To Judge a Book by covergirl_tanemura |  |
“Did you hear about, like, that totally, like, awesome
dress?”
Thalia stared at her yogurt cup in a bored manner,
her hoof twisting the white plastic spoon around the murky substance. Her mind
was drifting away from her fellow friend’s chit chatter, like she’d been doing
for quite the long time.
“Like, Thalia! Are you, like, listening to us?”
Thalia abruptly jerked her head upward, peering
over the rim of her glasses, “Uh, yeah,” she quickly replied. Pushing her glasses
away from the brink of her pink nose. She quickly shoved her empty yogurt cup
into her Sloth lunch box.
“Like I was saying...” Thalia’s friend droned
on, brushing back her beautiful black mane, “I was, like, going to this one
store called ‘the boutique’.” She waved her hoof around in the air, towards
their other friend. Indicating for her to come over.
“Uh, June...” Thalia said quietly, “I think
I might have to go now.” She fidgeted nervously, like she always did around
June. June was always making Thalia feel inferior, I mean, who couldn’t be slightly
self-conscious when they were around June? She was the most popular Uni out
of their whole Neoschool. Thalia was a Uni too, but not as pretty, or popular.
Not only that, but she was raking in the Neopoints faster then Thalia could
utter words.
Thalia quickly stood up, but June grabbed onto
her hoof and shoved her back into the plastic red lunchroom chair, “You’re not
going anywhere until I tell you about this really ugly mutant I saw in the bathroom!”
June laughed her hideous laugh, the one that hung in the air for hours on end,
“She was a MUTANT! Can you believe that? A mutant KACHEEK, none the less!”
Thalia blinked, then slid her hoof from Jones
grasp, “Please, I need to bring my book back to the library!” Thalia nodded
her head towards the books stacked up underneath her chair, “I don’t want to
get in trouble.”
June gave Thalia a nasty look, her nose upturned
in the air as their friend, Alice, slid into the chair next to June, “Like,
Fineeee! Be that way.” She hissed out, before quickly turning to Alice and striking
up a huge conversation.
Thalia huffed and gathered up her books. She
always hated the way June would make fun of the pets around her. If it wasn’t,
‘Oh Jeremy, he’s such a dweeb’ it was ‘Jenny? Don’t even get me started! She
was, like, so wearing the wrong earrings.’. Thalia’s hoofs clanked loudly as
she stormed out of the lunch room, the sound she made surfacing above all the
‘he said’ and ‘she said’s.
“How dare she,” Thalia grumbled under her breath,
before turning the corner and bumping into an unknown figure. “WATCH IT!” she
hissed out angrily, her glasses flying away from her face and onto the floor.
“Oh, dear! I’m so sorry!” said a tiny voice,
Thalia could barley make out the blur that was picking up her books and things,
“I didn’t know anybody else was roaming the halls.”
Thalia felt her glasses slide back into place,
her focus quickly came back into vision. In front of her face was the worried
mutant Kacheek, her fur combed neatly. “Oh, it’s all right. I just had a bad
day.” Thalia gathered up her books, her eyes wide. She’d never met a mutant
before, let alone, a mutant Kacheek!
The mutant's lips curved into a frown. “I’m
sorry if I scare you,” it looked away, “I’m Natalie.”
Thalia drew in shallow breaths before shoving
her hoof out, in Natalie's direction. “I’m Thalia, and it’s a pleasure to meet
you.” She gave the mutant Kacheek a small smile, getting used to its different
looks.
“You mean, you’re not afraid?” Natalie looked
up hopefully at Thalia. “Oh thank goodness! I’ve got an acquaintance in this
school! It’s so hard being new.”
Thalia sighed; she knew how it was to be new.
She’d come to the Neoschool in the middle of the year, June took Thalia under
her wing and showed her how to be “cool”. However, Thalia just tried to stay
away from June whenever they saw each other. “I know what it’s like to be new.”
Thalia shivered at the thought. “It’s hard, I know. But I’m sure you’ll like
it here.”
Natalie gave Thalia a quick smile, before bounding
away as the bell rung. It’s sound looming in the air. “Bye!” Natalie said quickly,
hopping towards her next class.
***
“Like, oh my gosh! I’m, like, so glad it’s, like, the end of the day.”
Thalia looked up at June, a Faerie book bag
slung over her shoulder, “Yes, I’m aware it’s the end of the day. I’m quite
happy myself, too.” Thalia shrugged her shoulders, “Hey, June, I met the mutant
you were talking about today.”
June looked over at Thalia, and laughed again,
“Wasn’t she UGLY? I mean, really really UGLY?” June adjusted the straps on her
book bag, a very expensive book bag. In the 100,000 Neopoint price range --
or at least, that’s what Thalia assumed.
Thalia glared at June. “Don’t say that! She
was really nice!” Thalia retorted, her pace coming to a quick jolt. “If you
do say it again, I’ll do something about it!”
June cocked an eyebrow at Thalia, “Don’t tell
me you’ve become friends with that ugly thing,” June snapped back, her
beautiful mane blowing with the breeze of people rushing past her.
“Yes I have, June. Because she’s obviously nicer
then, YOU!” Thalia huffed out, finally finding her voice to speak out against
June, “ You don’t control me, and I don’t want you to. I’d rather be a friend
with that FREAK, as you claim her to be, than with RUDE PEOPLE!” Thalia stomped
out of the school, searching for Natalie.
Thalia heard June’s voice faintly in the background,
probably ranting and raving about how Thalia was a lousy friend anyway. Thalia’s
ears twitched as she heard a sobbing noise. Using her superior Uni hearing,
Thalia navigated towards Natalie.
“Don’t... look at me...” Natalie sniffled out,
wiping her nose on a tissue stuffed in her stubby paws, “I’m ugly.”
Thalia shook her head, “If it’s because of what
June said, then you can stop crying. June is nothing but mean.” Thalia shivered
slightly. “She cares about nothing but looks, but you’re different.”
Natalie looked up at Thalia, and gave her a
small smile. “Thanks,” she said quietly, throwing her crumpled up tissue onto
the floor. “Thanks for not judging a book by its cover.”
The End
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