The Secret Is Out.

On Monday, I went to Apple Bees with some friends for a so called "dinner date", except 1. It wasn't dinner, it was lunch. And, 2. It wasn't a date, it was just sisters going out for lunch. I was anticipating to get a nice lunch, maybe a Cesar Salad, or a nice B.L.T, which I did, but it was followed by fish. Four fish to be exact.

After lunch, we walked over to Pet Supplies Co. where we saw animals of all kinds. We walked down multiple aisles filled with the non-ideal pet. The rodents and insects fell into that category. After we passed the cat cages, and the stickers for your car if you love your pet that much, I saw an empty tank. I started speeding up, because I knew it wasn't another desisting rodent, or a tarantula, it was a fish. But, not just one fish, there were multiple fish! Big ones, small ones, ones with strips, ones with dots. (I feel like I am reading a Dr. Seuss book.) There was a whole wall of fish.

There were large fish, who's price tag read waaaay to much for a fish, and some medium sized ones that required special water and such, and then there were the small ones. All living in their own tank, swimming together playing fish games. We called over the salesman to tell us more about the fish, but I was already sold. I knew I wasn't leaving that store without a fish in hand. He told us about how they were only thirteen cents (SCORE!!) because they were food. Those poor fish would sit in that tank all day long, hoping and praying with their little gills, that maybe one day someone would stop and save them from the madness. And, that is where I came into play.

I looked into the tank staring at over a hundred fish, when my eyes locked on the perfect fish. She was white on top and orange on the bottom. She was perfect. She was the definition of perfect. The name popped right to mind seconds later, Ellen DeGeneres. Perfect! Her name had to be as great as her fish-like look. When I said I wanted to save an innocent life, I started a chain. My sister, and our friends wanted one too. We were saving FOUR life's in one day! It was unbelievable. When our friend's mother came to pick us up, we couldn't let her know about out secret friends. So, in a hurry my sister, and friends took off their coats and used them to disguised the fish. I was smart enough to stay warm, and just put the plastic bag inside my coat. On top of feeling unbelievable, I felt like a genius.

As the mother's car pulled into our neighborhood, I looked back at my sister with a frazzled look on my face. I was trying to mouth her a plan, but she didn't comprehend. When the car pulled into the driveway, we said our goodbyes very quickly, and booked it into the house. We ran upstairs to put the fish in our rooms until we came up with a better plan. After the fish, Ellen and Steven, were settled into their new homes, my mother insisted on asking us a million questions. Including "Why did you guys run up stairs so fast?"


On Wednesday, I felt like a champion because I have hid the fish from my mother for more than twenty-four hours. My mom would NOT be okay with a fish in our house, let alone my bedroom, but I saved a life. That was my explanation if anything "fishy" happened. (See what I did there?)

Tonight while checking my Facebook, my friends mom found her children's fish hidden in their closet. She posted a picture, and soon my mom saw it on her News Feed.

"Amanda, why are there fish in (your friends') closet?"
"Ummmm, I am not really sure..."
"Then why did you comment on it and say yours died?!"
"WE SAVED A LIFE, OKKAAAYY??!!!?! Just don't go upstairs!"

After that my sister and I ran upstairs and confronted my mother with the fish. Unfortunately, Ellen passed this morning. I was heart broken, and I didn't know who to talk to considering I talk to my mom about everything. So, I had to pull it all together for school.

When my mom took a picture of Ellen while laughing hysterically, I could only think of one thing, our time together. Over the course of four days, Ellen and I became best friends. I was thinking about making friendship bracket's, but hers would just disintegrate in the water. She was my friend for those short four days. We shared secrets, and the same tap water. It was crazy how close we were. I loved her with all my heart, and no fish will ever replace her.

This weekend, I am planning on cooping with this death in Ellen's honor by buying more fish. I will go out to lunch, stumble into Pet Supplies Co., go through every aisle until I see the tanks. I will purchase new fish from the same tank Ellen was from, and treat them like sweet little fish.

This blog is dedicated to Ellen Degeneres (The Fish). She was a great friend, and an even better swimmer. 2012. You will always be loved.