Chapter 14: Show and Tell
"I'm home!" I shout excitedly, holding my pet in my arms and bursting into my grandparents' big house.
Our shopping took a lot longer than I thought it would because Grandma and Grandpa both saw people they knew and had to stop to talk to them. They know too many people, I felt like we were never going to leave the stores. We were in the craft store for a long time and then grocery store for a million hours. It was a bit boring but luckily I didn't knock down or break anything like I did at Home Depot.
It took us forever to go to the chicken farm but we finally made it there and came home after that. It's after school now and everybody is home, but they are all upstairs. Running through the living room and getting close to the staircase, I can hear my uncles, aunts and parents loud and clear on the second floor talking and laughing. The only reason why I'm not going up there is because I was told by Grandma that chickens don't belong upstairs. My pet must stay downstairs.
My hen begins to cluck and wiggle in my arms. I think she might be scared. She was quiet in her box on the way over here. Grandma wanted me to keep her in the box and bring her in the house that way, that's what she said when we parked in the garage but I couldn't wait. I wanted to hold the best in the world, that's why I took her out of the box in a hurry.
When Grandpa opened the van door for me I ran with my pet so fast that there was a cloud of red feathers that floated above us. My pet didn't make a sound as I ran inside the house, leaving my Grandparents in the garage. She was quiet up until now.
"Everybody!" I call out to everyone who is upstairs. My pet starts clucking, trying to be louder than me. "Come see what I got!"
I hold on tighter to my pet as she tries to get out of my arms. She clucks loudly now and tries to flap her wings while I dash over to the stairs, waiting for my family to come down here. I hold her tighter and she clucks even louder than before.
"Shhh. Mama has you, you're fine." I softly say to my wonderful pet. She clucks some more. "Don't be afraid." I pet her head with my free hand. "This is your new home now."
"Ness, who are you talking to?" Mommy questions from upstairs.
"Come see!" I squeal.
At the same time I hear chatter from everyone else, my chicken squawks and Grandma enters the house, followed by Grandpa. They walk over to me. Grandma moves my arms a bit, adjusting my hold on my pet. Maybe I wasn't holding her right, I don't know.
"Come quick, everyone! I have a surprise." I shout happily, over the noise of my pet.
In a flash there's the sound of a door opening and six pairs of running feet from the upstairs hallway. It doesn't take long at all for everyone to come downstairs. Daddy and Uncle Em are the first down, stopping at the bottom stairs, then it's Uncle Jazz and Auntie Rose, right behind them. Last is Auntie Alice and Mommy.
Everyone freezes up, looking at me and my squawking pet. All of them have a surprise look on their faces and no one is saying anything. The only one that is talking is my hen and I think she's panicking because there's too many new people she doesn't know yet. I think my hen is shy.
"Umm...what's with the bird?" Uncle Em asks slowly, not taking his eyes off of my chicken, who's squawking her head off.
I roll my eyes and make a face, but otherwise ignore Uncle Em calling my pet a bird while Grandma and Grandpa each put an arm around me. They are now standing on either side of me.
"The hen is Nessie's pet." Grandma says as she pets my chicken.
"Pet?" Six different voices echo the word in surprise.
"Indeed." Grandpa agrees.
My parents, uncles and aunts seem so shocked at this news. I can't understand why. Haven't any of them seen a pet chicken before? I don't have an answer for that and I'm too happy that the words in my mind are too jumbled up to think of how to ask them that. So I don't. I just smile and hold my clucking chicken.
"This is Lois Lane. I named her after Superman's true love." I hold my red hen out to get a better look at everyone. She makes a strange sound as she opens her beak wide and squawks like a siren. "Lois Lane, this is your new family." One by one I say the names of all my family members, starting with Daddy, that way Lois Lane will know who everyone is and she won't be confused or scared anymore.
Nobody says a word. All of them just stand where they are on the stairs looking at Lois Lane and I. They all look like they have seen a ghost. Nobody knew I wanted a chicken for a pet, not even Daddy. I kept that as my secret because I didn't think I would be able to have a pet since we are vampires.
Without speaking, Daddy turns his head, looking right at Grandpa. All he does is raise one eyebrow to get Grandpa to talk.
"We had a few errands to run this afternoon." Grandpa explains. "Nessie really wanted a pet and she was very specific about what kind, which prompted us to stop at a chicken farm on our way home."
I smile very big, showing my teeth. Lois Lane screeches.
"Awesome!" Emmett loudly says, pumping his fist in the air. "We finally have a pet!"
I look at him. I never knew that Uncle Em thought that chickens were the best pet ever, just like I do. Though, judging by how happy he is, I think he does. He seems to be the only one. But I'm sure the others will come around once they see how much fun a chicken will be. After all, they are the best pets ever.
"Best pet ever?" Daddy smiles at me, reading my mind.
I nod my head. My pet clucks some more.
"We have chicken for a house pet?" Uncle Jazz looks amused, leaning on the banister.
"Yes." Grandma and Grandpa reply in unison.
"Why?" Auntie Rose looks as stiff as a statue.
"A pet?" Mommy questions, raising one eyebrow.
"Yes!" I say with excitement.
Suddenly there is a lot of chattering and clucking. I pet Lois Lane's back to calm her down. And that's when I look back at Mommy. I don't know why, but she's biting down on her bottom lip. Immediately - like she called his name - Daddy turns his head and looks back up the stairs to where Mommy is. The way they are looking at each other I get the feeling that she let down her shield and is telling him something in her mind.
"This makes so much sense!" Auntie Alice says happily. Her voice is high and everyone gets quiet, even my pet. "Now I know why I ordered an assortment of chicken size clothes on my phone when I was in Math class this afternoon."
"What?" Auntie Rose and Mommy say at the same time. Both of them look at her like she's crazy. Uncle Jazz chuckles and Uncle Em laughs his booming laugh.
"Real clothes for a chicken?" Daddy questions Auntie Alice. She nods her head. "I thought you were buying clothes for your virtual pets on Sims 4."
"No." Auntie Alice says very seriously. "I have a virtual rainbow cow on Sims 4 that wears a fabulous pink tutu. Why would I be buying clothes for chickens when I have a cow?"
Daddy shrugs his shoulders and Uncle Em can't stop laughing.
"Hmm." Mommy turns to Auntie Alice. "So now you are a fashion consultant for chickens?"
Auntie Alice doesn't answer but Uncle Em starts laughing even harder like he heard a really good joke. While Uncle Jazz blinks his eyes, Auntie Rose keeps looking at Lois Lane like she doesn't trust her and Grandma and Grandpa scold Auntie Alice for using her phone during class, she apologizes and says she felt it was an emergency. She explains that she had to order it when she had a vision of a chicken size rainbow dress with a tutu. Uncle Em is now holding his tummy while he laughs. His loud laughing is scaring Lois Lane, she's moving around in my arms.
"Hey!" I shout as Lois Lane pecks my wrist. It doesn't hurt but it doesn't feel nice either. She does it again and I let go of her.
Lois Lane squawks her head off as she flaps her wings and flies up the stairs, pooping as she goes. My parents, uncles and aunts all scream and shout, running back up the stairs. All of them scatter in different directions from my chicken as my grandparents tell everyone to calm down. But no one listens, they keep running and shouting. Nobody wants Lois Lane to get near them.
There's so much shouting from the boys, screaming from the girls and mad squawking from Lois Lane. I want to help rescue my pet but it's too loud for my ears. I stand next to Grandma who holds me close. I can tell that she doesn't want me to go upstairs with all the craziness, she's probably afraid I'll get hurt. Grandpa is standing next to us, shaking his head as everyone on the second floor begins to act cuckoo crazy. It's too loud. I quickly cover my ears with my hands. It makes it a little quieter, though I can still hear what they are saying.
"Help! It's going to attack!" Auntie Rose sounds terrified.
There's more screaming and shouting. I hear Lois Lane cluck and something crashes to the floor. My heart pounds in my chest. I don't want my baby to get hurt. I don't understand why they are running from Lois Lane instead of catching her.
"No one is going to hurt your chicken, Nessie." Daddy announces reading my thoughts as he runs around up stairs, like a crazy person. "Ahh! Bella, it's behind you!"
"We just don't want to get pooped on." Auntie Alice shrieks. "Ahh! It's on the move!"
"Don't let that creature mess up my hair!" Auntie Rose screams and Lois Lane screeches.
"Oh no! I stepped in poop!" Mommy sounds very disgusted.
"This smells horrible." Uncle Jazz sounds sick. "It's droppings are going everywhere!"
"Em!" I hear Daddy yell. "Watch out. It's after you."
"No! Stay back, birdie. Don't crap on me!" Uncle Em shouts from up stairs.
There's more running, shouting, clucking and more things crash to the floor. Several of them gag from the horrible smell. I look up at Grandma and Grandpa as something else crashes to the floor, followed by more shouting. I have no idea what could be going on up there.
"Oh my goodness, Carlisle!" Grandma sounds worried. She's looking at Grandpa. "Our children are going to tear down the house."
"Children," Grandpa calls to everyone that's running around from Lois Lane. "Don't break anything and get that chicken." In a flash he is upstairs.
"Ahh! It's mad and still pooping!" Auntie Alice screams. "Bella! Rose! Both of you get in here, don't let it ruin your clothes."
I hear Mommy and Auntie Rose shout something at the same time. It's hard to figure out what is being said over all the noise. Suddenly a door slams shut. Lois Lane squawks, followed by Uncle Jazz, Daddy and Uncle Em all yelling and loud footsteps that make it sound like they are going to come through the ceiling.
Grandma looks at the disgusting mess that Lois Lane left behind on the staircase. She rubs her hand on her forehead and sighs. I feel sad that she is not happy and this was my fault.
"Sorry." I give her a hug.
"I know." She says, hugging me. "This is why I wanted you to keep your pet in the box when we brought her inside. I didn't want her to accidentally make a mess. I just didn't think it would be this bad."
"I didn't know vampires were scared of chickens." I say as our hug ends.
She giggles as the loud craziness from upstairs is still going on. Now Grandpa is instructing Daddy and my uncles to corner Lois Lane with a sheet while all the girls are hiding in the bathroom. He sounds like a couch as he's telling them exactly what to do.
Grandma shakes her head. "They are more scared of getting pooped on than anything else. They have no idea they are frightening the poor chicken and the way she is behaving is due to how they are reacting to her." She takes my hand and we begin walking to the kitchen. "Now let's go get the mop and clean up while they get Lois Lane."
"Okay." I smile. I like to mop.
Quickly Grandma and I go over to the broom closet in the kitchen. I grab the mop while she grabs the soap and yellow mopping bucket that she takes over to the sink and fills with water. While the bucket gets all sudsy from the soap, the running and shouting from upstairs now turns into cheering as I hear Grandpa call out that my chicken has been safely caught.
With the mop in my hand I jump up and down. I'm so happy to hear that. Grandma seems happy too. She has a big smile on her face as she turns off the water because the bucket is now full. It's time to mop.
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