Paint and I were sitting on a cement bench outside the library at lunch, since it was humid in the cafeteria.

     "Smoothies! Get your smoothies here!" called Ray, who was wearing a strap with a box attached to it that was full of smoothies.

     Paint giggled nervously.

     "What on Neopia?" I asked.

     "They caught me sneaking off campus to get the pizza, since Peach was absent," Ray explained.

     "And they're making you sell smoothies?" Paint asked.

     "Whatever." Ray rolled his eyes and walked away.

     "Uh-oh," Paint said.

     "What?" I asked.

     "Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh!!!" the Ogrin franticly gasped.

     "What? What? Just tell me what's going on!" I screamed.

     "Them." Paint gulped.

     "Where?" I looked around.

     I didn't see Paint's siblings anywhere.

     "DUCK!" Paint screamed, pushing me off the bench.

     I skidded across the concrete and scraped up my knees, but I had no clue what for.

     At least, until I saw a large maractite net land on the spot that I had been sitting.

     "Maybelle!" Paint ran over to me.

     I looked down at my knee – it had been cut on something, but what? Then, I saw it – I saw it on the roof, wearing a big fat grin.

To be continued...