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"You'll be where?"
A cold chill ran down Pricsesa's spine when
she heard those words. No, surely it couldn't be, Pricsesa thought in
vain. The Uni slowly turned her head around, dreading what she would see.
There, leaning against the door side, arms crossed,
was Trella. Her face was gaunt and angry.
"So where are you going, Pricsesa?" Trella asked
in her most innocent voice, but her eyes gave her away. She was beyond angry;
she was furious.
"N-nowhere!" Pricsesa said, quickly stashing
the coupon under some fluffy, pink pillows.
Trella marched over to the bed and started to
throw the pillows over her shoulders, trying to find what Pricsesa was trying
to hide.
"NOOO!" Pricsesa cried as she threw herself
on top of the coupon. "YOU'LL NEVER GET IT! I WAAANT IT!"
"Stop being a baby, you brat!" Trella said while
knocking the Uni aside. Pricsesa looked up at her owner in horror, she had never
done anything like that to her before.
Trella found the coupon. It took her less than
five seconds to get the big scheme of things. Pricsesa readied herself for the
obvious yelling, the screaming, and the punishments that Trella might implode
on her. But she wasn't ready for what happened next.
Trella started laughing. She was laughing so
hard that that Uni was sure her sides would burst.
"S-so this is why you wanted the Neopian Times?"
Trella chortled as she waved the coupon. "For this coupon to go to the Lab Ray?"
"Yeah," Pricsesa mumbled uncertainly.
"So, let me guess, you were going to sneak out
and go by yourself?" Trella chuckled lightly.
"Yeah," Pricsesa said, starting to giggle a
bit herself. "Are you mad?"
"No, no, I'm not mad."
"So can I go?"
"Of course not! And for your information, I'm
furious!" Trella shrieked. "What were you thinking? If I told you once I've
told you a thousand times! I don't like the Lab Ray! I don't think it's safe!
Why do you think I bought you all of those codestones for the Training School?
Because I wanted to? No, I did it so you wouldn't have to use the Lab Ray!"
"Here we go again..." Pricsesa muttered.
"Don't you use that mouth with me! I don't care
what everybody else says, the Lab Ray is dangerous! Sloth wouldn't have built
it if he didn't have a reason to! And now he's letting everybody in? I used
to hold all Neopians in high regard, but if they can't see through something
like this-"
"Well maybe they can't see through it because
there is nothing to see through! Why can't you accept the fact that Sloth might
be acting nice for once? I mean seriously, you are WAY to uptight! AND I WANNA
GO TO THE LAB RAY TONIGHT!!!" Pricsesa yelled, tears now streaming down her
face. Trella didn't like her at all; that's why she was being so mean. Why did
everything always happen to her? Life was so unfair.
"I said you aren't going and that's final!"
Trella yelled back as she tore the coupon in two and threw it on the ground.
She then stomped out of Pricsesa's room and headed to her own, where she slammed
the door so hard that the house literally shook on it's hinges.
Pricsesa continued to stare at the spot where
Trella had been standing, trying to take in all that had just happened. It had
been so much, and it had happened so quickly.
She finally willed herself to look on the ground
and at the coupon. It was torn straight down the middle, making it completely
worthless.
Pricsesa got up off of her bed and picked it
up. There was green slime seeping out of the torn parts.
"Odd," thought the Uni. She tried to place it
back together again, but she only succeeded in getting the coupon more dirty
than it already was. Then it hit her. She would never go to the Lab Ray. This
was her only chance and she had messed up. A tear slid down her cheek as she
realized how horribly she failed.
"Pricsesa!"
The Uni turned around to see Lassalu's head
in her window. She had fixed her hair in two braided pigtails with bright pink
ribbons.
"I wanna look my best for the Lab Ray!" the
Usul said while gesturing to her hair. "My mom, Retta, also got me a jumper
to match! I would show you but this window's to high. We're heading for the
Lab Ray right now! What about you? You did get the coupon, didn't you?"
"I did," Pricsesa muttered mournfully.
Lassalu looked at her, she was frowning. "Uh,
Prics, why are you frowning? You might get those ugly lines on your face!"
"Because of this!" Pricsesa pulled out the coupon
dripping in it's own slime. "Trella tore it! She wants to make my life miserable!"
"Wow... that's a real bummer, Prics. Your owner
is mean! I wish I could help you! I really, totally, do! I'm being totally honest
Prics! You gotta believe me! Maybe you could try getting another paper-"
"No," Pricsesa said while shaking her head.
"They're probably sold out, besides, I doubt if Trella will let me out of this
house for another month!"
"That's totally wrong! And I'm really sorry
I can't help!" Lassalu insisted.
"It's okay, Lassa. I know you would help me
if you could," Pricsesa mumbled miserably. Though her friend was trying to comfort
her, it wasn't doing much good. After all, she was going to the Lab Ray.
"See you later," Pricsesa said, trying to signal to her best friend that she
wanted to be alone.
"Yeah, see you later," the Usul said as she
started walking off. Suddenly she stopped. She turned around with a huge grin
on her face.
"What's your problem?" the Uni asked, staring
at Lassa's grin in question.
"I just had a great idea! I know, I know, that's
dangerous, but I didn't have to think about it that much. It just came to me!
Imagine that? Anyway, Dugnorf didn't want to go! Something about he thinks it's
being too shallow to try to change your appearance and he thinks others should
accept him for what he is or whatever. Personally I think he needs it, a green
Moehog, urgh! But it works out great because you can take his place! Sloth only
knows how many pets are in a family, but he doesn't know who they are! This
is perfect!" Lassalu cried.
"Yeah, except for the fact that Trella will
never let me go outside after what I did!" Pricsesa whined.
Lassalu paused in thought. She twirled her fur
around her finger and then her green eyes lit up. "Tell her you're babysitting
for my little brother! It will be perfect! It's working, and it's not like you
would be enjoying it because Dugnorf's not fun at all. I know. He'll never let
me give him a makeover... Anyway, she can't say no! You can't possibly lose!
Go on, I'll wait out here!" Lassalu then ducked under the bushes to wait for
her friend.
Pricsesa seriously doubted that Trella couldn't
say no. In fact, she had a horrible feeling that she would. But, she really
had nothing to lose, except maybe that little thing called dignity.
She walked down the hall and into her owner's
room slowly. She hardly ever went in there. Why would she?
Pricsesa entered the room cautiously, glancing
around she she did so. The room was made of stone and most of the things in
there were colored a light purple. Trella was on her bed, reading a fairly large
book that had "Neopia's History" written on it's spine. Pricsesa recognized
it as one of the books that Trella had tried to get her to read. Looking on
the walls, she saw plenty more of the familiar books that her owner had bought
for her but she had never read. She had always wondered what happened to them.
"Uh, Trella?" the Uni whispered timidly.
The girl placed her book aside and looked up
at the Uni before her. "Yes?" she asked. Her voice was slightly hoarse from
yelling at Pricsesa moments before. The expression on her face showed a slight
hint of interest, as if she didn't know if they were going to start fighting
again or apologize.
"Lassalu is going to the Lab Ray soon, and Dugnorf
didn't want to go, so Retta wanted to get him a baby-sitter. Can I do it? Dugnorf
is really no trouble and at least I'll have a semi-good excuse why I didn't
go to the biggest thing in Neopia's history," Pricsesa said very fast. She held
her breath, awaiting her owner's decision.
Trella looked her over from head to hoof. Her
amber eyes were slightly eerie as she glared at the Uni. Her face showed no
emotion, it was totally neutral. So Pricsesa had to sweat it out. Of course,
she couldn't actually sweat. Sweating showed nervousness, and you could not
do that when facing Trella.
The staring match continued on a little longer.
It was like a battle of two wills, so if Pricsesa cracked the jig would be up.
"So," Pricsesa said after the match had gone
on for about five minutes, still making sure her face was free of any emotion.
She knew she was taking a risk by talking first, but if she didn't she could
be standing there for the whole night. "Can I do it? It would be a great way
for me to make some cash."
Trella closed her eyes, trying to decide. She
bit her lip, showing Pricsesa that she would decide soon, since the biting of
the lip meant that.
"Okay, Pricsesa," Trella said as she opened
her eyes and stared at the Uni. "I have made my decision."
"And?" Pricsesa insisted, knowing that this
moment would make or break her.
"I have decided that you may go. But, you must
take this with you," Trella said as she reached to the violet drawer besides
her bed and pulled out two Usuki Walkie-talkies, one hot pink one and one light
purple one.
"Wow!" Pricsesa exclaimed as she grabbed the
hot pink one. "Usuki Walkie-talkies! These-these aren't supposed to come out
for a loooong time, and they're only sold at the Virtupets Space Station as
well! They're supposed to have--"
"--100 miles coverage, with a flawless sound
system. It is also water- proof, flameproof, mud-proof, and any other proof
you can think of. It's a demo I got. They figured that since I bought so many
Usukis for you that I should be the one to test these things. Of course, I could
use your help. You wouldn't mind lugging around this fashionable little beauty,
do you?" Trella asked with a grin.
To be continued...
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