'The Life of the Third Wheel.' By; Dani J. Martel

Chapter. 2 'The Weekend'.

I woke up to the sound of barking, and something soft nuzzling against my left cheek.

"Get off, Cakepop!" Cakepop, my canine companion since June twelfth 1989. My parents thought it'd be good for my anxiety, if I got a puppy who also struggled with anxiety in some setting. I got her on my thirteenth birthday.

She's a bichon frise, she's incredibly fluffy and cute. She's nice to cuddle with when you're sad - though it sucks when her hair gets into your mouth though.

"Hey, Jan time to get up. Oh, looks like Cakepop did it for me. Don't forget to feed Maurice, Toothpick, and Claire the Cat before ten o'clock. Weird stuff happens when they get hungry..."

Maurice, Toothpick, and Claire the cat - my goldfish. Weird names I know, but I guess I am weird.

"Morning freaks, hungry?" I cheerfully said to my distorted looking fish. 

I got my goldfish when I was nine. Technically they're all goldfish, but Toothpick is a black moor; and Claire the Catfish is a fantail goldfish - whereas Maurice is your usual goldfish.

The moment I poured the fish food into the tank, they bolted for it. Per the usual, Maurice and Toothpick fought for a small portion of the food - Maurice always loses by the way. And while they were distracted, Claire the Catfish eats up the rest of the food: for a fish she's pretty freaking smart. 

And after their little fight, I always give Maurice his portion of the food, and a little bit more to Toothpick due to the fact Claire the Catfish ate most of their food. Again.

"Dang Claire, chill out - will 'ya? There's enough for everyone to last us the month." I always say that. 

I'm beginning to think she can understand me because when I do, she always poke her tongue out. Weird.

"Yeah yeah, sass me all you want. I don't care - I mean, what's a fish gonna do to hurt me? Bite me to death?" I felt bad for Maurice, because there was an evident hierarchy between the three fish.

Claire sat at the top as queen due to the fact she's the only female, and the most intelligent. Toothpick sat in the middle because he's the biggest making him the strongest in the tank. And Poor Maurice sits at the bottom because he's not the brightest, and not very big - still love 'ya though buddy.

What I love most about my fish though is the fact that even though they're not sentient beings, they still have personalities that differ. Claire the Cat: Intelligent and sassy. Toothpick: Big and kinda dumb. Maurice: Loves to swim in circles until he ends up swimming into the tank wall by mistake - he makes this really weird expression when he does. His eyes widen and he hovers around really weirdly. After that he goes back to swimming in circles.

My room was your stereotypical e-girl cave. So typically very dark, and filled with posters of upcoming bands.

"Janet, you fed your fish?" My mom said, as I walked into the kitchen: grabbing an apple and seating myself at the table.

"Yeah, Mom."

"Who won?"

"Toothpick, per the usual." 

"What a shame. Hopefully next time, then." My mom has always liked voting for the underdog - so when we discovered the frequent fights of Toothpick and Maurice, we didn't separate them. We let them quarrel in a hope that Maurice gets stronger.

"Where's Dad?"

"Went to work early, boss called him in for something urgent."

"But it's Saturday!"