Baking My Cake

6th Grade

We all wanted to do a play, and they had promised us that we would do a play. I guess they were crossing their fingers and toes when they said that because now we’re not doing a play, and that’s totally not fair.

They told us that we would do a play every other year. We did one in fourth grade skipped fifth grade and here we are in sixth grade with nothing. They just don’t get it, do they? This year is our year as the elders of our school. It’s supposed to be our time to shine. They already took away our privileges for making the school store because apparently we’re “too busy” and now they’re taking away our play because the teachers are “just too busy to put on a musical.”

Whatever. When I want something, I make sure that I get it. I’m stubborn so I always make sure to try my hardest to get my way. It’s usually not the best quality in me, but sometimes it comes in handy.

So here I am, walking up the hallway to our classroom. My face is probably red and I’m also probably foaming at the mouth, which is why kids are staring at me wondering if I have rabies or not. Great. Now I’m the kid with rabies.

I’m so focused on how angry I am that I don’t notice my friend Liz come up from behind me.
“It’s not fair, I know.” She says quietly
“Huh?” I ask, not really paying attention
“I said, I feel you, this isn’t fair to us. They can’t just break a promise like that. Especially since they also took away the school store.”
“Yeah… we need to do something about this. I can’t do this all by myself because I’m just one of twelve sixth graders but I know all of the girls probably want this right? So will you help me?”
“With?”
“Getting the show back… duh.”
“Right. That’s the spirit, Cece. Of course I’ll help protest.”
“Thanks Liz. You’re the best.”
“I know. Let’s talk at lunch?”
“Yeah. Can you get Sara?”
“Of course.”

A week later
“Listen,” Rob (our choral director) says, “We can do this under one condition. You guys really gave to take charge of this show. I’ll give you the plot, but you guys need to be the ones that make it happen. The singers need to learn their songs and the announcers need to write their speeches. I’ll help you when Showtime gets close, but for now you guys are on your own. Do you guys think you can do this?”

“Yes,” We all say at the same time. I smile because I got what I wanted. I baked my cake for the first time.

Right after the show
As we pulled up at the diner right after the show, my parents turned around and looked at me.
“Your father and I wanted to talk to you.” Mom tells me
“Okay.”
“Tonight you were phenomenal and you really proved something to us about your singing. You really showed us how much it means to you, so we have decided to get you some musical theatre classes. Does that sound good to you?”
“Yes!!!” I sounded like a frog and my eyes were probably bulging out of their sockets but I really didn’t care because I was so happy “Thank you guys, you’re the best!”

I opened my door and skipped into the diner, leaving my parents sitting in the car. I had just baked myself a beautiful rich chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and pink fondant polka dots and it tasted delicious. I had never been happier in my life.