The School Day

Brandi went to her sister's room, but the door was locked. "Fudge!" She stomped as she was angry she still couldn't say "Fuck." "Still don't trust me, Briana!" she said aloud.

She stomped back to her room. She just had to get to school on time, and could not figure out why as she got dressed. She put on a frilly pink dress and pink and white shoes. She went to the living room where she dropped her black backpack and found it had turned into a pink My Little Pony backpack. "Fudge!"

The duplex where Briana and Brandi lived was six blocks from school, and Brandi usually smoked a cigarette on the way, but she found her pack of cigarettes was gone and replaced by a pack of bubble gum. She walked to school feeling both humiliated and angry. She heard a few car horns along the way.

She arrived at school before the first bell, and tried to stare down anyone who was laughing at her, but it didn't stop them. The snickering and whispers made her sad.

That is until she saw Claire, then a change came over her. "YOU!"

Brandi saw Claire holding the toy wand and remembered what Claire had said about being on time to school.

"Come with me!" said Claire in a happy voice.

Brandi followed Claire into a classroom. There was a teacher at his desk, and he looked up and smiled. It was not unuaual for students to come into classrooms early to talk or get ready. Claire led Brandi to two desks in the back of the class.

"Do you have something to do with all of this pink crud!" Brandi said, meaning to say "crap" but saying "crud" instead.

Claire sat down and smiled at Brandi. "Sit."

Brandi could not stop herself. She sat.

"You won't try to hurt me in anyway, and you will act happy when around me."

Brandi found herself smiling. She wanted to slap the crap out of Claire and didn't care a teacher was there, but she could not do anything but smile like an idiot.

"You look adorable, Brandi"

Brandi kept smiling. "I look and feel ridiculous. What did you to do me?" she asked still smiling.

"Let's just say ever other generation, a woman in my family gets a very special, very poweful gift for her 18th birthday."

"Why me?"

"Remember when you slapped my friend Francie freshman year?"

"Yeah."

"Someone told you she called you a 'skank,' and you did not even wait to see if i were true. Then there was the time sophomore year you tripped me in the cafeteria and thought it was funny, then just yesterday. Strike three."

"But...."

"Shhhhh," Claire put a finger up to Brandi's smiling lips, but Brandi pulled back and could not say anything.

"Act like a perfect student today," said Claire. "Act bubbly, friendly, and a little teacher's pet. You will skip down the halls and loudly hum 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.' Come find me at lunch and sit with me." Claire tapped Brandi playfully on the head with the wand and got up and left.