Jasmine Cheung 1

English 101.005 [e.g., 102.002], Dr. Armon

Assignment 1 9/27/20

Pizza Insignia

Their room, a sun room in the attic, has always been a spotlight on perfection, rain or

shine. So, Nico hides their mattress in the corner, backed by shielding walls, and there they lie,

looking to the perfect sky with tufts and whispers of clouds. For once, they were unbothered by

its brightness. In fact, there they found the beauty in it they once loved. For an hour or two on

this mid-May morning, Nico stared and thought You did it, you absolute madlad. They repeated

it like a matra, self assurance of some kind, as if this perfection enveloping them truly does

include them. They somehow starred as Chip in the school production of Beauty and the Beast. it

wasn’t so bad to try and audition. It wasn’t too hard to hide it either. Four shows later, it’s

Sunday, May 19th, 2019, and their first show is over.

“I have plenty of homework to do” (Anonymous) was something they’ve continuously

failed to shake their mind off of. At the time, they had an appearance to keep: straight A’s, APs

and a chance at Ivy Leagues, “... as if that all had some meaning. Looking back, [they were] the

better student by far, but [I was] the smarter person. And, if it had ever crossed [their] mind,

[they] would’ve immediately thought something along the lines of As if? Have I forgotten

perfection?” (Anonymous) All of this sweet, strange, and mangled expectation’s future was an

attractive appearance and not much else, like Gaston in Beauty and the Beast. There is a funny

meaning behind the colorless walls and the sterile rich glass of the bedroom in which they stand,

too. Were they simply hiding themself from what should be a place of comfort in order to

disguise the seeming normalcy of strictness, plainness, and perfection, which seems favored by

society? “[They] even kept it a secret that [they were] in the play at all. [They] got a friend to

drive [them] to [their] bus stop and walk home from there after rehearsal” for what? Fear? Chip
Jasmine Cheung 2
English 101.005 [e.g., 102.002], Dr. Armon
Assignment 1 9/27/20

was chipped, so why can’t they be too?

Ten minutes to seven thirty. “Mom, I want to throw a party at twelve and eat pizza with

some friends of mine,” their rushed words only just caught onto wind; it was barely audible, but

it was enough to make a paperclip drop as their mother’s lawyerly hands froze, a small gesture

Nico only noticed by ear.

“How much do you need?” Mother’s eyes shone like window panes when a rainbow

shines at just the right angle.

Silence passed right through with awkward stances through its wandering stroll until

Nico realized mom’s eyes’ shine was the rain. Tears were a foreign concept until then.

“I’m sorry? How much?” Nico pretended not to notice, but mom’s face told that she

knew that they knew, and her smile was a thankful one.

“If you need me in an emergency, the code word is Chip, but I have to head out in ten

minutes,” the shuffling of papers hid her tears and the briefcase hid her smile for a brief moment

until just before the loud clasp of her case, “I never thought this day would come, I finally get to

fuss over you today. I’ll call you when I get on the train.” and just like that, mother disappeared

with her papers and briefcase.

Mother never told of how she knew, perhaps a flicker of chance, but this light was the

first warm glow from the blue sky’s spotlight when they walked their room’s stage. Only now

did they truly think upon the fact that the glass windows weren’t curved; there’s no focused point

of light too bright to stand or risk smoldering in the sunbeam. These glass window panes were

sun rays: sometimes harsh, but only ever meant to highlight. That was why Nico can be the Chip

and not Lumière in the future. It was something to ponder while Nico called up a small crew and
Jasmine Cheung 3
English 101.005 [e.g., 102.002], Dr. Armon
Assignment 1 9/27/20

tons of pizzas.

For a teacup who has served their entire life, it was time to take a bite of that thin crust

Arcuri’s pizza. Cheers to the marking of the pizza insignia.

Jasmine Cheung 4
English 101.005 [e.g., 102.002], Dr. Armon
Assignment 1 9/27/20

Work Cited

Anonymous, Nico.1 Interviews. October 3 and October 20, 2020.

1 Nico Anonymous is not the actual name, as the interview participant chose to be anonymous