Baked Love

Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you all for your support *bows ninety degrees* I can never thank you guys enough for the encouragement and support. I know it's not a Saturday or a Sunday, but oh well. I felt like updating. You have yourself to thank. Cheers.

Chapter 4: Secrets, Shepherd's pie, and Fire.

Chip's POV 

"Is there a way I can customize the icing and the cupcake?" I heard Xander ask.

I shifted uncomfortably in my position.

"Yes there is! Would you like to discuss it?" Rose asked cheerfully.

I assume Xander nodded, because the next thing I knew was JUST. MY. LUCK.

"Chip! Could you come out for a sec? We have a customer here!"

*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*

The moment I heard about customizing a cupcake, I knew I was dead. Like literally-my sister just brought out my death sentence.

Since I was the one in charge for designing the cupcakes, I figured...it's now or never.

Holding my breath, I decided to speak from the kitchen. "Yes...Rose?"

I could almost hear her frown. "Chip! Come out here this instant. You are being very rude to our young customer!"

When I didn't respond, Rose laughed sheepishly at the suave Xander standing before the counter, and then excused herself.

She swept into the kitchen and grabbed my arm.

"Chip!" She hissed, "What do you think you're doing?"

I recoiled from her hard gaze, and tried to wriggle my arm out of her grasp. "I-I'm not feeling very well today-"

Rose looked me up and down, "You seem perfectly fine to me dear, please don't make our customer wait,"

I bit my lip and sighed. "Fine..."

Rose nodded in approval and led me out of the kitchen and into the bakery (against my will).

"You..." Xander's voice was laced with shock.

I raised my gaze slightly and stole a glance at the well-built frame before the display cabinet through my eyelashes. 

Xander's eyes were wide with surprise.

Great. He's definitely telling on me. The whole school will know how much of a fag I am and-

"Chip," Rose nudged me, and propelled my small frame towards the cupcake display cabinet. "Go on."

I adverted my gaze and shuffled closer to the customer. Grabbing the worn-out notebook of orders and a click pen, I said softly. "So...what kind of cupcakes would you prefer?"

I couldn't see Xander's expression as I was staring down at the notebook, but I heard him cough, before stating his preference.  

"It's for a girl-so preferably something appealing? In terms of colour." He paused as if to consider, "I think pink would be good. Pink or red."

For one thing, I've never seen or heard Xander actually thinking about something. I felt my heart sink. Just a bit.

"Um...would you like the pink for the icing or the cupcake? I would suggest the icing though..." I said tentatively.

"Yeah sure."

I flipped through the notebook and jotted down our cupcake flavors. "So-for our cupcake icing, which would be pink, we have strawberry, bubblegum pink, raspberry buttercream-"