Chocolate Rain

Birthday Cookie

'Triple chocolate fudge brownies'. Pass.

'Crispy caramel swirled macadamia cookies'. Pass.

'Whipped peanut butter frosting with chocolate chunks and a double decker strawberry and pistachio ganache finish'. Hands pressed up against the glass, she ogles at the fancy minibar desserts resting expectantly on display.

"That one is perfect!" she giggled, frantically pointing.

"Dakota you're making a scene," mom whispered in a slight hiss,"You already know what our budget is."

"But this is Jack's 16th birthday mama. When I turned 16 I would've loved a cake like that."

"Not all of us are food freaks, he wouldn't appreciate it like you would."

"You don't think I know my own brother?"

"Obviously not."

They stared at each other for what felt like hours captured in a few seconds before suddenly being next in line.

Mom murmured to Dakota,"Chill out."

"Hi! My name is Frannie, but you can call me Fran, and I will be your courier at the World's Greatest Bakeria today! Hmm you two look familiar, trust me, I have a radar for these things. Don't you have a blog or something little girl. It's pretty popular, mom you should be proud," a tall bright haired woman standing behind the register babbled some more after a moment of no response,"Anyways, what can I getch ya'll today?"

"Yes hi! You got anything on clearance back in that storage room of yours. You know just this once," Mom laughed with a wink and a smile. How can she switch it on so fast Dakota thought.

"Nothing on clearance I'm 'fraid, but you two ladies are still very much in luck."

"How's that?"

"Well the posters are all over the place. I would have guessed you'd have seen it by now. The World's Greatest Bakeria is giving a 40% discount off of anything in the store to whoever eats our new specially prepared menu item under 1 hour. You gotta eat the whole thing, but as long as it's eaten under an hour, sugar you can consider it yours."

"What is it?"

"If your talkin' about the menu item, it's kept secret before you agree to the challenge. Ya know, confidentiality and such. I've snuck in a taste or two in the past, and I swear to the sweet mother of Mary dipped in rich multiflavored ganache that it does not disappoint. Not sure I'm supposed to be sayin' all this to ya. But are you up for it?"

Dakota and her mother looked at each other with polarizing stares. Mom with one of amusement and Dakota with one of anxiety. She filtered through all of the clear as day red flags in this "deal" and felt that it was time to leave before they sell their soul to the devil or Fran as it likes to be called during waking hours.

"Hey mama don't you think we should be heading hom..."

"Does it count if 2 people are eating it at the same time?" her mother excitedly interrupted.

"Yes ma'am, it's not against any rulebook I've ever seen."

"Okay then," mom announced while briefing glancing back at Dakota,"We'll do it!"

"Wait here, I'll get the papers!" exclaimed Fran as she ran to the edge of the kitchen ringing a bell on the wall and clicking into the PA system,"Looks like we got another pair of hungry foodies here everyone. Say hello to...I didn't quite catch their names, but their at the counter ravenous as ever and, if you could, I'd like everyone to get up and give them a hearty round of applause."

The whole room erupted with racous clapping, some standing up, others sitting down just as confused with what's happening as Dakota was. Dakota scanned every corner of the dessert shop with its shiny cardboard peppermints and the sickening color spectrum of pink infecting every menu, floor tile, and wallpaper, before coming to two conclusions:

Either A, she and her mom have just been admitted into a cult. Or B, this place wasn't a cult, her mom signed her up to stuff herself up with mystery food, and Dakota would be incredibly late to her dream intership interview.

To her, neither outcome was looking good. I mean how did she get roped into this anyway? She should be at home right now overthinking her interview outfit and perfecting her hair with a straightening iron. Yet there was no way she was going down without a fight. Dakota knew she'd find someway out of this. Sorry Jack you'll have to settle with a birthday cookie this year.