Pet School: The Biggest and The Boldest

Chapter 8: Meme

Week 3 Wednesday
Cindy's POV
Everyone is so happy for Arthur and how he's got into the internationals! Everyone's also happy that Bailey, Paisley and I think some other dog called... Honey? For trying their best even though they didn't get in. We've all set up a big celebration thing in the foyer. Banners and everything, just like we had done with Mishka. I still am adjusting to Mishka's new wheels, she's had them for weeks now, but she's doing fine. She's adjusted really well and is treating it like she's always had it. I still think it's my fault. If she never joined the whole thing, she'd be fine, but she saved Freckles and Jojo in the process which she is most proud of. Freckles probably would've died if Mishka didn't save him. He was already in a dangerous situation with the smoke and his lungs. Arthur arrived at school. He looked tired. "CONGRATULATIONS AND WELL DONE ARTHUR!" We all shouted. It woke him up a bit. "Oh thanks!" He seemed drained but said it with as much enthusiasm as he could. I walked with him to his locker. "Did you get any sleep last night?" "Uhhh not really." Yesterday Arthur was in Sydney and he flew back here last night. The flight was delayed so they didn't leave until 10pm. But still.. I would've thought he had slept on the plane. The flight is an hour and a half so not too long. They probably arrived home at around midnight. He would've still gotten sleep though? Surely? Bailey and Honey had already come to school, but apparently Paisley's not coming because she needs a rest from yesterday and the late night. "Gee Arthur, no mean to judge but you guys still could've had a good amount of time of sleep." "Yeah I know..." "you could've slept on the plane." "Hey Cindy!" I look over at Aina. "Be meditative ommmmmmm." Uhhh "Huh?" Aina and her little group laughed. "She doesn't even know." Amber said while laughing. They walked off chattering to themselves. Except that girl, Layla. Except her laugh looked and felt fake. The new girl and Aina's cousin. She looks out of place with that group. Arthur shrugged at me. Butkus then ran up to me. "CINDYYYYY, that's your name right? Well yes of course it is. Beautiful followers this is Cindy!" Butkus shoved his selfie stick phone in my face. What the- "Cindy, my followers want to have some advice from you when they need to chill." He shoved it even closer. Advice? "Uhh I don't know, chill?" He burst into laughter. "Nope you gotta. Be meditative ommmmmmm!" Then he walked off yapping to his followers. What is with the whole Be meditative ommmmmmm and while you do the 'om' you do the thing with your hands when you're meditating and close your eyes. "There you two are!" Akira came running to us. She gave Arthur a big hug. "So proud of you!" Then she saw me. "Oh Cindy! Hi! You're the latest... trend ... is it called?" Trend? I'm no trend? What trend? Cosmo spotted me. He ran up to me with all his friends. "Alright everyone, just like we had rehearsed, on 3 2 1.." Cosmo said. "Be meditative ommmmmmm!" They all said at the same time. They then all laughed after they did it. "Check your insta if your confused!" Cosmo said to me as he walked off cackling. So I got my phone out and looked. My phone had so many notifications from insta, everyone had tagged me on one of Blueberry's post. What was it? I clicked on her post. It was a video. Blueberry, Mishka and I were in it and seemed to be filmed by Artemis. Blueberry had the caption 'my friends being goofy 🤣🤣'. I clicked on the video and Arthur watched it with me. It was from yesterday. It showed me getting something from my locker and Blueberry and Mishka were arguing about something stupid, not like a bad argue just a little disagreement they couldn't agree on and then I turned around, close my locker and said to them, "oh my goodness! You two! Be meditative ommmmmmm.." then the video ended. I did exactly what everyone had done to me. That all happened yesterday though and how does Blueberry have the video? Artemis was recording on her own phone. Why did Blueberry post that? Now I'm the laughing stock of everything! "Why would she do this?! She seriously needs to ask before she posts this stuff!" I said out loud to Akira and Arthur. "It's not that bad.. everyone will forget about it tomorrow." Arthur said. Will they though? Yeah right Arthur, like you know everything. "I need to talk to Blueberry, I'll catch-up with you guys later." I found the three of them at Mishka's locker. "Someone's got a lot of explaining to do." They stopped their conversation. "Something wrong Cindy?" Artemis asked me. "Yes. Something's wrong and I think you and Blueberry have some explaining to do." They looked like they had no idea, genuinely though. "Did we do something wrong?" Blueberry asked. I pulled up the Insta. "What about it?" Blueberry asked. Is she seriously going to do this with me now? "What about it? Why'd you post this? Without my permission as well? How'd you even get it?!" I was not happy. "Artemis and I were texting yesterday and she sent it to me because it was funny and I thought it was so funny that I should post it." So funny that she should post it? That's the stupidest, dumbest, lamest, most silly reason I have ever heard! "It's not that big of a deal, Cindy." Can Mishka not get involved? She has to butt her head into drama all the time. "Mishka don't get involved, why'd you have to do it though?! I'm now the laughing stock of the whole school! Do you seriously have no awareness or something?!" "It's got 100 likes..." 100 likes? That makes it worse! "100 likes? Is that all you care about? You embarrass your best friend for likes? Gee I really thought you were better than this, Blueberry." "Calm down, Cindy." Artemis tried to reason with me, Artemis, how about you help me for a change? It's also her fault! If she didn't send the video to Blueberry, everything would be fine! "Yeah! Listen to Artemis! Be meditative ommmmmmm!" Blueberry chimed in. I have had enough. She's crossed a line now. I don't even want to be near her. I walked off, they didn't come after me. So be it, I guess. I've been getting mad a lot lately, this isn't good for me, it's really bringing down my personality. I go back to Arthur and Akira - and now Coco. "Ugh the nerve of those three!" "What happened?" Arthur had a worried look on his face. I told Akira, Arthur and Coco everything that happened. "Being humiliated sucks. I know what that feels like!" Coco said. Arthur looked upset (in a sad way), he hates it when his friends fight. What's funny is that Blueberry made a post about her 'goofy friends' except Arthur wasn't in it, the goofiest in our friend group! Oh gosh! Why am I thinking about it? She went behind my back and clearly doesn't care.

At recess

We were working on our presentations. It was awkward. Mishka's my partner - she and I didn't talk much, on my terms pretty much. We both worked on it, just not together. We were next to each other but we're interacting. If we didn't like something in the presentation we'd just delete it. And that was it. While everyone else talked, laughed, bonded and so on. I wish Arthur was my partner right now but he's partners with Blueberry. Lucky him! Not. I'm not as mad at Mishka, I just don't like how she sided with Artemis and Blueberry and told me it's not that big of a deal. "Where are you going, Arthur?" I asked him. He was heading to the swimming pool. "Training. Mr Gareth is really serious about the whole thing." Sad. Arthur felt like my only escape then. "Can I watch you practice?" I asked him. "Yeah sure. Akira's coming too and Mr Gareth doesn't mind as long as you don't distract me when I swim it's fine." At least I'll have some company with Akira. Akira was already in the stands. Mr Gareth greeted me and directed me to go up to the stands with Akira. Arthur went into the change rooms and I sat with Akira. "Hi!" Akira greeted me joyfully. "Hello!" "Come to watch Arthur as well?" I nodded. I would normally just assume she'd hang out with Coco, Izzy, Katerina and Paisley, but considering Paisley's not here then just the first 3. "I'm watching Arthur cause I know he'd want someone and I know he doesn't tell his friends or anyone they can watch him so of course I have to offer up myself." Akira said. Arthur didn't invite me either. But that's not that big of a problem, he probably is thinking in a different way. Whenever someone gives up time to watch him or do something like that he reckons we're wasting time on him. Akira and I chatted for a bit and then Arthur came out. "Things still rocky with you and... well the rest of your friends?" I nodded. I didn't want to talk to them right now, all everyone had said to me is Be meditative ommmmmmm. I'm sick of it. Akira and I talked a bit while we watched Arthur, we actually had good conversations! Akira's fun to be around. Recess is almost over so Arthur has to finish up and get to the change rooms. Ever since I found out I smell like chlorine without showering or rinsing I now shower after swimming class all the time. Most dogs do. Some don't, those some just rinse off with a wipe. We went to class.

At lunch.

Do I have to sit with my friends? They aren't really my friends at the moment. Except for Arthur. I queue up in the line for lunch. Cheese toasted sandwich, mango chunks, broccoli, a jerky treat (it's giant!) and a green tea. I was about to follow Arthur but he started heading for our usual table."Can we not sit there?" I said to him. He turned around and gave me this look that he wants to make everyone happy but what's to sit there."alright, you sit there then, but I'm finding another table to sit at. Maybe I can sit with Akira, Coco, Izzy and Katerina? I went over to their table. Akira, Izzy and Katerina were there."can I sit with you guys?"Sure." Akira said. I sat down next to Akira, then Coco came with her plate. She looked surprised to see me. Akira and I shifted over to the right to give her room, she sat down. We ate and chatted a bit. It was all good fun. I even forgot about my friends the whole time.

Artemis' POV
In my opinion, Cindy was overreacting. But we didn't know it would make her so upset. Blueberry's Post keeps getting more likes, comments, shares by the second. It's crazy! She's gone to sit with Akira, Coco, Izzy and Katerina. She looks like she's having fun. The three of us had no idea where Arthur and Cindy was at recess. They didn't even text us. They were probably just hanging out together because Cindy didn't want to be with us. I sort of feel bad but I feel also likes it not my fault. I did send it to Blueberry, how did I know what was going to happen to it? She posted it after all, I don't get  why Cindy's also mad at me. I barely did anything wrong. Blueberry was in the video too, why can't she have a video she's in? Mishka was also in it, she didn't have a problem that Blueberry posted it. But I still feel bad. I didn't really want this all to happen, our friend group is broken but we're giving Cindy some time alone but tomorrow we're going to work on getting her back if she doesn't by then. It's going to be hard and tricky for sure. Although Cindy's never this angry with anyone or anything, she's normally bubbly, happy and pretty relaxed. I don't understand what's been happening lately. I guess we"ll see.