The Odd Ones Bakery

Chapter 2

Otis's POV

Walking down the steeet was difficult for me, as I felt as though every one could tell that I had failed my last job interview. It wasn't my fault that they wanted someone who had had previous work experience. I was a perfectly good option I had good grades and was serious about everything I did. I didn't see any reason they shouldn't hire me, at least none that they need to or should know about. Though maybe in retrospect, I shouldn't have applied to a party shop. It wouldn't really be my scene.

While wallowing in self pity, my nose had led me to a shop. A small bakery that just called to you with its hole in the wall charm. Not saying it was Hole in the Wall, no, that shop was 5 or 6 doors down.

When I opened the door there was a girl that couldn't have been but a year younger than myself, with auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail, red glasses and the biggest smile I had ever seen, slightly distracted I didn't quite notice the colision until it was there. She fell but then did something unexpected, before walking away or apologising like anyone else would have done, she turned to me and began to speak so quickly it took me a moment to realise what she was saying was in fact english.

"Oh my gosh, can you believe the stroke of luck, I just can't contain how incredibly happy I am right now, I am so happy I could pee, but that wouldn't be very good," she lifted her arm to my face and continued at mind boggling speeds, "Look I'm so excited, I have boose gumps," I stopped her for just a moment, long enough to interject, "Don't you mean goose bumps?"

She looked at me as if I were the one who had walked up to a random stranger to spill excactly how excited I was at something that he had no idea about. Her response though, was just as inhuman as the rest of her talking, "I've heard it both ways, but if it makes you happy, I've got goose bumps on my goose bumps and then if you look close enough, there is another layer of goose flesh in the same condition. Granted, that is a little weird."

She paused for what seemed like the first time and it dawned on her that she was speeking to a total stranger. Or at least that is what I assumed, due to the slight blush on her freckled cheeks.

She looked away and for the first time since I had met her, she said something that didn't sound like she had just won every game show ever invented. A hushed goodbye.

As she walked away I felt very keenly the empty silence her absence had brought. It was odd as nothing like that had ever happened, at least not to me, I found peace in the quiet.

I entered the bakery and the first thought I had was cotton candy. The shop had a set of tables in a baby blue shade that was very soft and the walls in a color that could only be described as a powder pink. The counter was a very nice polished wood display case. In it was a variety of different pastries and various sweets including donuts, cake, macroons, cookies, and so many more.

I approached the counter to find a girl once again not much younger than myself manning the front.

"What can I get for you? I personally would suggest a juice box but then there wouldn't be any for me, so I can get you anything but a juice box."

I stood there marvelling at how many strange people I could meet in a single day.

"If I can't get a juice, then... how about a cheese danish?"

"That I can get you. One will be $2.32."

She turned her head to the back and in a voice that one would never expect out of any human, let alone this petite teen. She yelled back, "HEY, DR. O! I NEED A CHEESE DANISH UP FRONT."

A blond tall figure in a apron and srangely enough a lab coat came fron the swinging doors carrying a small paper bag with my treat in it. She walked to the counter, looked at me and with the most serious face I could imagine her having and said,"I'm a doctor, not a delivery person."

I just silently shook my head in agreement while grabbing my danish and heading to one of the few baby blue tables.

As the doctor exited the room, she said with no small amount of authority, "What's next?"

I open up my phone and searched for job openings in the area. After an unsuccessful hour or so of browsing through many sites I got up to leave, but as I did so, the girl behind the counter yelled at me, "YOU REPORT AT 5AM IN TWO DAYS."

It seemed I had found an opening.