Georgiana: Bossy, Lazy, and Rich

      “Do you like it?” asked Angelie Rose hopefully, a young pink Usul who was eager to please and brimming with energy.

      The faerie Lenny paused for a moment, lips pursed, the tip of her wing stroking her chin as if deeply pondering Angelie Rose’s question.

      “Yes, surprisingly. It is just what I envisioned.”

      “Oh, wonderful! I am so glad you like it. I was desperately hoping you would. I was practically eaten alive by the fear that you wouldn’t, and....”

      To staunch the Usul’s seemingly endless chatter, Georgiana rummaged through her enormous scarlet shoulder bag before finally fishing out a large canvas pouch with the numbers 15,000 stamped on it in black ink. She dumped it rather unceremoniously in Angelie Rose’s arms and swept away to examine the rest of the room.

      Georgiana was well known around Neopia Central for being three things: Lazy, bossy and rich. These three things are not a very good combination and can make for an unbearably snooty person who likes to order people around, which is exactly what Georgiana was. In fact, she was so lazy, bossy and rich that she often hired local pets to do ridiculously simple tasks for her so she could sit around sipping her favorite Blueberry Achyfi and snacking on Faerie Crisps. That was precisely why Angelie Rose had come, because Georgiana’s latest project was a fancy health food boutique where she could make a fortune off overpriced organic mushrooms and veggie-topped frozen yogurt. And of course, Neopets as lazy, bossy and rich as Georgiana certainly couldn’t set it up themselves. No, that wouldn’t do at all. So when she heard a report of Angelie Rose’s elegantly decorated plushie shop, she immediately demanded that the Usul arrange a shop for her, offering a not-too-shabby price of 15,000 Neopoints for the assignment. Angelie Rose was thrilled, to put it mildly. She had worked around the clock to make the shop a success, and apparently all her hard work had paid off. For in addition to being lazy, bossy and rich, Georgiana was very particular about how she wanted things. If her morning Vanilla Flavoured Borovan was not exactly the right temperature, she would declare the drink not fit for Neopet consumption, and then go on to fire someone, even if said person had nothing to do with it. Her extensive household staff had been long accustomed to her persnickety ways.

      Georgiana was extremely pleased with the way the shop had turned out, though she would never admit that to Angelie Rose, of course. The young Usul was prone to overexcitement and Georgiana was sure she would pass out if she heard this bit of information. Angelie Rose was already hyperventilating as it was, what with the large sum of Neopoints she held in her arms, so Georgiana thought it best to keep it to herself. And anyways, she found it much more pleasurable to criticize people than to praise them.

      The shop was decorated in charming shades of pea green and cream. It featured handsome marble floors; cute, spindly little chairs and round tables where customers could enjoy their purchases; a spacious back room for storage with a wooden desk where someone (but certainly not Georgiana herself) could calculate sums of how much profit they made a month, equipped with a handy little notepad and a jar of freshly sharpened pencils. Georgiana stopped to admire the large stainless steel and glass display case at the front of the room where she would have someone nicely arrange all the organic berries and healing elixirs and all of that nonsense.

      The next few days, Georgiana kept very busy preparing for the grand opening of Georgiana’s Health Shoppe. Well, not really; she was just keeping all her staff very busy preparing for the grand opening of Georgiana’s Health Shoppe. They hung fliers all around town and sent invitations to everyone on Georgiana’s exclusive guest list, including all of the most wealthy and important Neopets in town. They decorated the shop with green and cream streamers and balloons. They dusted, sanitized, wiped down and polished every surface in the shop. The only thing Georgiana did herself was order the stock for her shop, because she trusted no one else to do it right. In fact, she was so excited when the stock arrived on her doorstep one morning that she almost forgot that she was too bossy, lazy and rich to open it up on the spot, and that her high rank required her to yell at the nearest member of her staff to drop everything they were doing at that moment and come open the box for her, which was exactly what she did.

      * * * * *

      On the morning of the grand opening, Georgiana dressed primly in a pea green dress and flowered hat. She was too nervous to eat anything for breakfast, not even her favorite Strawberry Koi Waffles. However, she did drink four cups of Pomegranate Coffee “to steady her nerves.” Then she made her way to her brand new shop, her heart pounding in time to the click-clack of her high heels on the cobblestone road.

      Pets and their owners started to trickle in slowly around 10:00. Before Georgiana knew it, her shop was crowded with customers. This is just great! she thought to herself, watching as her staff members handed out free samples of parsley juice and organic strawberry yogurt. She was so content with surveying the evident success of her store that she didn’t notice the white Acara striding purposefully up to her. He wore an expensive suit and watch and was flanked by two red Draik servants.

      “Why, if it isn’t Georgiana!” he drawled in one of those annoying, over-the-top voices rich pets often adopt.

      “Keaghan! I’m thrilled you could make it.” Keaghan was a prestigious art and food critic and happened to be an acquaintance of Georgiana.

      “Yes, I couldn’t pass up the temptation. What a lovely shop! I take it you decorated it yourself.”

      Georgiana swallowed. “Of course,” she lied.

      Keaghan arched an eyebrow. “The pink Usul who calls herself Angelie Rose had a different story,” he sniped.

      Georgiana’s mouth opened and closed as if she wasn’t quite sure what to say. She finally managed to squeak out, “Help these days tell such falsehoods.”

      Keaghan sighed. “Georgiana, when are you ever going to learn? You may be rich, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything for yourself. There’s really no point in doing anything if you are just going to pay other people to do it for you. That’s no way to live! When you work hard for what you want, the reward is ten times sweeter. But it’s obvious you’ve never worked hard a day in your life.”

      Georgiana looked meek.

      “Well, I must be off,” Keaghan said curtly. “I’ve got an art show to attend.” And with that, he was off, disappearing into the massive crowd of customers Georgiana had been so proud of before. Now she felt a little sick. Well, you can’t blame her. Being told your whole life so far has been a waste is a shocking blow, and anyone who this has happened to them is entitled to a long nap and a hot cup of cocoa. But Georgiana had no time for naps or hot drinks. She had to play the part of a charming hostess.

      * * * * *

      It was morning time again, and Georgiana was in an extra grumpy mood. She hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep the previous night, all because she had been tossing and turning in bed, thinking of what Keaghan had said. It was true, of course, but Georgiana was having a difficult time accepting it. She wasn’t familiar with people informing her of her faults; she was familiar with them praising her and showering her with compliments, because when you are as rich as Georgiana, that is just naturally what happens to you everywhere you go.

      There was some kind of holdup in the kitchen, and her Vanilla Flavoured Borovan was late, and worse, ten degrees too cold. She was about to spray it out of her mouth at the nearest employee and announce it unfit for Neopet consumption when she remembered Keaghan’s words. Swallowing the cold mouthful of Borovan, she grimaced and took another sip.

      When the Borovan was finished, Georgiana decided she wanted an Altador Omelette for breakfast. She stood up and started to bark out her order to the personnel, but stopped halfway through and said, “Never mind.” Ignoring the shocked faces of her servants, Georgiana started making her way back to the kitchen. Maybe it’s not much, she thought. But it’s a start.

The End

Yay if I made it!!! :) This will be my first in the Neopian Times.