Narcissus' Cookies

Jessica was exhausted. She had 3 more types of cookies to make and she only had one hour. She started kneading the apple snickerdoodle dough. It will be worth it she told herself. All her friends were coming, and one of her “not friends”. She had told Ashanti (and herself) that he was only coming here because he was famous for his baking. Jess was famous for baking too, only she was famous for making people sick with her baked goods. She hoped today would turn out differently. She had decided to host a cookie exchange a couple days before Christmas. Yesterday, she had pulled out her grandmother’s cookbook, and found 6 cookies to make. She knew everyone would be trying to impress with the fanciest cookies, so she went simple. (This might also be since she was terrible at baking.) However, she did make one very difficult cookie. Jessica was making gingerbread flavored cookie shot glasses filled with gingerbread flavored meringue. Bailey was bringing the meringue, knowing Bailey, all of her cookies would have meringue. (Or be meringue.) Jessica thought everyone’s personality was represented by the types of cookies they took to a cookie exchange. Ashanti used flavors and decorations that when she described everyone was like “Gag me”, but they turned out wonderful. She was like that in life too. Ashanti fixed problems by things everyone thought was crazy, but they learned she was always right. Jessica made everything simple and from a cookbook except for one cookie she concentrated on so much she was bound to fail. She was like that in life too. Especially with friends. Bailey, and her girlfriend, Oceane made opposite cookies a lot on accident, but things can’t be opposite unless they’re a little alike. Just two more and Jessica was ready to put the snickerdoodles in the oven. She put them in the oven. All the cookies were baking at 350°, and she would write on the chalkboard in her kitchen when to take each one out. She grabbed the Eggnog Spice recipe she had printed out. She was searching her mind why she had invited Narcissus. It’s not like Narcissus was a terrible person. Most just considered him unfriendly, but he was really just shy. If you questioned him for an hour you would get enough information to fit into a sentence or two.  It would be weird, all her homies, Narcissus would be a fifth(or would it be ninth) wheel. She turned the mixer on high. Even if she was terrible at it, baking was a release for her. She was still pretty nervous, but before she was shaking. She only noticed in comparison for how much she felt. The mixing had been going on way to long. Good thing she ran out of gluten flour or these cookies would not turn out well. Gluten is the glue that holds things together in baking, with gluten-free flour it’s not that bad if you overmix it. Jess’ niece is gluten free, so she had extra flour and didn’t have to run to the store. As she spooned out the cookies, she saw there was a coarse, black hair in the mix. Gross! She picked it out and hoped no more of her hair was in the cookies. Jess was really in the groove of things by number six. She hoped the shot glasses turned out ok. She had never tested the flavor out. Jess was at the point when you’re so busy things get boring. Jess was never bored if she had something to do, but if you make a fire too big it burns through all the wood.

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Jessica was putting the cookies on plates while the shot glasses cooled off. She had changed into an ugly Christmas sweater with a T-rex. It was 5:07 and no one had arrived yet. She wouldn’t mind except she needed the meringue Bailey had for her cookies. She twiddled her thumbs for a while and kept rearranging the cookies on the plates. She wasn’t satisfied with how the plate looked with two different cookies, so she got plates from the cupboard. With the plates for the guests, the dishes she used to make the cookies, and the cookie plates she didn’t have a single plate or bowl left. Oceane’s red sedan pulled into the parking lot. Jess went to the front door and waited. The door burst open and Bailey tackled her. In some parts this is also known as hugging. Oceane laughed as Bailey stopped hugging Jess and pushed her backwards, like Bailey didn’t hug her in the first place. Oceane handed Jess two piping bags containing the meringue. Jess grabbed the meringue “Bailey, why did you make so much meringue?” she said. They were big piping bags and there were only 10 cookies. “I didn’t want you to run out.” Bailey called. “If shot glasses were that big, we’d all be dead drunk.” Jessica was hallway through filling the cookies when there was a knock at the door. She opened it. Narcissus was there. Not exactly that she didn't believe he would come; he did say he would. “Hi, come in! ” she said. He came in and started pulling plates of cookies out of his messenger bag. He still hadn't said a word. Ashanti walked in the room, which surprised everyone, because none of them had heard her enter. The silence in the room was deafening. Even Bailey didn't say anything. Jess was racking her brain for something to say well she filled the rest of the cookies. Finally, “You can put the cookies on the table. We're waiting for five more people”. “Ok, I made a bunch of different cookies that all look exactly like gingerbread and some actual gingerbread. I don’t know what is what though” Everyone was surprised, Narcissus had actually spoken. Jessica didn’t know why she invited him, but it was something along these lines. She wanted to know who he was, the secret person hidden beneath his blank mask. She wanted to be his friend even if she didn’t know who he was. Most importantly, she wanted to try his cookies.