GYOB

Get Your Own Back!

Susan took a deep breath as she peered down at the massive six hundred gallon vat of neon orange slime that seemed to almost bubble under the heat of the stage lamb. Strong smelling fumes rose from the surface of the sludge. Causing her nose to winkle a little. Slowly she shifted her weight from one corner of the seat to the other. She felt very exposed sitting up here, dressed in only biker shorts and a pink teeshirt.

“Having second thoughts there you air headed ninny? Getting cold feet sitting there, knowing all that fudge is for you. Going to swimming in it before the days over. And running laps for a week!” Cackled a red haired women who was seated over vat next to her. Like Susan she wore black biker shorts but instead of a pink teeshirt, hers was more cream colored. Both featured bright neon letters.

“Thinking about..” Susan paused as she peered toward her instructor. “Thinking about how your going to look covered in all that filth! You heathen!” retorted Susan.

“Oh? Finally getting hot under the collar. Finally getting a little fire in your box. Too bad girl. Because a snowball in hell has more of a chance than you do. And, your one to talk. Heathen ya? And are you so holy that you can play your silly Pokemon game during chapel? Because, if I remember correctly you had to run them hills from sun up to sun down because them nuns caught ya? Pot calling the kettle black, there Miss. Bell.” She rolled her eyes and chuckled a little.

“Ladies.” A middle age women said as she stepped between the two, though standing very far away from the pit of gunge. “While I love the combative spirit you two have going on. I really do.”

Susan and her instructor became silent as they shifted there eyes toward the women who standing there. Both just stood there. Susan sitting above the gunge vat on the lift. And her instructor sitting on the trap door. Both where facing the peril in there own ways.

“Good, now that I got you both settled down, I’m going to tell you, where going live in a few minutes. Till then do your best to get along. And save all the catty calls for when we air. Its really good for the rating if we show are contestants getting catty with each other.” She said smirking. She ran her hands down her hips and smoothed out her faux leather skirt.

A blonde hair women with her hair in a pixie cut walked up to the women and whispered something into her ear. The women then retreated behind a low hanging veil. The women smiled and peered toward both women.

Susan and her instructor exchanged glances as the peered toward each other. The red haired women smirked and folded her arms under her breath. Her baby blue eyes glared toward Susan and finally to break the building tension she said.

“I guess we’ll soon find out who the better women is. Good Luck to you Ms. Bell. Your going to need it, I heard this does not wash out, might need to shave ya’ll head. It be like gum you know.”

Susan swallowed hard and reached up and crossed herself. In a quivering tone of voice she recited the first prayer she learned as a catechumen.

“In nomine Patris, et filii, et Spirtus Sancti. Amen.” She said sighing.
“Least you Latin’s better than you time on the one mile run. To much time reading those Japanese comic books.” She commented as she leaned back and savored her soon to be won victory. A small victory, but a victory none the less.

Susan was about to shoot a less than lady like retort when the hostess strolled back onto stage. She was holding a thick deck of index cards in her hand and she wore a grin that would put the devil to shame. The way she strolled toward the two, reminded Susan of the time she watched her grandmothers old tabby cat, stalk across the back yard. That cat had killed six songbirds that day.

“Welcome.” She said in a slick, oily tone of voice. “I’m your hostess. Cindy Cotton and welcome to another thrilling episode of ‘Get Your Own Back’. The that gives you the chance to get your own back that pesky teacher, hard nose mother or that penny pinching father. Today we have Susan Elizabeth Bell of Vicksburg, MS. Facing her P.E instructor Annela McNeil.”

The gathered crowds both booed, cheered and hissed as the names where called out. The children and the teens cheered for Susan and booed for Annela. The adults booed for Susan and cheered for Annela. After a good two minutes of noise both sides seemed to settle down. Cindy only smiled as she peered toward Susan and then toward Annela.

“We’ll before we start with the questions. I would like to share something. Now, we get a lot of emails from you guys. And I mean a lot, but Susan here is a little old fashion.” She paused and raised her eyebrows as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “I mean really old fashion, like.. I understand your from Vicksburg dear. But really snail mail?” She said unfolding the piece of paper. Once the piece of paper was unfolded, she reached back into her pocket and pulled out a pair of reading glasses.

She placed the glasses on the ridge of her nose and cleared her throat. Then taking a deep breath she started to read.

“Dear Mrs. Cotton.” She started to read. “My name is Susan Elizabeth Mari Bell, hometown of Vicksburg, MS. I’m a junior at St. Katherine’s Episcopal School. I’m writing to you, because I have a problem. Our P.E teacher. Mrs. McNiel aka the Scottish Dragon. She been causing us a lot of problems. She makes us run from the time her class starts to the final bell.. she often keeps us over if we don’t finish our laps on time. And once, she even made me run laps.. For God only knows how long! My legs where so sore and worst yet, I was not even allowed to shower or change out of my kit! She needs to be taught a lesson. Make it happen!” Once she finished reading a little smirk formed upon her lip. “And written pastel colored ink too. Man talk about vintage!”

Susan felt her cheeks blush with color as her letter was read out.  Blushing like a bride at the alter, she placed her warm cheeks into her hand and gave her head a little shake. This was so embarrassing.

“So Susan.. I did a little digging. It seems your something of a brat yourself. Despite one of St. Katherine’s prefects, you know those students appointed t uphold the proud traditions and maintain order. You’ve broken a few rules yourself.” She said in a teasing manner.


“Told you. Like calling the kettle, calling the pot black.” Called Out Annela as she folded her across her chest and under her breast.
Susan closed her eyes and sighed. Slowly she started to shift her weight from one side to the other. The teasing, though like was starting to wear down her defenses. Slowly, she opened her mouth and said.

“No commented.”

“So, I’m sure the viewers at home would like to know, how did a prefect of all people end up running laps in detention for several afternoons. Come now Ms. Bell, do try to enlighten us.” She said smirking, “After all, you do seem to be a all American girl.”

Susan felt the heat rise to her ears. Her cheeks flushed with color as she reached down and squeezed the hard plastic surface of her seat. Finally she started to speak.

“Okay, I was checking messages on my phone during chapel. And one of the Nuns caught me. See I attend a private school. And where required to attend a Mass, that a service each day. It counts as a class anyway.. Since it last about a hour.. But anyway I was checking my phone. Because I’m a member of a..” She paused and her words seemed caught in her throat.

“Anyway, a lot of people where talking on the Discord Server I belong too.. ‘Anime Dunking Paradise’ its where.. Fans of anime who also like dunking booths hang out, share pictures and post stuff and sometimes do role-plays.” Her face turned a beat red. “And I was trying to follow along with the conversation there and pay attention to the sermon a..” Susan looked down and giggled. “I guess Sister Helen found out and.. Boom next thing I know I was being taken from the chapel and being frog marched down the hallway to the gym.”

“Oh well. Playing with phones during Mass is bad anyway. Anyway, lets get on with the game. As you know your sitting on a ramp that ten feet long. For each incorrect answer, I’m going to move you up two feet. Once you reach the top, its all over. I’m going to push a button and send you flying down and right into the goop.” She said smiling softy as she pointed to the pool at Susan’s feet.

Susan swallowed hard! Beside her, her teacher smiled and grinned and smiled softy. It was so rewarding seeing Susan wiggling like a worm on a fishing hook up there. She was savoring every second of it, oh yes she was savoring it. Savoring it like she savored the shoulder roast they served in the union every Thursday.

“But! And that a big but! If you get five correct then a buttons going to come down and your going to get a chance to get your back on your teacher! So you think you can do it?” She said smirking softy.

“I think the girl has a snowball’s chance in hell! The fact she’s even made it this far in her schooling, proves the fact that the yanks school system is broken, shattered, and a rutty piece of shat!”  Annela called out. “If she was in Scotland, she’ll still be in grade school. The air headed ninny!

“Oh big talk from Annela. Anyway Susan, on the questioner you filled out before going on the show. One of the questions was your favorite pass time was reading and writing.. Am I correct? This does not count, so don’t get your hopes up.”

“Right..” Susan said taking a deep breath.

“Good, because all of are questions come from popular book series you said you read. So.. Shall we begin?”

“Sure.” Susan said taking a deep breath. “Give you best shot!”

“Okay, here we go, question number one.” She paused and smiled. “Please name the first book in the ‘Ring of Fire’ series by Eric Flint?” She said smiling softy as she brought her hands down and waited for Susan to answer.

“1632!” Susan shouted without a seconds delay. The Ring of Fire series was quickly becoming one of her favorites, mainly because she often mused about what would happen if something like that happened in her home town of Vicksburg.

“You are correct!” The hostess said smiling and one of the lambs beside Annela light up. Four more remained dim. The smug smile on her face started to turn a little.

“Okay moving on the next question. At the end of the 1632, Rebecca, one of the main female characters of the series gives birth to a little girl. At first she and her husband Michael where going to name the child, Kathleen. Then he changes it.. What did they change it too?”

Susan blinked and blinked again.. She shrugged her shoulders as a sign of defeat.

“Oh sorry, Sepharad was the name we where looking for.” She said grinning. As she watched on of Susan’s lambs light up. A jolt of electricity sparked to life as Susan’s chair started to move, it moved roughly two feet before coming to a rest.

“Haha!” Annela. “Ya be spending so much time reading them books, and ya’ don’t even know the characters. Should be spending less time reading and more time running. Just for that I aught to make you run till ya panting like a hound dog in the summer on a sunny afternoon!”

“Okay next question. The plot behind the ‘Ring of Fire’ series is a group of time lost yanks from the city of Grantville, West Virginia go back into time to the year 1632. What major conflict was brewing at that time?”

Susan blinked and blinked again. Her mind was drawing a blank. Once more she held her hands up and shrugged her shoulders. She could feel the tension building, gravity was starting to work against her now, she felt like she was sliding off her seat.

“Oh.. Sorry ’The 30 years war’ was the answer we where looking for. You know what that means don’t you?” She said smirking. Another lamp started to glow as Susan was cranked up too more feet. As the chair came to a halt she started to squeeze it even tighter.

“And you somehow wiggled your way into AP Western Civilization? Proof that ya’ll Yankees don’t know the head of Ass  from its tail.” Heckled Annela from her seat.

“Moving on. Faith is a major issue in the ‘Ring of Fire series.’ Indeed tension between Protestant and Catholic Princes of the Holy Roman Empire is what caused the 30 years war to start in the first place. Name three sects of Christendom that appear often.”

“Wait.. What?” Susan said blinking. As a fan of the series she should know this, but she was always wrapped up in the romantic side stories. She kind of just browsed over those part.

“Sorry. ’Wait and What’ was not what we where looking for. Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism and finally Calvinism. Was the three answers we where looking for.” She said as she watched a third of Susan’s light up and her chair move up another two feet. She was now six feet from the gunge and two incorrect answers away from the slime pit!

“So, right now your losing pretty bad with a score of one to three. Now where going to offer you a chance. A sudden death question. You can steak everything on getting the last question right and dunk your teacher or you can try your luck on the next two questions. The choice is yours.. And if you get this question wrong. Its game over for you.”

“Okay!” Susan said taking a deep breath.

“Good show. Now for a sudden victory or a messy fate. As we know, the ‘United States of Europe’ is divided into several provinces. Can you name the province in which the town of Grantville is found it, as of the newest book?” She said smiling softy as she reached down and wrapped her slender fingers around the lever.

“Brunswick?” She said shrugging her shoulders.

“Nope, Thuringia-Franconia was the answer we where looking for.” She said grinning as she watched Susan’s chair being lifted up the final four feet. Once the chair was locked into place, she smiled and a wicked little smile. “So Ms. Bell your little gamble to get your back has backfired. Any last words..”

“Please don’t, everybody at school is watching us.. And I don’t know how, I’m going to live this down? Please I’m a prefect..” Her voice trailed as the hostess shrugged her shoulders and flipped the switch, sending Susan rocking down the ramp. In ten seconds flat she had covered the whole ten feet, and was ejected from the chair and into the gunge!

Susan closed her eyes as she felt the chair starting down the ramp, she squeezed the chair as she force started to build behind her eyes and finally she felt herself become airborne as she flew through the air landed into the pool with a loud splash!

Susan sunk into the pool of gunge like a rock, for a good solid minute she felt her world become a colorful blob of orange and yellow as she felt her feet touch the bottom and finally her bottom. She could smell the gunge, some of it even went into her nose and into here mouth, it tasted odd, almost powdery. Finally she started to resurface.

She looked like a swamp monster or something from one of the old black and white horror movies as she reached up and started to clean her eyes. She was covered in a thick layer of gunge, as she fully stood up she noticed everybody was staring at her, some where even laughing at her. She twisted her lip into a pout.

“Susan, you’ve been a wonderful sport, thanks for coming on to are show. And Annela.. No hard feeling toward your pupil I take it?” She said clapping her hands as she watched Susan climb out of the pool. As the camera zoomed in, she gave the viewers at home one last look at her pouting face.

~O.o.O~

The very next day the corridors of St. Katherine’s Episcopal School was buzzing with news. Almost all the student body had tuned in to watch last night’s airing of Get Your Own Back. While some had hoped that Susan would score an impressive victory and get ‘Her Own back’. Others where glad the ‘Scottish Dragon’ had remained clean.

Susan for the most part just sighed as she moved between classes. Bits and pieces of dried gunge could still be seen in her hair. She still smelled a bit like the gunge pool and her cheeks where still flushed. All she wanted to do was keep silent and pray that nobody would spot her. She wanted to forget last night had ever happen.

But despite her best efforts. It seemed everybody she passed made a effort to go out of her way to remind her of what happen, she was getting pretty sick of it. In fact she became so flustered she started to run down the hallway to escape the teasing. And as luck would have it, she bumped into the back of a fellow student in her mad dash for freedom. The bump sent her back and knocked both flat on the ground. Her books and homework where scattered to the four corners of the earth.

“Sorry.” She muttered as she started to rub her head. As she opened her eyes, she noticed that standing before her was a tall, lean and if she’ll be so bold, handsome boy. A boy that was in her year.

“Oh..” He said smiling as he reached out and offered her his hand. “No problem..” A small smile crossed his face. “Hey are you Susan? The one who appeared last night on the television program?” He questioned as be bent down and started to help her gather up her papers, spilled text books and pencils.

Susan closed her eyes and softy nodded her head.

“Cool, you looked pretty cute, and I bet you’ll look even cuter in a bikini.” He whispered as he handed her a collection of papers. “You know where going to rent a dunk tank to celebrate homecoming. So far we have only cheerleaders and footballs on the rooster. I bet a cute girl like you would really bring in the crowds.” He whispered.

Susan felt her face turn scarlet!

“anyway.. Something to consider.” He said as he handed her the papers he collected.

Susan took the papers, once the papers where in her hand, she watched him go. Her eyes followed him down the hallway and kept hold of him till he vanished behind a sharp corner. For a good minute she just sat there, before she stood up and started to make her way toward the Guidance Counselor’s Office.

The end~