Diary Of An Angelfish

Meeting The Bad Guys

"Gabriela, I'm home!"

I went downstairs and saw Marmalade clap twice to turn on his special lamp. It was white and in the shape of him wearing nothing but a leaf in between his legs as he held the giant heart-shaped Love Crater Meteorite with just one paw. The previous year, a meteor crashed into the city and many people were devastated, but the Professor saw beauty in the rock and the people made it into some sort of symbol of love or whatever.

"Welcome home, sir," I greeted. "How was the ceremony?"

"Quite splendid," he answered.

"Odd, given how I saw on TV that those Bad Guys crashed the party and you are now falling for one of their tricks," I said quietly before... "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!"

"Gabriela, a good girl does not raise her voice," Marmalade said sternly. "And don't worry, there's no trick here."

"That's what they always say," I pointed out, "and what happens later? You get bamboozled."

"Darling, everything will be fine," he insisted. "Besides, didn't you say I helped you when you needed a miracle? Well, now, so do these five souls. Who are we to turn them away? Who are you, Gabriela?"

"I suppose you're right," I admitted. "Just... be careful, sir."

"Good!" he replied. "Now, get some sleep. They're going to be arriving tomorrow. Remember... make a good first impression!"

🐺🐍🕷️🦈🐟🐹🦊🐠💍🪡☄️💋

I woke up, as usual, to the sound of my alarm set for 7:00 in the morning. I went downstairs to have breakfast with the Professor. Then, I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, put on my makeup, and dressed up into a purple turtleneck sweater, a blue skirt, and a black belt with a gold buckle.

I looked out my window to see a car heading up the driveway and I immediately felt dread shiver up my spine. These were the first new people I've met in three years. What if I looked like a fool in front of them? Nevertheless, I quickly went downstairs, out the door and to the driveway loop, where the car pulled up and the Bad Guys stepped out. They all stared at me, making me anxious. It wasn't because I saw them as monsters, but I was suddenly feeling... shy. Luckily, I wrote myself some flashcards to help me.

"Dear Bad Guys," I began reading, "welcome to the home of Professor Marmalade, world's cutest philanthropist and all around good guy. My name is Gabriela Maria Valentina Angelfish..." I flipped to the next card, "-Santiago. As the Professor's ward, I am the perfect example of what the five of you will become by the end of this journey of enlightenment. (Now smile at them!)"

As I gave my biggest, toothiest grin, Mr. Snake suddenly said, "Will we have to wear turtlenecks?"

For some reason, this made everyone but Mr. Piranha laugh.

"What's wrong with turtlenecks?" I asked timidly. "So, uh... Come on in, make yourselves at home."

"Sweet kid, huh?" Wolf said to Snake.

"If not a total weirdo," Snake replied. My smile faded hearing this.

"Did you see that scar?" Shark asked Webs.

"Yeah, someone clearly tampered with her brain," she figured.

"I'll tamper with your brain!" I growled, but then I remembered. "No, you're a good girl, Gabriela. You're a good girl. Just grin and bear it."

I felt my eye twitch and my blood boil as I tried to fake a smile. I turned back around to find Piranha still staring at me with wide eyes.

"Is there anything you would like to say to my face?" I asked with my teeth clenched. I mentally prepared myself for whatever insult he could have thrown at me, but all I heard was...