the morning at abbott elementary started with a peculiar smell wafting through the halls. the source of this mystery? a baking competition organized by janine, who thought it would be a fun way to bring everyone together before spring break. every teacher was tasked with making their best baked good, and the winner would receive the coveted "golden spatula" award, designed by barbara herself.
ava strolled into the teacher's lounge, coffee in hand, ready for her usual dose of sass and chaos. "what's that smell? is someone baking or did someone's lunch explode?" she joked, wrinkling her nose.
"it's our baking competition, ava! i hope you brought something good," janine replied, rolling her eyes playfully.
"please, i'm the queen of baking—when it involves ordering takeout," ava said, smirking. she opened the fridge to check if there were any leftovers she could pass off as her own creation.
"you're going to have to do better than that," melissa said, walking in with a tray of perfectly iced cookies. "these are my grandma's secret recipe."
"grandma's secret? that sounds suspiciously like 'grandma does all the work while you take the credit,'" ava teased, earning a laugh from the other teachers.
as the day went on, each teacher worked diligently on their recipes. barbara made her famous gingerbread cookies, while jacob tried to whip up a complicated tiramisu that involved way too many steps for his usual kitchen skills.
"i think i'll just stick to cookies," jacob said, looking at the recipe in despair. "how do you even pronounce half of these ingredients?"
"don't worry, just throw some chocolate in there, and the kids will love it!" ava shouted from her corner, still scrolling through her phone.
finally, it was time to showcase their creations. the staff gathered in the lounge, ready to present their baked goods. the table was filled with colorful treats, each one vying for the title of best baked item.
"first up, my gingerbread cookies!" barbara announced proudly, holding her tray high. "made with love and a sprinkle of holiday spirit!"
"next, my grandma's cookies!" melissa chimed in.
ava took a deep breath, trying to find her moment to shine. "and now, presenting... my very special cake!" she exclaimed, revealing a cake that was slightly lopsided and decorated with what could only be described as an abstract art piece of frosting.
"uh... what is that?" jacob asked, raising an eyebrow. "it looks like it's had a rough life."
"it's called 'modern baking,'" ava retorted, sticking her chin up defiantly. "very in right now. just like my outfit!"
"right," janine said, trying to hide her laughter. "how long did you spend on that?"
"about five minutes before i realized it was too hard to make anything else!" ava admitted, grinning. "but it has a great personality!"
as the tasting began, the teachers dug in with enthusiasm. one by one, they sampled each other's treats, offering compliments and some good-natured jabs.
"melissa, these cookies are amazing! your grandma really knows her stuff," gregory said, munching happily.
"barbara, yours are great too! very festive!" jacob added, his face covered in icing from a cookie mishap.
then it was time for the moment of truth. each teacher cast their votes for the best treat. as they tallied the results, janine stood up with a grin.
"and the winner of the golden spatula is... melissa with her grandma's cookies!" she announced, holding up the shiny spatula for all to see.
"woohoo! thank you, thank you!" melissa beamed, accepting her prize.
ava, still munching on her own cake, rolled her eyes playfully. "next year, we should do a real competition. like who can eat the most cookies in one sitting."
"that's not a competition; that's just a regular day for you," jacob shot back, laughing.
"maybe! but at least i can claim the title of 'most enthusiastic eater. not many awards you can win'" ava quipped, raising her half-eaten cake as if it were a trophy.
"you just want an award for everything," janine said with a smile.
"you know me so well!" ava laughed, taking another bite of her cake, lopsided and all. "here's to next year's baking competition—where i will definitely remember to bake something just as beautiful and scrumptious as this year! also perfect words to describe me"
as the teachers continued to laugh and enjoy each other's company, it was clear that while the baking competition may have had its ups and downs, the camaraderie and spirit of abbott elementary were truly what made every moment memorable.
