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Pigtails
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown
This is a drabble (100 word story) about pigtails, what they say about you, and how they can sometimes help you connect with others in unexpected ways.
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"Am not!" I shouted over the playground noise.
"But ... you're a boy!" Lenny shouted back.
"Well ... yeah."
He tugged one of my pigtails. "And ya got these."
"Ow!"
"That makes you a sissy."
Shel slapped his hand away. "Does not!"
Lenny frowned. "Does too."
"Nuh uh! They just make him ... pretty."
Lenny's chin trembled, then he stomped off.
"Was he 'bout to cry?" I asked.
Shelly nodded.
"Why?"
"Think he's kinda like you."
"Ya sure?"
Shel grinned. "I was sure 'bout you."
"Wanna go find out?"
Shel nodded again, I smiled, then we both ran to catch up with Lenny.
Comments
After School Special
This will probably be more than a drabble, but your neat little story
planted this one-draft toss off sequel-thing in my head; with its illustration
of how some bullies might just be deflecting to deny their own inner struggle.
Hope you won't mind my prezumpshuns in doing this; but if you do- OOPS!
~huggles, Veronica
.
AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL by Laika
When me and Shelly caught up with Lenny he was definitely crying.
"Are you crying, Lenny?"
"No!"
"Because it's okay if you are."
Lenny snorted like this was the dumbest thing he'd ever heard.
"Why you always bein' so mean to us?" Shel asked him.
He pointed at me. "'Cause he's a sissy!"
Shel shook her head, frowning. "That's not a word we use. But so what if he is?"
"What do you mean, 'so what'? It's not RIGHT!"
"Says who?"
"Well, everybody... But my dad mostly. He says the whole damn country is turnin' queer 'cause we don't eat enough moral fiber."
Shel made a face and said, "I see...And does your dad know everything?"
"He- I don't know, alright?!!" snarled Lenny, then said wearily, "I just know it's better when I act like he's always right about stuff. And my mom even said we should. 'Go along to get along,' she says. It just makes things easier..."
I knew kids with families like Lenny's. They make me glad for the parents I have. I can't say my mom and dad really understand me, but they're trying; and they're not ordering me to not be who I am.
I asked him, "So you don't like my pigtails?"
"They're all right I guess. They make you-" he stared at his tennis shoes, his cheeks turning pink, "I mean you're kinda cute."
Now it was my turn to blush. "Thank you!"
Shel asked him, "And would you like to be cute?"
After a long minute Lenny gave a timid nod, then whispered. "But my dad-"
"-would never have to know," grinned Shelly, "We could go to my house after school. My mom's super cool. I have some nice dolls we could play with, and we could fix your hair up nice."
Lenny snorted bitterly, "How?! I have this stupid crewcut!!"
"Yeah, there's not much to work with there... But we could put bows in it," she suggested
"Really?" asked Lenny, and that's how us three became such good friends. And Lenny....
Well you know Lenora. After her dad went to prison for attacking the Capitol she's really blossomed.
What borders on stupidity?
Canada and Mexico.
.
Awww....
This is such a cute sequel! The way you portrayed everyone def has the same feel as I imagined when I was writing Pigtails. Thanks for sharing this, Veronica!
{{{huggles}}}
Loved this coupled with Laika's sequel
Very sweet. Well done. I enjoy it when dialogue is so well written that you can hear each voice without all the "he said", "then she said" bits. Plus we only meet Lenora and Shelly, I (we) get to be the third party in this without a name being specified. Great stuff.
>>> Kay
I'm so glad ...
... you enjoyed both stories! Veronica really surprised me with how well she did keeping the feel of my characters in her sequel. :)