Page 86 of Cloud Storm

Please, please, pretty please, just stay as you are now!

Cold sweat goes down my back, every cell in my body is running overtime.

The cameras and lights around us aren’t helping, the entire stadium is even silent. Every single person sitting on the bleachers is feeling the anxiety and the nervousness from the contestants.

After barely surviving the first round, I get my second chance. Markus Montgomery, the man beside me starts with his presentation and I try my best to relax, paying attention to the description of the cupcakes. One of them calls me by my name. An ice cream sundae, a yummy cute thing I’m dying to taste. Even the decoration is cute, just a simple whipped cream frosting with chocolate and a cherry on top. He nailed it.

Dang, that doesn’t help your cause, the teeny-weeny devil whispers from my shoulder. But I can’t help myself, I’m always wishing the other bakers the best, even in a competition. If they’re making it good, I’ll make it GREAT!

I firmly believe that you don’t need to blow out other’s candle to shine. If you have glitter running in your veins, you will shine no matter how dark the night is.

“Ariel, describe to us your cupcakes,” Jonah, the host of the show asks me.

“The baseball stadium is one of my favorite places to be in this city. I live in walking distance and I can feel the energy of every single game. So, I wanted to reflect that spirit in my cupcakes. The first is a root beer and peanuts cupcake, the cake is chocolate and the frosting is buttercream with peanut butter infused with root beer. The second one is a caramel cracker cupcake, because what’s a visit to the stadium without caramel popcorn? We created a mix of almond and caramel cake and a frosting made up of caramel buttercream and it’s decorated with a pyramid of caramel popcorn and more melted caramel. For the final cupcake, I wanted flavors bursting in your mouth. My favorite snack to have in the stadium is cotton candy, the little girl in me screams for it, so we recreated that. A cloud of strawberry cotton candy from the cake to the very top. Enjoy it!”

I’ve finished my speech feeling breathless, air left my lungs but seeing the judges faces reenergizes me like a live wire.

“Claude, let’s start with you,” says the host.

“We have a runner here,” he starts. “I think this is one of the hardest competitions I have the privilege to evaluate. At first sight, your peanut cupcake seems boring and plain, but the root beer balances it very well and the cotton candy cupcake is the star of the plate.”

Oh my God! I’m so excited and relieved and happy and proud.

I want to jump, I want to cry and I want to scream, we did it!

“Mr. Morrison,” Jonah invites the city mayor to give his opinion.

“As Claude said, knocked it out of the ballpark. Your cupcakes are beautiful, smart, and delicious. Well done.”

Two of three. I’m rocking it.

“Ariel,” Mia starts. “I think I could eat the cotton candy cupcake every single day without getting bored.” A smile appears on my face, I can’t help it. I’m feeling more and more confident. I can win this. “But I’m not a fan of root beer. I’m not sure the sassafras mingles well with the dark chocolate. Sorry, but it isn’t working for me.”

“Thank you, Ariel,” Jonah says, his voice as if I’m in another dimension.

The third contestant, the main baker in a renowned patisserie here in San Diego begins presenting a sports drink orange cupcake that looks almost radioactive. After, she introduces a combination of nuts like you’d find in a bar and lastly, a chocolate cupcake covered with crushed M&M’s the judges praise.

Mentally I’m doing all the math, like in one of those spreadsheets Roselynn loves so much. All of us have the chance to continue on the show and that means all of us are at risk to go home defeated.

“Well, cupcakers, the judges need their time to discuss the cupcakes. See you in few minutes.”

The stadium erupts in screams and clapping. There are some people singing, every baker here has their own cheer team and it’s great, you can feel the energy, it’s contagious.

An assistant calls me to do a short interview, asking me about my cupcakes. I understand this is being recorded and it will be on air later tonight.

“How do you feel?” she asks me.

“I’m freaking out,” I reply honestly. “We don’t have any idea what’s happening at this point of the competition, any of us can win.”

She smiles. “You have a huge support here at the stadium, and there’s a lot of people outside calling your name. You’re the town’s favorite.”

I’m in disbelief. That must be the people who share space with me when I lived in the streets.

My heart is bursting with happiness. This is not only for me, but for them too. This is a message of hope.

Never give up.

“I’m very grateful. I wish I had better words to explain it, but my throat is constricted. Thank you, pals, for being here with me. This is for you too!”

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