Who, Me?

     “Are you going to get up?” said a voice from above.

     “Who, me?” responded Red Starbright a little sleepily.

     “Who else?” replied the voice.

     Red Starbright stretched and yawned. She really wanted to stay in bed for a little longer, but knew she would get no peace. Reluctantly she hopped out of bed and made her way down to the kitchen.

     The little Cybunny ignored the dirty dishes that were piled next to the sink. It was not like her to leave the place untidy, but today she did not feel doing the washing up. She was annoyed with herself for not sorting it out the previous night. She went straight to the cupboard to find some Neocrunch cereal, took some Kau Kau Farm milk from the fridge, and, grabbing a bowl and spoon, she sat down at the table and began to eat her breakfast.

     “Are you going to do the washing up?” the voice asked.

     “Who, me?” replied the Cybunny between mouthfuls.

     “Who else?” was the response.

     Red Starbright gobbled down the rest of her breakfast and reluctantly went over to the sink. She washed up all the dishes carefully, stacking them neatly on the draining board to dry. When she had finished, she wiped over the surfaces so the kitchen looked clean and presentable. As much as she did not feel like clearing up today, she was pleased that it all looked so nice and felt that the effort had been well spent.

     “Are you going to wash the kitchen floor?” the voice enquired.

     “Who, me?” asked Red Starbright, knowing as the words left her lips what the answer would be.

     “Who else?” came the predicted response.

     The Halloween Cybunny found the mop and bucket in the cupboard and washed the floor of the kitchen. When she had finished, she took the Buzzer cleaner and vacuumed all the carpets. She dusted and polished the furniture and looked around at the nice, clean room with pride. Feeling that she had done more than she had been asked, Red Starbright sat down in a chair for a well deserved rest.

     As she was relaxing, the Cybunny grabbed the book that was lying on the table next to her. It was the first chance she had found all day to do something she wanted to do. She opened the book and continued where she had previously left off, reading the fascinating story of the Cybunny that had survived in the desert. She was thoroughly enjoying the story and could not wait to reach the end. She was so engrossed in her reading that when the voice spoke again she physically jumped.

     “The house is nice and tidy, but are you going to sort out the garden now?” it said.

     “Who, me?” queried the Cybunny in a slightly annoyed voice.

     “Who else?” was the somewhat abrupt reply.

     The Cybunny was getting very irritated and upset by all these demands for her time. Today of all days she wanted a bit of a rest, not wanting to worry about how her Neohome and Neogarden looked. Much as she took pride in her surroundings, she wanted a day off, a day to do whatever she wanted, a day to feel special.

     She was a good girl, though, and did not argue when her owner asked her to do something. She appreciated all that was given to her and so did what she could to repay the kindness. She grudgingly put down her Lost Cybunny book and dragged herself out of her comfy chair.

     Red Starbright unenthusiastically went to the shed and found the lawnmower. She trimmed the grass, dead headed the flowers and weeded the flower beds. By the time she had finished the sun was high in the sky and she felt quite hot and grubby. Aching slightly from all her efforts, the Cybunny stretched, and went inside to run herself a nice, warm bath.

     The Cybunny poured a generous quantity of Honey Bubble Bath into the water as it flowed into the bath, and when it was full of warm water and a lavish quantity of bubbles she hopped in. The odd bubble floated into the air and the water soaked into her fur, making her feel cosily wet. She closed her eyes and enjoyed this special moment.

     After a short time, the inevitable voice sounded again.

     “Have you been to the shops yet?” it asked.

     “Who, me?” answered Red Starbright, somewhat huffily.

     “Who else?” came the immediate answer.

     Red Starbright quickly washed herself and unwillingly dragged herself out of the bath again. Once dry, she went down to the kitchen, snatched the shopping list that was pinned on the front of the fridge and slouched down the hill to Neopia Central, dragging her feet as she went. She wandered into the Food Shop and found all the items she wanted on the shelves. Glad that this unwelcome chore was quickly over, the miserable Cybunny reluctantly carried the bags full of groceries back up to the house.

     By now the sun was high overhead, and the Halloween Cybunny could hear the birds chirping in the trees. She forlornly continued her journey, sad that everyone else seemed so happy when she was feeling so miserable. She hadn’t seen any of her friends on her journey and, whilst this was not unusual, today she imagined all the things they were probably doing and all the fun they were having. She could not understand why today, of all days, she was being made to do so many chores, when all she wanted to do was to feel special. Her ears drooped and her feet dragged a little more along the ground.

     The Cybunny reached the front door and turned the key. Stepping into the room, she nearly jumped out of her skin as all of her friends jumped out from their hiding places.

     “Happy Birthday!” they shouted in unison.

     Red Starbright recovered from her shock enough to realise that she was still carrying her shopping bags. She bounded to the kitchen and found that the table was covered with brightly wrapped presents. Parcels of different shapes and sizes littered the worktops, and colourful envelopes were lying alongside.

     “Are those for me?” she asked happily.

     “Who else?” answered her friends as they took the bags from her paws.

     When all the shopping had been put away, Red Starbright opened her presents and cards, overwhelmed by the birthday items she had received. Her friends had brought over sandwiches and the biggest Cybunny Carrot Cake she had ever seen, the icing dripping over the sides and the candles shining brightly. Everyone ate and ate and when all the food was finished they went out and played Shapeshifter and Cellblock on the giant boards in the garden.

     It was a bright and sunny afternoon, so the friends filled the Turdle paddling pool and dipped their feet into the cool, clear water. They played on the pink garden swing and the covered slide and their laughter could be heard filling the whole neighbourhood. The wind gently rippled gently through the trees. Red Starbright thought it sounded almost like the garden was singing her a birthday song.

     As the sun started heading down towards the horizon, Red Starbright’s friends slowly made their way home. The Cybunny hugged each of them and thanked them for making her birthday such a special day.

     When everyone had gone, the little Cybunny hopped back into the house, looked at the mess, and decided to leave it for another day. She felt that she had done enough cleaning and tidying for today.

     Red Starbright wearily climbed the stairs to her bedroom so she could get ready for bed. On her bed next to her pyjamas was a small, brightly coloured box.

     “Is that for me?” she asked quietly.

     “Who else?” was the gentle answer.

     She picked up the box and opened the lid. Inside was the most beautiful Halloween Snowbunny she had ever seen. Gingerly she picked the petpet up and placed her in the bed. She pulled on her pyjamas and climbed under her fuzzy pink blanket. She gently cuddled her new petpet and reflected on how wonderful her birthday had been. As she started to doze off to sleep, there was a quiet soft from above.

     “Did you have a good birthday?” it asked.

     “Wonderful,” she replied, sleepily.

     “And are you glad your house and garden were nice and clean for when your friends turned up? I wanted the party to be a surprise, but I know how you hate people to see your home in a mess,” her owner queried.

     “Who, me?” Red Starbright whispered as she fell into a sound and peaceful sleep.

 The End