Room 3

Note: It is not necessary to read Room 2, but it would help you understand this story much better.

The sun hung low in the sky, its vibrant rays shooting out gorgeous sapphire and crimson hues, and enclosing the entire town of Neopia Central in its warmth. The chirps and twitters coming from various sorts of creatures flying overhead could be perceived throughout assorted neighbourhoods. One neighbourhood in particular had Pawkeets that were tweeting so noisily, it awoke a young adolescent girl whose name was Alison Keros.

     "Urgh, why do the Pawkeets have to do that every single morning?" she grumbled, her cozy warm pillow lying on top of her head.

     Alison was feeling exhausted, even after her lengthy nine-hour snooze. Yesterday has been an incredibly hectic day at the pound. Six humans had come to adopt pets from Room 2, and filling out forms and taking interviews took up a lot of time and energy. Ever since she had adopted Garth the blue Gelert, sixteen pets had left Room 2, leaving her with only six to take care of. Alison sometimes wished that more pets could come to Room 2. It was starting to get a bit lonely in there.

     "ALISON! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! I WANT TO VISIT ROOM 2!" Garth was crying out these strident remarks while hopping around in the hallway, tremendously excited for the trip to Room 2 that Alison had promised him for two weeks.

     Alison groaned and slowly stood up from her snug bed. "I'm coming Garth," she softly grunted, scratching her dishevelled hair at the same time.

     The moment she stepped out of her bedroom, Garth began jumping on her animatedly, his eyes wider then usual and his ears perked up.

     "Come on Alison! Let's go! I want to go!" the Gelert exclaimed, an uncanny hyperactive expression plastered onto his face.

     Alison grinned and softly scratched the outside of his right ear. "Don't worry, we'll be there shortly," she explained. "Just give me some time to take my shower and eat some breakfast."

     "Awwww," Garth moaned. However, he did not object and instead, raced to the living room and began playing with his beloved plushies. Alison smiled as she watched her pet run to the area and play excitedly with his toys. This is definitely going to be a busy day, she silently said to herself.

**************

Thirty minutes had passed and Alison and Garth were now entering the Neopian Pound. Garth was clinging enthusiastically onto Alison's arm with a wide smile spread across his features. The pair walked up to the reception desk where Ms. Uni was stationed. The pink Uni looked up from the shuffle of papers she had been sorting out and smiled.

     "Hello Garth," she said cheerfully. "Come to see your friends?"

     Garth nodded blissfully and then turned to Alison. "Mom, can I go to Room 2 now? Pretty please?" he pleaded, trying to fill his face with pout so that Alison would let him go.

     Alison grinned and said, "Go right away sweetie. I'll be there with you shortly."

     Garth beamed and then hopped off, darting down the hallway and into Room 2. The bang of the door being shut could be perceived throughout the reception area.

     "Little fella' is pretty excited to play with his friends, eh?" Ms. Uni asked, her eyes glinting with heaps of cheerfulness.

     Alison sighed. "Yep," she replied. "He's been buggin' me about it for two weeks straight. Really excited to play with Edward and Gaarg."

     "Hehe, I can tell," Ms. Uni remarked.

     "I still can't believe that Mrs. Burzherlin lady threw them back away at the pound," Alison commented, a frown now replacing her once cheerful expression.

     "ALISON!!! ALISON!!!"

     These noisy cries were suddenly coming from the corridor, each one sounding more urgent then the prior one.

     "Garth?" Alison whispered questioningly.

     And there he was, gliding across the flooring and halting to a stop right when he was facing Alison. "Mom! There's a girl in Room 2 and she's saying that she's now the monitor! But you are! When I told her this, she wouldn't believe me!"

     "What?!" Alison exclaimed, confusion hastily washing over her features.

     Ms. Uni's face suddenly dropped. "Oh yes," she softly said, "I forgot to tell you this. Your position as monitor for Room 2 has been taken. You're now the monitor for Room 3."

     Alison's mouth instantly dropped open, and she let a shrill screech escape from her lips. Her mind was whirling in bewilderment, trying to absorb the words that she had perceived a moment ago.

     "B-b-b-but…WHY?!" Alison cried, tears welling up in her lively hazel eyes.

     "Yeah! Why?!" Garth abruptly yelled, his voice sounding furious and cheerless at the same time.

     Ms. Uni sighed and began explaining, "Too many pets have left Room 2 and the management thinks that you can handle larger groups, especially ever since the bake sale. Nina, a young girl who's new here has taken your position because she's a beginner. There are many pets in Room 3 and you'll be able to handle them more easily."

     Alison thought that the reason why she had been changed position was absolutely preposterous. When the explication had ended, rage and fury swiftly began taking over her sentiments. The adolescent felt like she wanted to break something; make someone else go through the misery that she was painfully feeling at this moment.

     Ms. Uni noticed Alison's enraged expression and in the pit of her stomach, she felt absolutely terrible. "I-I'm so sorry Alison," the Uni whispered, her eyes beginning to grow watery. "I-I really don't know what to say."

     Alison sighed, wiping off the tears that were beginning to trickle down from her eyes. "It's all right. It's not your fault," she softly said, wishing she could leave the Pound and go back home where all was safe and cozy.

     "Shall I lead you to Room 3?" Ms. Uni asked, beginning to stand up from her wooden chair.

     Alison shook her head and rejected the offer. "It's all right," she added. "I know the way there."

     Alison slowly dragged her feet out of the reception area and down the hallway, feeling incredibly nauseous in the head. Not one piece of her wanted to enter that room but nevertheless, she forced herself to continue on. While walking down to Room 3, Alison discerned the small area of Room 2. Its door was slightly open, showing a total of merely eight pets. Garth had already entered the room and was telling his friends the terrible news. Alison couldn't bear to listen to the pets' remarks about how much they wanted her back. She quickly strode away from the room and in a matter of seconds, was at the entrance to Room 3.

     Before she entered, Alison took in a long deep breath and said to herself, "Good luck Alison."

     The girl slowly opened the door and stepped inside, swarms of pets suddenly enclosing her and the rest of the room.

     "Hey! Who are you?!" a blue Kyrii suddenly shouted from the back of the room.

     Alison let out a feeble smile and said, "Alison Keros. I'll be your monitor from now on."

     Dozens of heads instantly shot towards Alison, eyeing her curiously and suspiciously.

     "Where's Kasey?!" a quivering voice cried not too far off from Alison's left side.

     "I-I'm not sure. Ms. Uni didn't explain me to this."

     Shouts and cries of enragement and wretchedness instantly began erupting from Room 3.

     "I WANT KASEY BACK!"

     "ME TOO!"

     "ME THREE!"

     "LET'S GET THIS LOSER OUT OF HERE!"

     Salt-ridden tears began slowly forming in Alison's eyes. She felt as if her knees were on the verge of collapsing, and her eyes were going to burst into a million tears.

     "What is going on here?" a voice suddenly yelled from the entrance.

     Alison swiveled her body around and caught sight of Ms. Uni, stationed at the front door with a worried look glued onto her face.

     "She stole Kasey!" a Blumaroo cried from the back, thrusting his large finger toward Alison.

     Ms. Uni let out a humble half-smile and paced towards the frightened adolescent.

     The Uni gazed at the Blumaroo with a considerate expression. "Don't worry," the Uni said. "Alison did not steal Kasey. She is simply a replacement. Kasey has unfortunately left, but she sends her kisses and hugs to you all, and told me that one day she will visit you."

     Strident groans emerged from every single one of the pets in Room 3. Some had fat tears scattered across their faces while others were fuming deeply with dark shades of crimson covering their features. The sight alone shattered Alison's heart into a thousand pieces.

     Ms. Uni patted Alison's shoulder sympathetically and whispered, "Don't worry, they'll adjust to you quickly."

     Alison softly moaned, "I hope so."

     "I…WANT…KASEY…NOOOOWWW!!!!!" a Gelert suddenly shrieked from the back of the room. Dozens of tears were gliding down his cheeks and his fur was incredibly scruffy. He looked absolutely hysterical, as if he was going to smash himself against the wall any moment now.

     At last, Alison had had enough. She couldn't bear to watch the sight any longer. Tears of her own made their way down her cheeks as pushed her way through the crowds of pets.

     When Alison arrived at the front door, she cried, "I'm done! I'm never going to come back here again!"

     And with that, the adolescent ran down the dark corridor, her sneakers pounding down on the marble flooring, making the cherished memories that she once held in her mind fly away like a thin wisp of smoke.

**************

"A-Alison? Are you awake?"

     "Mmhhmm."

     Garth let a deep sigh escape from his lips. He gazed at his owner with a distressed expression and patted her head gently.

     "You've been asleep for days," he whispered.

     Alison's eyes swiftly flew open and she abruptly jumped up from the ruby-shaded couch that she had been lying on.

     "DAYS?!" she yelled, her mouth more broad then usual.

     Garth nodded and peered down at the ground. "Everyone at the pound's misses you," he said, his tone carrying a bit of shakiness.

     Alison groaned deafeningly and plopped back down on the couch. The memories of the prior events began swiftly flooding her mind, causing her to feel absolutely dreadful.

     "I bet those pets in Room 3 are glad that I'm outta' off their sight," she groused, brushing a strand of her wavy brown hair away from her eyes.

     Garth blinked and a single tear fell down his fairly smudged cheek. "They really miss you," he whispered.

     Alison frowned and asked, "Why would they miss me?"

     Garth shrugged and said, "Why don't you find out for yourself?"

     Alison heaved a deep sigh. "Fine, you win," she asserted. The adolescent unhurriedly pushed herself up from the sofa and subsequently walked out of the house, where she began making her way down to the Neopian Pound.

**************

"Alison, is that you?" Ms. Uni immediately inquired the moment the young girl stepped inside the Pound.

     Alison nodded. Her entire face seemed rather weary and groggy, not what Ms. Uni was used to seeing.

     As the young adolescent gazed at Ms. Uni, she sniffed loudly. A moment of long and thoughtful silence followed. However, the silence quickly shattered when Alison suddenly cried, "I'm so sorry, Ms. Uni! I shouldn't have run off like that! What I did was a childish thing to do and I deeply regret ever doing it! Please forgive me! PLEASE!"

     Ms. Uni was a bit startled by the sudden comment. However, she quickly regained her focus and nodded understandingly.

     "Don't worry Alison," she whispered. "I don't blame you one bit. The kids in Room 3 were definitely not acting on their best behavior. In fact, they have an apology prepared for you."

     Alison peered up at Ms. Uni with a surprised expression. "They're planning on apologizing?" she asked interestingly.

     The pink Uni smiled and nodded. "Right that way," she whispered, her polished hoof pointing down the hallway.

     Alison didn't even bother glancing a second time at Ms. Uni. She simply paced down the hallway and halted to a stop at the front door of Room 3. It was odd, for there was no sound coming from inside the room.

     As Alison twisted the doorknob, she asked, "Is any-?"

     "SURPRISE!!!"

     Alison instantly flew back and landed on the marble floor with a large THUMP!

     "What is going on here?!" she cried, her tangled hair covering her broadened hazel eyes.

     The blue Blumaroo who had blamed Alison before for snatching Kasey suddenly stepped out of the large crowd, and slowly advanced towards Alison. He stuck out his grungy paw and let Alison seize on to it and pull herself up.

     "Here," he softly said, his left paw carrying a gorgeous bouquet of Three Red Roses.

     Alison softly gasped and unhurriedly placed the bouquet in her hand. "It's wonderful," she whispered, shedding a single salt-ridden tear that quietly dripped down her cheek.

     "Ms. Uni suggested it for us," the Blumaroo grunted, his eyes peering down at the ground.

     Alison smiled and to her surprise, draped her arms around the Blumaroo and gave him a long and tight hug. "Thank you so much," she whispered in his left ear.

     The Blumaroo grinned and replied, "You're welcome. By the way, my name's Chester, and welcome to Room 3."

     Inside the pit of Alison's stomach, all the stress and anger that had once been bundled up in a tight know had now disappeared and was feeling relaxed like it had always felt.

     "LET'S GIVE A BIG CHEER FOR ALISON!" a green Elephante suddenly boomed at the far end of the room.

     "HIP-HIP HURRAH! HIP-HIP HURRAH! HIP-HIP HURRAH!" the room stridently cheered, everyone single pair of paws clapping furiously.

     Tears had now completely soaked Alison's cheeks and her eyes had grown extremely puffy. She wanted to experience this single moment for the rest of her life, not having to care what was in store for the future.

     "Congratulations Alison!" a familiar voice suddenly exclaimed from Alison's right side.

     The adolescent swiveled her body around and instantly beamed at the sight that her eyes swiftly caught. It was Gaarg, who had a wide smile plastered onto his features and blissfulness glinting in his large eyes.

     "What are you doing here, Gaarag?" Alison inquired, a surprised expression hinting in her look.

     "Didn't you hear the news?" Daarag asked, surprised. "Room 2 has been transferred with Room 3 since there's so little of us!"

     Alison gasped with a tone of amazement and cried, "This is incredible!"

     The entire room shot out another round of strident applause's and cheers, and finally settled down for the day.

     As the noise began simmering down and the pets began playing with their friends, the familiar-looking Gelert who had had a hysterical temper tantrum in front of the whole room suddenly paced towards Alison and clumsily plopped himself down on a wooden stool alongside of her.

     "Look," he whispered, "I really regret what I did before. It's just that…having Kasey gone was such a big shock to me and I was really close to her." His face peered up at Alison. "Will you forgive me?" he added softly.

     Alison nodded. "Of course I will," she said kind-heartedly. "I don't blame you for that tantrum. I would be a bit peeved at myself if that happened to me."

     The Gelert's face broke into a grin. "Whew! I feel really relieved!" he exclaimed.

     Alison gently scratched the back of his head and said, "Don't ever be afraid to tell me what's on your mind."

     The Gelert bobbed his head and up and down. "Name's Raytu by the way," he said gleefully.

     Alison beamed and said, "Well Raytu, it'd be lovely to your friend."

     "I agree Alison," Raytu replied back.

     And with the new bond of friendship that the two had suddenly created, Alison and Raytu stood up from their chairs and made their way to the other pets, knowing both in each other's mind that this would not be a depressing beginning for Room 2 and Room 3. No, it would a wonderful beginning.

The End

Author’s Note: There you have it, Room 3! Hope you enjoyed the story very much so. Any comments are extremely appreciated and will be replied to as quickly as possible. Until next time!

Other Note: For those who are wondering, I did have neo_star_queen's permission to write this story.