April 25, 2010.
A/N: Happy ANZAC day, forumers.
So, I know I said 5 reviews, but I figured I should probably give you a little more before I ask for proper reviews. It's hard to review on an introduction; I know they're pretty boring.
Here's a tidbit more :)
Thanks to: Absh and Melancholic Marshmallow for reviewing. It's heartening that you guys already have faith in this story. Thank you.
Read on!
~ PRETTY KITTY ~
Two: Twenty Questions
"Oh, no," Kim said, her eyes huge. "I'm not going in there."
The Pretty Skitty Café was situated on a wide, busy street in the heart of Rustboro City, flanked by a boutique fashion store and a hair salon. Clearly, it was right in the hub of the metropolitan woman's pampering heaven. The café itself was two-storey, with shining glass windows and lacy curtains. The bricks were painted musk pink. The tables outside, underneath the pink and white-striped tarpaulin, were covered with lace tablecloths and decorated with little vases of yellow tulips.
"It's so cute!" Nina gushed, her eyes sparkling. "Look at the coasters!"
They were shaped like Skitty faces.
"Piii-chu!" Pichu agreed, its excited smile huge.
"Okay, I appreciate that you were trying to help me," Kim said, "but I think I'll just apply elsewhere. May as well, since we're here."
"No," Nina said. "What you actually mean is: Since we came all this way, we may as well go the last step and have a look inside. Come on, Kim. Just a look. Otherwise it's a waste of bus fare."
"Chu," Pichu agreed firmly. Kim looked sceptically at the ridiculous café and glanced back at her friends. She rolled her eyes and shrugged.
"Fine. But just a look."
A little silver bell tinkled merrily when they pushed the lace-curtained door open. Inside was just as gaudy (if not gaudier) than outside. The walls were lolly-pink, the polished floorboards shining under the fake-chandelier suspended from the middle of the roof. A staircase with a shiny golden banister curled upwards to their left. There were white-tablecloth covered tables with white wicker chairs dotting the floor, and a wide glass bench at the back, displaying dozens of different sweets. Behind that was a wide window in the wall. Chefs moved around behind it, their white hats standing tall atop their heads.
And there were people everywhere. A bunch of little pink kitten Pokémon wandered back and forth between the tables.
"Okay," Kim said nervously, taking a step backwards. "We've had a look, now lets' g–"
"Hi there!" A girl in a disgustingly frilly, cherry-pink uniform popped up in front of them, a shining silver heart-shaped tray in her hand. Kim stared at her. The dress had huge, puffy sleeves and big pleats in its far-too-short skirt. A white apron was worn over the top, trimmed with lace and frill wherever the designer had been able to fit them. A pair of white and pink striped over-the-knee socks matched the long gloves encasing her arms, and her high-heeled ankle boots were the same cherry colour as her wrist gloves. To top it off, a little white and pink maid's crown was nestled behind her silky blonde fringe, complete with a pair of pink cat ears. The rest of her long hair was tied into two high pigtails.
"Uh… hi," Kim replied subconsciously. All the pink was making her dizzy.
"Welcome to the Pretty Skitty Café!" the girl said perkily, smiling brightly. "Would you like a table for two today?"
"Er… no thank you," Kim said politely, wishing she'd followed her gut and not walked inside. "We're just having a look. We'll be goi–"
"Actually," Nina interrupted, pushing Kim aside and taking her place, "we found your flyer. My friend here has come to apply for a job."
"Pichu Pi!" Pichu agreed, nodding.
"Nina!" Kim hissed, kicking her shin hard. The panic button in her brain had been pushed, and the alarm was ringing shrilly. Get out! Get out! Get out!
"Oh!" the girl exclaimed, beaming. She turned long-lashed, sparkling blue eyes to Kim. "That's great! The boss'll be so happy! Please, wait here just a moment."
She skipped away. Literally skipped.
The moment she was out of earshot, Kim rounded on Nina. "What'd you do that for? Now we're stuck here! I'm going to have to make a fool of myself and let them down!"
"Why?" Nina asked, folding her arms across her chest. "This place is great. I'd love to work here."
"Piii," Pichu agreed, gazing longingly at the cakes in the display cabinet.
"You would," Kim pointed out grumpily. "I would not. I think I'm gonna be sick."
"Oh, stop being so melodramatic," Nina replied, rolling her eyes. "This place is perfect. And you kick hard, by the way."
"Thanks for waiting!" the waitress chirped, reappearing before Kim had the chance to retort. "The boss will see you now."
"We'll wait here for you," Nina said, offering out her arm. Pichu scurried eagerly from Kim's shoulder to Nina's. "Good luck!" Pichu waved cheerfully from its new perch. Kim scowled darkly at the pair of them as she was led away by the lady in pink. It felt like she was being led off to her execution.
Down a little corridor, past the male and female bathrooms and the janitor's closet, was a shiny oak door lined with gold leaf. A brass plate reading: Manager was nailed to the wood. The blonde waitress smiled excitedly at Kim and raised one pink-gloved hand to rap sharply. Without waiting, she opened the door, chirped "Here we go!" and pushed her inside.
Kim stumbled awkwardly into the room, almost tripping and sprawling on her face. Managing to recover, she brushed off her uniform, straightened her skirt nervously, and looked around. The walls in here were pink, too, and adorned with photographs – all of the same Pokémon: a cream-coloured cat with purple ears. There was a tall bookcase in the corner, stuffed with titles she couldn't read, and a huge mahogany desk in the middle, behind which sat a fat man in an expensive, velvet purple tuxedo. His greying hair matched his thick, silver, walrus-like moustache. His eyes were the brightest blue – like jewels. At his side was a cat Pokémon identical to the one in the photographs.
"Well, hello there!" he boomed, smiling hugely. "How can I help you today?"
"Um…" Kim began dumbly, a little overwhelmed by the room, and the man who resided in it. Then she realised how idiotic she looked and sounded, and pulled herself together, blushing madly. Well, she was already here… "M-my name's Kimberley Clover and I was hoping to apply for a job here… Your flyer said you were hiring. I've brought a resume with me–" she fished hastily in her school bag, producing a crumpled piece of paper that she gazed at in dismay before thrusting at him "–as well as a letter of application, and–"
"Please, take a seat," the gentleman boomed, beaming at her. Kim fell silent, obediently putting the collection of papers down on the desk and sitting in one of his oversized, plush chairs. He observed her with startlingly blue eyes. "Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions."
He dug around in a pile of documents for a few seconds and pulled out a piece of pink paper with a flourish. "Just answer yes or no, alright? Be totally honest."
Kim swallowed nervously and nodded. "O-okay." She glanced at the cat Pokémon at his side; it yawned hugely, its dark eyes never leaving her face.
"Do you like cake?"
Kim stared at him. Was this a trick question? "Um… yes."
"Have you ever waitressed before?"
Her heart sank. "No…"
"Are you a Pokémon trainer?"
"Yes." Who wasn't, in this day and age?
"Do you train a Skitty?"
"Uh, no."
"Is your favourite colour pink?"
She didn't know whether to take these questions seriously or not. Maybe this was a test of her professionalism. She glanced at him; he regarded her with total seriousness. Her inner Kim shrugged. Just go with it.
"No."
She had a bad feeling all these negative answers weren't good. His responsive frown confirmed her suspicions.
"Are you a high school student?"
"Yes…" What did that have to do with anything? And what was he, blind? Couldn't he see her uniform?
"Can you tie your hair into piggy-tails?"
Oh, man. He seriously called them 'piggy-tails'?
"Oh, um, yes."
"Do you play sport?"
"No."
The questions were getting weirder and weirder. Kim wondered vaguely how many there were. Would she sit here for an hour, just answering these questions? The idea was unappealing.
"Do you ever wear dresses?"
"Occas– I mean, yes." Well, not very often, but answering with 'no' would technically be a lie, because she did wear them sometimes – if there was a wedding or something, maybe. And her school skirt was sort of a dress. Did that count?
"One more thing. Say 'nya' for me."
What on earth? "Nya…?"
"Excellent!" he boomed suddenly; she almost jumped out of her skin. "You can start on Monday. Cora, sweetheart!"
"Wait, what?" Kim stammered in alarm. The door burst open behind her and the blonde waitress danced in.
"She made it?" she asked excitedly.
"She made it!" he boomed. "Get her a uniform from the storeroom – make it a small. I want to see our darling in it straight away!" He clapped his hands together. The Delcatty yawned delicately again, expressionless; uninterested.
"W-wait," Kim wailed, as the blonde waitress hauled her up from the chair and bustled her from the office. "What about–?" Had he even looked at her resume?
"Congratulations!" the girl chattered cheerfully in her ear. "You did it! Welcome to the team; now you're a Pretty Kitty, too! Now, come with me." She steered her through door into a small, musty room with lots of shelves. On a rack to their left were hung many uniforms identical to hers, in all different sizes. She ferreted through them for a moment, pulling one out with a bright smile. "Here we go! Take this, and I'll show you where the change rooms are."
"But – hold on a second!" Kim exclaimed, digging her heels into the ground. The waitress came to a stop and turned around obediently.
"What?"
"Is that… seriously it?" Kim asked, disbelieving.
She beamed again, nodding cheerfully. "That's it! Your interview went over very well."
"That was my interview?!" Kim cried. Ten questions? Really?
"Sure was. Don't look so surprised," the waitress laughed. "Besides, that's the easy part. The real interview comes next."
Kim wasn't sure she liked the foreboding smirk in the girl's pretty, glittering blue eyes, or the heavy meaning in her words.
"Now, hurry up, or he'll get impatient," the waitress said, pulling her down the corridor once more.
Kim stared at her reflection in horror. She looked like… a marshmallow.
The stupidly frilly dressed sat neatly, hugging her figure perfectly. The net petticoats under the skirt were itchy against her legs, and the sleeves were a bit uncomfortable, but otherwise, it felt fine. But as for looks…
"How does it feel?" the waitress called from outside the room.
"Er… okay…" Kim replied.
How had this happened? How was she suddenly wearing one of those disgusting uniforms? She hadn't even liked it on the other girl. Now she had one herself?
The door opened. "Let's have a loo– Oh! You're so adorable!"
Kim blushed furiously. The waitress clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. "Now, you just need the final touches…"
Kim sat obediently on a plush red pouffe while the other pulled her hair into pigtails like hers, tying white ribbons around them, and fixed the little crown on her head. She reached for a pair of Skitty ears.
"Uh…" Kim trailed off, holding up her hands. "Do I really have to wear those?"
"Of course!" the waitress replied, beaming. "They're the best part of the uniform. Everyone loves us because of our Skitty ears!"
Kim sighed, sagging reluctantly while she carefully placed the stupid cat ears on her head. Now she felt like an idiot, and looked even worse. There was no way she was leaving this room. No-one could ever see her like–
"Come on."
Before she could protest, the waitress had hauled her up and pushed her out the door.
"Ooh!" the velvet-dressed man boomed appreciatively, rising from his chair, his cheeks pinkening, his eyes shining. "She's so cute! So delicate! So beautiful! Just like a gorgeous little precious Skitty!"
Oh, God. This guy was a damn Pokémon Fan. Mayday! Mayday!
Before she could even speak, he'd swept her up into a bone-crushing, smothering hug. Kim's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She froze, wondering whether to wriggle free and call Officer Jenny – this guy could be a huge paedophile! Instead, she hung limply until he returned her feet to the floor. He let go and pushed her back, still holding her shoulders.
"Yes, I think it fits," he said, nodding appreciatively. "As snug as a glove. Now, don't you worry, little pet–" Kim shuddered inwardly "–You'll be taken care of. We won't bite. If you have any questions or concerns, the lovely sweet pea behind you will gladly look after you. I trust you'll organise everything?" he spoke now to the blonde waitress.
"Of course," she replied playfully. "When have I ever failed you, Walter?"
"Oh, you're my little angel, darling," he cooed in return. Kim thought she might actually be sick. "Good, good. You're in charge of getting this little petal up to speed. Let me know how things go."
"No problem," the girl replied cheerfully. She took hold of Kim's arm and dragged her out of the office, throwing a merry "'Bye!" over her shoulder.
"Wonderful!" she said, once they were outside, the door closed behind them. "That's test two passed with flying colours."
"H-how many tests are there?" Kim asked nervously. Her head was spinning. In all, it had probably been about twenty minutes since she'd arrived. It felt like her life had been thrown on its head.
"Not many," the girl replied. "Don't worry; it'll be a synch. You'll fit in perfectly, trust me." She led the way back down the corridor, still speaking. "Now, my name's Cora. You can come to me at any time with anything, okay? Don't hesitate to ask questions. We'll get your Skitty sorted on Monday when you come in – make sure you're here by four, okay? And you'll meet the others then, too. Friday's our busiest day, so you won't be able to meet them today. Make sure you dry-clean your uniform; the colour will fade if you throw it in the washing machine. I'd know, I've gone through two already." She laughed nervously. "I think that's it for now. Any questions?"
Only one. Could she talk a little slower?
"I think I'm okay."
"Great!" Cora chirped merrily. "You can go and get changed again now. Oh, I'm so proud of you!" She pulled Kim into a spontaneous hug. Kim cringed; was everyone in this place so openly affectionate? "Welcome to the team, Kimmy!"
She let go, beaming, and skipped away, leaving Kim feeling like she'd been hit by a sparkly pink tornado.
"So, how'd it go?" Nina asked, smiling hopefully when she returned, her brand new uniform folded neatly into a pink and white striped cardboard box. Her friend's fingers were crossed tightly; Pichu perked its ears up in anticipation.
"I'm going to kill you," Kim replied calmly, accentuating each word clearly. Without looking back, she stomped grumpily out of the café.
A/N: Oh, poor, poor Kim. What in the world has she gotten herself into? Well, you'll soon see XD
5 reviews = update :)
Love,
Cherrie xx