5 comments

High School

It was a staggering spring day at school when Pluto decided to pull the spill-chocolate-milk-on-the-geeky kids-head game. I was the geeky kid. I was advised to communicate my sentiments to her because if I revealed to her how I felt and attempted to ask her to stop, there was a possibility she would. This idea swirled around my head and struck me in the gut when giggling was the only sound I could hear. 

"Look, everybody! David is soaked in chocolate milk!" 

Goodness, I can't help thinking about how that occurred… Her intelligence was so far up in the clouds she would have to fly a rocket to discover her brain. 

I couldn't help grinning as I envisioned her confused expression as she restlessly attempted to find it. 

"What? why are you laughing! You should be weeping and running out of the cafeteria like a baby!" 

"Is that what you want me to do?" I inquired. 

"well, I-" 

The room grew still as the children anticipated Pluto's answer. I got up disregarding the milk trickling from my shirt and adjusted my glasses. 

"You know what Pluto, I am tired of being treated like a toy that you can push around all day. While you were busy  pouring drinks on my head, I spent the whole year thinking about April." 

"Who's April?" Pluto asked. 

"Not who, April is a month." 

laughter filled the room again. 

"What point are you trying to get across?" Pluto questioned. 

"April initially is April fools, which means you better prepare yourself. You will have more to complain to your friends about than simply terrible teachers who give you awful grades." 

The kids in the room were interested and were cautiously tuning in. 

"Is this your method of getting me to quit tormenting you?" 

"Tormenting? Do you call this tormenting? I call this an immature lady who is desperate for attention." 

She stomps her foot out of resentment and throws her hair back. 

"Bring it on loser."

She leaves the cafeteria with her clan of friends, and the kids return to their past discussions. I was going to show Pluto how it feels to be me for a change. It's time she lives a day in my shoes, or she is never going to learn. 

THE NEXT MORNING: PLUTO'S HOUSE 

Pluto awakens with the sun sparkling straightforwardly in her sensitive blue eyes. She convinces herself that she forgot to close the shades before she hit the hay. With a horrendous yawn followed by a stretch, she gets up and begins her day with some espresso in her hand, her other on the handle to the house. 

"Bye Mom, I'm going to school!" 

"See you later!" Her mother shouts back. 

At the point when she opens the door she nearly shouts and drops her glass mug on the floor. 

"Good Morning Pluto!" I said swinging my keys around my fingers. Try not to stress over the espresso, I'll get you another one." 

"What the heck David! Go away from my house!" 

"Sorry honey, however, you already missed your bus, you would prefer not to be late isn't that right?" 

"I can't be seen with you! You're a freak!" 

"Don't worry, I will make sure no one sees us, alright?" 

She enters my car, however, stays quiet. 

"Here is another espresso, coincidentally, I figured you may need one." 

She yanks it from my hand and takes 3 large gulps, and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, and rubs it on my shirt. 

"I think we can use some air," I said. 

I roll down the window and let the air toss her hair around until it would appear that she just got out of bed. 

"Close the goddamn window numbskull!" 

"I'm sorry I can't hear you!" 

"UGHHHHH" 

I close the window again and can't help myself from smiling. 

"I'm done, pull over!" 

"For what reason would I do that when we're here?" 

I open the door revealing Pluto and her untidy hair and whirl the keys around my fingers again. Her friends hurry to her and laugh when they see me in the driver's seat. 

"Well, what do we have here, this is fascinating!" One of them says. 

"Quiet down! Let's go to the restroom and let me switch into my tank top and fix my hair please!" 

"You sure you would prefer not to go with DAVVVVIDDDD" 

"We won't ever discuss this again!" 

She latches onto the backpack that I packed for her and she vanishes from my sight. It was now an ideal opportunity for my next trick. My friend Lily met me in my vehicle, and I advised her to go to the restroom with them and report back to me. She gestures her head and follows them. 

"AHHHHHHH!" Pluto shouts. 

"WHAT IS IT, GIRL?! 

"SOMEBODY CHANGED ALL MY CLOTHES FOR UGLY SWEATERS THAT RATTLE WHEN YOU MOVE!" 

Lucy chuckles and quickly stares down when she is met with a deadly glare. 

"Were you responsible for this!" 

"No, only here to watch the show." 

"Get out." 

"Alright." 

Lucy runs out of the bathroom and cries in laughter, and I walk with her to our next period class. 

"Okay everybody, kindly put your telephones up in the front of the room. If your phone isn't up there when I check them toward the end of class, I will contact your mom and you will help the janitors after school, is that Understood?" 

"Yes, Mrs. Perry." We all say without a moment's delay. 

The class gets up to do what was told, and we sit down with our heads faced forward. 

"Molly, do you know where Pluto is?" 

"She will be here in a moment, Mrs. Perry." 

The door opens with a creak, and everyone's eyes are presently on Pluto. Mrs. Perry is disturbed. Pluto is wearing the ugly, loud sweater with flashing lights, and her hair looks as though she was electrocuted. 

"Put your phone upfront and sit down, please. Try not to be late for my class again."

She pulls the object from her pocket and wobbles unsteadily to her seat. 

"Pluto, have you had any drinks since the last time I saw you?" 

"What? No. Just had an unpleasant morning." 

"See me after lunch for an alcohol test." 

After a long period of learning mathematics, we were allowed to retrieve our phones. The teacher slapped Pluto's wrist and Pluto jolted back. 

"What did you do that for?" 

"Does this look like a phone to you?" 

She held up a TI-84 calculator and the class burst into laughter. 

"WHAT A NERD!" A child in the back hollers. 

"Where is your phone, Pluto." 

"I don't know!" 

"look in your backpack for me." 

As though I pulled some sort of magic trick, Pluto pulls her phone from inside the backpack and places it in Mrs. Perry's hands. 

"Call your mom." Mrs. Perry says. 

"At this moment? I can't!" Pluto hollers. 

"Do it." 

She calls her mom's number, and Mrs. Perry projects her mom's face on the smartboard. 

"Hello mother," Pluto says. 

"OMG LOOK! I CAN SEE YOUR ENTIRE CLASS! HELLO, THERE EVERYONE OMG IT'S TAKING ME BACK FROM WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL! OMG, YOU GUYS! ARE YOU EXCITED FOR PROM!!!" 

"MOTHER! YOUR FACE IS SO CLOSE TO THE CAMERA IF SOMETHING WERE TO POP OUT OF YOUR COMPUTER IT WOULD HIT YOU IN THE FACE!" 

"Be nice to your mom Pluto!" Mrs. Perry said. 

"THANKS SO MUCH, PLUTO FOR THIS TREAT! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ANGEL FACE." 

"We have called you to tell you that she will remain after school to help the janitors since she wasn't behaving in school today." Mrs. Perry says. 

"Goodness, I see. I will talk with you when you return home. Pluto dear, that's an ugly sweater you have on." 

"But mother!" 

"You're grounded. No phone when you come home, no friends over, no nothing!" 

Her mom hangs up the phone and we gaze at Pluto peacefully. Pluto was miserable and having the most disastrous day of her life. 

"I can't even say I want to go home now," Pluto says. 

We all go to the cafeteria and I am at last ready to unwind and converse with my friends. Lucy meets me and gives me a high five, and we talk without getting interrupted. I glance over to Pluto who is sitting alone because her friends no longer thought she was cool. The sight left a tear rolling down my eye, and I decided I should walk over to her. 

"Hello Pluto, I am sorry for what I did today. I shouldn't have acted like such a jerk. Maybe I went too far." 

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! I DON'T EVEN HAVE FRIENDS TO TALK TO ANYMORE!" 

"I can be your friend," I said. 

"Really? After all that I did to you, after the way I treated you?" 

"Two wrongs don't make a right, and we learn from our mistakes right?" 

"I guess." 

"Come on, bring it in." 

She goes in for a hug and before she can wrap her arms around me, I pour a huge glass of chocolate milk down her head. 

"APRIL FOOLS!" 

The entire cafeteria burst in laughter, however, they are no longer laughing at me. I suddenly feel relieved that I will, at last, be left alone. 

April 02, 2021 16:25

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

5 comments

Robert Consiglio
20:42 Apr 15, 2021

Good story. A little mean at the end, but still good. Reminds me of bullying in school for certain. Your main character fights back nicely. Well done.

Reply

Rose Quartz
21:39 Apr 15, 2021

thank you

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
00:03 Apr 04, 2021

Wow, your first line really hooked me in; you really know how to draw someone in from the very beginning, lol. One thing I would say, however, is that your dialogue feels a little off; too many outbursts without any explanation, even within the narrator. You’re good at writing in first person, but I think your dialogue could use a little bit of work. Keep writing!

Reply

Rose Quartz
00:23 Apr 04, 2021

thanks!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Kathleen `Woods
04:59 Sep 26, 2021

your punctuation choices played well through E-reader, and a majority of the interactions were within expectation for kids at an antagonistic age. Thanks for writing!

Reply

Show 0 replies
RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.