Not That Bad #Wattys2018

Chapter Twenty Seven

OK.

There was a time I used to care about my grades, back when I liked going to school to do finger painting and the home work was coloring and what not. I liked the teachers and the messy macaroni necklaces and recess and backpacks that were too big for my body even though they were basically empty.

In third grade, my favorite teacher was Ms Green and she got me all psyched about this school district science fair. We spent weeks making this huge volcano that when it erupted would run down the slope of brown clay and cover the little clay trees and plants and animals we made. It was epic. I was sure I was going to win.

I now know that the girl with the yellow dress was Imogen. She had done something lame about mold. We had five minutes before the competition started. Ms Green was boasting about my project to some other teachers. My parents had taken the afternoon off to come see and were talking to some other parents.

She was wearing pigtails. "Cool volcano." Imogen had said. I let her run her fingers along the brown clay even though her nails made tiny claw like marks on the surface. I distracted myself by retying my blue ribbon. "But it can be cooler."

I'd let my ribbon hang on my forehead. "Really?"

"Yup." she said, "It'll be the coolest volcano ever. You'd win for sure." Naive third grade Rori didn't think. I mean, why would she want me to beat her?

She told me it could make the lava ten times more awesome, I don't know how. She told me that her brother used it last year. Now I know Imogen doesn't even have a brother. She gave me a tiny vial. It's almost as if she had prepared it from home for which ever kid was stupid enough to do a volcano for the science fair.

"Wait for the very last minute." she smiled, "Then everyone will be impressed." Third grade Rori nodded and smiled back.

It was bleach.

The judges disqualified me for using a substance that could have hurt other people. I remember how disappointed my parents looked. How embarrassed Ms Green was.

Imogen took first place.

The way everyone looked at me, so disapprovingly, it was horrible. I cried, I couldn't even tell anyone about the whole Imogen thing. That's when I decided that I didn't care anymore. And I was never ever going to let anyone fool me like that again. If anything I was going to be the trickster. I was going to be the one who could control and manipulate people like that (I guess somewhere along the way I kinda got out of hand).

I didn't want revenge then, because I never thought I'd have to see her again. Until she showed up in my life years later and she still got me.

I tell Eli that over the phone since we're both grounded. I felt like someone needed to know. My parents gave me a long speech about everything they could possibly give a speech about. And I listened and didn't roll my eyes because everything they said was right. Yeah, I know.

"Wow." Eli says at first, "I can't believe I liked her." I scoff, but low enough so he doesn't hear me. "Is it this big gold trophy shaped like a rocket?" Eli asks me. Not big, it's huge. I still remember how shiny it was; I could see the specks of darker green in my eyes in it. I nod but then remember he can't see me.

"That's the one." I say.

Eli makes a long and breathy 'hmmm' sound. "I know that trophy." Eli says. "I've seen it."

I groan and roll my eyes."Of course you have!" I say, "I bet she sleeps with it in her bed. I bet she shows it to everyone who comes to her house."

"Nope." Eli laughs, "She keeps it in this glass trophy case thing. She wouldn't even let me touch it. It means everything to her. It's like her soul."

"Ha." I say, "Imogen doesn't have a soul."

"No, she does." Eli stays silent for a long time. "We just have to take it from her."

I kinda like the sound of that.