One Detention Saved My Life

Chapter 9

    Dad and I arrive at the bakery at 6 o'clock sharp. I'm so not ready to work. I didn't even get that much sleep last night. I was up thinking about how Kim ruined my life for the second time. I actually had friends yesterday, but today that doesn't even exist.
   I walk into the bakery, grab an apron, and wait for further instructions.
   "How is everybody this morning?" Dad asks. Does everyone have their jobs?"
    The staff nod their heads and go back to work.
  "Jimmy," Dad shouts.
    Jimmy comes running out of the kitchen with a fake smile plastered on his face.
   "Yes, Boss? He asks in a somewhat cheery voice.
   "What do you have for my son to do?"
   Jimmy, looks at the list in his hands.
    "Well, I have Tim placed making muffins with Olivia. I noticed that they work well together."
    "Tim, are okay with that?" Dad asks.
   "I'm fine with that," I reply walking over to Olivia.
    "What kind of muffins are we making?"
   "Pumpkin," Olivia responds.
  She hands me a bowl of already made batter.
    "Pour the batter into the muffin tin. I'll start making another batch of batter."
    "Okay,but what do I preheat the oven to?"
   "Preheat the oven to two-twenty-five. Cook the muffins for fifteen minutes."
    I go over to the cupboard and pull out a muffin tin. I line up each giant whole with giant cupcake wrappers. I then pour the batter to the half way mark in each wrapper, and place the tin in the oven.
    Olivia and I end up making three dozen muffins by the time the store opens at ten. Jimmy, comes over to inspect our work, the fake smile completely gone from his face.
   "We made three dozen muffins." Olivia states.
  "I'm impressed."
  He picks up a muffins, unpeals the wrapper, and takes a big bite out of it. I'm half ready to smack the muffin out of his hands. Jimmy is rude and doesn't deserve to eat one of our superior muffins.
   "These are excellent," Jimmy speaks with his mouth full of pumpkin muffin.
  Jimmy, eating with your mouth open is just plain gross.
   I try to hide the disgust on my face as he swollows.
   "Timothy, you're coming with me to work at the register."
   "Nobody calls me Timothy!"
  Jimmy, smiles knowing that he got to me.
"I suggest you keep your cool or I'll have your ass fired."
  "My dad is the owner of this bakery. Do you really think he'll fire his son?"
  Jimmy, doesn't respond. Instead, he grabs me by the hand like I'm five and drags me to the register.
   "I expect you to be polite to the customers. Do I make myself clear?"
     "Crystal," I reply as Jimmy walks away.
    About an hour into my shift, Amy, Amanda, Jeremy, and Kim walk into the bakery. I'm shocked. They all hate me. Why would they all just show up at Dad's bakery?
  "I would like a pumpkin muffin," Amanda says stepping up to the counter. Jeremy elbows her lightly in the ribs.
   "What? I'm hungry."
  "We didn't come here to eat."
  "Do you still want the muffin?" I ask.
  "Absolutely," Amanda replies.
    I put  a glove on my right hand and place a pumpkin muffin in a plastic brown bag.
   "That will be two-fifty," I reply.
   She hands me the exact change, I place it in the register, and hand her the muffin.
  "Thanks."
  They don't move.
   "Now that we found you," Jeremy speaks, "I think that we should give Tim and Amy some privacy."
    They all leave the shop, except for Amy.
    "We need to talk."
   "What's there to talk about? You already think I'm a freak. I don't have time to talk."
    "Let me talk to your boss. This is important."
    "Dad," I shout. "Dad, I need you."
    Dad, comes running out of the kitchen.
   "Tim, is everything all right? I heard you yell."
   He eyes Amy up. She just stares at him for a moment.
   "You . . . look. . . like. . . your. . . son."
  "Dad, this is Amy. She wanted to ask you something."
  "Can I borrow your son? It's important."
  "Absolutely," Dad says grinning.
"Who's going to take over the register?"
   "I am. Tim, don't keep this young lady waiting."
    I take off my apron and Amy and I walk out of the bakery together.
    "What do you want?" I ask as we walk outside.
   "I told you I want to talk."
   "I already know you think I'm a monster."
    "You know what let's go for a ride. You clearly need time to calm down, and it's such a nice day to visit Lake Erie."
  Amy starts speed walking, her head bobbing up and down. I follow her and she leads me to an old blue Kia.
    "Get in."
  I open the door and climb in next to Amanda. Amy slides in next to me.
    "Where to?" Jeremy asks.
    "Take us to Lake Erie."
   The twenty-five minute car ride from Deer Creek to the lake is extremely awkward. We all basically just sit in silence. I'm relieved when Jeremy pulls up to the lake.
   "Thanks," Amy replies getting out of the car. I follow her out and we both take a seat on one of the many picnic tables that surrounds the lake.
     "Now can we talk?"
    "I guess," I reply.
   "I don't think you're a freak, and I don't hate you."
    "You don't? But what about my mom's past?"
    "I don't care about your mom's past. That was a long time ago and I believe your mom has changed for the better."
   "My mom's in the hospital."
   "Tim, I'm sorry. Is she okay?"
  "She got in a car accident on the second day of school. She's in a coma."
"I'm so sorry."
   "Enough about my mom. What makes you different?"
   "I guess it's only fair to tell you. Tim, I have a disability. My legs are the part of my body that's affected. At my old school they used to make fun of me because I limped. And random people would ask me if I got in a car accident."
  "Amy, that's awful. Disability or no disability I think your beautiful."
   Amy blushes. "So, you're not mad at me?"
I laugh. "Of course not. You know your the one person that makes me feel accepted in school."
   "And I feel the same way."
   "What about your friends?"
  "Them too, but it's mostly all you."
    I stare into Amy's bluish-gray eyes and lean down and kiss her. She kisses me back.
   "Wow, I wasn't expecting that," Amy says as I pull away.
  "I wasn't expecting it either. I guess it just happened. Did you like it?"
   She responds by kissing me on the lips, I don't hesitate and kiss her back.
  "What does this mean for us?" She asks as the kiss ends.
   "I don't know. This has never happened to me before."
   "I've never had a boy kiss me before either."
  "I guess we could try to be boyfriend and girlfriend."
   "Are you asking me out?"
   "Yes. I know I just met you Thursday, but you're special."
   "Your special too," Amy replies slipping her hand in mine.