Friends Forever?

     A long time ago, a girl visited the Virtupets Space Station and noticed the space adoption agency. Originally she just went in to have a look and wasn’t planning to adopt any pets, but that changed when she heard Dr. Sloth’s evil laughter and saw all the sad faces.

     The girl saw a little purple Grundo sitting in the corner crying. Her tears hurt her. She wanted to do anything to make the little Grundo smile.

     “Why are you crying?”

     The little Grundo looked up at the little girl and whispered in her ear. She was scared to say it out loud.

     “You don’t have name?” The girl looked at her and smiled.

     “You need a name! I think your name should be Galaxy! Would you like come home with me, Galaxy?” The purple Grundo smiled and from that day she was Galaxy.

     Galaxy felt like the luckiest Grundo in the whole world. Her owner, her little girl, played with her every day. Occasionally the girl would buy her books and toys.

     One day Galaxy told her that she wanted to read all the books in Neopia. Her owner smiled and nodded. From that day on, all the money the girl made went to buying books.

     When Galaxy wasn’t reading or with her owner, she would play with other pets outside the city. Her best friend was Alowa the blue Elephante. They would visit the Healing Springs and play close to the Rainbow Fountain together. When Galaxy was adopted and moved in with her owner, Alowa and her family were living next door. They had quickly become friends and spent a lot of time visiting each other. However, last year, Alowa and her family had moved into the city and now they spent less and less time together. Alowa was always busy with this and that.

     One day they had arranged to meet with the Rainbow Fountain. Alowa wasn’t there when she came, but Galaxy told her owner that she could wait alone. Her girl was going to buy some new books for Galaxy and dinner. Alowa was never late, so Galaxy didn’t expect to have to wait very long. So her owner left. Galaxy waited and waited, but Alowa didn’t come. When her owner came by a few hours later, to pick her up for dinner, Galaxy was still waiting.

     “What is wrong, Galaxy?” her owner asked, when she saw that Galaxy looked upset.

     “Alowa didn’t come!” Galaxy looked confused at her owner. “Why didn’t she come?”

     Her owner did the best she could to comfort Galaxy on their way home. “Something might have come up and I’m sure there is an explanation for this. Why don’t you neomail Alowa after dinner?” Her words were comforting and Galaxy felt reassured, but her owner became worried. She had a bad feeling about this and hoped she was wrong. “I bought Peaburger Delight for dinner and Blue Bomberry for desert. Doesn’t that sound delicious?”

***

     “Hello! Is something wrong, Alowa? Are you sick? I waited and waited, but you never came.” Galaxy took a breath and waited for Alowa to say anything, but Alowa didn’t reply. Maybe she had lost her voice, Galaxy thought. After a moment silence, Alowa finally said something.

     “I got painted yesterday.”

     Galaxy felt relieved. She isn’t sick, Galaxy thought.

     “That’s great! Let’s play tomorrow and you can show me!” Galaxy tried to picture what colour Alowa would be.

     “I can’t... We can’t be friends anymore.” When Alowa said that, Galaxy almost lost the neomail machine and sank to the floor.

     “Why? I don’t understand.” Galaxy's voice was so thin. She didn’t understand how Alowa could say something like that. They were best friends.

     “You are plain and I’m painted. Don’t you see? Now I can play with the other painted pets and you don’t fit in!” Alowa's words hurt. Tears streamed down Galaxy's face. She didn’t want Alowa to know she was crying.

     “Click.” She closed the neomail machine. It felt like time froze and Galaxy couldn’t speak or do anything. She didn’t know how long she had sat on the floor, but suddenly her girl was there. Galaxy didn’t need to explain. She held Galaxy close and cried with her.

***

     The next day after breakfast her girl said carefully. “If you want to be painted, I’ll try to work harder. I’ll save everything I make, but then I can’t buy you books and toys. If that’s what you want, I will do it!” Galaxy didn’t know what to say. Her girl was the best in the world, but she wasn’t rich and she wasn’t very good at making money. But she would try her best for her.

     “I don’t think Alowa is a very good friend, if all she sees is skin colour!”

     Galaxy froze. Her heart stopped. How could her owner say something like that? Alowa was her best friend. Galaxy felt her tears was coming and ran out the door.

     “I’m sorry,” her girl whispered as tears were dripping from her face.

     Galaxy ran and ran and did not stop until she was at the Rainbow Fountain. “I curse you! I curse you!” Galaxy screamed at it and sank down on her knees. She was so angry and sad at the same time. Why didn’t her owner understand?

     Two big green eyes examined Galaxy. They must have concluded that she was harmless, because they came closer. The green eyes belonged to a yellow Buzz.

     “Why are you cursing?” the Buzz asked.

     “Everything is wrong! My best friend, Alowa, got painted and now she doesn’t want to be my friend anymore. My owner said she would save up and paint me, but she didn’t think Alowa was a good friend of mine. So I ran away!” Galaxy cried.

     “Your owner sounds nice.” The Buzz sat down beside Galaxy. “Do you want to be painted? I don’t want to be painted. People think I’m strange because I’m a Buzz, but my owner loves me just the way I am. I’m Buzzie, by the way!”

     The question stuck in Galaxy's head. Did she really want to be painted? Her favourite colour was purple and her owner always said she had the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. They ended up sitting by the fountain the whole day. Buzzie was strange, but then again he was a boy! He would come here to read, when his owner was at school.

     “Have you read Gourmet Cooking for Your Pet?”

     Galaxy shook her head.

     “My owner bought it last week and I was really excited about reading it, but he said no. Do you know what he intend to do with the book? He is going to put in a cooking pot in August! And I’m the strange one?” They laughed. Buzzie was funny and he loved to read as well. He was nothing like Alowa. Alowa despised reading. When Galaxy thought about it, they didn’t really have a lot in common.

     When it got dark, it was time to say goodbye. They agreed to meet again tomorrow. They would lend each other their favourite book. Galaxy's head was spinning. Just one favourite book, she thought. But there are so many good books. She needed to think this through. Maybe her girl would help her choose. It had been a good day despite everything. Galaxy had lost a friend, but she had also found a new one.

      “You are ok for a girl, but just so you know – my owner is my best friend!” Buzzie said as he was flying away.

     “That’s ok,” Galaxy screamed after him. “My owner is my best friend.”

The End