When Charlie was little, he wanted to be Charlie from his favorite movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. His dreams were crushed when he realized the chocolate factory was not real, and there were no golden tickets in his chocolate bars. This reality check did not kill his passion for sweets; in fact, over time he developed an addiction for cupcakes. Baking was not a hobby for Charlie; it was a lifestyle. Crumbs replaced Willy Wonka’s chocolate heaven and his golden ticket was an internship at this famed bakery.
Charlie had a serious obsession with Crumbs cupcakes. He had a personal account on their website, which allowed him to make his checkout process faster, view and track his orders and store multiple shipping addresses. Once a month he used his saved-up allowance to create his own six-pack of cupcakes and had it delivered to his house. They always arrived fresh, as he only lived in Bronxville, NY, which is 25 minutes away by highway I-87 N without traffic. His favorite flavor by far was cookies and cream because he loved cookies and cream ice cream and was fascinated by the fact that they even put a full Oreo on top instead of the smashed Oreos they put in the ice cream. Charlie knew that becoming an intern at Crumbs would provide him with the opportunity to participate in adding to the already existing 50 varieties of daily fresh baked cupcakes. He already had a two-page list of ideas including popcorn flavored cupcakes, and cupcakes shaped as snowmen and various sports balls. If he landed an interview, he planned to suggest that Crumbs implement the Cupcake of the Month Club as does Baked by Melissa, in which a customer receives a monthly six-pack of new flavors.
Charlie was asked to bake a batch of his “famous” cupcakes for advisory class on Wednesday, even though he had just made them the Wednesday before. Charlie usually bakes cupcakes once a month for Wednesday advisory, but also bakes for relatives, children’s parties and his super secretive blog My Cupcakes are Better than Yours, which he writes under the pen name SugarSweet41. Charlie’s classmates were not impressed or interested in his fascination with cupcakes, but rather were only looking for a free snack in advisory. His peers did not understand that Charlie baked not because he was gay, as they had called him in the hallways since 6th grade, but because it was a form of self-expression. As he grew older, he became extremely insecure about his passion for baking and kept his outbursts about new cupcake inventions to his blog. Although he remained anonymous on his blog, the fact that he was able to gain many followers made him feel extremely cool. Charlie’s blog was his way of putting himself “out there” without all the bullying.
Although his classmates always love his cupcake creations, he nevertheless stresses over their possible reactions to the point where he sometimes even burns the cupcakes or forgets key ingredients. His latest indisputable success was Chocolate Cupcake Cones. This was where he puts cupcakes into a wafer cone, and swirls the frosting to make it look just like delectable soft ice cream. He even received 99 “likes” on his Cupcake Cone blog post. The post had a large white, bold heading that read “For the Ice Cream Addicts.” Below the title was a photograph of the finished product including two “chocolate ice cream” cones, two “vanilla ice cream” cones and two “strawberry ice cream” cones. Beside the photograph, Charlie added a note that said, “Don’t worry! These are not the only flavors you can create. If you like mint chocolate chip ice cream, dye the frosting green! If you like blueberry ice cream, dye the frosting blue! There are thousands of possibilities.” Next came the extremely detailed recipe that included exact types of cake mix (Betty Crocker, obviously) and Joy wafer ice cream cones. Following the four-page recipe, Charlie left one final comment on the bottom, which said, “PS. Like this post so I can put it on my resume for my internship at Crumbs. Thanks!” Charlie had never asked people to like his posts before, but he was extremely determined to win this internship position. Also, how could it hurt to get 99 “likes” as opposed to the usual 10 or 15 “likes” he usually received on his posts?
Charlie frantically took out some cupcake pans, having a difficult time choosing the perfect one. He needed a perfect pan to accompany his perfect cupcakes. There were three metal pans. One was a slightly rusty Wilton Non-Stick that could hold up to 24 cupcakes. The other two pans held up to 12: an HIC for regular sized cupcakes and a Baker’s Secret for miniature cupcakes. After about ten minutes, Charlie finally decided to use the 24 regular-sized cupcake pan, even though it was a bit rusty. Although there were 25 kids in his class, Charlie decided that he would not have one so that he would only have to make one batch. He then opened multiple cupboards, pushing different spices and cooking materials to the side, as if he was swimming breaststroke in the Olympics, some accidentally falling to the floor. Charlie ignored the opened container of cinnamon spilled across his kitchen’s tiles and continued to rummage through the cupboards. His disheveled dirty blond hair was getting in the way; he desperately needed a haircut.
Finally he found the cupcake tins and relaxed his shoulders. He walked over to one of the drawers on the far left side of his large chef’s kitchen and removed a light blue baking apron and placed it over his head. There were never any interruptions in the kitchen because he was the only person to use it. Every night his mother would pick up dinner from the fancy Italian or overpriced Japanese restaurant in town. He did not want to ruin the new crisp white polo he had just purchased last Saturday. He then proceeded to the fridge, stepping over the spilled cinnamon with his long, lithe, uncoordinated legs, and pulled it open. For a moment he stood there, still as a statue, as if he was in a daydream. When the fridge began to make annoying beeps as a result of being opened too long, he turned his bright blue eyes toward the eggs, reached out his long arm, grabbed three, and slammed the door with his foot. He continued over to one of the cupboards, removing a bottle of organic vegetable oil and a box of cake mix. His slightly crooked smile immediately reversed to a frown. This was not the perfect cake mix he was looking for; this was Pillsbury Moist Supreme Dark Chocolate Mix that makes only 24 cupcakes. Who would want to eat a Pillsbury cupcake if he or she could have a classic Betty Crocker Super Moist cupcake? Pillsbury cupcakes never turned out as moist and mouth-watering as did Betty Crocker cupcakes; they weren’t completely dried out, but often lacked the sweet aftertaste that cupcake lovers crave. Charlie had not yet pinpointed the cause of an unsatisfactory after taste because the ingredients on the box were almost identical, but his trained palette could definitely detect a difference.
Looking at the front of the box, he wondered how anyone could not be freaked out by the creepy Pillsbury Doughboy. He couldn’t look the doughboy in the eyes without shivering. Momentarily glancing at the blue button-like eyes of the Doughboy, he remembered his family trip to New York City for his 9th birthday: worst day of his life. He went to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade where he saw balloons of all his favorite cartoons from Spongebob to Buzz Lightyear. However, the wind speeds were extremely high that Thursday and the people anchoring the balloons were having a difficult time holding them in place. Next, was, of course, the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon. He was fat, to the point of obese, pure white and wore only a hat and a scarf. He always wondered how the boy baked with no fingers. He also felt bad that boy couldn’t smell the food that he made, as he did not have any nostrils. The balloon began to sway out of control in the high winds and next thing little Charlie knew, the doughboy’s blue eyes were staring right at him, getting closer and closer. The deflating hands of the balloon, which previously got caught in the tree branches of Central Park, engulfed his face, making it difficult to breathe. Bam! The less deflated head smashed into his face, sending him backwards. Unintentionally walking backwards, he eventually lost balance. His horrible reflexes failed him, causing him to scream as he felt gravity force him to the pavement. Everything went black. He lay unconscious until his parents shook him enough to wake him. The Pillsbury boy hurt Charlie and he has a scar on his little left pinky to prove it from when he scraped his hand on the uneven cement after the Pillsbury boy shoved him to the ground. At this moment Charlie believed the Pillsbury boy was alive and had intentionally shoved him, knowing that he preferred Betty Crocker.
Frustrated, but too lazy to walk all the way to the supermarket, Charlie hastily grabbed a mixing bowl from the shelf and set it down on the cool black granite. He let out a large sigh before he opened the box of cake mix; he already ruined one cake mix, so he could not afford to make another mistake. Charlie pulled on the red cardboard top until it ripped open and he grasped the plastic bag of mix. Grabbing a pair of scissors, he carefully cut the bag of mix making sure none of the powder spilled onto the counter. He then poured the 15.25 ounces of dry mix into the bowl; he couldn’t wait to taste the batter even if it was Pillsbury. The dark chocolate mix reminded him of folded page 36 in his favorite book, The Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. Having already memorized the recipe for the Darn Good Chocolate Cake, he removed a package of chocolate instant pudding mix from the cupboard and added it to the bowl. He also measured 1 cup of sour cream and 1 ½ cups of semisweet chocolate chips and poured them evenly into the mix. He finished by adding one cup of water, a half-cup of oil and three eggs and began to mix the ingredients together rapidly with a whisk. He used his right arm because it was stronger from tennis, especially his forearm, which was filled with protruding veins and muscle. He did not make it onto the football team, which was his ultimate dream, and the tennis team needed extra players that year.
Tennis was less of a team sport, so Charlie never felt ostracized. He also never had to find a partner to practice with or a place to play because his dad had a tennis court built at their house three years ago and an old ball machine was in the garage. Twice a week his dad had a pro come over to teach him techniques, but Charlie enjoyed the ball machine because it didn’t make fun of him and couldn’t return his shots. “Come on, Charlie. James just pulled in! Stop that baking business and get out here!” his dad would yell through the screened in porch. Charlie usually trudged outside with his head down, obviously unexcited about his lesson. His dad would pat him firmly on the back and say, “Brighten up, boy! I got you the best pro at the club!” His dad always watched the lessons and sat on the court bench closest to Charlie, which made Charlie extremely tense. As he scrambled to return the pro’s fast topspin shots, he could hear his dad’s laughter amplify. He also threw out hurtful comments such as “This isn’t women’s tennis Charlie!” This usually caused Charlie to tear up, but he would pretend it was only sweat that got near his eyes.
When he was able to remove all the lumps out of the mixture he picked up the mixing spoon and lifted it to his mouth. Tasting the batter, he smiled to himself; it tasted pretty perfect to him, despite its brand. He briskly placed all the silver cupcake liners in their places and with stern focus poured the batter perfectly in each one. Charlie’s smile from his impeccable measuring once again turned to a frown; he had forgotten to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. He stepped over to the oven turning the knob to 400 degrees so that it would heat faster. Angrily, he threw himself forcefully backwards into the white plastic chair next to the stainless steel fridge. Oops - the next thing he knew, he was flat on his back on the floor. Hearing the crash, his Golden Retriever, Buddy, came running over and began to lick Charlie’s face and the chocolate batter off his fingers. “Ughh!, Yuck! Get off!” he yelled, trying to push Buddy away. When he finally got back on his feet, he noticed the oven light had turned on; the cupcakes were ready to be put in the oven. He put his favorite yellow polka-dotted oven mitt onto his right hand, grabbed the tray and slid the cupcakes into the warmth of the oven. He then turned the knob on the oven down to 350 degrees so that the cupcakes wouldn’t burn. “And now we wait,” he murmured to himself. As a perfectionist, Charlie refused to leave the oven unattended so he dropped to the floor cross-legged and glued his eyes to the baking cupcakes through the lighted oven window. He sat there wondering if it was unhealthy to sit in front of the oven like this. The bright light in the oven caused his eyes to feel like they were cooking in the oven along with his special dessert.
As hard as he tried to keep his eyes wide open, the light was much too bright and his lids became too heavy. As a result of the oven light and exhaustion from the school day, Charlie’s eyes shut and he was soon asleep on the dark, cold kitchen floor. Even asleep the thought of cupcakes did not exit his mind. Dreaming, Charlie was transported to Wednesday’s advisory. He was holding a heavy plastic container filled with his perfect cupcakes, decorated with the precision of a surgeon. Each cupcake had a smiley face made entirely of rainbow sprinkles. However, he organized the colors so that each smiley face had a specific eye color and matching mouth color. His hands were trembling like those characters in the horror movies that are about to be attacked. He was still extremely anxious about his classmate’s reactions. He set the container on the table and peeled off the lid. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the highly skilled creations as if they hadn’t eaten in years. “Dig in,” Charlie said nervously.
His classmates attacked the cupcakes, some shouting dibs on the biggest ones or the ones with the most lavish helping of sprinkles. Charlie, who is claustrophobic and uncomfortable in large crowds, took six steps backwards towards the wall while breathing heavily. The first classmate dug his teeth into the soft cake and began to chew. “Someone get me a napkin!” the boy shouted, “This is disgusting!” Charlie’s face had the look of horror; pale white and sweaty. More classmates began to try the cupcakes to see if they really were as disgusting as the boy claimed, and they were. In a rage, the students turned toward Charlie, whose face was still frozen. “These suck!” a girl screamed, throwing her heavily frosted cupcake onto his brand new white polo shirt where it stuck for what seemed like an eternity right in his heart. Her name was Julia, and Charlie thought she was the most beautiful girl in the world. She had long, silky, dark brown hair and stunning green eyes, so vibrant and unique, that they made Charlie want to pass out. She wasn’t “popular,” but she definitely caught every boy’s attention. He was actually planning on asking her to the new Hangover 3 movie this weekend. It was rated R so he thought he would look cool, even though he would rather go see The Great Gatsby, but now he already knew her answer. “You will never own a bakery. Good luck getting that internship at Crumbs, loser!” screamed another girl. Charlie gasped. He could not believe that someone would doubt his ability to work at Crumbs this coming summer. The others joined in and soon he was drenched in chocolate fudge frosting with a few rainbow sprinkles. Charlie’s heart dropped and he closed his eyes to fight his accumulating tears.
Charlie jumped up, gasping for air. He was relieved when he realized it was only a dream. Charlie stood up from the floor and stretched his neck to look at the clock on the far right wall of the kitchen. Luckily, he woke up just in time to take the cupcakes out of the oven. He put back on his polka dotted oven mitt and opened the oven door. A wave of heat hit his face causing him to take a step back. He quickly grasped the edge of the pan and placed it on the table. He then turned off the oven and closed its door. The smell of fresh cupcakes danced through the house. Buddy, the first to smell them, came sprinting back to the kitchen and tried to jump up on the counter but he was too short to reach the aromatic creations. Charlie placed the tray by the window to let the cupcakes cool for nine to fifteen minutes so he could get to his next and more exciting endeavor – decorating them. To prepare, he set out every container of sprinkles he could locate in a color-coordinated fashion. Next, he removed two containers of chocolate fudge frosting from the shelf and stacked them just beside the endless supply of sprinkles. He then walked down the long, dim-lit hallway to the living room, ignoring the fact that he had homework to complete in every subject, jumped onto the green velvet couch, opened his Macbook, and began to check his blog for any new likes on his most recent posts. He sighed when he eyed the page and saw no new notifications. Knowing his parents were out at a dinner party for Mr. Robinson’s 40th, he clicked on the search box and redirected the page to his Hulu Plus account and began the newest episode to his favorite TV show, Awkward.
The next morning, Charlie jumped out of bed at 6:30 AM precisely in order to prepare his cupcakes to bring to advisory. Advisory was only in five hours and Charlie’s heart was beating like a large drum. He stretched his arms over his head, sighed, and made his way to the kitchen. Passing the large mirror in the hallway, Charlie’s eyes opened wide as he caught a glimpse of his blond hair sticking up in all directions. Once he was in the kitchen, he walked over to the cupboard and removed two large plastic containers. He placed them on the counter and began to line each cupcake in an organized fashion. When he attempted to grab the final cupcake to put in the container, all he grasped was air. “What?” Charlie screamed, “This can’t be happening.” Someone had eaten one of his cupcakes and he was determined to get to the bottom of the case. “Caroline,” he said to himself. Caroline was his twelve-year-old sister, who happened to have a massive sweet tooth and who he constantly referred to as an Oompa Loompa in part because of her small statute and in part because of her constant sing-song outbursts.
Charlie furiously stomped down the hallway and pushed open the door of his sister’s room, slamming the wall with the large brass doorknob. He heard her in the distance humming that stupid tune she always hums while she brushes her teeth. Charlie walked over to the bathroom where Caroline was indeed brushing her teeth. He grabbed her toothbrush and forcefully pulled it out of her hand. “What the heck Charlie!” Caroline yelled. “You ate one of my cupcakes. Admit it.” Charlie said angrily. “If you just tell me the truth, I won’t tell Mom.” “I swear I didn’t eat your cupcake. They looked gross anyway,” she said snobbishly. “MOM!” Charlie screamed, his voice echoing through the entire house. Moments later, his mom was standing in the doorway in her usual white, furry robe and pink velvet slippers, holding a mug of fresh brewed coffee. She looked exhausted, which was probably the result of a few too many cocktails at last night’s party and the glasses she wore were extremely crooked, leaving Charlie wondering how she could even see. “What is going on in here?” she exclaimed. “Caroline ate one of my cupcakes that I made for my advisory today. This is SO not ok, Mom,” said Charlie, “I made the perfect amount so that each person could have exactly one. I didn’t even get one!” “Those were for advisory?” she asked, with an obvious look of guilt on her face. “You have got to be kidding me. It was you!” yelled Charlie. His face was flushed. Eying the clock, which read 7:05 (he was going to be late), he stomped out the door, pushing his mother out of the way. When he reached the door of his bedroom, he purposefully banged his head on the white wood and said, “What in the world are you going to do, Charlie?”
He walked into his room and into his medium sized walk in closet and searched for his lucky navy cashmere sweater and baby blue polo. He was going to wear his brand new white polo shirt. However, yesterday’s nightmare changed his mind. He pulled the sweater over his head and put on a pair of charcoal slacks. He trudged over to the mirror and turned on the sink, cupping a pool of cold water in his palms. He splashed the water onto his face and patted it dry with a small blue washcloth on the side of the sink. He then grabbed his favorite oval shaped brush and perfected his crazy morning hair. Next, he adjusted his color, grabbed his toothbrush and his 3-D whitening toothpaste and brushed his teeth for four minutes because the suggested two minutes was not sufficient enough for Charlie. Spitting his toothpaste into the sink, Charlie lifted his head and grinned in the mirror to make sure his teeth were white as ever. Charlie then grabbed his backpack and filled it with a few notebooks, a textbook, TI-84 calculator, and last night’s homework assignments, many of which were unfinished due to his blogging obsession. He zipped the bag shut, threw it over his shoulder, and made his way back into the kitchen to get his super chocolatey cupcakes. He carefully stacked the containers and carried them slowly to the door, making sure not to smoosh the frosting onto the top. His mom kindly opened the door for him, still remorseful for ruining his day. Charlie walked out of the door with a large frown and without a “thank you” and deliberately made his way to the car.
The majority of the car ride was silent, with Charlie grasping his cupcake container tightly on his lap. His mom eventually broke the ice and said, “Charlie, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, the one you used to spend hours with in the sandbox when you were little, is gorgeous! I think I should invite the whole family over for brunch on Sunday; maybe you guys could catch up! You will think she’s super cute.” “Ewww, mom,” Charlie squealed, “First of all, I refuse to take girl advice from you. Secondly, I already like someone else. Thirdly, why am I even talking to you?” “You like someone else?” his mother exclaimed excitedly, “Who is she? Do I know her? Does she go to your school?” “Oh my gosh, mom, shut up! I am not discussing this with you.” Relieved that he was finally at the front entrance of his school, Charlie grabbed his backpack and, of course, his cupcakes, and jumped out onto the sidewalk. He rushed up stairs, as he was already three minutes late for class. Behind him, his mom yelled, “Love you honey! Have a great day!” Charlie rolled his eyes, pushed open the heavy front doors, and briskly walked down the hall to his first period Shakespeare class.
The three periods prior to advisory, Charlie could not sit still. He spent the majority of each period discretely skimming the room, hoping that one of his advisory peers was out sick so that he would not be one cupcake short thanks to his mother’s failed Weight Watchers diet. Unfortunately for him, every classmate was present that day. Even though he was distracted, he managed to ace the pop quiz on matrices. Charlie was naturally talented academically, the only characteristic he possessed that his dad continuously bragged about to other pretentious parents. His dad even rewarded him with a new cookbook, The Confetti Cakes Cookbook, to add to his collection when he received his latest SAT II Literature score of 800. When advisory finally came, Charlie’s hands were trembling. He took the cupcake containers from his highly secured locker (he changes the combination everyday) and walked briskly to Room 301. He balanced the containers in one hand while he reached for the knob on the door with the other. The moment his hand touched the knob, the school fire alarm blasted through the hallways. In a state of shock, Charlie did not realize that in milliseconds, a group of kids would be pushing through the door. When the door opened, it hit him in the face, knocking him to the un-dusted floor. In a hurry, no one noticed the 23 cupcakes flying through the air, which landed on poor Charlie who was on the ground with a large red mark on his forehead. When Charlie was able to sit up, he noticed that he was in a puddle of fudge frosting. He felt like Augustus Gloop, the fat boy who fell into the chocolate river. Basically in tears, he called his mom to pick him up immediately. He grabbed his backpack, leaving the chocolate massacre behind, and made his way to the main exit.
As he walked out onto the front steps, all 600 upper school students and most of the teachers turned to look at him. At first, many tried to suppress their giggles, but eventually, the whole school broke out in laughter. He noticed Julia also laughing, but attempting to conceal her face so that she would not upset him. Her hidden laugher only hurt all the more. When she finally stopped laughing, she looked up, seeing Charlie’s miserable expression. He made quick eye contact with her, sensing regret in her eyes. A girl beside her whispered something into her ear, probably about him, and she threw her head back in laughter. He definitely could not ask her to the movie after this debacle. Maybe he would have to take his mom’s advice and Facebook Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, although that would mean he would have to go through the trouble of reactivating his Facebook profile. Seeing his mom’s white Lexus pull into the main parking lot, Charlie began to sprint. He felt a salty tear glide down his right cheek. He wiped it away quickly on the sleeve of his sweater, letting out an obviously fake cough, hoping that it would fool his classmates. He slowed down his pace when he noticed the football team pointing at his uncoordinated legs. “Run, chicken boy!” yelled the star quarterback, Chad. Charlie, instead, power-walked the rest of the way, quickly got in his car and slumped into the seat. “Honey, what is going on? You are covered in chocolate,” said his mom. “Mom, I don’t want to talk about it. All I will say is that I need to transfer schools immediately,” answered Charlie, angrily.
The car ride was absolutely silent until his mom cleared her throat and said, “Honey, this might not be the best time to bring this up, but your dad is furious with your SAT practice test score from last weekend. I’m just warning you now so you can think of something to explain the 2080, rather than the expected 2200 minimum from an intelligent boy like you. I know you can do better.” Charlie slapped his hands to his face and let out a frustrated grunt. He didn’t want to have to confess that he had been up till 4 in the morning checking out new recipes with a flashlight instead of getting a suggested 8 hours of sleep. “Deep breaths,” he murmured to himself. By the time he calmed down, the stones of the driveway began to crumble beneath the tires. When the car came to a complete stop, Charlie sluggishly opened the door and stepped out of the car. He walked with his head down towards the large, red front door. Reaching the stone front steps, he eyed a white envelope on the “welcome” doormat. On the envelope, his name was written in gold lettering and below was the famous Crumbs logo. Charlie excitedly grasped the envelope, ripping it open as he pushed the front door open with his shoulder and made his way into the front room. He threw his backpack onto the wooden floor, pulled the piece of paper out of the envelope and carefully unfolded it, turning his attention to the first sentence. “Charlie, you have officially been accepted as an intern at Crumbs Bakery for the month of July.” Charlie did not need to read the rest of the letter. He threw the envelope and paper up into the air and made a subtle fist pump as a large grin spread across his face. At this moment, all the misery and disappointment of Charlie’s cupcake catastrophe had been abandoned. Charlie’s dreams had officially become reality and he could not wait to blog about it.
Guess what guys?......
I got the internship at Crumbs Bakery this summer! Thank you so much for the support. As a special treat I will share with you one of my secret recipes: Rice Krispy Treat Cupcakes! Who wouldn’t love a combination of two AMAZING desserts, am I right?
1. Make your favorite Rice Krispie treat recipe (I used cocoa krispies). Instead of putting the mixture in a pan, press it into a standard-sized cupcake tin, making a bowl shape, which will act as a cupcake liner.
2. Refrigerate the tin of cupcake liners for at least three hours I’m serious! Don’t cheat!
3. Bake 12 of your favorite mini cupcakes (I made chocolate cupcakes, of course). Remember to cut the bake time in half because they will be the size of a miniature cupcake.
4. Do not remove the edible Rice Krispie treat liners from the cupcake tins but DO remove the paper liners from the mini cupcakes and place a mini cupcake in each krispie.
5. Press on the top of the cupcake to flatten it
6. Remove the cupcake-filled treats from the tin.
7. Frost with your favorite frosting (I recommend chocolate if you use cocoa krispies).Top with sprinkles or your personal favorite topping!


I hope you all enjoy! Thank you, again!