One For You, One For Me

Chapter 1: First Impressions

One For You, One For Me

Bennett's POV

I'm not clumsy, in fact, if anything, I'm the exact opposite. Everything I do is calculated and carefully thought out. My entire life I had tried to expect the unexpected and prevent it form the start so no one would find out who I really am, but nothing could prepare me for Icing. I still remember that day. I was getting ready to head out of the Bakery when I collided with a girl at the corner. The container shot all twenty-four cupcakes flying into the air.

Pink sprinkles, creamy icing, and raspberries exploded everywhere in a hot sugary mess under the sunlight, and that's exactly how I felt. We had simultaneously fallen on our butts facing each other. Brilliantly bright orange hair framed silky milk skin that held piercing lime green eyes. 'Oh my gosh, I'm in love.' This all happened with lightening speed inside my head. The girl cupped her hand against her head and rubbed at a wound I couldn't see. Ironically, that was when I started to realize I had a monster headache at the side of my head as well. With one eye opened I furtively looked at her.

hmmm...

Attire analysis:

- skin tight jeans. They don't look expensive or detailed, just worn over time to fit her form...snuggly. A green wool jacket with long horizontal buttons, and matching fingerless red wool gloves. Seriously? I looked down to find among the mess of squashed cupcakes, two gray furry boots with fluffy fur lining at the rims. Uggs. On a summer day. Unbelievable. What caught my interest was the characters written across her black shirt. Katakana. Doubt she knows what it says.

It short, by her appearance alone, with her soft demeanor and un-provoking clothing she didn't seem to be the ill tempered type. This shouldn't take too long to sort out.

" Oh my gosh!" I put my hands to my head in despair. Match her personality type to find common ground and break the ice between a complete stranger. Once that has happened she will begin to feel at ease and open up to me which means the next actions I take are very crucial. Finally, she'll be accepting to the accident.

"Hey, uh, I'm really sorry. Are you ok?" I hopped up and made a big deal fussing over her. I scrapped off the icing from her jacket with delicate gestures. Her eyes followed all my moves with an awkward stare. Perfect, every girl loves it when a guy invades their personal space. I look around for an idea. Humor. Be charming and sensitive. Gosh darn it, get it together. I swiped at a glop on her sleeve, purposely away from her torso. Limbs aren't as invasive. The icing begins to droop from my finger.

"Oh no, uh," I put my finger to my mouth to lick off the icing. " Wow, you sure are a sweet girl." Smile. Tilt your head slightly to the side. Look awkwardly embarrassed and apologetic. I arched my eyebrows and smiled with my lips closed. She rolled her eyes, but a small smile formed from her lips. Victory. All this stuff about ums and ahs drove me crazy, but I have to keep up the flustered appearance. She examined her coat and checked for left over icing spots, and I waited until her attention was distracted before I let myself externally express my annoyance. Silently, I shook my hands in the air as I mouthed scoldings to myself. She looked up, but I had composed myself seconds before her peripheral vision could notice. She went back to checking herself as she did before , but a small laugh erupted form her which turned into outrageous fits of laughter. Something funny, sprinkles? Thanks to our encounter I just earned myself a guaranteed lash out from the bakery owner. How will I deliver the sweets to Michelle's sixth birthday party!?! Whoa, get a grip. Don't lose focus. Before logic could reach reasoning I slapped my face hard, and I'm pretty sure there was a angry red handprint pulsing from my cheek. To my absolute horror, my eyes connected with the girls and her shock mirrored mine except my face held a bright red hue. I saw confusion, a hint of fear, and uneasiness all wrapped up into one. Wonderful, ya idiot.

" Are you, okay?"

"Fabulous, and yourself?" She defiantly thinks I'm a strange boy. Yep. No doubt about it. Just be oblivious and continue to act nice.

"Fine."

"Why do you ask?" No! My curiosity slipped. My fist came to my mouth and I bit into it. I squeezed my eyes shut.

She lifted an eyebrow then proceeded to mimic my past actions. That girl looked thoughtfully at me. Eyebrows furrowed and eyes squinted she reminded me of ... HEY! She's making fun of me. she continued to mimic me as she shook her hands violently into the air and mouthed words angry words

And you know what, I just about lost the color in my face. Paled, I watched terrified as she concluded with a good hard slap across her cheek. It was an act, of course, but the sound still made me wince.

" Yeah, I'm a strange kid, " I had turned my head to look at her, but snapped back into the other direction. Thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump. No, no,no. Not now. Without needing a mirror, I knew my cheeks were burning with color. Ugh, fine I give in. There no point in sweet talking yourself out of this one. And especially not when you're as flustered as you are now. I brushed my hands off on my pants and offered a hand to the girl.

"Thanks, but I got it from here."

Gosh, she wont even give a guy a chance to be a gentleman.

"Alright. Sorry again for the mess." My hand cupped the back of my neck, rubbing in a nervous manner. "Hey, I feel really bad. How about I'll make it up to you by paying for a new set of clothes." With that I held out my phone to her with the screen showing on '+ new contact' . Her eyes practically bulged.

"What are you doing?"

" You can put in your phone number and I'll text you to schedule an appointment to meet at the mall. We'll go into any of the stores you'd like and you can pick out a whole new outfit. Then the debt is paid and I wont feel like such a jerk anymore." What is this coming from? Why are you blabbering off like this? It's not like you! Do you have any idea the kind of money girl's spend on clothes?!? Don't tell me this is all because you.... no, nope, I wont even say it. I refuse to come to that conclusion.AWE, this is such a MESS! I felt a hand shake my shoulder and I look up to find the girl looking straight into my eyes. What's this feeling? Her eyes are so...so bright green. A-almost like a lime color. Why am I stammering in my thoughts? So annoying...

"Hello?Are you listening?" I snapped back to reality. Had she been talking to me. You jerk. Pay attention.

"Yes? Sorry what's your name?"

" Icing. Now, I was saying that it wasn't necessary for you to give such a kind and generous offer. I don't think it'd be smart to ask for your boss's daughter for her phone number." Crap. She's my bosses daughter? Oh my gosh! " But, if you insist, you can always discuss it with my mother. There shouldn't be a big problem getting a hold of her. " Head held down, I didn't dare look up. Please don't let her think I had just hit on her. " And to think, after all these years of working in the shop, not once did you bother to learn my name. Not to mention that you even know I was the chef's daughter. Delivery boy, at least I know your name, Bennet." ooo, so much venom.

"Sorry, please don't mention this to Mrs. King." I checked my watch. If I rushed back to the bakery, I could make a fast batch. " I'll ask the intern if she could whip up a new batch for the accident, okay?" By then I had already gotten up and was on my way. " Oh, and I seriously will make it up to you!" I called this over my shoulder as I sprinted back to the bakery, too embarrassed to look behind me.

You see, my situation is simple as a handful of words, and yet impossible for me to admit them to anybody.

I secretly make the cupcakes for the chef's party requests. There is no intern. Just me. Nobody can know, because I mean come on, what boy would go on stage at career day and tell the whole school that he would want to be a professional cupcake chef and own his own shop. That's my life's dream. Sadly, only in my dreams I would admit to that. Thus, this is the story of my struggle between sugary sweets and Icing who flipped my world upside down.