www.what-is-love.de

Chapter 2: Mess with cherries on top

One of Toms favourite activities is baking. He loves running around the kitchen, mixing eggs, flour and sugar, watching the cake how it rises and gets fluffy and to decorate the cake.

I can totally NOT understand that. I get panic attacks when I even have to step into the kitchen. I can barely breath correctly (I have asthma btw),  how tf am I supposed to cook or bake. One time I wanted to cook some instant noodles and I nearly burned down our kitchen. Me and cooking/baking are definitely not friends and probably will never be, which is okay, I have other capabilities like writing...

It's 4pm and I am out with Melly. We are just sitting at this very fancy coffee-ice shop and talking about how annoying  Mr.Fleckerg is. I have my regular milk frappe with extra whip cream and a cherry on top while Melly went all out with this fruit-ice-whip cream-tropic glass. 

M: "The motherfckn audacity this man has to give ME detention for hitting a homophobic racist. Like boy he really needs to calm down and come back to reality."

A: "I know right. That's probably why he is so single. No one would want to date someone who supports racism and homophobia. Like imagine there is a family gathering and you bring him with you and you're just like: Yeah I am so proud to announce that I date a racist and a homophobic headmaster who hates children and social justice"

M: "So technically he is just like every other Republican-" she gasps "Do you think he is Republican???"

A: "I mean it would explain a lot. You remember that one time when he picked a fight with Mrs.Culici in the hallway because she is teaching her social studie classes  about systematic racism and homophobia"

M: "OMG YEAH. Or that one time he made a whole scene in our classroom because there were pride flags all around"

A: "Maybe he really is a Republican"

M: "Or just a very old virgin who never experienced love in his life"

A: "Oh damn, now you're getting personal"

But before she can answer, both our phones start to ring: It's Tom (I saved him as "CutiePie" and Melly saved him as "Muffin Smiley")

T: "HIII GAAAYYSSS, DO YOU WANNA CRASH AT MY PLACE??? I JUST FOUND A NEW CAKE RECIPE ON THE INTERNET, YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE TO HELP ME BUT I DON'T WANNA BE ALONE AND FINN HAS THEATRE REHEARSAL"

I look at Melly, she looks at me, I look at my empty frappe, Melly looks at her empty fruit-ice-whip cream-tropic glass, she looks back at me, I look back at her, we both  nod and I say: "We'll be there in ten minutes"

After a very loud goodbye, Tom hangs up, Melly and I pay the bill and rush to the next bus stop.

After a 12 minute ride we are at Tom's place. We can already see him through the windows of his bakery. We are going in and already see him preparing all his suff. 

"Helluu my favourite Muffin. We came as fast as we could but Mister I-Have-To-Stare-At-Cute-Guys , took way too long to pay the bill. That poor lady stood there for at least a minute before he finally noticed her"

"Hey that's not fair. The coffee-making guy was really handsome. Lemme be. And the lady could have said something"

"She did, twice"

"Well..."

I want to defend myself but Tom is coming out of the storeroom with a big bag flour. He puts it on the kitchen counter and gives us a warm hug, like always. He is wearing a blue shirt with white stripes and blue jeans and a red baking apron that says "cutie pie with a muffin smile". It was a bday gift from Melly and me for his 16th birthday.