Refried Dreams

Chapter One: Cold, Cold Gelato

My future smelled as smooth as raspberry vanilla with a hint of almond. Of course, the employment application for Koala Gelato just smelled dry and inky. Still, it felt like fame and fortune in my hands.

"Did you just smell that application?" Clara asked, squinting one eye in disdain. Clara, the cashier, always kept her nails blue. I bought gelato rich italian ice cream from her at least twice a week. But now, elegant Clara thought I was weird for smelling paper.

I was determined that my first job would be at this sleek gelato shop. And now one of its employees already thought I was weird. Great.

"Yes," I said. "Haven't you ever smelled something because it was exciting or important? Like your first driver's license? Or the newest book in your favorite series? Or your locker on the first day of school?"

"No. Definitely not... Melanie Parson," she said, reading my name off the application.

Now she thought I was even weirder! Surely she would tell her boss which girl was the freak. Why did I have the gift of always saying the wrong thing?

 Oh,Umm. I was just trying to say that I'm excited about this application. Because I believe in your company."

"Yeah. The lazy Mexicans across the food court believe in their company, too. And it hasn't gotten them very far."

Forget about racist Clara, I told myself. She wasn't the one who hired people. Soon, I would be wearing a thin gray apron with blue trim. I would build cookie sculptures of the Leaning Tower of Pisa with honey flavored ice cream. The mall would hum and shuffle all around me as I watched from the center of the food court. They would pay me to chat with shoppers and smile at boys.

A cute boy stood behind me in line right then, actually. I practiced a smile on him as I turned to go.

"Do you seriously smell your locker?!" he smirked.