CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER ONEWhat do you say when all is going right in your world, but you still feel empty? What do you do when you should be so happy, but you feel a little melancholy? How do you act when you’re so thankful things have worked out for others, but inwardly you’re struggling because you feel worthless? These were my current big questions.
My situation looked like a cupcake that had just come out of the oven, topped with some icing. But as soon as you go to bite into it, because it’s a little too hot, the icing slides off. Yeah, the cupcake is still yummy and you can taste the icing, but something about it just isn’t right anymore. You can never put that icing back on top of the cupcake. Actually, that’s probably why I felt so gloomy. I didn’t feel any way to fix my sadness.
“Come on!” Sloan said to me. “Dad wants us to do the electric slide with him.”
We were at an anniversary party for my parents that my dad had given my mom as a surprise. They were two of the sweetest people I knew, and I loved them so much. I knew they weren’t my biological parents, but I was so young when they adopted me, you couldn’t tell me any different.
There were five of us Sharp girls. I had a biological sister, Ansli, who was older by two years. There were also three girls that the Sharps birthed, Shelby, Slade, and Sloan. Sloan and I were the same age. Our house was a zoo with five girls between the ages of soon-to-be-sixteen and eighteen. Sloan and I will turn the big one-six at the end of December. Thankfully, we all get along good.
I encouraged Sloan to go on. She had really been going through it with my father, thinking he was cheating on my mom. Actually, Sloan had her own issues too. A girl in school made Sloan’s life miserable because she felt Sloan was a threat with this boy they both admired. The insane girl nearly damaged Sloan’s reputation with a sexting scandal. However, my sister not only came through it stronger, but now my dad was going to help her pursue her writing dreams. I overheard him tell her he wanted to start a magazine with her. While I should have been jumping up and down for my sister, I plopped down in the seat with a massive headache.
“Why aren’t you out there dancing?” I heard my mother’s calming, yet concerned, voice ask.
I looked up at my mom’s pretty face. I just shrugged my shoulders. I tried to smile, but I could never fake it. So I looked away.
As my eyes started to water, she placed her arm around my shoulders, turned my face towards hers, wiped a tear, and said, “Sweetheart, you can talk to me.”
“But it’s your anniversary party. I don’t want to ruin it by bringing you down. You look so happy.”
“Well hey, I’m a mother, and if any of my girls aren’t happy, how can I be? Share,” she said, stroking my hair.
“It’s frizzy isn’t it?” I said, having a pity party.
“No, your hair is beautiful.”
I hated having Indian-type hair. It got so frizzy at times. Most of the time when people stroked my hair it was because I had fly away strands.
“Yuri, talk to me,” my mom said as she gripped both my hands and squeezed them tight.
Opening up, I said, “I know I’m just the baby in the family and nobody really expects me to do much, but I want to do something. Shelby has her fashion. Ansli is over there snapping pictures. Slade is about to take the mic, and now Sloan is getting a magazine. Dad is about to be the mayor, and you’ve been working on this case day and night. I don’t want to be angry at them because I am really happy, Mom, but everybody is busy. I have no skills, no talents, and no dreams.”
“I actually need some help on my case.”
“You do?” I said, as my eyes widened. “What skills do I have that could help you?”
“Yuri, you cook better than me,” she encouraged.
“That’s because you don’t really cook, Mom. But I’m not complaining. Our cooks Ms. Helen and Ms. Susan are wonderful.”
My mom winked and said, “And you cook better than them.”
I looked at my mom like, don’t stretch it.
She smiled and clarified, “Okay you bake better than them.”
To that I agreed. I loved making desserts from scratch. Always has been my forte. Guess I never saw it much more than as a hobby. How could my love for baking help my mom?
“And you love to go in the grocery store with me. I need helping looking at the expiration dates on a lot of the dairy products. It looks like some stores are knowingly trying to fade the expiration dates off of some products so they can buy them for a very low price and still sell them as if the merchandise is fresh.”
“Are you serious?” I said to my mom, unable to comprehend why someone would be so cruel.
My mom frowned. “You’re so innocent and precious baby. I don’t want you worrying about any of this, nor do I want you so focused on your future. I can’t believe you’re about to have a birthday.”
“See, I’m not good at anything,” I uttered, displaying a pitiful look on my face.
“We just said you were the best baker around.”
“But how is that a career, Mom?”
“We can figure it out. Now come on, let’s hit the dance floor.” She grabbed my hand, and we ended the night having a ball.
The next day at school felt a little different too. I always walked in with Sloan. We were inseparable for years, but now she had this guy in her life. I didn’t want to stand in the way of that, so I went on about my business. I walked around the corner to go to my Family and Consumer Sciences class. Before I could get there, however, I walked up on a mess.
“Your elephant butt better go down another hall,” this big guy with a wrestling-chiseled body showing through his shirt said to Logan, a classmate of mine.
Admittedly, Logan was a little overweight. She had trouble fitting through the door, and she sat in two chairs, but she was still a person with feelings. Pushing on her, shoving on her, calling her names, and making her cry was downright cruel.
I stepped in between the tough guy and two girls and said, “What are y’all doing? Let her go!”
“You need to stay out of this,” the girl with dreads and a scar across her face said to me.
“Yeah, just let me be,” Logan cried out. “You don’t know this crew.”
“I know they shouldn’t be treating you like this. We’re going on to class, now.” I tugged on Logan’s arm, and we walked away.
“You don’t know who we are!” This other girl got in my face.
“And you don’t know who I am,” I yelled back without flinching.
“Why couldn’t you just mind your own business, pretty girl?” the tough guy said, playing with my hair before I quickly jerked away.
“You made us an enemy, and now you’re going to pay,” the scar-faced girl said, as she pounded her fist into her palm really hard like I was supposed to be terrified.
“Come on. Let’s get to class,” I said to Logan when they were gone.
“You don’t know what you just did. They’re in the gang Oynx. They’ll kill you.” Logan motioned for me to check them out. “Look, their bandanas are their mark.”
I looked down the hall and saw that they all had on black bandanas on different parts of their bodies. This was serious. Though I did what I thought was right, I exhaled, thinking I might have started my own personal war.
Twenty minutes later in class, I was supposed to be cutting carrots. I was almost about to chop my hand off. I was shaking so bad because I was nervous. When my teacher, Ms. Jenson, started to help another student, I picked up my phone and sent a group text to my sisters.
I texted, “Does anybody know who the people wearing the black bandanas are?”
I got several quick replies. Shelby texted me, “That’s the gang Onyx.”
Ansli texted, “Stay away!”
Slade hit me back and wrote, “Yeah, don’t even go near them.”
Inquisitive Sloan texted, “Why’d you ask?”
At that point I started hyperventilating, truly not feeling good at all. How could I stay away from a gang I had already crossed? And what was a gang doing at our upscale Marks High School?
“Answer Sloan’s question, why don’t you already?” Shelby texted back.
“Girrrl, have you said something out of the way to them!?!” Slade asked with a bunch of emphasis. “Yup, that’s it because you’re not texting back. What class are you in?”
I still couldn’t respond. Sloan texted back, “She’s in Jenson’s room … 212.”
That girl had my schedule stored. I did need them because I was in a mess. I must have looked like the color had gone from my face because Ms. Jenson came over.
She put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Yuri, this isn’t like you not to finish preparing a meal. You okay, dear?”
I just shook my head. No way was I anywhere close to being alright. There was a knock on the door, and when all the boys started whistling, I knew Slade was there. Why she dressed so provocatively, I didn’t understand. She was so beautiful. But she showed just enough cleavage that it was acceptable for school. Yet at the same time, she showed just enough that it was appealing to the guys.
“Excuse me, Ms. Jenson, can I see my sister for a second?”
Ms. Jenson walked me over to the door and spoke to Slade. “I don’t think she’s feeling well. Will you let me know if she needs to go to the office?”
“Yes ma’am,” Slade said as Ms. Jenson went back into class and shut the door. “Okay, uh, what’s going on with you? Sloan said to tell me everything too. I know y’all like to keep stuff from me, so I won’t scold you, but this is creepy, you talking about Onyx. Somebody gets a hold of your phone and sees their name in it, you could be in trouble just for that.”
“I’m already in trouble with them. I pushed them off of this girl, Slade,” I said, wiggling my sister’s arm for help.
“You did what? You got in the middle of a fight? Why? You’re the shyest, little wimpiest thing around. Why’d you do that?”
Stomping, I said, “Because they were picking on this girl, Logan, and she’s so sweet. Okay she does have an extra couple pounds that she’s trying to lose, but I had to help her. She was getting picked on, and it reminded me of kindergarten.”
“When you were getting picked on because your chicken pox scars took forever to go away?” Slade squinted and asked me.
“Yes, the scars all over my face just felt like people thought they could laugh at me or something. I hated school and myself after that. I knew how she felt. I didn’t realize they were in a crazy gang. They told me I’m in trouble. Slade, what does that mean?”
My sister just hugged me tight. When I pulled away, she reached out and hugged me again. She squeezed me extra hard.
“So does that mean that I’m really in trouble? Oh my gosh!” I said, pacing. I was not feeling any better physically.
“Okay, you’ve got to calm down.”
“I’m gonna die,” I shouted.
I was a little too loud, and Ms. Jenson came rushing to the door. “Yuri, what is going on?”
“I need to take her to the office, Ms. Jenson. Can we have a pass please?” Slade asked.
Ms. Jenson scribbled on a piece of paper and handed it to Slade.
We headed to see the coolest principal in the world. Dr. Garner happened to be friends with our dad. Usually, I could talk to him, but at that moment, I couldn’t speak for myself. I was looking over my shoulder even though we were in the office. I was so paranoid, but Slade held me up and explained everything that was going on.
“Well, until they do something wrong, I can’t just kick them out of school.”
“But they threatened my sister, sir. You need them to kill her before you take action?” Slade asked, before I gave her a horrified look. “I’m just saying. I’m not saying they’re really going to kill you, but I’m just telling him he needs to do something before that happens.”
I hated being the youngest sister because sometimes I just didn’t think straight. I let everybody else think for me. The one time that I tried to put on my big girl panties and help somebody else out, I might have signed my own death warrant.
“How bad is Onyx?” I asked Dr. Garner.
He shook his head. “I want to get them out of my school, that’s for sure. I suggest you use a buddy system. Don’t go anywhere by yourself. Definitely keep a low profile, and I’ll be watching the situation. I hear your sister, and she raises a good point. I can’t make you a sitting duck, but because there is no recording of them threatening you, hearsay can’t really do anything. But you’re going to be okay.”
Slade looked over at the Keurig machine in Dr. Garner’s office. “Could I get her some hot tea, cocoa, or something?”
And when she said that, I brightened up. Dr. Garner was called out of his office and told us to take a second for me to collect myself.
As Slade fixed me something to drink, I said, “You think everything’s going to be okay right?”
“Yeah, just like my showcase. I’ve got to have one for my music soon. I’m trying to put the whole thing together. When you’re the record company, it’s not just like an artist comes and preforms and goes home. No, I’m in charge of the guest list, getting press there, the reception, having some hors d’oeuvres, and I can’t even find a caterer,” she uttered as she handed me a cup.
All of a sudden, I wasn’t caring about Onyx at that point. I was caring about me and my opportunities. Slade had given me cocoa and hope.
“Let me help,” I blurted out.
“Help me how?”
“Let me cater it. Make it a dessert social. Mom was just telling me I make the world’s best cupcakes. They’re pretty and yummy. It’ll save you a ton of money,” I said to her.
“Hmm, I might need to get you stressed out more often,” Slade teased. “What you gonna charge me to make it?”
“I’ll work within your budget,” I said, before I knew I needed to up the ante. “I’ll go under budget.”
“You’re hired.”
I put down my cup and embraced her. “Thank you, Slade. Obviously, I need something positive to channel all of this crazy energy.”
“We’re not a match for a gang,” Slade said as she put her hands on my shoulders, “but we are your sisters, and for someone to mess with the baby of the family, they’re going to have to come through the rest of us. And to add insult to their injury, we’re the last girls they might want to be thinking about messing with. Particularly, if they want to stay in operation. You know what I’m saying? Don’t worry. But don’t mess with them again. Alright?”
I nodded, as I picked up the cup and drunk up. She didn’t have to worry. I was the baby of the group, but I learned quick, fast, and in a hurry. No more messing with Onyx, and I just prayed that they would not mess with me. But no need to focus on that. Now I had my first catering gig. I was excited. I was growing up. I was proud of me.
The day that I had been waiting for—the chance to allow many to taste my cupcakes—was here. I had been baking for two days straight, getting ready to feed the hundreds of guests coming to Slade’s new artist’s release party. Shelby and Ansli couldn’t help me. Shelby was helping the artist’s dress. She was the stylist for the day. Ansli was setting up to photograph the important players who were coming to the event, as well as get pictures backstage.
Thankfully, my mom and Sloan were there for me. I think I was getting on their nerves though. I was obsessing about everything.
“Be careful. The box is fragile. We’ve got to set them down in the trunk just right because if they tilt over, the cupcakes are ruined.”
“Ohhh, Yuri, they look so delicious. I just want to taste one,” my mom said. “Red velvet, caramel crunch, cheesecake, key lime, and vanilla … you go girl.”
“Mom, don’t even think about touching any of them,” Sloan said, seeing our mom truly unable to resist. “Or your daughter is going to lose her mind.”
Shelby was kind enough to have her boyfriend create me a logo. Yuri’s YumYums looked so cute and delicate. There were two stands that displayed the logo, and I had a professional-looking sign that went in the front of my table.
When we arrived at the back of the location, there was another truck that was unloading all types of desserts. I looked at Sloan, and she looked back at me. She seemed confused. This cute blonde-headed dude was taking in many desserts.
“If she was going to get somebody else to do this, she just should have told Yuri,” Sloan said to my mom, saying everything I was feeling inside.
In a calming voice, my mom said, “Well, we don’t know. Maybe they have more people, maybe she wanted more than just cupcakes. Clearly they’ve got an array of desserts over there. As I’ve taught you girls, it’s usually not a perfect world.”
When my mom saw the sign of the truck she said, “Oh, that’s the lady who has a shop not too far from the house. Treats by Ms. Pinky.”
“Yeah, but mom I thought I was the one providing refreshments,” I said, barely hiding my disappointment.
“Well, you are providing refreshments, Yuri. Don’t get caught up in the fact that you’re not doing this solo.”
“Wait ‘til I find Slade,” Sloan said in an upset tone.
“Come on, let’s hurry up and get set up. The event starts in less than an hour.”
When I saw all of the tables and set ups and booth coverings they were pulling out for Ms. Pinky, I didn’t want to go in. Sloan saw me sitting in the car extremely intimidated.
As she approached my mom rolled down the window and Sloan said, “Mom, can you go and find out where her table is going to be set up.”
“Oh yeah sure,” my mom said, scurrying away.
“You can do this,” Sloan tried to encourage.
“Yeah, but look at all that stuff that lady has. I’m going to look like a kindergartner compared to a professor. Nobody is going to want my food. Look what they’re pulling out now: little, individual miniature glasses with pudding and stuff inside.”
Sloan put her arm around me to comfort me and to tell me I could do it. It was all going in one ear and out the other. The more and more I thought I could, the more stuff Ms. Pinky and her crew were taking out of the truck. I had a few different flavors of cupcakes, whoop dee do. She had cookies, slices of cake, pudding, mousse, pie, ice cream, and, of course, cupcakes too.
“Mom said I need to come and get you guys and show you where your table is,” Slade opened the car door and said.
Sloan grabbed her collar. “How could you do Yuri like this?”
Slade yanked back. “Do her like what?”
“Not tell her that somebody else is going to be serving,” Sloan said, folding her arms.
Slade rolled her eyes. “Because it’s my show, and I didn’t think it was any of her business. She asked for an opportunity, I gave it to her.”
I frowned. I could not believe they were talking about me like I wasn’t there. True, I wasn’t as strong as them, but this hurt.
“Oh, what? You thought you were going to be the only one?” Slade said, looking at me like that was the craziest idea.
“Look, you’re new at this, and I’m giving you a chance. I can’t believe you’re giving me grief when I got to get out there and win people over with this song. Support me today. It’s not about you, Yuri. I’m making you a part of this. You’d think you’d be grateful, dang,” Slade said as she started to walk away from the car window.
“You could have told her about it,” Sloan said before Slade got far away.
“What was I supposed to do? This is my partner’s aunt’s restaurant. I’m helping my sister out, her aunt wants to help us out. It’s all family. Get over it, get your stuff out here, and set up,” Slade demanded. “And I’ve got to get ready for a show. I can’t believe y’all are giving me drama.”
I got out of the car, and the blonde-headed guy came right over. “Hey, I’m Paris. Can I help you bring something in?”
“No!” Sloan coldly said to him. “We have arms. Come on, sis.”
We grabbed some stuff and went inside. My space had nothing on it but two little stands. A sign to go in front of the table wasn’t going to make it an inviting space. This Ms. Pinky lady had a true booth. It looked like a store on wheels. Even though people weren’t going to have to pay for my stuff, I wouldn’t want it compared to hers. I knew Sloan couldn’t babysit me forever. Once we got all my stuff inside, it looked as cute as it possibly could, but it was still less in comparison to Ms. Pinky. Sloan was supposed to be doing a write up of the event so it could be one of the first articles in her magazine.
“You’re okay,” she said, completely feeling pitiful for me as she looked over at the magnificent booth. Mine looked like a kid’s lemonade stand.
“Can I try one of your cupcakes?” Paris said.
I felt so out of place. Many were at Ms. Pinky’s sweet set up. He probably would be the only one who would come over the whole evening, so who was I to tell him no.
“These are yummy,” he said, after gobbling down a vanilla cupcake and a red velvet one.
“Thanks.”
Then I heard a whole bunch of laughter. My dad was visiting Ms. Pinky’s booth. He walked her over to where I was.
“This is my daughter. One day she wants to have an operation like yours. She’s so talented,” he bragged to Ms. Pinky.
“Oh, isn’t this booth precious. Paris, I see you over here tasting. Is it yum yum like her lil’ logo? Of course you’ve got to say so. You don’t want to hurt her feelings,” Ms. Pinky gloated.
That was such a rude comment, I thought. I wanted to snatch my cupcake from Paris’s mouth. I didn’t need him to lie. My food was good, and I knew it.
Paris walked into her trap. “It is yummy.”
If he expected me to thank him again, that was over. I wanted him and this rude lady to leave me be. Paris saw I was anything but happy.
“I hope your sister and mine won’t be too nervous up there,” Paris said, trying to lighten the mood.
“Oh, so you’re Charlotte’s brother?” my dad asked.
“And I’m her auntie. Sometimes I claim her,” Ms. Pinky joked.
My dad suggested, “Cool. Well, it’d be great if my daughter could come work with you. You can help her learn the ropes.”
“I’d love that,” Ms. Pinky said as she and my dad walked back over to her station.
I did not ask my dad to plead my case with Ms. Pinky. She had looked at me so condescendingly. The last person I wanted to help me was her high-tooting behind. But they made a deal right in front of me. Who was going to say no to helping the mayor-elect’s daughter? Ms. Pinky wasn’t. She saw an opportunity, and she was all over it. I wasn’t happy with it at all, and Paris could tell.
“My aunt can be a little brash,” Paris said.
“You think?” I said to him.
“But she means well.”
“I’m sad I’m even here,” I uttered to the stranger.
He put his hand on my hand and said, “But you look cute in your apron, your food tastes good, and you’re here. How many people can say they’ve got a business at your age? You’re what? Sixteen?”
“I’m not sixteen yet.”
“Well, don’t be so hard on yourself. My aunt is old. You’re just getting started. You’ll surpass what she’s doing in your lifetime. Learn from her. Learn the stuff she’s doing right and things she’s doing wrong. Be better than she is. But don’t beat yourself up about it. You’re young.”