Pepper,Suspension And A Whole Lotta Time Capsules.

October 5th

“Suspension, detention, expulsion for you, Mrs. Briano,” Principal Weslp grunted.

“Is this a grammar lesson? ‘Cause it’s a lot of ion’s,” I replied with a smirk.

“Pepper, Remembrance of The Past Day was supposed to be fun. Why d'you put such a thing in that capsule?”

I eased back in my chair. I didn’t see any necessary problems here, to be honest.

“I guessed it would make everyone chortle. You need to laugh some calories and burn some weight.” I laughed inside my head, while Principal Weslp’s face turned bright red. He pointed out the window of the room. The thing about the principal’s office is that its window where the students sit is positioned towards the hallway. So you want to know who’s in torment? Just pass by and peek in. A group of gossip girls called the Siamese Clements act like they only notice and chitchat about why they expect people are there. So when I looked at my mom with one raised eyebrow, I identified I was in trouble. I sunk into the purple plastic seat as mom strolled in.

“Hi, Mr.Weslp! What seem’s to be the problem?” Mom said in her formal voice.

“Your daughter did something irrational at RTPD.” Principal Weslp sighed.

“What was it...” Mom hesitated.

“Care to explain, Pepper?” I rolled my eyes. He assumed I was embarrassed-I was a chunk. I sat up, and my back cracked from a cramp.

“Well ya see, I guessed, ‘Hey this is a boring school, why not have some fun?’ So I did. I brought my stuff to school and when we went to Urbanson Reserve Forest our teacher and Junior Puia dug up a hole and established a big box inside. Everyone stored their things in. Then I pulled mine out.” Mom was shaking.

“What was it?” She asked again.

“A Joe Biden hat.” Mom’s face fumed.

“Mr. Weslp... IT’S A HAT SHE GOT IT AT A GIFT SHOP TWO WEEKS AGO! IT ISN’T A POLITICAL STATEMENT! The other hats said, ‘I’m from the Southside.’ Pepper isn’t trying to offend you, in other ways you are offending her!” I was about to say something when Principal Weslp slammed his hands down.

“Make America Great Again!”

“Restore The Soul of America!”

“M.A.G.A!”

“R.T.S.A!”

“Trump!”

“Biden!”

“Good grief!” I broke in. “No one cares. November third is around the corner. GO VOTE IF YOUR ALL SO POLITICAL!!! Trump or Biden, it’s obvious who’s going to win.”

They both peered at me. I must’ve said a little too much, a little too loud because the secretary came in. 

“Is there a problem?” She asked sharply.

“No Wenling!” Principal Weslp yelled.

Secretary Wenling handed him a file. “It’s the suspension report,” she mumbled. Mom shook her head. “We’re leaving.” Mom grabbed my arm and roller whipped me out the door. We hopped into her brand new red Lexus that was already filled with Marshalls Coupons, Receipts, and nickels. 

“I cannot believe that political little whippersnapper! Suspending you for a Joe Biden hat!” Mom talked about that the whole way to the freeway and interstate.

“... wore a hat to school in nineteen-ninety seven that said ‘For People For Change’ and that didn’t go- HOLY MAE JEMISON NASA CRUISER APOLLO MISSION FIFTEEN SIXTY-THREE!” My mom jerked the pedal, turning hard then, hit the brakes. My eyes were processing the whole thing as I looked up. A car had hit another car in front of us. Fire. Smoke. “PEPPER!!! You there? Tell me please?” Mom screamed.

“I’m okay, mom.” I opened the car door and went to the side where the short gray wall was. I bent over and hurled onto the field beneath us. 

Mom patted me on the back and placed a sweater over my head. ‘Biden Harris 2020!’ it read. 

      About five minutes later an ambulance, police officers, and firefighters got here. Mom explained to the police officers.

“I had my eyes on the road. And next thing you know, a car comes sailing from aloft and hits the car in front of me.” The police officers drove us home and said there were no fatalities.

“Was that karma?” I asked.

“My car is now in the shop, and I have to pay a fee for the candy stuck on the dashboard. It’s definitely karma.” We were both eating Bomb Pops and sticking out our tongues at our Tibetan Mastiff, Qwerty.

“Rough day, huh?” I say to mom.

“We should do something fun... I have an idea!!! We get a bunch of boxes, make them into time capsules, and put hats and confetti in them!” Mom smiled.

“Why?” I said, confused.

“For the election! We put American colors in. Then on November third open it and put on music and have a block party and have a banner that says no politics aloud!” I nodded it was smart after all this nonsense. This is going to be sentimental.

                November 3rd

Mom and I were outside holding the remote control that would cause the confetti to pop. Everyone else was outside too, waiting and waiting and waiting. 

“The person with two hundred and seventy votes is...” Our neighbors were intensely screaming at the phone. People on the block looked shocked. Then a kid about my age came sprinting down the street. 

“JOE BIDEN AND TAMALA HARRIS ARE IN OFFICE!!!” Our phones must’ve frozen because at that moment the announcer’s voice said, “Biden and Harris!” Mom pressed the button. Confetti went everywhere.

“Take me down to the basement, fill the buckets with cheese! Tickle your mother with pucker fish, kiss a rhinoceros then make a wish - ‘cause its noodle soup for the sailors if their boat sinks in the rain - And we won’t, won’t pay for this song ‘cause it’s public domain!” said a small kid who was playing the confetti. I laughed. That was from my favorite show when I was a kid, Sam, and Cat. I sang-along.

“And we won’t, won’t pay for this song ‘cause it public domain.” And with that, everyone on our street did a conga line and started singing.