Alyssa Lai (9) | STAFF REPORTER
Coco placed the wooden sign announcing “Available to host any Bark-Be-Que Nights or Paw-some Pupcake Parties” on the front doors of her cafe, allowing it to sway gently as she opened up for the day. Inside, she flicked on the lights, entered the kitchen, and began preparing a variety of treats, including peanut butter pupcakes, coconut crunch bites, and sweet potato chews. After thirty minutes of baking, she arranged the delicious offerings on separate platters in the window display. Shortly after, her co-worker Winnie arrived, and together, they crafted the daily menu, organized dishes, and set up chairs. At 8:00 am, Coco flipped the open sign, ready to welcome in customers.
Ten minutes later, a flood of customers arrived, eager for their breakfast orders. Coco, stationed behind the cash register, efficiently took every order and relayed them to her chef. With the line cleared, she sighed in relief and retreated to her office at the end of the hallway connected to the kitchen. Coco powered up her computer to check emails when the phone rang. Answering it, she engaged in conversation, and soon, a smile appeared on her face as she nodded. She had just received an offer to cater a pupcake party for a four-year-old Pomeranian’s birthday party. Despite not being fond of very young puppies, Coco accepted the opportunity since her cafe hadn’t received any other catering inquiries. With a simple yes, she jotted down all the treats and supplies required for the party. After the call, Coco stood up, listened in paw, and headed down to the kitchen to instruct the chefs on what to prepare for the upcoming celebration the next day.
Throughout the entire evening, Coco and her team of chefs dedicated themselves to baking an assortment of treats for the upcoming party. This included forty mini blueberry bliss pupcakes, twenty watermelon frosty paws, fifteen apple cookies, and ten cheesy pup pretzels. Coco tirelessly worked until her paws were too sore to move, and her face bore the evidence of flour. With all the goods finally baked, she instructed her chefs to clean up and head home. Afterward, Coco retreated to her office to respond to some emails. As the clock struck 10 pm, she secured the cafe, grabbed her purse, and headed home. The following day held the promise of showcasing more of her recipes to the public in hopes of attracting new customers. Despite the anticipation, Coco couldn’t shake the thought of dealing with four-year-olds, given her challenging history with puppies of that age. She found them to be ungrateful and unappreciative, having faced disrespect in the past. Brushing off those memories, Coco hoped for a smooth day ahead.
The next day, Coco pulled up to the party carrying four platters filled with treats. She closed her car door and made her way into the backyard, where the birthday celebration was taking place. Upon entering through the gates, the mother warmly greeted Coco with a firm handshake, instructing her to place the food on the catering table. Following the instructions, Coco began unwrapping the goodies. However, in the midst of this, Jane, the birthday girl, impulsively leaped onto Coco, causing her to lose her balance and tumble over. Jane quickly apologized, insisting it was an accident, but beneath the apologies, Coco could detect a subtle smirk on Jane’s face. Choosing to forgive the incident, Coco took a moment to collect herself as Jane walked away.
Throughout the event, Coco found herself not enjoying the party and began counting the minutes. While she appreciated that everyone enjoyed her food, dealing with the puppies proved less pleasant. They constantly bumped into her, snickered around her, and grabbed generous portions of food only to discard it without taking a single bite. Coco couldn’t understand what their issue was. Despite recognizing that she was being compensated, the disruptive behavior tested her patience. In a pivotal moment, Jane released Coco’s frustration by hurling all the food from her plate directly at Coco. Jane quickly apologized, offering the excuse that she had tripped over a pebble. Coco, unable to tolerate the weak excuse, unleashed her anger. She began yelling, expressing her feelings about Jane’s ingratitude and her actions. Coco confronted Jane about the extravagant birthday party her parents had arranged and how she would instead inappropriately use it by targeting the caterer.
For the entire week, Coco powered through serving customers with a fake smile and expression, ignoring her thoughts about the commotion from the birthday party and unwilling to revisit that cringe-worthy moment. After the mundane day ended, Coco headed back to her office to wrap up some work. But, something grabbed her attention, which was a letter on her desk. Curiously, she unsealed the envelope to find a handwritten note from Jane. Coco frowned at the name but pushed herself to read it. The letter began with a genuine apology and an explanation for Jane’s hurtful actions. Jane claimed her friend from the park painted Coco as a terrible person working at a cafe, supposedly poisoning people, especially little pups. Believing this, Jane invited Coco to her birthday party to retaliate. Now, Jane feels regretful, realizing her friend was mistaken. She doesn’t want Coco to stay mad at her.
Coco sighed, acknowledging Jane’s perspective. Despite Jane’s misbehavior, Coco felt she didn’t need to raise her voice at a little pup like her. Recognizing Jane’s young age, Coco penned a letter in response, concluding the evening on a more heartfelt note. She pondered whether not all four-year-old pups were troublesome, but to her surprise, she would soon find out that this assumption was incorrect.
