Diane Tullson (cid:83)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:73)(cid:72)(cid:70)(cid:87)(cid:79)(cid:92)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:82)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3) at an untouched cup of chocolate chips in front of me She says Taz the recipe works better if you use all of the ingredients No I forgot the chocolate chips Mielle shrugs They’re called choc olate chip cookies for a reason Why does Mielle always choose to work next to me Because I make her look even more perfect (cid:48)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:46)(cid:82)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:76)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:15)(cid:3) checking people’s work Her voice lifts in pitch and volume as the clock inches toward the bell Quickly please clean your stations She pauses at a group of guys Counters too Cal Food safety begins with clean work habits She breaks off a crumb from one of their cookies and tastes it mentally measuring all the ingredients She checks the clock Five minutes students Marks (cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:3)(cid:92)(cid:82)(cid:88)(cid:3)(cid:71)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:182)(cid:87)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:81)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:81)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:80)(cid:72)(cid:17)(cid:180) 2
Taz’s Recipe I grab a handful of chocolate chips Maybe I can scatter some on top of the cookies so it looks like I didn’t forget them I strew the cookies with the choc olate chips But the cookies have cooled and the chocolate chips roll off I try to press some chips onto a cookie but the cookie breaks apart Maybe if I melt the chocolate chips slightly they’ll stick I head to the microwave with the cup of chocolate chips How long does it take to soften chocolate Ms Koe’s voice is at screech level now No one leaves until this class room is clean Several people groan I slam the door on the microwave crank the timer and run back to my station I shovel dirty dishes into the sink Soap bubbles (cid:86)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:86)(cid:75)(cid:3)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:82)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:192)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:48)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:79)(cid:79)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:68)(cid:78)(cid:72)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:87)(cid:72)(cid:83)(cid:3) away protecting her sweater from the spray with a notebook I don’t have 3
Diane Tullson time to care if my shirt gets splashed I plunge my hands into the dishwater and start washing Cal I’m not going to tell you again Ms Koe’s eyes are buggy Cal uses his spatula like a catapult to launch blobs of cookie batter at his friends If there’s even one speck of mess at your station She pauses and sniffs the air Did someone leave an oven on Check your ovens everyone I toss my dishes still wet back into the cupboard Meille sniffs What is that smell I can smell it too It’s burning plastic And chocolate I feel my stomach drop My choco late I run to the microwave The inside of the microwave swirls with black smoke Ms Koe spots it too She stammers No Don’t open I yank open the microwave door the door 4
Taz’s Recipe Smoke billows into the classroom Flames lick out of the microwave The ceiling smoke detectors start to squeal (cid:48)(cid:86)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:46)(cid:82)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:89)(cid:68)(cid:88)(cid:79)(cid:87)(cid:86)(cid:3)(cid:73)(cid:82)(cid:85)(cid:3)(cid:87)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:70)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:86)(cid:86)(cid:85)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3) extinguisher Then the sprinklers go off It’s like a shower except it’s cold And with the entire class And the teacher She gasps Stay calm Don’t run People do not stay calm Everyone makes for the door Three girls all named Sara block the doorway as they struggle to get through it In their identical jeans and their identical shoes and their identical braces they look like a three (cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:68)(cid:71)(cid:72)(cid:71)(cid:3)(cid:75)(cid:88)(cid:80)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:55)(cid:75)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:86)(cid:70)(cid:75)(cid:82)(cid:82)(cid:79)(cid:3)(cid:191)(cid:85)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:68)(cid:85)(cid:80)(cid:3)(cid:76)(cid:86)(cid:3) blaring and I can hear the pounding of people’s feet in the halls Mielle clutches her arms across her chest Nice work she says to me rolling her eyes Her sweater clings to her like a wet plastic bag Not like it’s cashmere 5
