This is - like you said so yourself - not your best work. It didn't really include the picture, I think you could've taken more out of it. And the layout is alright, maybe a white or so background in the story area. Either way, I love the choice of words and that it's written in first and second person. The name Pepper is lovely as well, that's one of those names that you see someone with immediately and you can already find an entire character with, which also matches the story. I'm sorry if you didn't get that sentence, haha.