Copyright ✘ One Direction [EDITING]

O N E

"You're an idiot if you don't see it!"

I looked closely at the check I was holding, inspecting the writing on the very bottom.

"I guess I'm an idiot then," I said, "Because I really don't see it."

My stepsister Miranda huffed and leaned over the counter. She jabbed her finger on the check repeatedly to emphasize her point.

"You cannot tell me that doesn't look like Liam Payne's signature!"

I rolled my eyes and wiped my hands on the maroon apron I was wearing. "How would I know what Liam Payne's signature looks like? I'm not the one obsessed with One Direction."

Miranda blushed a deep red and adjusted so her elbows were resting on the counter. "I'm not obsessed, Carter," she mumbled.

"Tell that to the posters in your room, your One Direction phone case, and your Liam mask," I replied, chuckling. I nudged Miranda. "No elbows on the counter."

She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by my boss calling my name.

"Carter!"

I sighed before standing up straight and folding my hands. "Yes, Mr. Earl?"

"I'm going to check up on my dog," he said. "Make sure you watch the loaves."

"Yeah sure, no problem," I waved it off. "Hope your dog's okay."

Mr. Earl frowned and walked out of the bakery, the bell tingling behind him. I glanced over to make sure he was really gone and then hopped on top of the counter, my legs dangling over the side.

"You know that's unsanitary, right?" said Miranda, but she soon joined me.

"Eh," I shrugged, "I'll wipe it down. Who comes here anyway?"

And it was true. I worked at a bakery on the wrong side of town, and we hardly ever got any customers. But I was a uni student and I needed the money, so I had to put up with my annoying boss and make my stepsister come and stay with me to keep me company.

"You're nineteen, seriously," I spoke up, remembering our past conversation. "Don't you think you've grown out of the boy band stage?"

"The youngest member is nineteen," she pointed out.

"Why are we even having this conversation? The signature was not Liam's, okay?" I stood up and wiped off the back of my jeans, making sure there was no flour on them. "Hey, I heard the grocery next door sells cupcakes," I whispered, even though we were the only ones there.

Miranda gave me a knowing smile. "Wanna go check out the competition?"

I snorted and rushed over to the door, opening it so Miranda and I could get through. I turned the sign so that it said 'closed' and locked the door behind me. "Do I ever."

.

.

.

"Oh my God, these are actually pretty good." I licked the orange frosting off my finger.

"You're right, Carter," replied Miranda. "They're actually better than Earl's."

"Everything is better than Earl's," I mumbled, and she and I laughed up until we reached the front door of the shop.

"Hey, do you smell any-"

"The loaves!" I shrieked, but it was too late. By the time I'd unlocked the door and ran to the kitchen, the smoke alarm was ringing and there was thick black smoke coming out of the oven.