From the Desk of Zoe Washington(14)

Dad dropped us off in front of Ari’s Cakes twenty minutes later, and Trevor and I got out of the car without speaking a word to each other. But I wasn’t going to let him ruin my mood.

It was much less crowded in the bakery than on the Fourth of July. There were only a few customers in line, and Ariana was behind the counter, helping one of them with their order.

“Hey, Zoe. Hey, Trevor,” she said when she spotted us.

“Hi,” we both responded in unison. I glared at Trevor, wishing he would disappear.

“Zoe, why don’t you go grab your apron,” Ariana said. “Get one for Trevor, too. I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”

I headed to the kitchen and stopped at the closet with the aprons. I grabbed one for each of us.

I shoved an apron at Trevor. “Here.” In a low voice, I said, “This internship is really important to me. My parents said I can audition for Kids Bake Challenge! if I do well.”

“Wow, so you might get to be on TV?”

“Maybe,” I said.

“That’s cool.”

“Anyway,” I said, “you better not embarrass me here.”

Trevor looked offended. “Why would I do that? I didn’t ask to come here.”

“Why didn’t you go hang out with Lincoln or Sean instead?” I asked as I pulled my apron over my head.

Trevor did the same. “Too last minute, I guess.”

I glared at him again.

“When are you going to tell me why you’re mad at me?” Trevor asked.

There was no way I was going to talk to him about that here. But before I could answer, Ariana appeared. “So, Zoe, remember Vincent, our head baker?”

I nodded.

“You’re going to shadow him today while he bakes a few batches of cupcakes.”

I smiled. “Cool!” Finally, I’d get to do some baking.

“He’s expecting you. Don’t forget to wash your hands.”

Trevor walked to the sink behind me. While we washed our hands at the sink, I scanned the room and spotted Liz mixing blue food coloring into a bowl of icing and Corey rolling out some red fondant—this thick, Play-Doh-like icing. Rosa was taking a tray of cupcakes out of the oven.

Trevor followed me to Vincent at the huge stand mixer. That morning, he was wearing a dark-purple bandanna.

“Hi,” I said. “Ariana said I’m—I mean, we’re—helping you today.”

“Right,” he said. “I have to make five hundred mini cupcakes for a charity event.”

“Wow. What charity?” I asked.

Vincent shrugged. “Don’t remember the name. That’s Ari’s job. I just bake what I’m told. Something to do with education, I think.”

“Interesting,” I said, imagining possible cupcake decorations. They could make little fondant pencils, and maybe even some fondant apples, with little worms poking out. That would be so cute. Maybe that was what Corey was making with the red fondant. Hopefully I’d get to help with that part.

“Better get started,” Vincent said. I watched closely as he turned the mixer on. First he put butter and sugar into the large metal bowl. When they were all mixed together, he slowly added a bowl of eggs he’d already cracked. I kept waiting for Vincent to stop and let me try a step—like adding in the flour and milk, which he did next—but he never did. I’d thought he might share a baking tip, but he didn’t say a word. It was like he’d forgotten I was there.

“This is boring,” Trevor said to me in a low voice. “Why isn’t he letting us do anything?”

“Shh.” I kept my eyes on Vincent as he added more flour and milk to the batter.

“I thought the whole point of an internship is so that you can learn how to do this stuff, too.”

“Would you be quiet?”

“Hey, Mr. Vincent?” Trevor asked, but not loud enough for Vincent to actually hear.

“What are you doing?” I hissed at Trevor.

“I’m gonna ask him if you can help.”

“You don’t have to do that,” I said.

“You do it, then,” Trevor said. “Aren’t you getting bored just watching?”

I wasn’t bored, but I did wish I was doing something more. I thought this internship would be more hands-on. So far, all I’d gotten to touch in this place was cardboard.

“Okay. I’ll ask him,” I whispered.

“Excuse me? Sir?” I tried to speak loudly enough to be heard over the mixer.

Vincent glanced up at the two of us as he turned the mixer off. “Yes?”

“I was wondering if I could help with the next step?” I glanced at the table next to the mixer, which had a few large mini cupcake pans. There was also an ice cream scoop next to them. “You’re going to scoop the batter next, right? I can help with that.”

Vincent looked hesitant. “I don’t think so. This order is very important, and we can’t afford to start over because a kid messed something up.”

I’m not a kid. I’m an intern. “I won’t mess it up, I promise,” I said. “Let me scoop a couple and show you.”

Vincent still looked unsure. Then Ariana came over.

“How’s it going over here?” she asked.