Invisible

      'Good thing Stella oiled the doors yesterday,' he thought, silently thanking his owner's obsession for hygiene and cleanliness.

      He bent down onto all fours and peered through the slightly open door.

      It was dark in the hallway where he was crouched but the bedroom beyond the door was well lit. Lamps were dotted around the shelves, which lined the walls. He could see a bed, well made with several plushies arranged tidily on top of the purple sheets. Then he heard humming and sloshing sounds before a brown paw appeared, just inches from the door. For several long moments Jimmy did not dare to move, lest he should make a noise. Eventually the foot disappeared and he relaxed.

      As he waited for the right moment, he scratched his back uncomfortably. The costume was making him itch - he better hurry up so he could get it off ASAP. He cupped his paws to his mouth and said in a hoarse, cackling voice, "BOO! I have come to get what I came for, Trixie."

      The sloshing sound within the room stopped and he heard a muffled scream, a crash and water spilling.

      Jimmy cackled.

      "W-w-who's that?" he heard Trixie stutter.

      "It's Dr. Sloth," Jimmy pretended.

      "W-w-what do you want?"

      "The Neopoints."

      He heard Trixie whimper.

      "W-w-what Neopoints?"

      "The Neopoints you shall give to your brother, Jimmy so he can buy a new costume."

      There was a silence. Then a howl of fury before the door was wrenched open and Trixie, the pink Xweetok, glared down at her little brother crouched on the floor.

      "JIMMY!" she screeched. "Look what you did!"

      And she pointed at her bedroom floor where paints were trickling out of their pots and a mug of dirty water had spilt. Paintbrushes were scattered on top of this mess; one had even landed on her bed, leaving a blob of green paint on the bedcovers. The easel was still intact but the painting on it was far from OK. It had a huge green line slashed diagonally from where Trixie must've jumped in fright.

      Jimmy saw this with a shocked expression. But then he jumped up, wearing a black sack and a green Dr. Sloth cardboard head.

      "I should be the one upset," he pouted. "You ruined my joke before I could jump in and scare you."

      Trixie shook with rage but before she could say anything, Jimmy added, "Personally, I think the green lines makes your portrait unique." He stuck his tongue out and then raced to his room, slamming the door shut.

     ~*~

      Jimmy and Trixie's older brother, Mattie the blue Zafara, was walking to school with his two best friends, Jane and Chip. They were laughing and joking around. Mattie said something and the other two roared with laughter. Other Neopets were looking admiringly in his direction; there was no doubt about it, Mattie was very popular.

      Which was why what Jimmy was going to do next would be even more funny, considering it worked. At least in Jimmy's opinion it would be.

      He was perched on a branch in a tree, which hung over the path Mattie and his friends were walking along. He could see them in the distance, still chuckling appreciatively.

      Jimmy stood up on his branch, testing its strength whilst holding onto the branch above for balance. The branches were starting to grow little buds of leaves but it still made Jimmy feel horribly exposed. However, there was a strong wind and most of the passing Neopets kept their eyes down.

      Jimmy settled down on the middle of the branch, his legs wrapped around a large lump that stuck out. He had his back to the approaching friends, which was why he was holding a mirror.

      "Have to get it perfect," he muttered.

      Mattie was getting closer; not once did he or his friends glance up, still joking around. Just a few more seconds…3…2…1!

      "ROOOOOAAARRR!"

      Jimmy fell backwards, his legs still clinging onto the branch. His head stopped just in front of Mattie's head.

      There was an extremely high-pitched scream and Mattie tripped, falling on Jane and Chip. Jimmy hoisted himself back up and roared with laughter, wiping tears off his face.

      He turned and watched the three friends struggle to their feet. Several Neopets were staring and pointing.

      "Who screamed?" Chip groaned, clutching his head. "Was it you, Jane? It sounded like a girl."

      Jane shot a look of disdain at Chip. "It wasn't me."

      They both turned to look at Mattie who was picking up his backpack and tying his scarf around his neck again. He looked at the tree and saw Jimmy still laughing.

      Jimmy grabbed his mirror and the bag he'd hung from a branch before flying away as fast as he could.

      But not before he heard Chip and Jane chanting, "Mattie screamed like a girl! Mattie is a girl!"

     ~*~

      Having managed to avoid Trixie and Mattie all day at school, Jimmy flew a few inches above the path home. He chuckled to himself as he remembered all those Neopets calling Mattie a girl, and Trixie seething at him across the canteen because she had not been able to enter her painting in the Art Contest.

      He had to share his stories with someone. And who better than his best friend, Marvin?

      He checked that no one was around and finding the path empty, he dug in his backpack. He finally pulled out a rather old and broken yellow Lupe plushie. It had seen better days. One eye was missing and a leg had been pulled off but Jimmy still loved him.

      He chatted away to Marvin, now and again making him laugh at his jokes or praising him for his ingenious ideas.

      As he passed the same tree he had scared Mattie from earlier, he gave another chuckle and said to Marvin, "You should've seen his face, Marvin!"

      Suddenly a voice asked, "Who are you talking to?"

      It was Mattie and Trixie. Jimmy backed away nervously. After all, they were both older than him and much stronger.

      "Two on one isn't fair," he pointed out.

      Trixie looked at Mattie. Mattie looked at Trixie. They burst out laughing.

      "You thought we were going to beat you up?" Trixie giggled.

      "Sounds tempting but we won't, little bro," Mattie grinned, patting Jimmy's head.

      "You're not?" Jimmy asked.

      "No."

      "But last time, when I did that thing with the mop, you said you were going to get me!" Jimmy said.

      "Yes. But…we can't really be bothered." Mattie shrugged.

      He winked at Jimmy and he and Trixie walked off, without a backward glance.

      Jimmy took Marvin out from where he'd hastily stuffed him into a bush. He pulled off some twigs and said, "That was close! But they'd never hurt me! They're too scared!"

      And he jumped up and flew home, grinning all the way.

     ~*~

      That night as they sat down for dinner, their owner, Stella beamed at them all and said, "I won the most wonderful prize today!"

      "Ooh what? Was it NP? Because then you can finally paint me!" Mattie asked with his mouth full.

      "No, I won an Invisible Paint Brush!" Stella beamed.

      Mattie and Trixie's expectant faces fell. Mattie continued to eat his dinner and Trixie carried on playing with her food. Jimmy, meanwhile, was secretly feeding Marvin under the table.

      "What's the use of an Invisible Paint brush?"

      "Well…well…" Stella wondered.

      "You could use it to make Mattie's room invisible…it's an eyesore." Trixie giggled.

      Mattie scowled.

      "I'll put it somewhere for safe keeping…" Stella said. "I'll give you the NP to buy a paint brush for yourself, Mattie."

      Mattie's face lit up.

      "Want to come, Trixie?"

      "Sure."

      Jimmy looked up expectantly. But no one looked in his direction.

     ~*~

      The next day, Jimmy and Marvin watched from their bedroom window as Mattie and Trixie set out for the market place. He sighed and said to Marvin, "It's not fair. I want to help choose."

      He went downstairs, Marvin safely in his backpack.

      "Stella, may I please have some neopoints to spend on toys?" he asked.

      Stella handed him a small sack of coins and Jimmy set out for the toyshop. He hoped to buy a costume of some sort to use in one of his many pranks. But when he got there, the shopkeeper said sadly, "Sorry, we're out of stock. There should be some more coming in approximately ten minutes and thirty four seconds!"

      Jimmy decided not to hang around. He left the path so he could cut through the woods behind the shops to get home. As he walked he chatted to Marvin.

      He was halfway home when Marvin was yanked out of his grip. Jimmy yelled out and tried to snatch Marvin back but when he turned, there wasn't anyone there. But Marvin was floating in the air, his head drooping pathetically. Jimmy screamed and ran behind a tree, shivering.

      "Jimmy, you are evil!"

      "Who said that?" Jimmy cried, his heart beating so hard, it could've popped out of his chest. He peered around the tree.

      "It's me, Marvin."

      "M-M-Marvin?"

      "Yes I can talk."

      Marvin zoomed through the air and lunged at Jimmy.

      Taken off guard, Jimmy felt himself being pinned against the tree, Marvin's fur in his mouth. He tried to fight back but it seemed Marvin had immensely strong powers.

      "Let go!" he cried.

      A rustling noise came from near him and someone stepped out from a bush. It was Trixie.

      "Trixie!" Jimmy yelped. "Help me!"

      Trixie looked at him like he was mad.

      "Jimmy, why are you pinning yourself against a tree?"

      "There's an invisible force! I think it's Marvin! He has super powers!"

      Trixie narrowed her eyes.

      "How do I know you're not tricking me?"

      Tears of frustration welled up in Jimmy's eyes. His left arm was hurting where it was pinned against the tree and something had hurt his foot in the scuffle.

      "OK, I'll help you. On one condition."

      "OK! OK!" Jimmy yelled. "Name it!"

      "Stop playing tricks on Mattie and I."

      "OK! Now help me!"

      Trixie smiled. "I hope you will not go back on our deal. Mattie, let him go."

      Jimmy fell to the ground but he jumped back up.

      "Mattie?"

      Trixie took a paint brush from her bag and dabbed at midair with it. Soon, Mattie was standing where it had once been empty. He was clutching Marvin. He handed him back to Jimmy and winked. Jimmy hardly took in that his older brother was now an impressive Camouflage Zafara. He was shaking.

      "Y-y-you took the Invisible paint brush," he blurted out.

      "Yeah and bought Mattie another one so we played a trick on you." Trixie giggled.

      "But now we have to get home. Remember our agreement," Mattie said, warningly. He was talking like he hadn't just turned invisible, pretended to be a talking Marvin, who had magic powers and then turned back to himself again. Not including blackmailing his little brother. "Or we tell everyone about this little incident and about Marvin of course."

      With that, he and Trixie vanished through the trees, immensely pleased with themselves.

      Jimmy stared at Marvin. He couldn't get the image of Marvin attacking him out of his head. He went back to the tree he'd been pinned against and put Marvin down at the roots. Marvin called to be taken back but Jimmy turned away.

      As he walked back to Neopia Central, he felt lonelier and lonelier.

      Everyone thought he was weird because making friends had been hard when he joined Neoschool after everyone else had already started. Trixie and Mattie had no problem making friends but they weren't shy. He wished that, for once, Trixie and Mattie would help him with his problems.

     But Trixie and Mattie knew nothing. They didn't know they had just lost Jimmy his only friend. But then again, how were they to know he was his only friend? They never talked to him or included him. They hardly acknowledged he was there. In a way this was worse than not having friends.

      He gazed sadly in the bookshop where he saw Trixie and Mattie browsing books together. Then he walked on. The money in the sack jingled, waiting to be spent on toys, books, cakes and sweets. But what Jimmy wanted most in the world could never be bought by money.

The End

Author's Note: I'd like to say a big thank you to Steph (sweetie_pie34) and Mel (sandy_cutie_pie) for giving me the idea for this story, even if it was unintentional! ^_^