Chapter 2 : Best Buds

"Hello there Mango, my name is Russell. Welcome to Littlest Pet Shop. We hope you enjoy your stay here. I have a little questionnaire to help us better your experience here in Littlest Pet Shop. I just need to ask you a few questions. Ok, do you have any health problems we should know about?"

"No, aside from the fact that I am not the most graceful pet. Hehehehe." Mango finished with a little laugh. Her voice was rich, full of life and emotion.

Just like me… Vinnie thought as he stared at the new pet. He didn't know why his stomach felt so funny.

"All right, what is your sport preference?" Russell continued with the questions.

"I don't really care for sports, but I guess Football because my owners watch it."

"Favorite color?"

"Yellow."

"Favorite food?"

"Mmmmmm, lots of delicious shrimp! But I also enjoy Mangos."

"Favorite song type?"

"Pop songs definitely. Something you can dance to."

Dancing, I love dancing. Vinnie thought while staring at Mango.

"What kind of hobbies do you participate in?"

"Well, I love to draw, read, act, and I am super computer savvy. But I have to say that my biggest hobby is writing."

"Writing? Care to explain?" Russell asked while scribbling notes onto his little clipboard.

"Well, stories. I love to write and illustrate my own stories."

Stories huh? I love books. Well, I would if I knew how to read. Funny how many words rhyme with read… seed, feed. Hey when's feeding time again? I wonder what we are having. I hope flies, you know time flies. Wait, what time is it? Am I late for a party? Tell the host I'm sorry!

"Vinnie! VINNIE!"

"What! Russell what's wrong?" Vinnie asked in annoyance as he tore his gaze away from Mango and turned to face his spikey friend.

"You were staring at Mango, you know that staring is not proper Day Care etiquette." Russell said while glaring at Vinnie.

"Oh." Vinnie said as he began turning red, "Sorry, I was thinking about um… Mangos." He became redder every second.

"That's weird. I thought that geckos couldn't blush. You know because you are cold blooded." Russell said while scratching his chin and studying Vinnie.

"I'm NOT blushing Ok? It's just hot in here." Vinnie tried to defend himself, then he caught a glance at Mango. She seemed to be buying it. She was smiling at him. Her teeth were white and her eyes were sparkling. "Yeah, really, really hot…"

"Let me introduce you to everyone else. I am Zoe Trent and to the full extent I'm a big star here, I sing the song to represent! Oh yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaah!" Zoe began to burst into song as she jumped in front of Vinnie.

Mango just sat there and smiled.

"We're the Littlest Pet Shop Pets!" Everyone struck a pose and looked at Mango to see her reaction.

"Nice job! That was great, excellent, fantastic, AWESOME!" Mango stood up and began clapping her paws together. She was so overcome with joy! All these wonderful, talented pets put on a show just to welcome her! Mango was overwhelmed with the wide range of talent that could be found at the Pet Shop. So many pets working together as friends to make their dreams come true. She had always wondered what that might be like.

Once the song was over all the pets scattered and began doing their own activities. So Mango decided to go over to the friendliest pet, Pepper Clark. She tried to remember what Pepper's talent was. Was she the painter, the dancer, or maybe the magician? Mango strolled over to Pepper to see what she was doing. Hoping that she would be able to tell what Pepper was interested in before she had to talk to her, Mango peered over the skunk's shoulder. Pepper's back was turned and she didn't notice Mango arrive.

The pet's large tail obsured Mango's vision and she evetually stopped trying to see what Pepper was doing. For a few minutes Mango just sat there, unsure about what to do. She wasn't the most daring pet and had a little trouble talking to new pets. Sure, during the welcome she was as perky as ever. But one on one, that was a little scary. Her heart began to pound like a drum and her breathing got quicker as she tried to muster up the courage to talk to the skunk. One minute passed, two minutes, three. She finally took a deep breath and cleared her throat quietly. Unfortunately, Pepper did not seem to notice.

"Um… hi Pepper. I was, uh, wondering what you were doing." Mango said quietly.

Pepper turned and startled Mango. Pepper had on a large pair of fake glasses with a big nose and mustache attached to them. Instantly Mango remembered what Pepper's talent was, comedy. She was sure that on stage those glasses were a real crowd pleaser, but right in front of your face they were not so pleasing. Jumping back, Mango tried to still her heart and stop her paws from shaking. The scare did help her adrenaline go through the roof and she was pleased to realized that she was no longer nervous. Clearing her throat, Mango gave Pepper a smile.

"Pepper I was wondering if I could possibly hang out with you. Maybe get to know you and the other pets. I'm sure we would both have a splendid time." Mango smiled at the weirdly dressed skunk.

"Uh, I don't think so." Pepper said in a dull voice. Her expression was one of bordem as she looked at the surprisde pet in front of her.

Mango's smile dropped from her face instantly. "Okay then. I'll go see if someone else wants to be friendly." She began to turn away, her hint at Pepper's unfriendliness lingering in the air. Mango was not a vicious pet in any way, but she was a master in hiding insults.

"Hey, come back here. Hehehehe. It was a joke. Of course we can hang out." Pepper called Mango back while giggling. "That last bit about finding someone friendly, that was good. I like your spunk kid. We're gonna be best buds. I just know it."

"Thanks Pepper, I like your spunk too." Mango said with a wide smile.

"So tell me, what do you think about the others?" Pepper leaned in with interest.