“Hey, Benny,” Roxie greeted with her usual brightness, “I went to the pier with my students today.” Benny blew more bubbles as a response. “You should have been there,” Roxie continued as she crawled onto her mattress. Benny absolutely hated the agonizing wait for Roxie, his beloved owner, to return to the apartment. He also hated having to share Roxie with her students from the elementary school. However, he did get her from 4:26 pm until 7:00 am and that was enough for him.
As he watched the exhausted Roxie close her eyes, Benny decided to clean up his bowl to impress his love as she napped. He wiped some food residue from his bowl, and spotted the photo of him and Roxie when they first met. Roxie still looked the same--from her blonde curls to her green eyes. Benny sighed at the memory while his gaze drifted to other objects in the room: the dresser highlighting the elegance of the framed photo, the clean clothing in the pink wicker basket, and the wooden-backed office chair by the door where her school bag rests. Once his eyes found Roxie again, he fell asleep.
The next day started with the typical rush--a quick shower, a gulp of coffee, and Roxie was out the door. However, at 4:26 Roxie was still not home. Neither was she at 4:27. At 4:28 Benny began to sweat. He paced in his bowl. Swoosh. Benny was scared that Roxie might have been hurt. Swoosh. What would he do if something happened to her? Swoosh. Would he be left alone, never to be loved again? Swoosh. Benny started to feel seasick from pacing. To distract himself, he began to make a rock garden with the colorful pebbles on the floor of his home.
Then, finally, at six o’clock, Roxie returned. Benny’s began to bubble with excitement. He did a flip in his bowl, a happy greeting. Then he noticed…accompanying her was an unfamiliar man. “I had a great time to night, Fred,” she said as she swung her work bag onto the office chair.
“Me too, Roxie,” Fred said, eyeing Roxie with a peaceful expression. Benny’s bubbles sank to his belly.
“Fred,” Roxie said, walking over to Benny, “This is Benny, my best friend.” Now that Benny got a better look at him, he saw that Fred did have some charm with his dark hair and hazel eyes. However, Benny thought, he was not as classy as himself. Fred extended his hand to the front of bowl. Benny turned and gave Fred the tail.
“Cute little fella,” Fred laughed jovially. Benny whirled around and glared at Fred, but Fred’s attention had returned to Roxie who was gazing up at him adoringly. Benny’s fish face burned red as anger rushed through his scales; his thoughts swirled furiously. You think you’re better than me because you are 6 feet tall and I am only 6 inches? Well, I’ve got more power in my left fin than you have in your hulk of a body, Buddy! But as he saw his love, lost in the eyes of another male, Benny knew that despite his bravado, Fred had won. The lovebirds were human; Benny was just a fish.

As if to prove him right, Fred passionately kissed Roxie. Benny’s heart was breaking. Helplessly he rammed his head hard and repeatedly against the bowl, trying to make them stop. However, his frustration went unnoticed as Fred hugged Roxie good night.
The following a day was Saturday, so there was no hustle. Benny eyed for the second time the photo of him and Roxie, as Roxie took a bath. While he did, his heart sank as he realized that the two of them would never be that happy together again. Then as if it had been waiting to happen, Benny fell to the bottom of his bowl in misery.
After Roxie was washed and dressed, a hard knock came from the apartment’s entrance. Benny tried to listen to their conversation, but he was too far away. Roxie, followed by Fred, entered the room. “We can leave once I feed Benny,” Roxie explained, walking over to the bowl. Fred nodded casually as he watched her sprinkle fish flakes in to the water. But, Benny was too depressed to eat. “That’s weird,” Roxie said, “He always eats. I hope he is okay. He looks a bit paler than usual. Does he look paler to you?”
He looks like a fish, Fred thought to himself; “He looks fine to me,” he said aloud. Fred could not deal with Benny’s problem, because he and Roxie had a date, but he did notice something. “Is that a rock sculpture?”

Fred was taking Roxie to a late lunch at a little restaurant called Milly’s, which was not that far from her apartment. Once they arrived at Milly’s they were seated right away in a cozy corner. The décor of the establishment was casual yet elegant--with its wonderful artwork on the walls and its silk-covered tables. Roxie was eyeing a painting of an outdoor wedding when their waiter appeared. “I am Paul, and I will be your waiter this evening,” Paul told them with a half hearted expression. “May I start you off with a couple of drinks?” The waited asked, looking from Roxie to Fred.
“Two colas will be fine, thanks,” Fred said calmly. As Paul walked away Fred turned his face to Roxie, who was looking unseeingly at her closed menu. “Is there something wrong, Roxie?” Fred asked putting his hand on hers.
“Sorry,” she mumbled looking up into Fred’s eyes, “I guess I am a little distracted.”
“Why is that frown covering your beautiful smile?” Fred said sincerely.
“I was just thinking about Benny. He did not look too well when we left,” she said looking back down at the menu.
“He’s fine,” Fred tried to reassure her, “With an owner like you how could not be?” She smiled, opening the menu with her free hand. The both of them were perusing their menus in silence when Paul returned with their drinks.
“Are you two ready to order?” Paul asked with a fake smile on his face.
“Yes,” Roxie answered sweetly, “I will have the chicken salad, with the dressings on the side,”. Paul nodded as he wrote it down.
“I’ll have a fish sandwich,” Fred said closing his menu. However, when he saw the frown return to Roxie’s face, he changed his order to a grilled cheese, quickly. After Paul finished writing down their order, Fred asked, “Paul, where the rest room?”
“Behind the aquarium,” he said pointing over his left shoulder to a massive glass cage. Roxie let out an audible whine.
“Thanks. I will be back in a little,” Fred said as he slid out of the booth. Once behind the aquarium, he looked back to see Roxie gazing at the table with a depressing look.
Fred sighed and walked to the bathroom. He gave himself a hard look in the mirror. “What’s wrong with me?” Fred asked himself quietly. He also felt sad; however he had nothing to be sad for. Also, there was a strange bubbly feeling in his stomach. Was this love? Couldn’t be, could it? He knew he was attracted to Roxie, but love never came to his mind. He stared at his appearance; it was no different from usual. However, he was smiling. “I am in love,” he concluded, and he continued to marvel at his stupid grin.
When Fred returned to the table, Paul was just setting their plates down. The couple ate their meals in silence, but whenever he could, Fred would sneak a glance a Roxie.
The meal finished, the not so cheerful duo re-entered the apartment to find Benny suspended upside-down in his bowl. Roxie rushed over to her bedside table, tears forming in her eyes. “Benny!” she shouted shakily, “Are you okay?” She peered at her pet. “Fred, Benny’s gills are barely breathing. Don’t die,” she whimpered pathetically, “Don’t die. You’re my buddy and my roommate.” She pounded on the glass with her shaking knuckles. Benny twitched in his sleep. Roxie exhaled in small relief, as she sank to her knees, tears trickling down her nose.
Fred could not bear to watch Roxie suffer. He looked around the room and saw a glint of light on the dresser. He walked over and spotted the picture of Roxie and Benny. An idea hit Fred in that instant. “Come on, Roxie, let’s go,” Fred said spinning around to face her.
“Where are we going?” Roxie asked bewildered.
“Just trust me.” He took her hand and pulled the dazed Roxie along behind him and out the door they went.
Benny continued to float there in self pity and heart break. Roxie did not need him; she had Fred after all. And what use was he to her as a fish? He closed his eyes and drifted into depressed unconsciousness.
In what felt like a moment later, the dejected fish was awoken by a door shutting. Too lazy to open his eyes, Benny used his ears. The sound of shoes on carpet, the opening of another door and low muttering was all he could hear. Annoyed and curious, he opened one eye. Even upside-down he could make out Roxie and Fred.
However, there was something else. Why did Roxie have her hands behind her back? Guessing it was her purse, Benny reclosed his eyes. They weren’t closed for five seconds when Roxie asked, “Are you sure this is what Benny wants?”
What I want? Benny thought, What I want is to be able to die in peace.
“Of course! This is what he needs,” Fred said cheerfully.
The fish re-opened his eyes long enough to roll them at Fred. What did the stupid giant know? he thought fiercely.
Then he heard something like water moving. Knowing he had not moved, he began to panic. What if they think I’m dead? Or worse, what if Roxie has no use for a depressed fish? What if they are coming to give me the final flush? Giving himself a mental slap, Benny pulled himself together. Then he heard more footsteps and a splash. The force slammed Benny into the side of the bowl. What was that? he asked himself, as he peeled off of the round wall.
He turned around to see a yellow figure swimming closer. Thinking to himself that it was an angel coming to take him away, Benny re-slammed into the side of his home trying to get away. The result, however, was only an annoying headache, and instead of one yellowish-orange celestial being, there were two. And if you don’t think that’s “pee your scales” worthy, well think again. Benny squinted at the brightness. As his sight cleared up, the two orange blobs became one again, and he spotted a hint of eyelashes. “A girl,” he mouthed perplexed. Of course, it is a girl; it’s an angel, he yelled at himself. But it was no angel…it was a fish…it was female… she was fantastic. She was a fantastic female fish.

“Hey, Benny.” Roxie smiled at Benny’s reanimation. “This is Lucy, our new roommate.”
Benny moved closer to Lucy. Lucy, Benny mentally sighed, what a wonderful name. Roxie probably thought of it. At that thought, Benny turned to face his lovely owner. Her face was full of hope and her eyes full of dreams that Benny could not make come true. Benny then turned to look at Fred. Fred’s muscled arm lay around Roxie’s shoulder and a proud smirk danced on his face. Maybe there were some brains mixed with that human brawn after all. But, hey, let’s keep the ego in check, Buddy. The fish rolled his eyes, again.
Finally, Benny’s eyes found Lucy’s. Her baby blues had a glint similar to Roxie’s green ones. However, her dreams he knew he could make come true, and with that his heart re-inflated. Benny turned back to Fred as if to say, “She’s yours now. Take care of her.”
His heart swelled as he swam back to his new fantastic female fish friend. And so, in the end, Benny and Roxie were both in love and happy, but not with each other.