Vinegar

Vinegar

At 10:31 Mr. Carlen starts his lesson. We don’t have a clock in our classroom, so instead I count.

I slightly hear him talking, but I mainly focus on nature. My seat is right next to the window, and since I don't have anyone to text during class, I watch.

Every single day the same red car goes past at the same time. The busses arrive from morning drop off, and security allows the taxis to come in for the first time that day. But today, I see something else. Seven girls are sitting by the wall of the school. One of them is in the center of the circle holding a bottle while the other girls pour something inside.

The girl takes a big chug and throws the bottle to the ground, gagging. Somebody takes out a box, and the girl pukes inside of it. Then Sierra, the most popular girl in school says,

“All right, you lose. Who’s next?”

Everyone chants what sounds to be,

“Kelsey, Kelsey, Kelsey!”

They are speaking extremely loudly, speaking as though they won’t get in trouble if they get caught.  A smaller girl, who must be Kelsey, enters the circle. The other girls thrust the bottle at her and she takes a sip.

“Come on! Give it all you got!”

She takes a larger sip, drinking almost half the bottle. Trying not to puke is one of the hardest things to do. Her face starts to turn blue as she takes her last sip.

I can't watch any longer. Throwing my head back to the front of the room, it hits me. I know what they were doing. That liquid was vinegar.

I remember the teachers warning us about this game. They told us that they caught some people playing it, and whoever did it next would be suspended. I wonder why these girls didn’t worry about that.

Basically, in this game each girl is given a water bottle. They fill the bottle with vinegar and try to drink as much of it as they can without throwing up. If you finish the bottle, you win. Everyone in that group worships you and you never are forced to play again. Only one person has ever done it, Sierra.

The thought of this game disgusts me. No one ever volunteers, they get pressured. Something even worse is the people who want to be asked, because if they succeed then they will become popular. I know a girl like this. Her name is Ruby Wilson; she sits next to me in English. For years, she has been trying to complete the challenge, but with so much gagging, she ended up being bulimic and had to go to the hospital because of so much weight loss.

∆∆∆∆∆

At lunch I sit alone again. Normally I don’t notice anything special, but today I notice the vinegar players from this morning. They seem to be looking for someone, but this time when the thought hits me, it is too late. They are looking for their newest victim. Who are they walking towards? Me.

They all quickly slide into my booth, making me feel really claustrophobic. Some girls play with my hair, others just sit there and talk. Eventually they get to the point.

“Akhemm, Natasha, hey! So, we saw you looking at us this morning, and you know what that means!”

Sierra says to me with an evil grin.

“Now, you can come with us the easy way or the hard way. Your choice.”

∆∆∆∆

“Hey newbie! Your turn.”

The girls holding me down loosen their grip on my wrists and kick me into the middle. The green bottle is placed at my feet. I pick it up slowly, not ready for what comes next.

The smell of vinegar is already making me nauseous. I try to take a small sip, but that won’t pass Sierra. One second too late I realize she is pushing the bottle upwards so the vinegar goes even faster down my throat.

Me not drinking fast does not pass with Sierra, but drinking fast does not pass with my stomach. No one was fast enough to call it, so instead of my vomit going into the box, it goes into Sierra’s face. Brown is not a good color on her, and I am not the only one who notices that. All of the other girls start to laugh, groan and gag. The heat of the moment is starting to grow on Kelsey.

Approximately one second before she kills me, Principal Melton arrives. Well, I guess I should just say goodbye to the school. I doubt I will be coming back for a while.