Chapter 3: Sunday
The next morning, Pepper Ann woke up and was greeted by her reflection again. "You really should get started on your project, you know. Time's a-wasting."
Pepper Ann responded by covering her mirror with her blanket. "Out of sight, out of mind, that's what I say. Let's see, Crunch Pod? Nah, I did that yesterday. Go to Nicky's? Nah, if she were free, she would have knocked on my door by now. Milo? No, he might not take kindly to being interrupted while he's creating. Work on my project?"
Upon hearing this, her conscience shows itself in the Fuzzy poster on the wall. "YES! You finally got it! Now get cracking!"
"OK, OK. It's not like I have anything more interesting to do." She got a pen and paper and tried to think, but at that moment, there was a knock at the door. "Now who could that be?" She opened the door and was immediately rendered speechless with her mouth hanging open and her eyes bugging out. There, not two feet away, stood Craig Bean.
"Hey, Pearson, got a minute?"
Unable to say anything, Pepper Ann simply gave Craig the thumbs up.
"Great. Listen, my band and I are playing at Java Nutt today at four. I know you've done this before, but I want you to be there. Only this time, I want you to be my personal escort. Can you be there by three-thirty?"
Pepper Ann, still unable to speak, sticks her thumb in the air again, signaling to Craig that she's up for it.
"Excellent, see you there. Oh, one more thing. Try to stick around for the whole show this time." Craig winked at Pepper Ann to let her know that his last comment was all in good fun.
Once the door closed and Craig left, Pepper Ann snapped out of her trance, though it took a while. "What was I going to do? Oh, forget it. Is it three-thirty yet?"
Her conscience was appalled. "Ugh, so close, and yet so far. Do I have to tattoo it on your forehead? PROJECT, PROJECT, PROJECT! I swear, you would lose your head if it wasn't attached."
"Oh, that's right. My project. It's only nine-thirty. I still have six hours. By the way, don't swear. It's not nice." Pepper Ann grabbed her pen and paper and tried to think, but couldn't, for obvious reasons.
"Now what?"
"You just don't get it, do you? It's CRAIG BEAN! It's the chance of a lifetime, and you want me to throw it away for some lousy project? Well, go jump in the lake, pal!" Pepper Ann daydreamed for the next five hours, then looked at the clock. Three-fifteen. She rushed to Java Nutt and met Craig out front. When he spotted her, he smiled. At four, Craig and his band took the stage, and Craig asked her to join them. She did so, thinking she would be crazy to refuse. That was when Craig got the ball rolling.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you my guest for this afternoon, Miss Pepper Ann Pearson." The audience applauded, at which point Pepper Ann blushed, then realized that she was getting the recognition she's wanted her whole life and took a bow. It was the usual Craig Bean concert, with many instruments and few words. After the show, Craig caught up with her. "PA, there's something I want to talk to you about."
Pepper Ann had never been so surprised about anything in her life. Only Milo calls her PA. Mr. Finky did once, but that was isolated. She wondered if this might be a sign. Then she realized that she had better say something, lest Craig think she was just leading him on. "Yes, Craig?"
"I think you're really cool, and I was wondering if we could start 'going together,' so to speak." Pepper Ann was even more astonished than before. This was the coolest kid in school, and an eighth grader to boot. After recovering from her initial shock, she replied.
"You know, I never had the guts to ask you that, so I've been waiting seven years for you to ask me. I suppose you've figured out that my answer is yes."
"Great!" At that, he have her a kiss on the cheek. It took all of her strength, but she managed to maintain her composure and stop herself from fainting. When she got home, she realized that the afternoon had taken its toll on her and started to doze off. Just as she started to get comfortable, the phone rang.
"Hello?" It was Nicky.
"Pepper Ann, have you finished your project yet?"
"Of course I have."
Skeptically, Nicky said, "Really?"
Ashamed, Pepper Ann said, "No."
"Good grief, it's eight o'clock! You have a total of twelve hours to put together your entire project! I know you're Hazelnut's answer to Harry Houdini, but you can't possibly escape this one!"
"Don't worry about me. Just make sure your project is done right."
With resignation, Nicky said, "OK, it's your funeral. If you're not going to listen, my talking is pointless." With that, Nicky hung up the phone. Pepper Ann set the alarm and tried to start her project, but couldn't keep her eyes open. Eventually, she fell asleep.
The next morning, Pepper Ann woke up and was greeted by her reflection again. "You really should get started on your project, you know. Time's a-wasting."
Pepper Ann responded by covering her mirror with her blanket. "Out of sight, out of mind, that's what I say. Let's see, Crunch Pod? Nah, I did that yesterday. Go to Nicky's? Nah, if she were free, she would have knocked on my door by now. Milo? No, he might not take kindly to being interrupted while he's creating. Work on my project?"
Upon hearing this, her conscience shows itself in the Fuzzy poster on the wall. "YES! You finally got it! Now get cracking!"
"OK, OK. It's not like I have anything more interesting to do." She got a pen and paper and tried to think, but at that moment, there was a knock at the door. "Now who could that be?" She opened the door and was immediately rendered speechless with her mouth hanging open and her eyes bugging out. There, not two feet away, stood Craig Bean.
"Hey, Pearson, got a minute?"
Unable to say anything, Pepper Ann simply gave Craig the thumbs up.
"Great. Listen, my band and I are playing at Java Nutt today at four. I know you've done this before, but I want you to be there. Only this time, I want you to be my personal escort. Can you be there by three-thirty?"
Pepper Ann, still unable to speak, sticks her thumb in the air again, signaling to Craig that she's up for it.
"Excellent, see you there. Oh, one more thing. Try to stick around for the whole show this time." Craig winked at Pepper Ann to let her know that his last comment was all in good fun.
Once the door closed and Craig left, Pepper Ann snapped out of her trance, though it took a while. "What was I going to do? Oh, forget it. Is it three-thirty yet?"
Her conscience was appalled. "Ugh, so close, and yet so far. Do I have to tattoo it on your forehead? PROJECT, PROJECT, PROJECT! I swear, you would lose your head if it wasn't attached."
"Oh, that's right. My project. It's only nine-thirty. I still have six hours. By the way, don't swear. It's not nice." Pepper Ann grabbed her pen and paper and tried to think, but couldn't, for obvious reasons.
"Now what?"
"You just don't get it, do you? It's CRAIG BEAN! It's the chance of a lifetime, and you want me to throw it away for some lousy project? Well, go jump in the lake, pal!" Pepper Ann daydreamed for the next five hours, then looked at the clock. Three-fifteen. She rushed to Java Nutt and met Craig out front. When he spotted her, he smiled. At four, Craig and his band took the stage, and Craig asked her to join them. She did so, thinking she would be crazy to refuse. That was when Craig got the ball rolling.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you my guest for this afternoon, Miss Pepper Ann Pearson." The audience applauded, at which point Pepper Ann blushed, then realized that she was getting the recognition she's wanted her whole life and took a bow. It was the usual Craig Bean concert, with many instruments and few words. After the show, Craig caught up with her. "PA, there's something I want to talk to you about."
Pepper Ann had never been so surprised about anything in her life. Only Milo calls her PA. Mr. Finky did once, but that was isolated. She wondered if this might be a sign. Then she realized that she had better say something, lest Craig think she was just leading him on. "Yes, Craig?"
"I think you're really cool, and I was wondering if we could start 'going together,' so to speak." Pepper Ann was even more astonished than before. This was the coolest kid in school, and an eighth grader to boot. After recovering from her initial shock, she replied.
"You know, I never had the guts to ask you that, so I've been waiting seven years for you to ask me. I suppose you've figured out that my answer is yes."
"Great!" At that, he have her a kiss on the cheek. It took all of her strength, but she managed to maintain her composure and stop herself from fainting. When she got home, she realized that the afternoon had taken its toll on her and started to doze off. Just as she started to get comfortable, the phone rang.
"Hello?" It was Nicky.
"Pepper Ann, have you finished your project yet?"
"Of course I have."
Skeptically, Nicky said, "Really?"
Ashamed, Pepper Ann said, "No."
"Good grief, it's eight o'clock! You have a total of twelve hours to put together your entire project! I know you're Hazelnut's answer to Harry Houdini, but you can't possibly escape this one!"
"Don't worry about me. Just make sure your project is done right."
With resignation, Nicky said, "OK, it's your funeral. If you're not going to listen, my talking is pointless." With that, Nicky hung up the phone. Pepper Ann set the alarm and tried to start her project, but couldn't keep her eyes open. Eventually, she fell asleep.