Scentsational

By Cassandra Hamm

I step into a sea of glass.

Vials of clear liquid fill Scentsational’s shelves from floor to ceiling. Fluorescent light reflects off the glass, momentarily blinding me.

I gape at the shop. I’ve heard whispers but never dared to enter. All these vials supposedly hold different scents appealing to different people. I didn’t realize there were so many smells in the world.

How am I supposed to choose the one that will get Tara to talk to me?

Inching farther into the shop, I peer at the closest vials. Coffee, reads one. Well, yeah, coffee does smell pretty good, but I don’t know if it’s love potion material. Chocolate. Also good, but not good enough for Tara. Pizza. Really? I was looking for something like… something girly. Pizza isn’t girly.

Then I spot Bacon.

My stomach rumbles. Greasy bacon strips right out of the oven, warm and meaty, with the perfect crunch…

Stop it, Shane. Tara’s favorite scent wouldn’t be bacon.

I hurry away from the tempting vial and wander through the labyrinth of shelves. How are these grouped, anyway? Doesn’t look alphabetical. I run my fingers along the labels. Seriously, why Freshly Mowed Grass? Who even likes that?

What do girls go for, anyway? Flowers? Um… girly things?

“What do you need, son?”

I flinch, knocking over a vial. It explodes in a flurry of crystalline shards and the scent of rain.

A stocky man frowns at me.

“I’m sorry.” Cheeks hot, I back away from the mess. “Um…” Do I have to pay for that? That’d blow my limited savings.

His graying hair puffs out around his face. “Careful,” he barks. “I’ve only got a few sets of each of these vials.”

“Sorry,” I say again. But seriously, can’t he keep them in something more secure than glass?

“It’s okay, kid. It’s just Rain, not something rare.” A smile cracks his stony face. “Guess rain isn’t your favorite scent, huh?”

“Uh… no?”

“Thought not. Otherwise, you’d be a pile of mush right now.”

I cringe at the thought. I hope no one ever gets one of these for me. I’d rather stay in control of myself, thank you.

Then why are you getting one for Tara?

That’s different, I tell myself. Otherwise, she’d never notice me. But after this potion, she’ll have to notice me.

“So, kid, what can I do for ya?”

“Um… do you have any flower scents?” All girls like flowers, right?

“You’re gonna have to be more specific.” Chuckling, he shuffles down the thin aisle. “But sure, I’ll show ya the spot. I’m Rick, by the way.”

“Shane.” I follow, careful not to touch any more of the glass money-suckers.

“Nice to meet ya, Shane.” He stops and gestures to a shelf of vials. “Flowers.”

Hydrangea, Lilac, Jasmine, Hibiscus, Peony… Are these all flower names? They sound like gibberish to me.  Swallowing, I grab the nearest one, Orchid printed on its label, and thrust it at Rick. “This one.” Hopefully I sound more confident than I feel.

“Okay.” He chuckles again. “Lookin’ to impress a girl, huh?”

Heat floods my cheeks, and I kick at the blue-and-gray tile.

“Your face says it all.” Rick grins. “That’ll be $529.99, son.”

I gape. I’d have to work for like a billion years before I got that much money from lawn-mowing. “Something cheaper?”

He points to one that says Carnation. “That one’s only $299.99.”

That just about hits the limit of what I’ve saved for the past two years… but it’s for a good cause. With a deep breath, I grab the vial. “I’ll take it.”

Three hundred dollars poorer, I exit Scentsational without any more glass accidents. Outside, I bump into a dark-haired girl and almost drop my purchase. I hide the vial behind my back. “Penny!” I sputter. “Um, hi.”

“Hey, Shane.” Her braces haven’t fixed the gap in her front teeth yet. She tucks her hair behind her ear. “See you at school tomorrow.”

“See ya.” I can’t get away fast enough.

Tara is only ten feet away, but it feels like miles.

She’s standing at her locker, flanked by three clones. Couldn’t she be alone right now? Doesn’t she realize this is hard enough as it is?

Swallowing hard, I pull the vial from my pocket and uncork it, wrinkling my nose at the light, airy scent. Then I pour the entire mixture down my throat. It tastes like vomit and grass, and I gag, nearly spitting my hard-earned money back out.

Grimacing, I swallow. The slimy mixture slithers down my throat and leaves a filmy coat on my tongue.

This is it. This is the day I earn Tara’s love.

I march toward her and her friends. My heart is pounding so loudly I’m sure they can hear it. Her friends’ makeup-heavy eyes scan me and deem me unworthy. Then Tara turns.

As she breathes in, I wait for a declaration of adoration. Instead, her nose wrinkles. “Do I smell carnations?”

“Y-yes,” I stammer. Maybe it takes time for the spell to work.

The blood drains from her face. “Where? Get it away from me! My allergies––oh my gosh, get it away!”

The words smash into me, deflating what hope I had. My cheeks darken, and I back away. “Um… sorry.” Can I just disappear into a hole right now?

I backpedal toward my locker, wishing I could expel every drop of that vile potion from my system. She’ll never like me now. I kick my locker and yelp, cradling my foot.

Behind me, I hear her mutter, “If it were orchids, that’d be different…”

I cringe. Shane, you idiot!

A comforting aroma drifts up the hall—warm and round, thick and juicy, stealing away my sanity. Bacon.

I stumble blindly toward the smell, pushing past the other students, ignoring the complaints. The source is a girl with hair like pitch and eyes as brown as the juiciest meat. Bacon, I think, and then, Penny.

I’m in love.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cassandra Hamm has always been fascinated by the inner workings of the human mind. She received her B.S. in psychology and continues to apply her knowledge to her characters. Her love of writing prompts has spurred her to start blogging, submit stories to amazing websites like this one, and host flash fiction contests on Instagram. She is obsessed with cats, jigsaw puzzles, movie soundtracks, and Broadway musicals.

---

More Stories | Author Website | Facebook | Instagram