Charlotte & the Seven Frat Brothers

3

Re-written 05/2022

****

"Hey," Raven walks into class dropping her bag on the table. I take her bag placing it on the floor. I had my food already prepared on the table. "Sorry." She rolls her eyes.

"Hi, you are late." I look at her briefly before turning my attention to the cutting board, chopping up the sun-dried tomatoes.

"Uh, I know. I went to Croakington to see you, so we could walk together."

"I'm sorry, I left early."

"Yeah, I know that know. Anywho, Darren seems nice..." I look at her trying to figure out where she is going with this conversation. "I was wondering if you don't mind putting in a good word for me."

"I barely know them," I tell her.

"But you will get to know them, right?" She took the skillet, adding olive oil to it. "I mean no rush, you just moved into the house."

"I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises, these guys aren't lik—"

"I can handle it, Char. I'm a big girl."

"Whatever you say, don't get your hopes up. These are the guys of Croakington, but enough talking about them we need to start our pasta. This is the dish that will help Professor Duggan in deciding if I'm ready for the culinary program in LA. You know how much it means to me."

"I know." She huffs, turning on the burner.

The Prestigious Ramona Culinary Academy is my entire life. I have dreamed of going to that school for as long as I could remember. All the top Chefs attended that academy and their lives have changed for the better. I could see myself now, walking up the steps to a new beginning. A life I always wanted, I will continue to live out the Withers chef dream.

Raven and I worked well together. Always knowing what the other was going to do or ask next. I was thrilled that she decided to take a course in culinary this year. She was never into cooking, but I guess since she has free time she would take a few lessons.

Forty-five minutes later the Bistro Chicken Pasta was finished and I got through it without punching Raven in the face on many occasions. Normally, when we cook with one another everything runs smoothly however, today was off by a landslide, she was making mistakes one after the other. I had to stop a few times to ask her was she ok? If this dish wasn't so important to me I wouldn't have cared about her mistakes, but it was important.

Professor Duggan walks to our station, looking at the pasta.

"Presentation perfectly delivered, this is a ten." I look over at Raven, nodding. I didn't want to get too excited because Professor Duggan knows how to kill someone's happiness in mere seconds. She picks up the fork taking a nice serving of the pasta. "Wow, this is delicious a perfect ten. Charlotte, you have a great talent for this, PRCA will be honored to have you there next year."

"Thank you so much, Professor Duggan." A smile tugs at my lips, this is amazing. I'm the only one on campus who is trying to get into PRCA and this right there was a good thing. Only one student per University was sent to that school. Last year five students had to battle it out with their dishes and maintain a 3.0 GPA. I have a 3.5 GPA and that will be easy to maintain of course staying away from the male specimen is top on the list. I have to woo over Professor Duggan with all my dishes so she can sign off the paperwork that will get me into the Academy.

"Why didn't you tell her that I helped you with this dish?" Raven asks once Professor Duggan moved on to the next station.

"Raven, you nearly ruined the dish and I didn't think you would want to be credited for anything cooking wise seeing this is your free class." I shoulder bump her in a playful way. What is her problem?