October 2023 Flash Lit 6 - All at Once

The next witness was the Duchess’s cook. She carried the pepper-box in her hand, and Alice guessed who it was, even before she got into the court, by the way the people near the door began sneezing all at once. Alice in Wonderland, Chapter 11

 

 

 

 

Pepper accidentally slammed the car door behind her.  She didn’t look back because she wasn’t sure whether it would be better to see her mom looking mad that she slammed the door or fake-encouraging, like it wasn’t going to be yet another horrible day.  Instead, she slung her backpack over one shoulder and trudged into the high school hallway.  It was early enough that the hall was nearly deserted, so Pepper hurried to get to her locker.

 

Shit.  Not early enough.  Cookie and her cheer squad were gathered by Cookie’s locker, just down the row from Pepper’s.  A flurry of sneezes erupted from the group, followed by peals of shrill giggles.  “Too much Pepper!” one of them cackled and pretended to sneeze uncontrollably.

 

It’s not like Cookie is such a fabulous name, Pepper thought.  She rested her head against the cold beige metal of her locker door while she dialed her combination with shaking fingers.  If only she could keep from crying.

 

She couldn’t.  And Cookie saw.  “Oh, did you get some Pepper in your eyes?” she said, pretending to be sympathetic.

 

Pepper’s parents and her therapist all said she should just ignore Cookie and her cronies, let the taunts roll off her, sail above them, whatever metaphor worked.  All at once, Pepper decided that was bullshit.  Slowly, she set down her backpack.  She turned toward Cookie in her red-piped white pleated skirt and matching sleeveless top with the red bear applique and the script Central High School, hating the white ribbon floating over Cookie’s ponytail and the red laces in her white tennies and her red tongue behind her white teeth.

 

“No,” Pepper said.  “But you got some in yours.”  The punch landed squarely in Cookie’s eye socket.

 

The other girls screamed and clustered around Cookie.  Pepper picked up her backpack, shut her locker door, and went to the office to turn herself in.

 

Totally worth it, she thought.