The Puppet Girl: Part Two

     As I walked to my house from Shelby's, my head was filled with all sorts of thoughts good and bad.

     "What you really need is ribbon dancing, it'll give you a brighter future. Do you think people really like boring old puppet making people? No, they don't, do they?"

     "A puppet girl is always what you thought yourself to be. You love being a puppet girl. You love puppets."

     "But you love ribbon dancing more, Lukio! You love the way your fur feels when you twirl freely in the nice breeze, don't you?"

     "If you become a ribbon dancer, you'll lose Oliver. Oliver's your best friend."

     "Oh, you care about Oliver? He's just an old puppet making friend. You can totally make new ones."

     "But Oliver needs you! He understands you. He's always been there for you, Lukio."

     "You need ribbon dancing. Think of all the people you'll disappoint at the Neofair if you don't show up! They're counting on you, Lukio."

     "Oliver's counting on you, Lukio. Oliver needs you."

     "Puppets are a part of you, Lukio. You can't let go of what's a part of you."

     The last thought stood out the most. Puppets were a part of me. I covered my ears and they buzzed with stress and confusion. Could I really disappoint Oliver like that? Oliver is my best friend, I could never! But ribbon dancing, I did love it.

     I tried cheering myself up, picking little roses along the way home. Roses were my favorite flower. I brushed them against my cheek and breathed in their sweet, rosy smell. Sometimes I wished I were a rose, blooming and blossoming until I was a beautiful red flower with soft, smooth red rosy petals. Perhaps I was like a rose now. I was a bud trying to find itself and become a flower.

     When I arrived at home, Crystal took one look at me and said, "Oh, Lukio. I'm sorry."

     What? What did she mean?

     "What do you mean, Crystal?" I handed her the roses. "I made it."

     She squealed and hugged me tightly. "Oh, Lu, I knew you would. Why do you look so sad, though? I had assumed you hadn't."

     "Well, I did make it. Only I'm not sure this is what I want to do."

     My owner only looked at me dazed with confusion in her clear blue eyes. I walked silently to my room and took out my Xweetok puppet I made for the 'Best Puppet' contest. I hugged her tightly and smoothed out her crinkled black silk tail. Then I placed her delicately at the bottom of my nightstand drawer.

     I sat on my bed in confusion and worry. "Oh, Lukio," I said to myself. "What are you doing to do?"

     ***

     That night, I could hardly sleep. I tossed and turned in bed. Crystal came in and wondered what was wrong.

     "Lu? Is everything all right? You're been pretty fidgety lately, is there something you'd like to talk about? Why did you say earlier you didn't know if you wanted to be a ribbon dancer?"

     I sat up in bed and looked up at my owner. "Oh, Crystal," I sobbed. "What am I going to do? The Ribbon Dance performance is on Saturday, the same day as the 'Best Puppet' contest. What am I going to do? They're at the same time, so it's either one or the other. And Oliver! We've been talking about this forever."

     Crystaline's brow creased with concern. "Well, Lukio. I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. It's up to you. Just listen to your heart; it'll tell you the right thing to do."

     "I can't, Crystal! What if my heart decides too late? Will Oliver hate me? Will Shelby hate me? Shelby said that she couldn't do it if I wasn't up there with her in front of that crowd. And Oliver can't win without me. Ugh, I hate choices!"

     I smashed my face into my pillow and small tears ran down my furry face.

     "Oh, Lu. You're so smart. You'll know. All you have to do is listen."

     I gazed at the drawer where my shadow Xweetok puppet was stored away, finished and ready to win first place. Then I looked at the place where my ribbon hung, ready to be twirled and dance the major role.

     I sighed.

     "Oh, Lukio." She hugged me. "Whatever you chose, it's going to work out. You'll see."

     Boy, did I hope she was right. But of course she was right, wasn't she? Crystal was always right.

     ***

     Fair trumpets blasted into my ears and laughing neopets and their owners, giant puffballs of pink cotton candy, and huge prize-winning fruits were everywhere.

     I had made my decision and I thought my heart had chosen. Looking at the other ribbon dancers and holding my pink silky dance ribbon in my paw, I knew this is what I wanted to do. I was tired of being Lukio the puppet girl. I wanted to be something more exciting like, Lukio the ribbon dancer: best in Neopia! To me, that sounded a whole lot better. And they needed me, I was the lead part! So with a heavy heart, I stumbled over to the 'Best Puppet' contest fairgrounds. Oliver was already there, and he looked up at me with eyes of excitement that soon turned to bewilderment after I told him the news.

     "Oliver...." My voice was low, for I was afraid I was going to cry. Oliver was going to hate me, or was he going to accept my choice?

     "Lukio, you're here! Where's your puppet? I can't believe the day is finally here, can you? Oh Lu, did you see that first place trophy? It's so shiny and big. I just know it's going to be ours."

     "Oliver...." I started in a small voice. "I can't compete in the 'Best Puppet' contest."

     I saw his excitement turn to confusion and it hurt me.

     "What? Wha... what do you mean? Why not? This is what we're made for Lukio."

     "I can't, Oliver. I have a lead role in the Dance Ribbon performance. They need me, Oliver."

     "No, Lu, no! I need you. I thought this is what you wanted? I thought you liked puppets? Come on, Lukio, we've been talking about this since we were younger...." His sad voice trailed away.

     "No, Oliver. I'm tired of being just a puppet girl. I want to be a ribbon dancer and I'm really good."

     Pause.

     "I... I'm really sorry," I whispered.

     "Lukio... I just don't believe it...."

     Neither did I. But my heart had chosen. I was no longer going to be a worthless puppet girl.

     "You lied to me, Lukio. You said you were going to be here and I thought you meant it. You said you loved puppets, you said you loved being a puppet girl."

     "I'm sorry, Oliver. You're my best friend; I want you to understand. Please... please don't hate me."

     And before he could say anything else, I ran away. I just had to get away from him. The look on his face.... It hurt so bad.

     ***

     Shelby comforted me and told me I had done the right thing before she went off to practice with everyone else.

     I sat watching the other girls chatter and dance and twirl their ribbons, practicing our performance. I just sat there, deep in thought. I looked at my dance bag where my Xweetok puppet was tucked away safely. Had I really done the right thing?

     Shelby walked up to me and I asked me to come practice with her. "I did do the right thing, didn't I?" I asked her while we twirled.

     "Of course," she said.

     Then why did I feel so wrong? When I twirled the ribbon, I didn't feel very happy like I did while making a puppet. Instead, I felt empty and broken inside. Making a puppet, I felt free. I could paste anything on it I wanted whether it was sparkles or glitter. I could patch anything I wanted together and make it look just the way I felt was perfect. And Oliver, he didn't care if I made a mistake. Twirling just now, I made one mistake and Ms. Mandie was like, "Focus, Lukio. Don't make me wish I hadn't chose you."

     Did it really matter that much? I remembered what Oliver had said; his words rang in my ears like gongs. "You said you loved puppets, you said you loved being a puppet girl."

     I do! I do love puppets! I do love being a puppet girl! Oh, Oliver, what did I do?

     Just then a voice behind me startled me, and I turned around to find I was face-to-face with Mia.

     "Hey, Lukio," she said, looking at the ground. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what I had said the other day, about what I had said all those other days." She looked up at me now and her icy eyes were now and soft forgiving blue. She smiled softly. "The truth is, I think you're really cool and I've been mean to you maybe I guess because I want to be like you. You're super cute and super nice and you don't care that people think you're just a puppet girl. I know you love puppets, Lukio, and I will learn to respect that. I wish I could make puppets. They'd look more like socks with eyes. And actually, I wish I had an owner as nice as Crystal. You're so lucky to have a owner like her. Maybe I was so mad that day when I heard you make it and I didn't because I just wanted my owner to be proud of me. Allisa doesn't care about anything I do and I thought maybe if I got this part, she would. But this is your part, Lukio. I'm sorry for everything mean I've done to you. I hope maybe you can forgive me and we can start over. Good luck out there. You totally deserve this."

     Wow, that really shocked me. Did Mia really want to be like me? Was I really cool? Mia was right, I did love puppets. But Mia was wrong too. This wasn't my turn to have the spotlight. This wasn't my solo part. My mind was centered around all the fun times I had with Oliver and making puppets, playing with puppets, putting on puppet shows. I remembered the smiles on the little kids' faces when we played puppet shows for them. That feeling of making people laugh, it made me feel good. And while I soberly walked up the steps to the small stage where we were performing, a voice lit up inside my head.

     "This isn't what you wanted, Lukio. This isn't what you were created to do. Follow your heart, Lukio. Your heart is never wrong."

     And while I stood there on stage looking at the audience below me, and the announcer, a Skeith, announced the Neoschool Ribbon Dancing Squad was going to perform their new dance with a solo performance by me, Lukio, I realized what I had to do. The Skeith stood next to me, and I turned to him and held out my shadowy paw.

     "If you don't mind, I'd like the mike please."

     He looked startled and passed me the mike. "Of course...."

     I felt everyone's eyes on me.

     "Hello, everybody, I'm Lukio, the one chosen for the special part. But I just want to say, I'm not right for this part. I don't want it, I mean. There's a special person, a new friend, who really deserves this part. I've learned a lot this week, about listening to your heart and choosing what you think is right. And let me tell you, this is not who I am. I'm not a ribbon dancer." My voice rose louder now. "I," I said proudly. "I am a puppet girl. And I'm very proud of that."

     A murmur rippled through the audience.

     "And I have chosen a new friend for the part. A new friend who deserves this part more than I do." I looked out unto the audience. "Mia? Are you out there?"

     Surprised gasps went through the ribbon dancers and I turned to them. Shelby looked at me proudly.

     Mia walked through the crowd and up to the stage.

     "Mia, my new friend," I told the audience.

     Mia looked at me, shocked but happy. "But, Lukio, why me? I thought you didn't like me, after all the terrible things I've done to you." Her eyes clouded with apology.

     "No, Mia." I smiled. "This is your moment; your dream. Chase it, Mia. Keeping chasing your dream."

     And so with that, I waved to the audience and said good luck to Mia, who hugged me and sent a heart-warming aw through the audience.

     "Thank you, Lukio. I never had a friend like you."

     And as I was walking down the steps to back stage to collect my puppet, Ms. Mandie stopped me.

     "Lukio, I'm so proud of you. You are a very special friend and have a very special trait of friendship. You did something most people wouldn't do."

     I smiled proudly and simply thanked her.Then I went to my bag and pulled out my shadow Xweetok puppet. The mouth seams smiled at me. "Come on," I said. "We have a contest to win."

     ***

     As I walked around the corner to the 'Best Puppet' contest, I nearly bumped into Oliver. He was holding his Zafara puppet sadly in one paw and his deep eyes were confused and so was I.

     "Oliver? Why aren't you at the contest? They've started already!"

     "But, Lu... if you aren't there with me, I couldn't possibly win first place. We're a pair, Lukio. I can't do it alone."

     "You don't have to." I pulled out my shadow Xweetok puppet with glowing, dark blue button eyes. "I've come back," I whispered.

     "But Lukio, the performance! Why didn't you stay? I thought that was what you wanted."

     "Oh, Oliver. It's not what I wanted. This is what I want." I held my puppet and let my paw tips brush the shining buttons. "And ribbon dancing doesn't mean a thing if it means letting down my best friend."

     His Zafara tail swayed with happiness and he grinned. "The thread to my puppet has arrived!" He laughed.

     I laughed too, then I realized we were sitting here wasting our time. "Come on, Oliver!" I grabbed his furry white paw. "Let's go win first place."

     ***

     The next day.

     "Do you think I should use this one?" Shelby asked, holding up a piece of yellow felt.

     I laughed. "It's up to you, Shelby. There are no wrongs in the making of puppets. Just be creative."

     I searched through a pile of different colored and shaped buttons with Oliver.

     "Look at this one!" Oliver held up a shiny blue button. "For you, Mia." He held it out for her.

     Mia took the shiny button and pressed it up to her Wocky puppet where the eyes should be. "It's perfect! Thanks, Oliver. Are there any more?"

     She searched through the pile with Oliver while Shelby pondered on which felt color she should use. I looked at my puppet I was working on and smiled.

     I looked at my new friend Mia, my good friend Shelby and my old pal Oliver. It was so nice to have such great friends.

     We were all sprawled out in my room surrounded by felts and string and buttons and cloths, working on our puppets for a little Kyrii girl's birthday party. I knew these old puppet days couldn't get any better. This is how I loved spending sunny days, being with my friends, just hanging out making puppets.

     I looked at the first place 'Best Puppet' contest trophy on the shelf and thought to myself, "Without friends, where would I be?"

     I remembered the look on Oliver's face when I had come back. I had made a mistake then, but now, I was smarter. I knew to follow my heart. Ribbon dancing was not for me. But this, these puppets, this was for me.

     "I think you should use the cloud felt, Shelby," I said. "And those shiny copper buttons."

     She got those materials and her honey-golden eyes lit up. "You're right, Lukio!" She held it up to her face. "Does it look like me much?"

     We all laughed on this perfect puppet making day.

     My friends and I, we were like thread and a puppet. Inseparable and sewn together with friendship.

The End