When Life Gives you Lemons Make Lemonade

     "I'm bored," stated Amy, throwing herself into the kitchen chair next to her owner.

     "I have something to beat your boredom!" said Amy's owner, a teenage girl named Jenny.

     "What?" asked Amy eagerly, leaning towards Jenny.

     "Shelby is coming over!"

     The striped Kacheek groaned, giving her owner a reproachful look.

     "I hate Shelby! She is so annoying and she acts like a know-it-all," said Amy.

     Shelby was a blue Shoyru that belonged to Jenny's best friend, Mary. Jenny and Mary had tried to get their pets to become friends, but nothing worked.

     "I know you don't like her, Amy..." started Jenny, but she was cut off by Amy saying,

     "And she doesn't like me either. She calls me a snob. She says that I think I'm better than everyone else because I'm painted."

     Jenny sighed. "Ok, so she doesn't like you either. So the last thing you want to do is spend a day with your enemy, but there's something that Mary and I planned for you that might make it better."

     "What is it?" Amy asked excitedly; Jenny's plans were usually great.

     "Well, you have told me a million times you need more neopoints, and Mary says Shelby tells her the same thing. So we got together yesterday when you were in school and built you two a lemonade stand!"

     Amy stared at her owner, as if asking if she was telling the truth.

     "A lemonade stand? You're kidding," said Amy.

     "You don't like the idea?" Jenny asked, frowning.

     "First, I hate the idea, and second, when doing a lemonade stand I will have to sit outside in the heat with Shelby ALL DAY LONG!"

     Jenny winced. Amy rarely got this angry; she was usually calm and quiet.

     "I'm sorry, Amy, but I promised Mary we could do it. I bet Shelby's really looking forward to it too," said Jenny.

     "Like I care what Shelby thinks," Amy grumbled, sliding down in her chair until she was almost lying in it and crossing her arms over her stomach.

     The owner and pet found out five minutes later Shelby was not looking forward to sitting in a lemonade stand either. In fact, from what Amy could tell from the screaming, Shelby was looking less forward to having a lemonade stand than her.

     "I WILL NOT DO IT! I WILL NOT DO IT!" Amy heard Shelby scream in her annoying high-pitched voice outside the front door.

     "I better go let them in," Jenny said, wincing as Shelby gave a very loud scream.

     Amy sat up a little bit and uncrossed her arms as Jenny ran out of the kitchen. The screaming got a lot louder and Amy knew Shelby was inside the house.

     "Come into the kitchen, Amy is in there," Amy heard Jenny say loudly over the screaming.

     Mary, Jenny, and Shelby walked into the kitchen.

     "I DON'T WANT TO BE NEAR AMY! SHE SMELLS!" Shelby shouted.

     "I DO NOT SMELL!" Amy shouted back, her face heating up in rage.

     "YES YOU DO AND YOUR WHOLE HOUSE SMELLS! MARY, TAKE ME HOME! I HATE IT HERE!"

     "DO NOT INSULT MY HOUSE!"

     "GIRLS, STOP IT!"

     Amy looked up from her position crouching over Shelby, her fist ready to hit Shelby in the stomach and Shelby looked up lying on the floor. They both stared at Mary, who was looking very angry. Jenny just looked scared.

     "I was going to be nice and allow you two to not have to sell lemonade, but you have pushed my patience over the edge. You will now sit outside all day with the two pitchers of lemonade you will make and sell lemonade if it kills you!"

     After Mary finished her speech, she stood, breathing hard. Amy hastily got off Shelby and they both stood up.

     "Now go make the lemonade and then sell it," said Mary.

     ****

     "This stinks," said Amy for the tenth time that afternoon.

     Amy and Shelby were sitting side by side behind a crudely made stand with the words 'Lemonade 25 Neopoints' written in red marker on the front of it. Two full pitchers of lemonade and two stacks of cups stood, ready to be used. They had not been used yet that afternoon because not one cup of lemonade had been sold.

     "I agree," said Shelby. "GET A REFRESHING GLASS OF LEMONADE OVER HERE! ONLY 25 NEOPOINTS!" she shouted, making a little Kiko run into his house in fear.

     Amy looked at Shelby and smiled.

     "I think that's the first time we've ever agreed on something," said Amy.

     "Yeah." Shelby made eye contact with Amy, and then they smiled at each other. Shelby quickly turned her smile into a frown. "And it will probably be the last."

     Amy felt her smile fade away too. "What do you mean by that?"

     "I mean, there's not a lot you say I will agree with."

     "And why's that?"

     "There's a very good reason. If you haven't noticed, we're as different as day and night, bitter and sweet, hot and cold."

     "That doesn't mean we can't agree on some things."

     "But not many-"

     "Excuse me, girls?"

     Amy and Shelby looked up to see an elderly red Lenny standing in front of their stand.

     "What is it, old lady?" Shelby asked rudely.

     "I would like to buy one cup of lemonade please," replied the Lenny.

     "Then go to the grocery store or something," said Shelby.

     "But it says that you're selling lemonade on this sign."

     "Just because it says that doesn't mean it has to be true. Have you ever thought of it that way? If there was a sign on top of a bridge that said 'if you jump off the bridge you'll find treasure' would you believe it?"

     "I have never met such a rude young person in my life! Don't expect any more business than me, or from my friends!"

     "It's not like we want business from a bunch of old farts anyways!" Shelby called after the Lenny as she stomped away. "What's the matter?" Shelby asked Amy as Amy stared at her.

     "Could you have handled that any worse? You insulted an old lady, lost all the business she might have given us with her friends, and you ruined our first sale!" Amy bellowed.

     "Why do you care about this stupid lemonade stand anyways? It's not like we're going to get paid for doing this. Mary and Jenny are going to get all the profits."

     Amy stared at Shelby for a few seconds. How stupid could that Shoyru be?

     "Shelby, we're getting the money we make," said Amy slowly.

     It was Shelby's turn to stare at Amy.

     "You're joking," Shelby said.

     "No, you can ask Mary and Jenny. We're splitting every last neopoint we make."

     "Well, then let's get to work! We've got to sell some lemonade!"

     It looks like things might actually turn out ok, Amy thought, grinning.

     Amy heard the door slamming of the house behind her. She glanced behind to see Mary and Jenny running towards them.

     "Shelby, we heard every last word you said to that Lenny!" said Mary angrily.

     "Your lemonade stand days are over, girls," Jenny finished.

     "Why, Jenny? I didn't do anything!" whined Amy.

     "Exactly," replied Jenny.

     "Huh?" asked Amy.

     "You didn't do anything to the Lenny but you didn't stop Shelby from doing anything either. Amy, Shelby, you each grab a pitcher and a stack of cups. Mary, you and I will take the stand in."

     And so, Amy and Shelby went into the house, glaring at each other, each mad at the other for ruining their chance of getting some easy neopoints.

     How can one lemonade stand bring two enemies together? It can't.

The End