“Yes! I can’t believe that! Holy cow! Did you see that… like did you…?” Pepper exclaimed.
His mom’s voice immediately cut him off. “I did see that! Just like I see you’re finally going to take out the trash!”
Pepper’s dad practically shuddered as the full bag of trash was plopped down just outside the kitchen’s entry way. His eyes were wide, and with a sarcastic look of concern, he motioned for Pepper to get a move on with fulfilling the request. Pepper rolled his eyes in a huff and did as his mother asked.
The trash can rattled behind him as the full canister’s wheels dug into the gravel along the side of the house. His mind replayed every detail of the match, and he imagined himself being in control of the legendary Panda Cakes. The scene that played out in his mindscape was so immersive that he completely tuned out the world around him.
On his return to the side of the house, his hand found a small broom. But in that moment it wasn’t a broom; it was Panda Cakes’ enchanted staff. He spun it round and round in the air in a circular motion, the same way the victorious golem had.
His mouth raspberried, squeaked, and whined with audible sounds while his imaginary staff swished through the air. Pepper wasn’t just fighting one golem in his mindscape, though; he was fighting all of them! Lars Machmüller’s Dark Dragon, Stephen Landry’s Yeti, Jakob Tanner’s Silver Swordsman, and even… Kevin Sinclair’s Cyberpunk Orc!
Pepper fought them ferociously in his mind as he spun around in his backyard. An arena all of his own. The battle raged not just to legendary status but to an epic celestial status, as if the gods themselves were on the edge of their seats within the heavens, watching him deal blow after powerful blow…
That was until he heard the distinct Canadian voice of his neighbor call out to him. “Whatcha doing there, Pep? Please don’t tell me your on them there magic mushrooms like the other kids and all? Aye?”
He instantly dropped the broom and felt his face flush with embarrassment. A slow spin around and sure enough, there was his neighbor leaning over the four-foot fence. It wouldn’t have mattered if the fence was six feet, though. Ryan DeBruyn had made it a point to tell him during a street game of basketball how his 6ʹ 6ʺ frame was going to dunk on him worse than the Great Depression.
Pepper did his best to get rid of the compounding pain the shame was now causing him. His feet scuffed across the yard as he drew close to the fence. He propped his left arm up on the ledge. “You know I don’t touch that stuff, Ryan.”
“You knows, I see you shaking your head and rolling your eyes there… but let me tell yuh. Them things ain’t no joke, now, you hear? I had my good friend Bill Baxter in college, that kid… ohh boy. Yeah, that there kid had a future, a real future, I tell you. That was until he started popping them shrooms as if they were caveman gummies.”
Pepper felt his face flex and contort with confusion, but Ryan was so entranced with his thousand-yard stare that he didn’t even notice. Pepper had no idea what caveman gummies were and at this point was too afraid to ask. The fear of what rambling story Ryan would share next was a major cause for concern. “I promise on all the golems I hold dear I won’t take the magic shrooms.” He gave a firm and confident nod but added a balled fist across his chest in salute to his vow.
Ryan leaned back and scowled at him with an arched eyebrow of analysis, then shot his right hand out with such speed that Pepper practically leapt out of his skin. “A real contract would be a gentlemanly shake, don’t you think?”
Pepper snorted but couldn’t argue with his neighbor. Ryan was certainly an odd duck at times, or a Canadian goose for that matter, but he was a good sport and always seemed to be honest with Pepper. He would not consider Ryan a confidant by any means, yet there was this sense of reassurance that Ryan could be trusted.
Pepper latched onto the hand and gave it a firm shake. “How’s that?”
“Oh, I suppose that will doer there.” He saw the far edge of Ryan’s mouth arch with a playful smirk, a devious yet innocent expression all rolled into one. It was then that Ryan gave him a nod. “Hey! Here … I think I finally got this recipe down good this time. Give ’er a try, aye?” His hand shot back behind the fence and the distinct pop of an aluminum can could be heard.
Pepper’s soul sank into a bottomless pit of misery. His taste buds screamed in horror as they recalled the last time they had suffered the trial flavors of Ryan’s concoction. A red can appeared over the fence as Ryan handed it to him.
His eyes ran over the iconic cartoon duck emblem with its feathered thumb pointed straight up. Ryan had been so excited when he’d come up with the design. Pepper didn’t have the heart to tell him how childish it made the whole thing look.
Quackariffic Red! was written across the label. Pepper’s throat closed and he had to fight his instincts. He opened his mouth and off he went. But he paused. The red liquid that normally tasted like battery acid and cough syrup… didn’t. Not this time at least.
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His eyes widened and he snapped his gaze over to Ryan, only to see his neighbor’s gigantic smile nodding back in return. “I told you, I told you, did I not? I’m pretty sure I told you. I got it right this time!”
The sensation was sweet, cold, refreshing, and… certainly unexpected. His spirit danced and a wave of relief came over his shoulders at the fact he could actually enjoy the beverage. “Ryan! You really did do it!” he exclaimed, taking another sip.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, see. Cos I told you I did. Haha! Good things are coming, Pep; good things are coming.” Ryan nodded but then instantly froze in a dramatic fashion. The reaction was so instantaneous that Pepper caught it and froze himself in suspense. Ryan’s wrist shot up and he looked at his watch. “Oh, great moose and squirrel! Pepper, you have got like two minutes before your bus gets here to sweep you up there for school!”
The next two minutes were nothing but a blur as Pepper rushed through the house like a Bible Belt tornado. He grabbed his backpack and threw clothes on without even noticing what they were, if they matched, or how he looked. His feet were moving faster than his brain. All he knew was that by the time his feet came to a skidding stop at the bus stop, the airbrakes on the vehicle hissed loudly.
He was out of breath as he stepped up and made his way to his favorite seat. His head rested on the back, and he took a sip of the gifted drink. At this point he was relieved he had not spilled the beverage in the process of getting ready.
The next stop belonged to the one and only Brent Daniels. Pepper could see Brent’s excitement through the bus window. By the time his best friend had hit the center aisle, his face was wide open in overly dramatic joy. “You watched the match, right? Please tell me you saw it, P-Dub!”
Pepper couldn’t help but smile and roll his eyes at the nickname. Brent had given it to him years ago. He still chuckled at it, though. “Of course I saw it!”
“Did you see the after-match interview? How about the stat pages? Did they drop yet?”
“I haven’t had a chance to check. Ryan distracted me outside by striking up a conversation. He did give me a new flavor though… Quackariffic Red. Want to give it a try?”
Brent’s expression was one of pain and disgust. “No way! I’m not falling for that again.”
Pepper chuckled and leaned the can towards him. “This one actually isn’t that bad, seriously. I’m not playing you this time. I swear.”
“Yeah, no thanks! I think I would rather drink tuna fish juice than sip on that.”
“Be careful what you say, Brent. I might have to go find some fish juice just to make you eat, or rather drink, your words.” Pepper winked as he adjusted his favorite hat on his head.
Before the two knew it, the bus had arrived at the next stop. Pepper did his best to ignore the spectacle up front. But Tamin Leanord knew how to make an entrance. Pepper was certain that Tamin’s sole intent was to be the center of attention in every possible way.
Pepper finally caved and glanced down the bus aisle towards him. Tamin took his time finding his seat. Pepper rolled his eyes as he finally discovered that Tamin was flaunting his latest purchase to everyone else. Or at least what his father had purchased for him.
“Are you serious? The Trinity Bracer HoloCube?” one of their fellow classmates exclaimed.
“Heck yeah, it is! It was just released three days ago. A 3 by 4.5-inch display in 16-bit color! And of course I had to get the pro model, which comes with the 3D optic integration option.” Tamin flaunted his purchase. His words practically dripped with privilege. While the majority of men and some women had gone off to fight in the Rift Wars, Tamin’s dad had stayed behind.
One by one the Leanord family had begun to buy all the local businesses in the area—a real monopoly over the town, which they happily reminded everyone of with every encounter. Pepper rolled his eyes and tried to turn his attention back to Brent.
“Well, well, well, figures the runts would be in their usual spot,” Tamin said as he drew closer than Pepper wished.
Pepper couldn’t help but notice the scowl on Brent’s face. Rather than shifting his attention towards the center aisle, Pepper instead chose to keep his gaze locked ahead. He could at least see the smug expression on Tamin’s face out of the corner of his eye. Tamin knelt and leaned over far closer than Pepper felt comfortable with.
“Don’t forget, Peepers… I won our last match, and I am going to do it again at our next fight.”
He despised the nickname Tamin had given him. Tamin knew it got under his skin like a dagger, and he utilized it every chance he got. “The count is 7–4 last, I recall. I’ve beaten you before, Tamin, and you can bet on the fact that I plan to do it again.” Pepper said through gritted teeth.
“We’ll see about that, runt.” Tamin finished with a slight shove against Pepper’s head.
Pepper balled his fists and fought every urge to lunge after his nemesis. Brent held up his hands in an effort to remind him that it wasn’t worth it. Pepper was not afraid to go toe to toe with Tamin, but he knew he was on thin ice. Principal Richey Stephens had informed him he had been given his final warning and no further incidents would be tolerated.
Pepper’s eyes remained locked onto Brent, who was looking sympathetically at him. “You think you’re going to have Mala ready in time for the competition?”
Pepper shrugged. “I don’t know if he’ll ever be fully ready. There are so many things I still want to do to him, but I just don’t have the money for all the upgrades.”
“How much have you spent again on him?”
“Too much!”
A notification chimed on Pepper’s holodex, and both he and Brent turned their attention towards his wrist. His eyes lit up when he read the small notification that told him Brandon’s post-match interview had just been posted online. A second chime rang out and the follow-up notification told him that Panda Cakes’ golem stats were now available to view.
Pepper reached to activate both displays but stopped when he felt the school bus come to a halt. He looked out the side window to discover they had already arrived at the school. Dang it! I won’t be able to see the episode now, he told himself, watching the line of students filing into the school like a trail of ants.
“Come on. Don’t worry, Mr. Dean doesn’t care if we watch Golem League videos during his class. We’ll just watch it in there,” Brent reminded him in an optimistic tone. The two then stood up and filed down the center aisle.