Marinette POV
I rushed into the school and saw Alya on the front steps. "Hey girl, whatcha doing here so early?" She asked me as I ran past her.
"Sorry Alya talk to you later, ok?" I yelled back to her waving goodbye. Alya just stood there and shrugged, waving goodbye back to me.
When I got to Mr.Damocles' office, I knocked on his door and asked if I could come in, out of breath. "Yes, you may come in, Marinette." He said to me in his loud voice. I walked in and was confused. How did he know it was me? He saw my confusion and chuckled. "Sorry to startle you, but your parents called yesterday evening and told me you would be coming to talk to me about you attending school for the next month."
I smiled at him with relief and told him about how my parents were away and I had to run the bakery. Then I told him about how I thought I could do both school and work at the bakery. He listened carefully, nodding after each point. "So, what do you think? Can I go to school here and work at my parent's bakery?" He looked down at his papers and then back to me, folding his hands in front of him on the desk. "Marinette, I believe every student should be in attendance for class every day. But seeing as though you have a bit of a problem elsewhere, I think that as long as you do your homework for each class like every other student, I see no harm in why you can't stay at the bakery. But, your parents were worried about special orders and the breakfast and lunch times where your bakery is busiest. Stay home until the breakfast rush is over, then maybe come back for a class or two until the lunch rush, and repeat the process." He looked at me for my response.
"Thanks so much Mr. Damocles! I promise I will work extra hard to get my schoolwork done!" I shook his hand with a huge smile on my face, then hurriedly ran out the door. I turned around and waved happily as I yelled, "You won't regret it!"
I ran out of the school and stopped as I passed Alya. "Hey Alya, can you do me a HUGE favor?"
"Ya sure girl! What do you need me to do?" She told me with a huge smile. I told her about how my parents were away and that I was going to stay at the bakery for the next month and I needed her to help me with my homework and pick it up and drop it off for me. "Sure, but you better make it up to me." She added with a smirk.
I sighed and rolled my eyes at Alya, because I knew she was playing with me. "Ok, ok, I will make you something extra if I have the time. But I gotta get back to the bakery before the breakfast rush. See ya!" We waved goodbye as I got back to the bakery and saw that nobody was there yet.
I opened the door to the bakery and flipped the sign to 'Open'. I put on my apron and looked at the time. 6:50. "Well, guess I have a bit of time before the customers arrive. The breakfast rush starts at around 7:00. What should I do until then?" Tikki flew out of my purse a little, still behind the counter so she couldn't be seen.
"Mari, you should stay down here and wait for customers. They should be here soon so you have to be ready." Tikki said, looking up at me and smiled. "But a way to attract customers is not to look so bored and tired. Try smiling." Tikki giggled at how bored I looked with my elbows on the counter and my face in my hands. I looked at her and laughed too, because she always finds a way to cheer me up.
Ting-a-ling I looked up from my purse and looked at the customer who just walked in. "Hello, good morning. Is there anything I can help with?" I asked the woman in a blouse and shorts with a briefcase at her side. She was about 30, and was looking at the muffins.
She looked at me with a smile and said to me nicely, "Can I have two raspberry muffins, please?"
I opened the case and took out two muffins and put them in a bag with some napkins. "Here you go. Have a nice day." I said to the woman as she took her muffins and walked out of the bakery. "Well, Tikki, that wasn't so hard. Maybe this will be easy after all."
-10 mins later-
"I'll be right with you, ma'am!" I said as I hurried to package up an order for an angry businesswoman.
"Where are my croissants?" An agitated painter said from the corner of the store.
"It's about time! Just keep the change! I am going to be late now, thanks to you!" the angry businesswoman said as I gave her her food and she threw the money at me.
"Um, miss, over here! I've been waiting for at least five minutes now!" A woman asked from one of the displays.
"I'll be right there!" I yelled as I got over to the woman and started taking her order. "Here you go,madam."
"Thanks, but I would have wanted it to be much faster." She said as she too, threw her money at me.
"Um... everyone? I'll be right back!" I yelled to the bakery as I went to the kitchen and closed the door, making sure nobody was looking. "Tikki, I need your help. They don't like me and I don't know what to do."
Tikki came out of my purse and grabbed my face. "Mari, you can do this. Just get them under control. Do what your parents do. Be calm and keep trying until you get it right." She smiled at me comfortingly, awaiting my response.
"Your'e right Tikki. Let's get this crowd under control!" I let Tikki hide in my purse before I stormed out of the kitchen and back to the counter. Everyone was yelling at eachother, pushing towards the front counters and displays. "Everyone listen!" I yelled with the loudest voice I could muster. The whole bakery went silent, and I looked at the crowd. "I know that you all want to get your food and leave, but I am alone and I can't work as fast as needed. I know I am not my mom and dad, but I want to make this work. But all I need is for you to listen and cooperate. So can everyone get into a single file line to the counter? Please?" I looked sheepishly at the crowd, and one person spoke up.
"You heard the girl! Everyone, move back!" She waved her arms signaling them to move, and they muttered and whispered among themselves before moving back, forming a line.
I looked at the crowd and smiled at how they worked together to form a line, making my job easier.
I smiled at how these people changed from mean, impatient people to people who would be considerate towards others in a matter of seconds. And to tell the truth, that little act of kindness broke my heart and made my day at the same time. "Thanks, everyone. You have really stepped up to be more caring and patient, so as a gift for being so considerate and for the long wait, everyone's food is 25% off!"
Eventually, I got all of the customers their food and out the door. And by the time the lunch rush came, I had figured out how to operate the bakery by myself. All that was left now was to wait for Alya to come and help with my homework.