10. Drusilla, "I try" (song by Macy Gray)
She had tried so, so hard to be good to her pet, to make him smile and sing and tilt his head at her like a good little puppet. She had given him everything, the very best of her attentions, and still he defied her. She had sang to him and petted him, being very careful not to hurt him, for he was so very delicate. Drusilla had learned from the last time how very easy it was to crush her little friends, simply by petting him too eagerly. She had shared her blood with him in her favorite crystal goblet and showed him all the stars, telling him all of their names and promising that he could choose whichever he fancied to be his very own. And still he had rejected her. After only two days he had stopped singing, and nothing she did would make him respond to her as he once had.
Drusilla had tried to make him see reason. She had spoke to him, sang to him, and Miss Edith had tried too. She had shouted and shook him, she had cradled him in her hand and begged him to speak to her, and she had cried, telling him he could have his star right then, if he so desired. But he had not listened. Her poor pet, her poor, sweet little canary with the pretty yellow feathers, would not reply.
Spike had yelled at her when she told him of the pet's insolence, telling her she had not fed it. But Drusilla was sure that was not the reason for its demise. She had tried so hard to make it like her, to make her little pet happy. Why were they so very difficult and mean as to reject her?