**POV: Juliet, Empress of All She Surveys (and Green Peas)
I was in the middle of a very important dream. Me, Mr. Hoppington (my stuffed bunny with one eye), and a mountain of mashed bananas that tasted suspiciously like chocolate. We were in a cloud garden. It was perfect.
Then the world got bright and noisy. I was awake.
Big Brother Riven was there. He was doing the weird thing again. Standing in front of the shiny wall, making faces at himself. He sprayed the stinky water that makes me sneeze. He was talking to no one.
"Hey beautiful."
"Nah."
"You lookin' mighty fine tonight."
Huh? Was he talking to me? He wasn't even looking at me. Rude.
Then he saw me watching. His face did the thing where it gets all soft and smiley. He came over and peeked into my crib. "Hey, little boss. You gotta work with me tonight, okay? Be cool. Be sleepy."
I spotted a bright red block on the floor. It looked delicious. I pointed a wobbly finger and made a demanding noise. *That. I want to put that in my mouth immediately.*
He followed my gaze. "No, no, Jules. That's not food. That's... germy." He took it away! The audacity! Let me eat my colorful, crunchy snacks in peace, sir!
Then the door made its wooshing sound. New giants. Three of them.
One had hair so shiny I could see my own glorious drooly reflection in it. *Ooh. Shiny. Must grab.*
One had hair the color of a banana. Weird.
One had hair like thick, twisty noodles on his head. Ugh. I do not like noodles.
They started making loud noises and pouring the yummy-looking golden juice that Big Brothers never let me have.
The juice that makes them dance funny and talk too loud. I was bored. And annoyed. Riven was *my* giant. He was supposed to be making airplane noises with my spoon, not laughing with the Shiny-Hair Giant.
This would not do.
I took a deep breath. I filled my lungs with all the injustice of a blocked-red-block snack denial. And I let it out. My masterpiece. A piercing, Oscar-worthy cry that could shatter glass.
It worked. Riven came running. He did the pat-cuddle-shush. He tried to put me back in the crib. *Heck No!* I cranked the volume up to eleven. My plan was working. He had to pick me up and carry me to the other giants.
The giants made the usual cooing sounds. "Aww!" "So cute!" Blah blah blah. The Noodle-Hair Giant got right in my face. "HEY THERE, LITTLE BUDDY!" His breath smelled yucky. Like the stuff they wipe the floor with. The things I go through for attention.
Then... the Shiny-Hair Giant came close. *Hehehe.* This was my moment. With the speed of a striking snake, I reached out and *yanked*.
She made a funny gasp sound. Her smile looked... tight. Like when Riven tries to eat broccoli. She pried my tiny, mighty fingers loose. Riven was making the apologetic rumbly sounds he makes when he's nervous.
Then he left! He went up the noisy steps to get more of the forbidden golden juice! Ugh! Abandoned!
And that's when Shiny-Hair Giant changed. Her face got all sharp and mean. She looked right at me and started talking in a nasty, hissy whisper to the other giants. She called me a "little beast" and said something about a "park."
I may not know words, but I know tone. That was a Mean Tone.
Well. If she was going to be mean... she was going to face the consequences.
I felt it brewing. A deep, churning feeling in my tummy. The remains of my earlier green pea and pear puree. It was time.
I gave a little gurgle. She leaned in closer, probably to make another nasty face.
I let it go.
A perfect, warm stream of greenish-yellowish stuff shot right out of my mouth and onto her fancy, shiny blouse.
There was a moment of perfect silence. Then her face did the funniest thing I've ever seen. It went from mean, to shocked, to utterly horrified.
Mission accomplished. I gave a satisfied sigh. Sometimes, you just have to take matters into your own hands. Or, well, your own stomach.
Right on cue, Riven came back. His face did the scary thing. The one that makes other giants go pale. His voice got all quiet and rumbly. "Get out," he said.
Yeah! That's my big bro! Tell them!
They scattered like scared mice. Good.
Then, lijah came out of his secret room. He and Riven started talking in their low, serious giant-talk. Something about "passing" and "tests" and "handled." Grown-up stuff is so boring. Who got hurt? Who knows.
I yawned a big, royal yawn. The audience was over. The threat to the crown had been neutralized. My tummy was empty again.
Your majesty needed her beauty rest. There were banana dreams to get back to.