A/N: Thank you all for your support *bows ninety degrees* I can never thank you guys enough for the encouragement and support. I know it's not a Saturday or a Sunday, but oh well. I felt like updating. You have yourself to thank. Cheers.

Chapter 4: Secrets, Shepherd's pie, and Fire.

Chip's POV 

"Is there a way I can customize the icing and the cupcake?" I heard Xander ask.

I shifted uncomfortably in my position.

"Yes there is! Would you like to discuss it?" Rose asked cheerfully.

I assume Xander nodded, because the next thing I knew was JUST. MY. LUCK.

"Chip! Could you come out for a sec? We have a customer here!"

*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*

The moment I heard about customizing a cupcake, I knew I was dead. Like literally-my sister just brought out my death sentence.

Since I was the one in charge for designing the cupcakes, I figured...it's now or never.

Holding my breath, I decided to speak from the kitchen. "Yes...Rose?"

I could almost hear her frown. "Chip! Come out here this instant. You are being very rude to our young customer!"

When I didn't respond, Rose laughed sheepishly at the suave Xander standing before the counter, and then excused herself.

She swept into the kitchen and grabbed my arm.

"Chip!" She hissed, "What do you think you're doing?"

I recoiled from her hard gaze, and tried to wriggle my arm out of her grasp. "I-I'm not feeling very well today-"

Rose looked me up and down, "You seem perfectly fine to me dear, please don't make our customer wait,"

I bit my lip and sighed. "Fine..."

Rose nodded in approval and led me out of the kitchen and into the bakery (against my will).

"You..." Xander's voice was laced with shock.

I raised my gaze slightly and stole a glance at the well-built frame before the display cabinet through my eyelashes. 

Xander's eyes were wide with surprise.

Great. He's definitely telling on me. The whole school will know how much of a fag I am and-

"Chip," Rose nudged me, and propelled my small frame towards the cupcake display cabinet. "Go on."

I adverted my gaze and shuffled closer to the customer. Grabbing the worn-out notebook of orders and a click pen, I said softly. "So...what kind of cupcakes would you prefer?"

I couldn't see Xander's expression as I was staring down at the notebook, but I heard him cough, before stating his preference.  

"It's for a girl-so preferably something appealing? In terms of colour." He paused as if to consider, "I think pink would be good. Pink or red."

For one thing, I've never seen or heard Xander actually thinking about something. I felt my heart sink. Just a bit.

"Um...would you like the pink for the icing or the cupcake? I would suggest the icing though..." I said tentatively.

"Yeah sure."

I flipped through the notebook and jotted down our cupcake flavors. "So-for our cupcake icing, which would be pink, we have strawberry, bubblegum pink, raspberry buttercream-"

"Raspberry." Xander stated simply.

I noted down the order.

"Alright," My refusal to look him in the eye was becoming very obvious. "The cupcake bases that would go well with raspberry would be...Valrhona chocolate and Bourbon vanilla," I said, after giving some thought. Custom cupcakes looked great, but the tastes had to be complimenting too.

I picked out two cupcakes from the kitchen (freshly baked) and set it on the counter.

"This one," I broke a piece of delicious dark brown cupcake and handed it to Xander, "is Valrhona chocolate."

He popped it into his mouth. I managed to steal a glance at his expression.

Xander nodded. "It's good." He reached for the whole cupcake, and sent it into his mouth.

I managed to cover up my laugh with a cough. "So," I said between chokes, "is Valrhona okay?"

He nodded once more, and Rose looked proud-as if she had done a good job.

"Your final order is Valrhona chocolate cupcake with raspberry pink buttercream," I confirmed. "How many would you like to order?"

"What's the minimum number?"

"Four...I guess." I shot a wary glance in Rose's direction. No one's ever asked for the minimum pax-they've only asked for the maximum. 

My sister nodded.

"Okay so 4 chocolate cupcakes with raspberry buttercream, is that correct?"

"Yeah, thanks." Xander smiled, and I could almost feel a blush creeping up the base of my neck.

Carefully lifting the cake box from the table top, Xander thanked Rose once again and exited the bakery.

I watched him walk farther and farther away from the store, with a strange smile on his face.

Oh God, what am I going to do now?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next day, I was prepared for the worst. Verbal abuse, rumors, name calling, to extortion and physical abuse-any form of bullying actually. I don't think my small size helped.

Do I really think Xander was such a person to tell on me?

Honestly, no.       

But there was a nagging voice at the back of my head, telling me not to let my guard down. After all, I didn't know him that well-anything could happen.

As I entered the gates of my current hell, I spotted Jack leaning against my locker and Kim beside him. My head lowered instinctively as I walked briskly down the hall.

"Oh yeah, remember that bakery-"

The word caught my attention. "Bakery? What bakery Kim?" I asked urgently.

"U-uh the one near our school?" Kim frowned, suspicions raised. "What's wrong? Why are you so tensed?"

Phew.

"I-it's nothing..."

Seriously, I needed to get a grip. I can't be so jumpy on every word related to the bakery.

When I entered homeroom with Jack, I couldn't help but feel eyes on me. I figured it was just my mind playing tricks because when I glanced around-I wasn't gaining any attention. As usual.

Everything seemed perfectly normal that day. I actually managed to survive until lunch. My hearing was exceptionally abnormal that day; for starters, I kept mistaking words for cake or bake or...darn it.

"Come sit with us, Xander!"

"Yeah! C'mon, it'll be fun."

Xander was just making his way to his usual seat when two girls (I don't really know their names) decided to ambush him. One of them slinked a hand through the gap between his arm and body. The other clung onto his other elbow as they led him to a table filled with very pretty and handsome people.

Oh no...isn't this the perfect opportunity to tell on me? What would he say? Something like:

'Hey you know that guy who has a weird name Chip? He has a funny smell too. Know why? That's cuz he loves baking and actually works at a bakery.'

I couldn't imagine the response.

'What? That's so gay.' 'Always thought he was one of them.' 'He's so weird' 'I bet he's acting like a girl there.'

I could feel a bitter lump rising at the back of my throat. The apple pie on my tray didn't look so appetizing anymore.

"Um...I've got to go to the washroom," I excused myself from Jack and Kim, and hurried to the nearest toilet.

~*~*~*~~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~

Next period was Home Economics. Why was I so enthusiastic about this subject in the first place?

Oh right, Xander.

And why am I dreading it now?

Oh right, Xander.

I sighed, shuffling over to my station early before lesson starts.

I was afraid to face him, to talk to him-but also impatient. I guess you could say I was anxious to ask him just one question: 'Did you tell anyone?'

Who was I kidding, he definitely told someone. One or two people maybe, but it'll spread.

Haa...I should stop thinking too much. My brain's gonna be fried.

The students began to file into the class 5 minutes before lesson.

"Alright class, today's theme is pie. You can make any kind of pie, as long as it includes crust and filling," Mrs Harry announced cheerfully. "Two hours; it's go time"

Oh no, Xander's late.

I decided to start by heating up the oven to buy time. Then I prepared the ingredients needed for the crust.

He walked into the room without knocking, hands in his pockets as he greeted Mrs Harry.

"Good afternoon dear, it's pie today. Hurry on your partner's waiting for you."

"Thanks Ma'am."

Xander crossed the Home Economics room in a few easy strides and went straight to our station. Without saying a word, he put on his apron and started opening the packet of flour.

"H-hey wait, we haven't decided on the recipe..."

My partner stopped his abrupt movements and turned to me. "Okay sure, I want something salty today."

I raised my eyebrow. "Salty pie?"

Xander nodded.

"How about Shepherd's pie then."

"Sounds good."

A strange fire burned in my stomach. I doubt it was anger, it felt like an impatient monster clawing at my insides-almost like an overwhelming sense of frustration.

Did you tell anyone?

As usual, I got out the rest of the ingredients from the cupboard and started the fire.     

Skillet. Olive oil. Beef. Worcestershire sauce.

The delicious aroma of the sizzling meat filled the room soon enough, and turned several heads.

Onions. Carrots. Garlic.

Xander was quiet throughout the process, only nodding when I gave instructions. Somehow, I wished he would talk.

Did you tell anyone?

While the vegetables simmered in the pan, I took the chance to look at my partner peeling potatoes.

"The cake."

Xander glanced up.

"The...the cake you ordered." I adverted my eyes. "Who is it for?"

He went back to peeling the potatoes.

Did you tell anyone?

I bit my lip. Say something. Anything!

After a couple of minutes, he finally opened his mouth.

"None of your business."

My grip on the pan tightened.

"W-what the hell!" I hissed. "Why are you such a jerk?"

DID YOU TELL ANYONE?

There it was again. That strange fire. I felt something burst in me-as if someone had broken the dam.

Then my vision blurred.

Glasses. Where are my glasses?

My hands reached up and registered the plastic sitting on my nose. But it also registered something else. Something hot, like warm water.

Oh no. Oh no. Oh God.  

Through my welled eyes, I could see the shocked expression on Xander's face.

The vegetables in the pan were beginning to burn.

"T-the vegetables..." Pulling myself together, I tried to save what was left of the carrots and onions.

I heard clinking of utensils to my right, and then I couldn't feel Xander's presence anymore.

He probably doesn't want to face anymore of my nonsense. Haha, that's true, I wouldn't want anything to do with a crying person anyway.

Forcing a laugh, I wiped the stupid tears from my cheeks and added the flour into the pan. I felt another wave of tears coming. I was lucky that everyone seemed to be busy with their own dishes that they didn't notice my sniffling.

Darn. I bit my lip, forcing the bitter lump down while adding the tomato paste.

There was a sudden tap on my right shoulder.

"Here."

Xander held out a hand, and in it was a lump of tissue paper.

For a second, I was stunned. Then I reached out a hand to take the tissue.

I didn't realize I was trembling.

"T-thanks," I tried to smile, but that just made more tears slide down my cheeks. I'm so weak.

Xander glanced around the classroom, then he pulled me closer to the corner of our station.

Closing the distance, he whispered something.

"I didn't tell."

My eyes widened for a moment, and then I rubbed the remaining traces of tears away vigorously.

"R-really?"

Xander didn't reply. He began to place the potatoes into the pot to boil.

I felt a smile coming along. "Thank you...thank you so much."

The strange fire was long gone-washed away by tears maybe.

As I poured the filling into the ceramic casserole dish, Xander spoke again.

"In return, don't tell anyone I came to the bakery."

I nodded lightly, and smiled a bit; just to lighten the mood.

Our Shepherd's pie turned out fine-apart from the salty burnt vegetables, it was...fine.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

In all honesty, I think I felt great after that.

My heart was lighter, and the tight constriction in my lungs was gone.

But when I got back home to the bakery, there he was again.  

"Chip! You're back," Coco beamed from the cash register.

"Welcome home dear, you can go take a bath first. We're quite low on customers today," Rose smiled warmly.

And leaning forward on the counter, before Rose and Coco was Xander.

"Hm," He acknowledged, raising a hand in greeting.

I panicked and almost (almost) fainted.

"W-what are you doing here?"

"Why not?" Xander shrugged. "Your sisters are nice."

I pouted. "Don't flirt with my sisters so openly!"

Rose and Coco laughed.

There was a beeping sound coming from the kitchen.

"Oh, that'll be the cupcakes,"

"I'll go get them!" Coco volunteered, scurrying through the door. Rose followed her.

There was a disturbing silence between us.

"What are you doing-" I intended to repeat my question.

"Why are you so afraid about people finding out about your family?" Xander's words cut.

"N-not my family, it's just...I don't want them to know about the...the bakery and...that I love baking...that's all..." I found it hard to string my thoughts together.

Xander straightened up and turned to me.

"I'm listening," he said, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against the counter.

I gulped.

"It's just...p-people used to tease me about it in middle school...t-they said it was weird, and...not normal...and t-they beat me up..."

I was glad that I didn't have enough tears to cry the second time of the day.

"That's why you chose Rivendell? Because it's far from here?" He gestured to the neighborhood.

I nodded quietly.

Xander squared his shoulders. "I think it's fine."

"I won't tell anyone."

I glanced up, and met his gaze. "Promise?"

Xander chuckled. "Sure kid."

I flinched at that word.

"Besides, I'd like this to be my personal...entertainment." Xander smirked, looking around the bakery. "I'd rather not share your sisters with anyone from school."

He winked flirtatiously at Rose, Coco, and Gretel, who were peeking through the door frame. Gretel giggled.  

I wonder why I have a crush on this guy in the first place. He's the worst.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*

A/N

Emotional chapter?

Hmm...maybe, maybe not. Rejoice, because there's no cliffhanger this time :D hehe. Um...so....uh....hope you guys will....stick with me? ^^"

-Cupcake