The Cupcake Theory

22) Sweet Sweet Revenge

22) Sweet Sweet Revenge

As I enter the cafe I'm immediately engulfed in a tight embrace. I struggle to move from the firm grip, it pretty much feels like they're trying to push all of the air out of my lungs and suffocate me.

"Where were you?" A flustered Charlie holds me at arm's length, looking me up and down checking for any sign of injury. "When you didn't turn up to class this morning Zoe and I were worried that something had happened to you. Then by lunchtime, we had decided that you were most chance dead or had run off to Peru to start a Llama farm."

I step back and turn in a circle "Well I'm here in one piece so you don't have to freak out anymore."

Charlie follows me behind the counter and into the steaming hot kitchen "Considering the last time we saw you, you were leaving the party with Sam we assumed that you did something to annoy him so he had killed you or sold you to some Italian mobsters."

"After all that's happened this weekend I think being held hostage by hot Italian gang members sounds like a pleasant vacation. Think of all the pizza and gelato!" my stomach rumbles at the thought of the meaty cheesy goodness.

He pulls us into the small cramped storeroom and shuts the door behind him. We are standing toe to toe next to bags of sugar and flour, well isn't this cosy. "Something bad happened on the weekend didn't it...?" Charlie asks with concern rubbing circles on the top of my clammy hands "Did you kill someone?" he lifts an eyebrow.

"NO! Why does everyone assume that I severely injure or even kill people all the time?" I try to step back to give us more space but I hit the shelf instead which leads to watching blocks of chocolate fall to the floor. I'm not cleaning that up "The only thing I've ever kill are mosquitos and that's because they are the devil's insect. And once a bee, but that was their fault. They stung me and should have known the consequences- I've gone off topic, haven't I?"

He gives a slight nod getting me back on track "All you need to know for the moment is that Sam shed some light on a particular situation and now that I'm aware of the problem I want proper answers. Okay, scrap that. I would like to have a calm and level-headed chat with the person the rumours are concerning. But we will talk about this later because right now I need to feed people so I can get money to feed myself."

"You know you can tell me anything right? That's what best friends are for," he pulls me closer towards him which seems impossible in this tight space.

I hesitate "Have you heard about a bet that's been going on-"

Before I can finish my sentence the door flies open with Tiffany staring at us with a giant grin plastered on her face "I KNEW IT! Just to let you know that I approve and totally ship it." I look at her in confusion. Ship?

Charlie and I try to exit the awkward situation but are stopped again by Tiffany.

"Let me start again, " she closes and then reopens the door "There you two are, I thought you guys had run away together. Now that I have found you guys *cough cough* obviously not making out in the storeroom I have to ask you to help out front to serve some people," she winks at us as we go to grab our aprons.

I pull Charlie back before he leaves to serve a table full of girl that are giving him googly eyes "Question. If you were so worried about me why didn't you think about texting or calling?"

"In my defence, the Italian mobsters could have tracked my phone and come to kidnap me as well."

We're back to the mobsters again.
I'm never going to get a serious answer out of him I swear.

Walking up to the counter I notice the cafe is completely full and there are more people lining up to get take away. Maybe if I go back in the storeroom I can hide there until my shift is up.