#5 Icing on the Cake by Stephanie Perry Moore Page A

and it will be dealt with immediately. We’re mavericks. We take the bull by the horns.”
    The band played as people were exiting. Logan and I couldn’t get out of the place because different people were coming up to us sharing stories of feeling not only bullied, but also inferior. That made it all worth it for me to stand up and talk. More importantly, I was really happy for Logan winning her self-confidence. The best part was that texts, emails, pictures, and all kinds of testimonies and stuff about members of Onyx flooded into the office. Since we stood up, twenty-four students were permanently removed from our campus. Theholidays were upon us, and that news made all of us at the school very merry.

    Why my father insisted that I gracefully resign in person to Ms. Pinky was beyond me, and it seemed pretty excessive. I told him the lady was trifling, but yet he wanted me to thank her for the few times we worked together. Slade dropped me off, and I wanted her to wait, but she said Dad said he was coming to get me. I so hoped he was on his way as I stepped foot into Ms. Pinky’s store.
    As soon as I entered, Rhonda looked at me and shook her head. I knew that meant Ms. Pinky was in a mood. When was she not in one? Since I met her, something always seemed up her butt. Today I was going to pull it right out by telling her I was out and that she wasn’t getting anymore free labor out of me.
    Seeing me, Ms. Pinky yelled, “Chop chop, Yuri. The apron is not going to put itself on you.”
    Trying to be nice, I said, “I just need a second to talk to you, Ms. Pinky.”
    â€œI don’t want to talk. I want to give you the orders of what I need done, and I want you to do them. We’re not friends here. I’m supposed to be showing you the way. If you’re not working, I can’t tell you what you’re doing wrong and I can’t help you. I’m so mad it’s Christmas season. Everyone expects a deal. Everyone comes in here all jolly. I got bills to pay, and giving them all these sales, my margins are smaller. I’m not happy, nor am I in a mood for discussion.”
    To her dismay, I just stood there. She was going to have to talk to me. When she wouldn’t, I just looked at her. Eventually, she’d get the point and ask me what was my problem so I could tell her.
    â€œWhy are you not moving?” she screamed a few moments later.
    I wanted to yell back at her, but I took a deep breath, gulped down my saliva and counted to two. Calmly, I said, “I didn’t come here to work. I just came here to thank you for the opportunity for allowing me to work with you. However, I won’t be doing it anymore.”
    â€œWhat? Your little daddy has changed his mind? Some other bakery has stepped up?”
    â€œNo, that’s not it,” I said to her.
    Ms. Pinky scoffed, “Well what’s the problem? Rhonda, tell her … I’m the best around. No one can teach her more than me. So what I don’t baby you? You’ll thank me for that.”
    I knew my dad was supposed to pick me up, but I was going nowhere with this lady. He was going to have to wait for me down the street at the bookstore.
    â€œOh, you’re going to turn your back on me and walk out? Great. Get out! Don’t ever come back.”
    As soon as I opened the door, my dad walked in with a bunch of people. I was overjoyed to see him. Now he could deal with the witch.
    â€œDad!” I said with excitement.
    Ms. Pinky was so angry she couldn’t be politically correct. She snarled at my father and said, “You and your ungrateful child. You might be our next mayor, but you are going to need the support of the people. Making alliances with business folks and then changing your mindis tacky, and I won’t stand for it. I told a lot of people that we would be working together, and then you just pull your daughter before I even get to groom her!”
    â€œMa’am,