Chapter Text
[ IMPORTANT UPDATE!!! ]
Hello! If you haven't read the summary, this fanfic is being REMADE! You may read this old version, but some things may be changed in the new one. I'll add a link once the new one is posted. Thank you <3
It was another, average day in Mobius. It was surprisingly peaceful whenever the mad doctor wasn't trying to take over the world for the thousandth time. Tangle was running around with Whisper, rambling on and on while Whisper listened quietly. Poor Jewel was dragged along with the two. But this wasn't about them, oh no. Not even close.
"Hey!" Tangle began. "The bakery has added new pastries to their menu! You wanna come visit? They have really good biscuits!" She grinned.
"That sounds nice." Whisper said, her voice as soft as ever. Jewel sighed as the three made their way into the bakery. The bakery was full and bustling of people, as it was ever. Their pastries were truly no match and everybody wanted to have a bite. The three made their way up to the counter. Tangle enthusiastically ordered before the cashier was able to finish greeting them. Jewel scolded her before ordering for the three of them.
"Coming right up." The cashier said with a smile. The girls walked to an empty table outside since the inside was completely full. The cashier had written everything Jewel had ordered in a notepad. She ripped the piece of paper out and stuck it on a board in the back. "New order!" She called out to the bakers.
"Great, as if we didn't have enough..." A brown, short-quilled hedgehog with a name tag that read "Norman" muttered as he pulled a pan full of donuts from the oven. He walked over to a shelf and placed it down to cool. He walked up to the board and looked at the piece of paper to see what was written. "Chocolate biscuits with a caramel drizzle? Ah, looks like it's Tangle again." He said. She orders the same thing every time she comes over. Everyone has already memorized her recipe.
He got started by sifting two cups of flour, one tablespoon of baking powder, and one and a half coca powder into a bowl. His co-worker was getting started on the wet ingredients. Another was working on the caramel drizzle. "I wonder why she never tries something new. I thought it was her whole shtick to like new experiences." The brown hedgehog said. His co-worker, Yolanda, laughed. "Oh, come on. Everybody has their comfort food. Besides, the only thing you order at restaurants are burgers and pasta." She nudged him. He grumbled bashfully.
"Well, I just don't know if I'll like the food I ordered and I'll waste my money..." He muttered as Yolanda turned on the mixer and poured the wet ingredients into the bowl. Norman would slowly work the dry ingredients into the mixer. "Well, maybe you should be a little more adventurous. You could learn from Tangle." She teased. Oh, if only she knew...
Once the dough was mixture was fully combined, Norman used a scooper and placed even balls of doughs onto a pan with parchment paper. Once the bowl was empty, someone took the pan and slid it into the oven. He walked over to the dish area and placed the used utensils in the warm water. He squinted his eyes at the list that was placed on the wall above the sink. "I'm on dish crew today? Man..." Norman sighed as he walked back to the kitchen to continue baking.
[A long, LONG time later.]
Most of the bakers had left and the bakery was slowly nearing it's close. Poor Norman and the others who were on dish duty were doing, you guessed it, doing dishes. The janitors were moping the floors in the kitchen. Norman reached into the warm water and hissed as he felt the heat sting his hand. He pulled out a bowl and began scrubbing it with a sponge. "Damn, my hand's turning red... This waters too hot..." He muttered. "Well, that's what we gotta do to kill bacteria. We wouldn't want the business to shut down for poor hygiene practices." His coworker, Brian, replied. Both of them sighed as they continued scrubbing and sanitizing.
Brian put the sanitized dishes onto a tray and slid the tray into the heat press. He pulled the lever as the steel box covered the tray. The machine whirred loudly as it did it's job. "Is that the last of the dishes?" He asked. Norman reached his hand into the water, wincing as his hand stung once more. When he couldn't feel any dishes, he pulled his hand back out. "No, that's all of it." He responded. Both of them sighed again, though this time in relief. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" Brian said as put on his coat and left the bakery from the back door. Norman only nodded with a soft hum. He walked over to the sink and washed his hands under cool water to ease the sting. "I hate doing dishes..." He muttered.
It was Norman's turn to grab his coat and leave. He gave his boss a half-assed goodbye and walked out. Working at a bakery really wasn't as fun and cutesy as they made it out to be in the movies, huh? If he had known that, he would've pursued something else. But he supposed it was better than working an office job and typing at a computer all day. He walked down the street, looking at the sunset in the distance. His rubbed his heavily bagged eyes and yawned. He should really get better sleep, but it was always too hard too, and there was a big reason why. He walked for a good twenty minutes before arriving to his small house at the corner of the street. He was glad his workplace was so close. He hated driving. His anxiety would always tell him he was gonna crash, even when he was at a stoplight. He grabbed his keys out of his pocket and unlocked his door, opening it and stepping inside. He slipped off his shoes and hung his coat by the door.
He sighed for what felt like the millionth time today. He had a thing for sighing, didn't he?