Female Inflation

It was raining, a dark, damp afternoon in north London, and in a bedroom in a flat someone was unhappy.

It is a fairly typical day in Goodhaven. The city was blessed with good weather and clear skies, as usual. But something diabolical was lurking at the nearby circus…

Under the big top, a clown known as The Ballooner was being told off by her boss, the pompous ringmaster.

“No, you fool,” The ringmaster, a stuffy man said in a conceited voice. “You are done here. Your last act sent the audience running for the hills! You are bad for business. I’m afraid I must ask you to pack your things and leave at once.” But the clown only sneered.

Sofia Anderson looked hatefully across the room at her new favourite enemy, Brooke Sanders. She had finally found a way to ruin her. She pulled out a small, white stick of gum and made sure to put it on the right corner of her desk.

Brooke was a chewing gum phenatic and wouldn't pass up an opportunity o steal Sofia's, and Sofia knew this. She had planned this revenge for a long time, and was anticipating her glorious victory.

It was closing time at the Urbanville Aquatic Center. The swimmers were gone, the locker rooms empty, the last stragglers finally herded out. Claire milled about the entrance with the other lifeguards, chatting idly about how nice if felt to rise the chlorine from her hair and slip back into dry clothes, laughing and commiserating with each other over the day’s work, talking eagerly about their plans for the evening.