The Life of Nathaniel

Chapter 10

We walk into Mackenzie's home ec. class. It was a big classroom. Big enough to fit kitchens and students.

One of the adults walks over to Mackenzie, "Who did you bring?" He asks.

"I brought my cousin." She replies.

"You were supposed to bring a parent."

"Actually, chef, I was supposed to bring someone who did housework. I did that."

"Okay." He says. He walks to the front of the room as we sit in the back.

"Alright class. Today you brought in someone who did the housework. We are going to put them to a test." Everyone groans while the teacher keeps talking.

"Everyone go pick a station with the person you brought." Everyone stands and reluctantly walk to a station.

MacKenzie drags me over to ours. "I think he is going to do a cooking challenge. Just be yourself. Do what you normally do when you cook and you'll be fantastic." She smiles at me. I smile back and nod.

Everyone finishes getting a station. "Alright. Listen up. We are going to do a cooking challenged judged by me."

I nod as the ingredients were placed on the counter. I could do this. Based on the ingredients, we were cooking breakfast.

"You have thirty minutes starting...... Now!"

Everyone except me, rush to the cooking utensils. I stay at my station. I pull out a skillet to cook scrambled eggs.

I turn on the stove top and set the skillet on it Everyone else had made it back to there stations as I go grab some utensils. The adults are almost screaming at their kids.

MacKenzie knew enough to stay out of my way. I get back.

Crash!

One of the students dropped a pan. It doesn't shake me as I throw some eggs in the air. I crack them just right, so no eggshells land in the pan. The yoke hits the center of the pan. A smile graces my lips.

"Owww!" A student yells after getting burned.

I spin gracefully as I grab some bread. Flipping them over head, I grab a spatula. I spin and flip the egg yokes. The bread lands in the egg whites.

"No! Wrong!" A parent shouts at their child.

Bit by bit, adults and kids drop out. 5 minutes to the timer, there was one other group still in it.

I start to set the dish together. Scrambled eggs and French bread.

"3 minutes left!" The teacher says.

The other team rushes to plate their dishes as I put the finishing touches on my dish.

"30 seconds remaining!"

I put a leaf of basil in the top of my dish. The student on the other team throws a plate at my dish, trying to knock it off.

"Time! Hands up!"

The plate was spinning towards my dish. I flop over the counter, grabbing the plate mid flip

I land and set the plate on the counter. A gasp comes from everyone.

The teacher walks over to my dish. He pulls out a fork and tastes the scrambled eggs. He gets a distant look and eats a slice of French Toast.

He walks over to his desk and pulls out his phone. He dials a number. I was scared. I didn't know what was happening

no one did. "Hello, Mom. Its me, Eric." He breaks down crying. "I love you. Can I come over after work?" He smiles and wipes away tears. "Four o'clock sounds good."

Everyone was in shock. He walks back over to me. "Can you make some more?"

I gesture behind me. There were two more plates. "Just heat them up for thirty seconds."

"Thank you." I mod as he goes over to the other team.

As soon as he touches his fork to the food, the fork breaks. "We have a winner." He says, grabbing the trophy. MacKenzie steps forward to receive the trophy, but he hands it to me.

I hand it to MacKenzie. "No. You get it because she didn't help." Eric says

"She gets it, and passes the class, or you dont get the food."

He was contemplating the idea. "Okay. Fine, she passes the class."

I hand the trophy and the breakfast to him

"Now everyone had to wash the dishes they used." I gesture to all the dishes I had used. They were all clean. Everyone gasps.

MacKenzie puts the trophy in her backpack. We both sit down and watch the others clean. I resist the desire to help out

The bell rings and we leave. We arrive at a room. There were students stretching. Almost all of them were female.

It was time for Dance Class.