This One Takes the Cake

Life was strange. It was full of surprises. They often declared, “Expect the unexpected.” Karissa typically remained unfazed by the curveballs life occasionally threw her way, but nothing prepared her for the scene she found before her that day in her friend’s kitchen. Upon opening the door, the potently sweet scent of chocolate swam through the atmosphere, caressing her senses. It hung thick in the air. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she hit the heavy wall of the decadent aroma. She warily eyed the scene before her. There sat her friend, Serena, perched upon the granite counters next to a chocolate cake. She hummed merrily, legs crossed, in appreciation of her creation, eagerly anticipating the first bite.

Noticing Karissa’s arrival, she exclaimed, “Oh, good! You’re here! I’ve finally done it! It’s a masterpiece! Want to share a slice with me?”

Karissa returned her focus to the said “masterpiece.” It was no ordinary chocolate cake. Who knows how much chocolate frosting her friend had used—it lay heavy and thick, clinging to the cake. Chocolate chips laid scattered atop the cake and the countertops. Flowers painstakingly crafted from chocolate were artfully placed. She had obviously put a lot of thought and care into crafting the cake, but what on earth was going on with the cake’s interior?

Uneasy, Karissa reluctantly took a small step forward, inquiring, “Why is the inside speckled like that? That doesn’t look…” She paused considering how to phrase her thoughts, settling with, “normal.”

Glancing back to her friend, Serena stopped enjoying her creation, remarking, “Speckled? Ooohh, you mean the M&M’s. I thought that’d add a fun twist and surprise in the cake! Isn’t this cake just the best?” Serena broke out into a massive smile.

Karissa wasn’t sure how to respond. It was surprising, sure, but the multitude of colored specks mixing with the baked chocolate cake batter, left it looking… well, mangy. Karissa’s stomach churned. The colors mixed strangely with the chocolate cake; it looked straight-up funky.

Convinced that Karissa was admiring her creation instead of baffled horror, Serena revealed in a faux whisper, “That’s not the only surprise, either.”

Steeling herself, Karissa was uncertain if she was prepared for any more surprises and reluctantly asked, “There’s more?”

Breaking out into a huge grin, Serena declared, “I’ve really outdone myself! Just take a look!” Taking her fork, she cut into her large piece of cake, letting the cake reveal its secret. Chocolate began to ooze from the cake, seeping onto the plate. “I even made this cake like those chocolate lava cakes! There’s pockets of exquisite, molten chocolate throughout the cake! This cake is simply the best! It’s to die for!”

Warily taking in the sight of the cake, Karissa sighed, “More like it’ll kill you. Do you even know how much sugar is in there? I have no qualms with savoring and appreciating dessert, but your cake is kind of an abomination… How much frosting did you even use??”

Serena, distracted from savoring the taste of her chocolate confection, looked up. “Hmm? How much frosting? Umm…. Several containers. I didn’t really count. If you really want to know, you could always check the trash.” She shrugged her shoulders and resumed her slow consumption of her piece of cake. “Purely divine,” she sighed in appreciation.

Sighing and shaking her head, Karissa approached the trash can, warily eyeing the mountain of dirty dishes haphazardly strewn in the sink ready to topple at any moment, a little apprehensive about what she might find. Upon finding the remnants of Serena’s latest baking excursion, her eyes bulged. She was shocked silent in disbelief for several moments. Serena, per usual oblivious to Karissa’s dismay whenever her absurd creations were involved, continued to relish her cake, bite after slow, succulent bite, in her own pocket of heaven.

“Three… You used three containers of frosting??? Your cake isn’t even that big—sure, if it was one of those multi-tiered cakes, I could understand it, but what possessed you to use THREE containers of frosting?”

Reveling in her decadent chocolate masterpiece, Serena blinked, processing her friend’s question, before answering, “Oh, because it felt right. This time I just kept adding to the cake until it felt like it was done. I didn’t really think that much about it. Just listened to my heart. It’s been a real process of trial and error. The other chocolate cakes were delicious, but it just felt like they were missing something, you know?”

Horror crept into her gut as memories of these past fiascos flooded her. “There’s—there’s more of these cakes?? Do I even want to know how many more? I’m afraid of the answer….”

Tilting her head to the side, Serena asked, perplexed, “Why would you be afraid of the answer? It’s nothing scary. What’s so scary about cakes? They’re not even here anymore. I made them last week while you were on vacation. Plus, they were miniature cakes. I wanted to perfect my cake, so making a bunch of tiny ones worked best. Plus, they were so cute!! You should have seen them!” She gushed, twirling around the kitchen, lost in happy memories of her horde of mini, adorable, chocolate cakes.

Karissa mulled over the new information. At least Serena had the sense to make smaller cakes, limiting her sugar intake. Eyeing her newest cake, she couldn’t even fathom a guess on how much sugar was actually in her “masterpiece.” She had no qualms against chocolate, as it’s delicious—but as the saying goes, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Karissa couldn’t even begin to comprehend how Serena could stomach that much sugar—the sickeningly sweet smell hovered all around them in the air, trying to seep into their pores. Karissa, knowing her friend as well as she did, could only imagine what it was like while she was gone. She could see it now, her friend, grinning with pure, unadulterated glee, as she was surrounded by her army of amassed sweets. That certainly would have been a sight to behold. She sighed.

Taking another sensuous bite of cake, Serena sighed dreamily. “Life is great. What would we do without chocolate? You really got to try this. You won’t regret it.” Savoring yet another luscious bite, she added, “It’s like being wrapped up in a cozy warm blanket of love. I just feel so happy. If I died right now, I’d die happy.” She let out a happy little moan from her chocolate ecstasy.

Karissa eyed her friend skeptically. “There’s nothing else you’d want to do? You wouldn’t feel like you were missing out on anything?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that. There’s still plenty I’d like to do. Like try every dessert in the entire world! That’d be absolutely divine! That being said, I feel completely content in this moment, so if I had to go now as it was my time, I’d have no complaints. Life is good. Chocolate is delicious. I’m happy. Pure and simple,” Serena chirped.

Karissa mulled over her friend’s declaration. She did indeed exude pure bliss, which was typical when it came to desserts for Serena, but Serena had a point—she couldn’t argue with that. Granted, her stomach ached just looking at the chocolate assemblage posing as a cake, but to each their own. Lips quirking, Karissa teasingly retorted, “You know, you ought to be careful. You know what they say: you are what you eat. You might just become chocolate with that mountain of chocolate you call cake.”

Dramatically contemplating those words as she partook in yet another luxurious bite of cake, Serena finally replied, “You know, that might not be such a bad thing. Maybe it’d sort of be like how Majin Buu made people into chocolate in Dragon Ball Z. I’m so happy now because I’m eating chocolate; if I became chocolate, I could make someone else just as happy! That’d be great! Granted, I’m not looking to be eaten or anything, but if I could make someone this happy, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”

Looking closer at Serena, she noted her oversized, pink, tie dye, Sailor Moon t-shirt in pristine condition. She glanced at the counter, spying Serena’s beloved “Otaku 4 Life” apron discarded next to the “cake” and covered in the remnants of her baking.

Quirking an eyebrow, Karissa remarked, “You’re such a strange one. I don’t think many people would find a bright side in becoming chocolate and being eaten.” She shook her head at her friend in disbelief. “You’re impossible sometimes, you know that?” She smiled with an affectionate laugh.

Serena beamed. “You know you love me and wouldn’t have me any other way! Just think of it: imagine if I hid my glorious true nature away, pretending to be like everyone else—it’d be so boring! My quirkiness is what makes you love me; don’t even try to deny it!”

Bursting into laughter, clutching her sides, Karissa relented, “You’re truly something else. Life would be dull without you, my best friend. I may not understand how you can stomach all that chocolate at once, but I love you all the same.”

Devious smile creeping onto her face, Serena pounced on the opportunity, declaring, “Of course you love me! Now that the irrefutable truth is recognized and out of the way, you know you want to try—“ pausing for dramatic effect, she pranced around Karissa before singing, “my masterpiece.”

Karissa knew that her best friend would never lead her astray, but she still was hesitant to partake in her latest chocolate creation. She eyed the cake reluctantly, as it sat there quietly on the countertop: the epitome of faux innocence. It might not have been able to speak, but its presence spoke volumes. The chocolate aroma wafted through the air, trying to coax you in close with promises of breathtaking deliciousness, whispering sweet nothings in your ears as its sweetness lulled you into a false sense of security. Karissa knew it was a slippery slope; those promises could easily ensnare and trap a person. She shuddered in remembrance.

Taking a deep breath, she relented, “Fine, I’ll have some. Only a small piece, though. I mean SMALL. I can’t handle this stockpile of chocolate like you do.”

Fist pumping into the air with a skip, Serena proclaimed victory. “Thank you! You won’t regret as your taste buds are escorted to Heaven’s gates!”

Karissa shook her head in exasperation, “I swear. Sometimes it feels like you’re Honey-senpai off the show Ouran High School Host Club. Please tell me you don’t have midnight sweet parties like he does. I shudder at the thought.”

Blinking at her friend in innocence, she remarked, “You mean I’m sweet and adorable? Why thank you! I always knew it, but it’s great to have confirmation!”

Chuckling with a hint of exasperation, Karissa smiled at her friend’s joke. Serena wasn’t full of herself; she was indeed a sweet and adorable soul. Realization dawned on her as she took a bite of Serena’s chocolate cake: Serena hadn’t denied having the late-night sweet parties.

Some of the growing dismay must have shown on her face since Serena swiftly waved her hand, as if reading her mind, and commented, “Oh, it’s not like it happens too often. Just every now and then. Like… hmm… Maybe every several days. It’s no big deal.”

Unsure of if Serena was continuing her joke, Karissa remained quiet. Continuing to savor her friend’s treat, she decided that maybe it was best if she didn’t drop by unannounced late at night. She adored her friend, but who knows what she would find. Stumbling upon a midnight cake party, alit with scarce, flickering candles in the dark of night, was a terrifying prospect. Karissa didn’t think she could handle it. Maybe Chika had the right idea—alien indeed.