How to Wake a Teenager

Chel Owens

The way to get a teenager out of bed is with last night’s pizza. Just lean in to the lifeless lump of blankets atop your teen’s bed, plug your nose against the smell of the room, and whisper the magic words: “Pizza,” “Breakfast.”

You may think they want it fresh, or hot, or crispy. You are wrong.

“Pizza for breakfast” will result in the sudden escaping of a barely-dressed teenager from his blanket cocoon. You’ll find your teen illuminated by the open refrigerator; feet on your best cushions; happily consuming an old, cold, slimy pizza slice.

Yes, for breakfast.

©2020 Chelsea Owens, except photo

I had a hankering to answer Carrot Ranch‘s prompt:

April 2, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes pizza. It can be an original pizza pie (or slice) or something pizza-like. Go where the prompt leads!

Respond by April 7, 2020. Use the comment section… to share, read, and be social. You may leave a link, pingback, or story in the comments. If you want to be published in the weekly collection, please use the form.  Rules & Guidelines.

44 thoughts on “How to Wake a Teenager”

  1. Yes I remember well, that bedroom smell. The cold food stuck firmly to plates you thought were long ago lost. A great response, the ranchers will enjoy. You even captured the smell.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. My son grosses me out when he eats it cold. I’ll make two pizzas while he’s at work and when he gets back, he just starts eating it out of the bag in the refrigerator.

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  11. I remember one time I’d ask one of my ‘teens’ to clean his room. Stuffed a box and put it in the attic…
    Years later I went through that box – seems nothing in there was anything they’d miss… but there was a package of unopened ‘Yodels’ or the like… Sometimes it’s just best to close the door… and pick more important battles. However when you start missing the household dishes and silverware… within their domains…

    They’ll come a time when (and maybe it is now) that we can laugh at our children… And really there does come a time when they actually ‘turn around’ and say you were smart or right. And then all a parent can do is heave a big sigh of relief that maybe we actually did something right 😀

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  14. I think my younger brother would have preferred I used your method than mine. I would place one hand on his hip and one hand on his shoulder and bounce him awake. Luckily freshly awakened people can’t run very fast…

    Liked by 1 person

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