Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk

1: Icing On the Cake

"You're going to make me fat, Kaia! I'm going to walk out of this shop having gained ten pounds," Penelope moans, as she licks the icing off her tenth cupcake.

"You were the one who demanded a batch of cupcakes. You're lucky my mom loves you or she'd beat your ass if she saw you eating all of these," I remind her with a wide grin, wiping the empty tables of the shop.

A few people from my school are hanging out on the couches chatting and every once in awhile are trying to mooch me by getting free food, but I just say no because I already have one Penelope. I don't need five more. I always tell them that I'll give the food off a discounted price and that always wins them over and guarantees that they'll come back again.

My mom and I started Kaia and Kat's Cupcake Factory when my dad passed away five years ago and left my mom and I a lot of money. His side of the family is filthy rich and they weren't very pleased with what we did with the money. They thought it would go towards me going to medical school or law school, but I honestly feel like I want to be at the cupcake shop for the rest of my life, as sad as that sounds. My dad always loved our baking and my mom and I wanted to do something that will always keep the memory of him in our minds every single day. The cupcakes are how we cope with his loss. Lots and lots of baking.

"I'm so excited for my birthday cake! I wonder what flavour- chocolate, strawberry, red velvet, vanilla- oh! I know. Vanilla bean. I love your vanilla bean cupcakes. With lots and lots of icing. Did you get that, Kaia? Make notes," Penelope babbles with a big grin on her face and lots and lots of excitement in her eyes.

"Your wish is my command, my Queen!" I exclaim, lifting the end of my apron as I do a curtsy. I attract looks from some of the people that go to our school which makes Penelope go very red, but all I do is do a fancy wave at them until they laugh at me and turn their heads back to their group and talk among themselves.

"I'm so excited! Can you believe that I'm turning 16? I think I'm gonna cry more than my dad. I feel no different from when I was 7 years old, though. Is that normal? We're so old, oh my God!" Penelope shows a whole range of emotions as she speaks. Excitement, then anxiety, then excitement, and then anxiety again. I laugh, and throw my rag-that I was using to clean the tables- directly at her. It lands on her head, and she shrieks and points out how unsanitary and dirty that is. I just roll my eyes and tell her to suck it up.

"Pen, you're turning 16! You're not dying on your death bed, so stop acting like this is the scariest thing in the world. Tomorrow is the first day back to school, but this year we're juniors. We'll go to other parties and meet cute boys and we'll have the time of our lives this year, as normal 16 year old girls should. The parties and the cute boys is the icing on the cake. Pun intended. I don't mind growing up as long as we don't grow apart. Promise?"

Penelope looks at me uneasily, but slowly gives me a reassuring smile, and I squeeze her hand. "Promise," she nods. "Now get me another batch of these awesome cupcakes, slave," she adds.

"Kaia, did you eat?" My mother shouts from downstairs right when she walks through the front door. She's late, as usual.