Wrapping Through Life + Memories of School Fundraisers

Did you ever have to sell anything for school? 

It was cool because it was double sided.

One year at Dilworth Elementary, we sold Sally Foster wrapping paper (which, I just found out via Google, has been discontinued). The PTA did a little fashion show demonstrating how awesome wrapping paper was (I'm not kidding about this. There were full wrapping paper outfits.) and I wanted SO BADLY to get something cool out of the prize magazine. 

I had to share all of my relatives with my sister and all the other neighborhood kids got to the old people on my street first, so Kendle and I both had only enough points to get little clackers, which my mom absconded because she was better at playing with it than we were. She made so much noise and Kendle and I hated it — talk about a role reversal. (Woah. I didn't know that life event needed to be aired.)

If my wrapping paper experience had been a little different, this might have happened to me:

"Would you like to buy some wrapping paper, ma'am?" I launched into my sales pitch once the door creaked open.

"Let's have a look — come inside for a cookie?" She warbled.

Invited inside? That prize for selling the most for my school fundraiser was in the bag!

"Hmmm, these are a little pricey." She perused the pages as I munched away. "I can't buy today. I have to go . . . iron . . . my cat."

As she closed the magazine, my eye caught her cupboards and a cat looked back at me. And another and another.

"I better go." I hightailed it out. Those prizes weren't so great anyway.

This short story is a part of the illustrious Flash Fiction Friday. Read the other lovely stories, spun off the dialogue prompt: "I have to go . . . iron . . . my cat." at the links below!

Brianne Dosch * Tiffany Jones * Kat!e Larson * Quinlyn Shaughnessy * Lady Violet