Chapter 2: Saturday
Pepper Ann woke up at nine o'clock the next morning and was excited about the weekend. However, she was struck with a dire warning.
"Ah, the weekend. Twenty-four hours of pure, unmitigated freedom." Then she looked in the mirror. Her reflection was staring her square in the eye.
"Hold it right there, sister. Is your short-term memory that bad? That project is going to be a royal pain, and at this rate, you'll need all weekend to finish it." Pepper Ann couldn't believe the audacity of her own conscience.
"Have you been sniffing glue in art class again? I hardly need the whole weekend. I'll do it Sunday night. Now, please, do me a favor and go take a long walk off a short pier."
"I might as well talk to a brick wall."
"Yeah, you don't have to worry about a brick wall talking back. Now buzz off."
Needless to say, her conscience is somewhat annoyed. "As usual, talking is useless, so I guess you'll have to learn the hard way.again. Don't say I didn't warn you." At that, there came a knock at the door. Seconds later, Pepper Ann's mother, Lydia, walked in.
"Peppie! Milo and Nicky have been waiting here for half an hour! What on earth are you doing in there?"
"Just a minute, Mom!" Pepper Ann went outside to greet her two best friends. "Sorry I took so long. Had another one of my good/evil debates. As usual, good hardly put up a fight. So, who's up for Greezy and Cheezy?"
Almost simultaneously, Milo and Nicky said, "I am."
After placing their order, the three friends started their own debate. Milo got it started. "So, have you finished your project, PA?"
"Finished? I haven't even started yet."
At this point, Nicky could no longer contain herself. "Pepper Ann, you have got to stop this procrastination. Need I remind you that this project is due on Monday? You know how insane Mr. Finky's projects can be."
"Great, a reminder I don't need giving me information I don't want to hear. If this project is so 'insane,' why aren't you two working on it?"
"We've both finished it. Nicky's amazing. She'll get an A for sure. I just put together a bunch of gibberish that Finky's sure to buy." After a pause, Milo continued. "I really think you should get started now, PA. Remember what happened the last time you turned in an incomplete project?"
"Come on, Milo. It's not like it killed me to spend the night in detention hall, and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? I mean, my mom got a little worried, but that was about it."
"Pepper Ann, you yourself told me that you nearly blacked out while writing 'I will be a more conscientious student in the future.' on the blackboard a thousand times. No, it didn't kill you, but next time, it just might."
"I think you're overdramatizing this just a bit, Nicky. Besides, if my own conscience couldn't get me to start it, you guys don't stand a chance." Dismayed at their friend's stubbornness, Nicky and Milo sigh simultaneously. An hour later, Pepper Ann and Nicky excused themselves. "Nicky and I will be waiting outside, Milo. Just take your time."
Milo, who had perhaps not been listening, said, "OK." Then it dawned on him. "Hey! Wait a minute!" It was too late. Pepper Ann and Nicky were already out the door, and Milo was stuck with the check again.
At one o'clock, Pepper Ann and Milo met at Brain Dead. "Hey, Milo, where's Nicky?"
"She went home to refine her violin skills. You know how she's been bent on playing the Realto her entire life? Well, she decided that instead of getting mad over the fact that you were invited there because of a keyboard that shows you what notes to play, she would be better served to work all that much harder to make it there. She's thankful that you gave her credit for being the real musician in this bunch, but all the same, she wants to do more than play second fiddle. No pun intended, of course. Six hours every Saturday. Anyway, she told me she would be available around eight. In the meantime, how about we crunch some pods?"
When they were out of quarters, Milo said, "I gotta go. I should be free later tonight. See you, PA."
"Later." When she got home, she looked at the clock. Four-twenty. At eight-thirty, the phone rang. Pepper Ann picked it up. "Hello?"
It was Nicky. "I'm afraid I can't make it tonight, Pepper Ann. Stewart and I have a date. One of those impromptu things. You know how it is."
"Oh. OK. I'll be seeing you, then." Immediately after she hung up, the phone rang again. "Hello?"
This time, it was Milo. "I have a great idea for my next masterpiece, PA, but I'll have to spend the night kindling my creative fire. I have to make sure it's just right. Hope you understand."
Pepper Ann was a bit taken aback by this news. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. See you, then." Seeing that she had nothing more to do besides her project, which her conscience is desperately trying to get her to start, she turns in for the night. "There's always tomorrow," she reasons.
Pepper Ann woke up at nine o'clock the next morning and was excited about the weekend. However, she was struck with a dire warning.
"Ah, the weekend. Twenty-four hours of pure, unmitigated freedom." Then she looked in the mirror. Her reflection was staring her square in the eye.
"Hold it right there, sister. Is your short-term memory that bad? That project is going to be a royal pain, and at this rate, you'll need all weekend to finish it." Pepper Ann couldn't believe the audacity of her own conscience.
"Have you been sniffing glue in art class again? I hardly need the whole weekend. I'll do it Sunday night. Now, please, do me a favor and go take a long walk off a short pier."
"I might as well talk to a brick wall."
"Yeah, you don't have to worry about a brick wall talking back. Now buzz off."
Needless to say, her conscience is somewhat annoyed. "As usual, talking is useless, so I guess you'll have to learn the hard way.again. Don't say I didn't warn you." At that, there came a knock at the door. Seconds later, Pepper Ann's mother, Lydia, walked in.
"Peppie! Milo and Nicky have been waiting here for half an hour! What on earth are you doing in there?"
"Just a minute, Mom!" Pepper Ann went outside to greet her two best friends. "Sorry I took so long. Had another one of my good/evil debates. As usual, good hardly put up a fight. So, who's up for Greezy and Cheezy?"
Almost simultaneously, Milo and Nicky said, "I am."
After placing their order, the three friends started their own debate. Milo got it started. "So, have you finished your project, PA?"
"Finished? I haven't even started yet."
At this point, Nicky could no longer contain herself. "Pepper Ann, you have got to stop this procrastination. Need I remind you that this project is due on Monday? You know how insane Mr. Finky's projects can be."
"Great, a reminder I don't need giving me information I don't want to hear. If this project is so 'insane,' why aren't you two working on it?"
"We've both finished it. Nicky's amazing. She'll get an A for sure. I just put together a bunch of gibberish that Finky's sure to buy." After a pause, Milo continued. "I really think you should get started now, PA. Remember what happened the last time you turned in an incomplete project?"
"Come on, Milo. It's not like it killed me to spend the night in detention hall, and what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? I mean, my mom got a little worried, but that was about it."
"Pepper Ann, you yourself told me that you nearly blacked out while writing 'I will be a more conscientious student in the future.' on the blackboard a thousand times. No, it didn't kill you, but next time, it just might."
"I think you're overdramatizing this just a bit, Nicky. Besides, if my own conscience couldn't get me to start it, you guys don't stand a chance." Dismayed at their friend's stubbornness, Nicky and Milo sigh simultaneously. An hour later, Pepper Ann and Nicky excused themselves. "Nicky and I will be waiting outside, Milo. Just take your time."
Milo, who had perhaps not been listening, said, "OK." Then it dawned on him. "Hey! Wait a minute!" It was too late. Pepper Ann and Nicky were already out the door, and Milo was stuck with the check again.
At one o'clock, Pepper Ann and Milo met at Brain Dead. "Hey, Milo, where's Nicky?"
"She went home to refine her violin skills. You know how she's been bent on playing the Realto her entire life? Well, she decided that instead of getting mad over the fact that you were invited there because of a keyboard that shows you what notes to play, she would be better served to work all that much harder to make it there. She's thankful that you gave her credit for being the real musician in this bunch, but all the same, she wants to do more than play second fiddle. No pun intended, of course. Six hours every Saturday. Anyway, she told me she would be available around eight. In the meantime, how about we crunch some pods?"
When they were out of quarters, Milo said, "I gotta go. I should be free later tonight. See you, PA."
"Later." When she got home, she looked at the clock. Four-twenty. At eight-thirty, the phone rang. Pepper Ann picked it up. "Hello?"
It was Nicky. "I'm afraid I can't make it tonight, Pepper Ann. Stewart and I have a date. One of those impromptu things. You know how it is."
"Oh. OK. I'll be seeing you, then." Immediately after she hung up, the phone rang again. "Hello?"
This time, it was Milo. "I have a great idea for my next masterpiece, PA, but I'll have to spend the night kindling my creative fire. I have to make sure it's just right. Hope you understand."
Pepper Ann was a bit taken aback by this news. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. See you, then." Seeing that she had nothing more to do besides her project, which her conscience is desperately trying to get her to start, she turns in for the night. "There's always tomorrow," she reasons.