The Naked Cupcake
by Aderes Z.
Roslyn and Max Margles Young Writers’ Contest
First Place - Grades 5 & 6
Jjjjjjjjj! Tik tik tik! Ding! And into the fridge I went. I bet you’re wondering why I’m in the fridge. That’s an easy question to answer. I’m a cupcake, well more like a muffin right now, I don’t have my frosting on yet. Oh! Where are my table manners? A bit about me - I'm Betty Batter, your average 30 second year old and I live in Frigidaire Town. Oh my! Also, how could I forget, my favorite singer is Flavor Swift. Anyways, I have a little story for you, starring......ME!!
My sister’s friend’s uncle’s underpaid babysitter told me that Mr. Cupcake-Man takes you out of the fridge to put frosting on you! I’m soooooo excited for my turn to get frosted. I wonder what flavor I'll get: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, mint or...Wait! How do I know I'm not going to have a really gross flavor, like bubblegum! A bubblegum cupcake! Yuck!Yuck!Yuck! That is disgusting. You need to calm down Betty...*MINDFULNESS* Alright I’m good.
But then the fridge light flashed on. “Looks like these pre-cupcakes are all cooled off.” Mr. Cupcake-Man pulled out my tray so he could frost us. On the counter there were 3 frosting flavors. I couldn’t read yet but I knew the letters of the alphabet, from Apple pie to Zucchini bread. I figured out the flavors: chocolate, vanilla and mint, no bubblegum. Hmm, I guess I can read. Anyways, I’m so excited!
I was on the bottom right, so judging by the way Mr. Cupcake-Man was frosting us, it looked like I was going to be last. This was very disappointing. Then something emotionally painful happened. I was about to get frosted when the baker got a phone call from somebody (and by the way he was angrily speaking, I think he was talking to his wife) so he put us back in the fridge and walked out of the kitchen! I didn’t even get a turn to get frosted! Everyone else but me. I couldn’t believe it! Why me!?
My frenemies came up to me and I was expecting them to say something like “Too bad for you, whatever, and nobody cares!” But I think they actually felt sorry for me because they said things like “I feel bad for you, tough luck and not everybody gets their frosting on the first time” I wasn’t really sure what to do, so I just rolled with it “Thanks for the sympathy guys.” They left, it was a bit strange. Maybe because they think I’m different, and I was, I don’t have my frosting like them. But, it’s the same old me!.
Later, I saw Charlotte, Violet and Max in a group talking. A few minutes later, Charlotte, the chocolate cupcake, came up to me. She asked what frosting I’d get if I had the choice. I couldn’t believe her! I didn’t know what to say... “I’m not really sure, I mean there are like a hundred thousand gazillion flavors to choose from, ” I said awkwardly. She looked at me like I had salmonella, which is impossible since I’m a muffin...cupcake! Charlotte said that I should be a chocolate because being chocolate in our village is considered “cool”. Really, I mean really. Then a few minutes later Violet the vanilla cupcake came up to me and asked the same question as Charlotte but with a different comment “We take the quickest to frost so you’ll be sure to get frosted.” (I think they were talking about me and trying to get on my nerves because I didn’t have my frosting, but I wouldn’t give in) I was kind of surprised that Maya the mint cupcake also came up to me and asked the same question! she said that being a mint was fun and that you have a sudden change in your personality, being more fun. Fun,fun,fun,fun,fun it’s all FUN! We get it, Maya, fun!
They were all pushing me around, (not physically, they were just trying to make me feel bad) but I couldn’t stand it! So, I simply ignored them and walked away. I guess they took offense to that, because they scoffed and walked away whispering.
The thing is, I just wanted to be normal! People don’t like plain cupcakes. If I don’t have frosting just call me a muffin! But please don’t actually call me a muffin, I hate, just hate muffins. I know people say “hate” is a strong word but I mean it! They're so bland and flavorless!
Pudding aside the fact that I dislike muffins, I had to figure out what to do about my “baldness”. I had a plan. I needed some time to get some other cupcakes to help me.
Okay, so somehow I gathered every single cupcake in Frigidaire Town to help me with my plan. I’d been planning a speech for about 30 minutes to tell them (and you) what was going to happen and what I was doing. Here was my speech; “Hello fellow Frigidaire Town inhabitants! I’ve brought you all here today to help me execute my little plan.” I paused, and realized people weren't even paying attention! I pulled myself right back on track. “So for my plan I will need everyone to PARTICIPATE!” I yelled that last part. Still nobody listened. So again, I kept going. “My plan is how we are going to open the fridge!” I saw everybody turn their heads, boy oh boy that felt great. “Here’s what I’m going to do. I am going to frost myself!“ So smart.
I explained how we would open the large, heavy door. I saw some cupcakes tilting their heads in confusion, others nodded and some made faces. I guess some people had a few mean opinions about my idea, but I was okay with it.
Everyone gathered around the big door. I yelled “PUSH!” and we did just that. The fridge light flashes when the door opens, so that was our cue to step back. *Flash* The door swung open. Fortunately everybody remembered what to do, so nobody fell out of the fridge.
The counter was right next to the fridge. So all I would have to do was climb the door then jump off the top, landing on the hard marble counter. I got kind of scared. Tingles crawled up my back like a spider. Would I splat from that height? I was freaked out. Was this still a good idea?
People went on each other's shoulders, so I climbed up on top of them, all the way to the top. I heard a bunch of “ouches”, “oofs” and “heys!”.
Anyways, before I knew it, I was at the top. The fridge started beeping. I looked at everyone screaming, “JUMP!” Then, I looked down and I saw a big flour bag. That was a life saver. (Literally) The fluffy flour bag would break my fall so I wouldn’t fall flat on the counter.
I looked down again, but this time I wasn’t so afraid. I decided to jump as soon as possible, just to get it over with. “1,2,3!” And there I was, falling.
I couldn’t decide whether I was scared or having the time of my life. I’m pretty sure it was a cross between both. I landed on the bag of flour. There was white powder coming out of the sack, like a fog machine. It was a sight to be seen.
I stood up, and stepped in the flour. It looked like I was stepping in the snow, like inside the fridge, the baker should probably get that checked out. I walked to the frosting bag. It looked a bit big for a cupcake. I suddenly had some chills (Which was weird since I was used to the cold of the fridge) Would I be able to even lift the frosting bag up?
I finally got to it, and it was way bigger when I was up close. I put my hands under it, and remembered what my personal trainer said; “Lift with your legs, Betty. Now drop and give me 25!” I did what he told me, but didn’t succeed. After a bit more trying, I realised that I couldn’t lift it, what a let down.
So many thoughts span around in my head, “ Nobody likes me. I tried too hard for nothing. I’LL NEVER BE NORMAL!” At that exact moment in time, at 1:27 p.m, Tuesday, September 16 2024, I realised that nobody is normal. If we were, we would all be robots. Nobody’s the same, even if you have two twin cupcakes write a autobiography, they would be so different!
That’s when I realised I didn’t have to be like every other cupcake, I could be...me, Betty Batter, half a day year old. The O.G. Naked Cupcake! This was the best day of my life, the day I realised I can’t be anyone but me.
jury comments
The jury said that “The Naked Cupcake” by Aderes Z. was highly creative, joyful, and full of whimsy. They praised its strong character development, sophisticated parody of self-image in the social media age, and clever point of view from the refrigerator. They felt the story was well developed, well written, and carried a positive message with great humour and originality.