One Day Older

      But, really, my brother, Prince, is younger despite him being so tall and strong. I'm shorter, but he was created later than me, thus making me younger. Yet, I'm still seen as little.

      Until one day.

      I had been... you know..."organizing" my owner's papers in her desk when I came across a very official looking paper. I know how to read, I barely learned a month ago, so I held it up and tried to make something out of the words.

      "Little_Nicky_322... oh!" A cry of surprise escaped my mouth as I looked at my age. I was indeed a LOT older than Prince.

      Then I shuffled through some more papers to find the eldest brother, Tiger. He's a desert Kougra now. He used to be cloud, but my owner finally got enough neopoints to get a paint brush for him. She had run around the house screaming and yelling with me trailing after her for the fun of it. My brothers had to tie her to her bed when it got very late and they could all get some peace and quiet.

      It had been hard. She had been cheering all through the morning, all through the night, and through the scarf my second-older brother, Kougra, had tied around her mouth.

      In fact, that's who I found. I held up a paper saying Kougra's age. I smoothed it out and looked at it.

      Kougra was snow. We've been having a lot of paint jobs lately. Then I looked through all the other boring stuff and went straight to his age. My jaw dropped.

      Kougra was a day younger than me.

      I almost cheered. That meant I was the second-oldest... and my owner should really consider a paint job.

      With another loud cheer, I grabbed Kougra's paper along with mine and ran to the door. I swung it open and crashed into my owner.

      She fell down on her back and glared at me. She always tried looking intimidating despite how short and small she is for her age. "Nicky! What were you--"

      "Can't talk! Gotta run! BYE!" I jumped up and ran down the hall to go brag in my brother's face.

      Kougra was outside on the sidewalk, trying to sell chocolates for his Neoschool fundraiser. "Come on, people! Buy one for the price of two and the second one's FREE!" he announced. A small kid from across the street threw a piece of toast at him. "Oh, thanks! I was hungry!" my brother only yelled back and began eating the toast.

      I rolled my eyes and stepped off my porch and walked up to him. "Kougra..." I started and he turned around to face me. He crouched down to my height. "Hey, little guy, wassup?"

      I smiled somewhat evilly and said, "I'm not a little guy, Kougra."

      "Nicky, you're younger than me."

      "Or am I?" I held up the two papers and Kougra looked confused. "Look at the ages," I commanded and after a few minutes, Kougra's face was still blank. "...I don't get it."

      I frowned and waited a few more minutes and finally, a look of surprise crossed his face. The piece of toast fell from his paw. "I'M A DAY YOUNGER THAN YOU!?" He cried, his mouth wide open.

      I nodded and he stood up. "Butta-but... I'm taller! And smarter!"

      "Does that really mean you're older, Kougra?"

      Kougra sputtered, then rocketed into the house, screaming for our owner. I shrugged and grabbed his box of chocolates.

      I could hear Kougra screaming from inside the house. A few neighbors began to look out their windows. If he didn't shut up soon, they'd start throwing food. And when we had a record of three days of not angering the neighbors!

      I shuffled back into the house and saw my owner walking out from the hall with Kougra latched onto her leg. "TELL ME IT ISN'T TRUE, LIZ! TELL ME IT ISN'T TRUE!" he was yelling, his tail swishing in anger.

      My owner had taken to the nickname "Lizzy" and my brothers started wearing it out the first day she got it.

      I sat down on the blue couch in the middle of our comfy living room as my owner tried to pry Kougra off her leg. "Kougra, you know the rule! If the official papers says it's so, IT'S SO," she snarled as she yanked her leg away from my brother's grip.

      "Liz, please, I can't be third-oldest! That means Nicky has to baby-sit ME!"

      Lizzy scoffed. "Kougra, even when you babysit him, its chaos. I'll never let him babysit you." She entered the kitchen and Kougra followed.

      "But MOM! Can't we... I dunno... do something?" he whined, his hands clasped together.

      My owner whirled around. "Oh, then give me a suggestion!"

      Silence.

      "That's what I thought! Now go and tell Tiger we need groceries!" She ordered as she began to make a sandwich.

      Sighing, my brother shuffled off to inform Tiger and we were soon walking out towards the food shop.

      When we arrived, Tiger looked back at us. "You all stay here," he said. "And that's an order." He began to enter the food shop when I stepped up. "Tiger, let me come!"

      Tiger raised an eyebrow. "Nicky, you'll cause trouble."

      "But I'm the second-oldest!"

      The old "Deh what?" face crossed over my brother and I pointed at Kougra. "I'm older. A day older. I barely found out today."

      Kougra pouted and my brother grinned, then began to laugh uncontrollably. A few people looked at us, but we were used to weird looks by now.

      "A...A day... A DAY OLDER!?" He laughed, his arms crossed. "That's a riot."

      Kougra glared. "It's only one day! He's not as cool, smart, awesome, and handsome as me!" My snow brother declared, swishing his tail. This only made Tiger laugh harder and the shopkeeper came out looking angry and told us if we were going to get something, get it or we'd have to leave.

      I nodded and looked back at Kougra. "Stay here. And don't cause trouble," I said and followed Tiger into the store, still chuckling.

      When we emerged, Kougra was still standing in the same spot, glaring at something in the distance. We started back home and Kougra was behind us. I looked back. "Be careful, little one, or you'll get hurt," I snickered, but my brother said nothing.

      However, when we entered our house, I was suddenly tackled and my brother and I were rolling around, biting and scratching. Someone's strong hand gripped my neck and I yelped as I was pulled to my feet.

      "What are you two fighting about now?!" my owner exclaimed, her eyes narrowed in anger.

      "He's only a day older... a DAY OLDER AND HE MAKES IT SEEM LIKE YEARS!" Kougra yelled, stamping his foot.

      "Well, it seems nice being the second-oldest!" I shot back.

      "And it'd be nice if you two quit fighting!" my owner shouted and we all grew silent.

      "Listen, does it really matter what age you four are?" my owner said, crossing her arms. "You're all brothers and should love each other. This silly game of who's oldest and who's youngest shouldn't interfere with that."

      I bowed my head and Kougra coughed.

      "Well, it makes sense to me," Tiger said with a shrug. "And Prince probably thinks it's fair too."

      Kougra sighed. "I'm sorry, Nicky."

      I nodded. "I'm sorry too, little brother," I replied. A flash of anger was in my brother's eyes, but he quickly put on a smile. "Okay. Let's never fight again."

      "Agreed."

      We shook paws and he stepped back, flicking his snowy tail. "Guess I'll go sell those chocolates!" He announced and turned to the front door to outside, where he supposedly left them. I frowned and quickly scampered behind the couch to avoid the explosion that was bound to happen.

      "WHO ATE ALL OF MY CHOCOLATES!?"

The End