The Cakeshop

Chapter 1

Do you want to know what despair feels like?

It's that feeling you get when you sit down to take a math test that YOU KNOW you're not prepared for.

It's that feeling of getting up on a stage, putting your mouth up to the mic and silently panicking as your mind goes blank and you can't remember a single line of that speech you've been silently practicing in your head all day.

It's that feeling you get when no one shows up to the birthday party you were so excited about planning and reading the texts about how everyone was super busy or out of town and trying to hold back tears as you text back "it's fine" or "no worries" with a smiling face emoji before throwing yourself onto your unmade bed and sobbing.

That is despair.

And that is the exact feeling that came over Kelly as she entered the Sweet Treats Bakery, her new place of employment, for the first time.

"No."

"oh come on"

Kelly felt her self fight back a groan as her sister, pulled her further into the badly lit pink monstrosity.

It was the ugliest Bakery Kelly had ever seen.

The black, ornate, gothic-looking tables and chairs clashed horribly with the obscenely neon pink backdrop and were all bunched up into a corner in what looked like a lazy attempt at a half-circle. There were stacks of boxes scattered around the room and on top of chairs full of baking magazines and equipment no one had bothered to unpack.

The floor was covered in bits of plaster and paint and the shelf that was supposed to be displaying decadent desserts to hopefull customers held TWO small trays of sloppily made orange and green frosted cupcakes and a loaf of was that...fruitcake?

For heaven's sake, it was the middle of August!

Kelly felt herself physically recoil in disgust.

Margret, however, didn't seem to see a problem. casually leaning against the register counter she sipped her espresso while looking around the place with and eager gleam and what seemed like a genuine smile.

Kelly sighed as she picked her way past a stack of muffin pans

Margret loved a challenge and at that moment Kelly knew she wasn't seeing the poorly designed, and in no way aesthetically pleasing bakery, but what it could be. It was one of the qualities she most admired about her older sister.

But while Margret was constantly in a state of motion, absolutely hating the thought of not having something to work on and often had multiple projects all happening at once. Kelly found herself lacking the motivation these days to even try to get out of her apartment.

Margret however, seemed determined to change that and had simply shown up at her door bright and early yesterday morning telling her she was going to be helping run and manage a bakery of all things.

And no amount of reasoning and flat out refusals seemed to even register in Margret's ears.

Kelly slumped next to her sister, cringing at the touch of cold metal.

silence.

"So.. where's the owner?"

At that moment a loud crash coming from the backroom made both Kelly and Margret jump

"FRICK!!"

Kelly rushed to the door of what she assumed led to the kitchen and threw it open.

she froze.

Margret, right behind her craned her head to get a better view

"Oh My Goodness"

There, on the floor sat a girl covered from head to toe in what looked like maple syrup.

glancing up her eyes widening "oh" she tried to get but slipped and fell back into the sticky puddle just as another voice rang out.

"Celia, What is going on in- Ahh!!"

Another girl ran in, dark black hair tied up in two messy buns didn't notice the puddle slipped, her hands flying up to grasp the handle of a pot, which caused its contents, chocolate sauce? to fly up and splatter against the refrigerator and her then the pot landed with a clunk on top of her head.

"ouch!"

Kelly couldn't hold back a sharp laugh, it was like something straight out of a cartoon.

she spun around pushing past a still stunned Margret bringing up her hand to wipe away actual tears from her eyes

the whole thing felt absolutely hysterical.

"I'm sorry, Margret but-" she nearly choked on desperation tinged laughter "I can't, I just can't"

just as she reached the door she felt her sister's arm grab her shoulder "kelly" she spun around a retort already on her lips when she was caught off guard by her sister's sudden shift in demeanor her smile had dropped but her eyes were as fierce as ever.

Kelly felt herself shrink away from her gaze, knowing what was coming, struggling to stamp out the emotions rising like a tidal wave that threatened to overtake her.

But her sister's eyes were locked onto hers, unrelenting

"Kelly it's been almost 6 months"

It felt like getting slapped in the face even though there was no malice in her words.

Kelly jerked away from her closing her eyes at the sudden onslaught of memories.

Margret continued undeterred. "Mom, Dad, Jackson, Claire," she paused her voice dropping an octave lower "We're worried about you"

Kelly dared her a glance

Concern was etched into her features but also, determination her voice picked back up

" But that doesn't mean I'm not going to let you just mope around anymore, I've been paying your rent for the past month and unless you want to move back in with mom and dad you're going to take this job okay?"

silence.

Margret sighed

"Kelly..."

"fine"

She looked back up at her sister her face own face now an impassive mask

"fine, I'll do it"

Margret still looked skeptical but her smile slowly returned "alright"

Her phone buzzed

"Crap! I have to go" she chugged the rest of her coffee before pulling kelly into a quick hug

"don't forget to call me later"

and then she was gone leaving Kelly standing alone.

She stayed still another moment longer collecting her thoughts before turning and trudging back into the kitchen.
The two girls had finally managed to get up from the sticky puddle on the floor.
the black-haired girl was trying to get a napkin out of her hair.

she looked up finally noticing Kelly standing there and her face broke into an impish grin "hey! um sorry about the mess" she laughed wiping her sticky hands off on her apron before sticking out a hand toward her "Mia Krisminski"

Kelly stared at her for a moment before forcing a tired smile

oh, what the heck!

Grasping Mia's outstretched hand she tried not to squirm at the sticky residue as she forced her lips into a smile
"Kelly Trippet".