How a Sneeze Saved the Day

I knew there was only one person who could handle that chaos: Maxine. I ran through the pixelated maze like my life depended on it, like it was the last piece of gossip in the desert (wait, I don’t think that’s the saying). When I finally spotted that colorful hair in the distance, the sight wasn’t as reassuring as I’d hoped: she was in the middle of yet another sneezing fit. But too bad for Maxine, we didn’t have time for bed rest: This sneeze had to be stopped the same way you stop a hiccup attack: with a good SCARE!

“Maxine, we need to run NOW!” I shouted, as the Virus built new walls all around us.

When the Pixelated Chaos Began

That’s when she sneezed so hard it almost knocked me over. But that wasn’t all: right in front of us appeared… a Motorcycle. It looked gamer-level, straight out of a final boss fight in an arcade game! I had no clue how it had appeared, if Maxine even knew how to drive one, or if she might un-pixel it with her next sneeze and throw us to the ground. But it wasn’t the time for questions.

Without thinking twice, we jumped on the bike and floored it.

One Heart Left and the Virus’s Minions Attack

Suddenly, the maze opened into a strange street. Before we could even breathe in relief, the Virus’s minions popped out of the corners, pixelated arms ready to strike. One of them grabbed my arm, and I instantly felt the impact: my heart counter dropped from two to one. I screamed, and for a second, I thought it was the end of my gossip career…

But Maxine, desperate, sneezed again. And this time, it was a CAPS LOCK SNEEZE! The bike shook, glowed, and within seconds started levitating. We left the ground behind and shot through the sky of the maze, flying at high speed. Those minions didn’t stand a chance of catching us now.

Surprise Passenger in Mid-Air

In the middle of our escape, Maxine sneezed once more, and out of nowhere, Clotilde appeared on the bike! We stared at each other, baffled, but I held Clotilde tightly in my arms. If things didn’t get any worse than that, it would already be a win.

Meanwhile, down below, we saw the Virus fuming over our escape. He started conjuring new pixel platforms, using them like trampolines to launch himself higher and higher until he was right by our side. I only had one life left. His smile was cold, and as he stretched out his hand to infect us, I felt my heart nearly give up.

That’s when Clotilde, fearless, jumped from my lap and pecked the Virus’s hand. In that instant, everything changed. The corrupted pixels began to clear, turning white… and then feathers appeared. Yes, feathers! A red comb sprouted on top of his head. Before I knew it, the Virus wasn’t the same anymore: he had turned into… a CHICKEN.

The pixel platforms crumbled, and the poor Virus-chicken started plummeting. I was in shock, but Maxine sped the bike downward to catch him.

“Why would we save him?!” I screamed, completely out of my mind.

Maxine just smirked and replied:
“Rebellion is usually just a phase. And when it comes to phases, I know them well.” Then, without hesitation, she declared:
“I know exactly where we’re going now!”

We flew to the end of the maze and, within seconds, landed in front of the PK XD Hospital.

Emergency Room Drama

Inside, it was a scene straight out of a soap opera:

Maxine finally took some medicine for her cold, and the sneezing stopped.

Clotilde was examined with all the vets’ care, who found nothing serious after the peck—just a few extra pixels stuck to her feathers.

The ex-Virus sparked a heated debate in the emergency room: “Do we send him to a doctor, a vet, a web developer… or maybe call Bugg?”

And me? Well, I tried convincing the doctors that cats like me should have at least seven lives. They didn’t exactly buy it, but they did recommend I stay out of trouble. Good luck with that. Oh, and let me tell you: hospitals are prime territory for gossip. I left there enchanted with all the material I gathered.

But as soon as we stepped outside, everything changed. People were gathered, singing and clapping. For a split second, I thought my fans had finally recognized my greatness and were celebrating my recovery. But no, the applause and stares weren’t for me. They were for something else.

The music was familiar. The air was thick with an irresistible aroma. I waited a few seconds, and then it hit me: this wasn’t a delusion. It was the smell of cake.

XOXO,
Gossip Girl (Your next favorite Gossip is already in the oven)