Alex Jupp was anxious, and when he gets anxious, he sneezes. Which isn't good, not good at all!

This was his first day at the new school, another school that hopefully would still be standing at the end of the day.

He stood in front of the bathroom mirror looking at the dragon on his school tie all the while pressing hard the little grove that sat on his top lip, the philtrum.

A lady doctor once said, as she took Alex's index finger and placed it on the groove above his top lip. "If you know you are going to sneeze, just press this."

His mum came into the bathroom and walked up behind him. He allowed himself to be enveloped by her. Closing his eyes, he breathed in the scent of her perfume and and that calmed him down. If only for a short while.

She kissed the top of his head and tousled her son's blond hair.

"You alright sweetheart?"

Alex shook his head.

His mum kissed him again, "I'm sure you'll be alright once you met the other boys and girls."

She took pity on her son; his condition had made him a lonely child. She coaxed him away from the mirror and combed his hair. It was time to go.

Alex and his mother got on the bus and immediately he fetched out of his bag a colouring book and some pens. Colouring distracting his mind. It distracted it so much that he didn't even notice the bigger boys talking and whispering about him at the back of the bus.

Once at school, his mother kissed Alex on the cheek and said goodbye before handed him over to the headteacher. The two of them entered Class 1B and upon entering, the form teacher stopped talking. Every childs head in class swivelled their heads towards the door.

"This is Alex everyone, make him feel welcome." said the headteacher, then giving a nod to the form teacher, left the room.

After twenty minutes had pass, the bell sounded informing the pupils that the morning lesson had ended.

Breaktime, and as Alex wandered the playground alone, some boys from the back of bus surrounded him 

"It's the baby from this morning who likes to colour!" taunted one of the boys.

Alex didn't like these boys and could feel an anxiety attack coming on. He pushed hard against his philtrum. He could sense a sneeze coming on, and that wasn't good. Not good at all!

"What's he doing now?" said another of the boys.

Alex remained polite despite the aggression. "It helps me not to sneeze."

"Why, what happens when you sneeze?" snapped one of the boys trying to pull Alex hand down from his face.

"Bad things happen."

All four boys looked at each other, dying to know what could be so bad about a sneeze.

"Grab his arms!" shouted the tallest boy.

"No! you mustn't let me sneeze!"

With Alex hands bound, he was unable to prevent the twitching in his nose.

His face contorted.

Here it comes! Thought Alex.

"ACHOO!"

First there was a blinding flash of white light, then the heat blast that atomised everything within a one-kilometre radius. A small mushroom cloud formed above where the school use to be.

Alex opened his eyes and  saw in front of him the four boys now as a black pile of ash.

Wiping his nose and kicking their ashes, he sang. "Ring a ring of roses, a pocketful of posies, atishoo, atishoo, all fall down."
© Alice White