My feet hit the cool stones beneath with small thuds as I skip by the Brass Bar and the Tailor's. It's very cool morning and the winter breeze brushes against my orange-blonde hair. I can already tell it is going to be a very good day. My name is Maya by the way. I live in a small town called Castanet, which is a quaint little town pretty far from any form of civilization. I love dancing, singing, and most of all, cooking.

I'm not exactly great at cooking, but I love to do it. Most things I touch end up burned, frozen, or inedible, but I don't get discouraged easily. I've actually been taking lessons from the finest chef I know, so I can one day become an internationally known chef. My teacher's name is Chase, and he is perfect. I love everything about him. He is so handsome and caring, though he really has a strange way of showing it. He's often tough on me, criticizing my dishes very particularly, but I know it's just because he wants the best from me. He plays the flute like and angel, and his cooking is unmatched by anyone else.

I love everything about him, except for his wife, Hikari.

Let's get one thing straight: I ALWAYS loved Chase. I grew up with him, listened to him, and dealt with his angry outbursts and cold atmosphere. Even through this, he never gave me the time of the day. Then, all of a sudden, this little whore comes in for a year and he falls in love. It's really aggravating. I couldn't attend the wedding I was so mad. No matter how I've tried, he won't come back to me and leave stupid Hikari.

I look down at the basket I'm carrying. Inside is a cake I baked for today, Thanksgiving Day. Surprisingly, this one turned out really well, even considering the fact I was experimenting with ingredients. It's red velvet, very deep and rich, with a light, fluffy frosting. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks incredible. I'm saving it for Chase. I'm hoping that if I show him my cooking skills, he'll fall in love with me, and today is the perfect day to give him the cake.

He taught me how to make this type of cake anyway. I remember the lesson very well, but most of the time I was just staring into his beautiful face. All I really remember hearing "beat" , "whip" , and "bake" when he was demonstrating how to make the batter. Luckily, he gave me the recipe for it, so I didn't really have to listen. Truthfully, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into my cake, and I would be devastated if he didn't like it.

I reach Hikari and Chase's house and knock on the door. I look around the farm, animals out I the fields, gobbling up grass. The cows' utters swollen with milk, due to the fact that Hikari hasn't milked them. I smile. They won't be milked for a while.

Chase answers the door, looking mildly flustered. He runs his hand through his hair and sighs.

"What do you need Maya?"

I hold out the basket. "Happy Thanksgiving! I brought you a cake."

Chase's hand instinctively goes to his stomach. "Oh, Maya, you really didn't have to…"

"Oh, but sure I did!" I say, bouncing into his house. I set the basket on the table and pull out the cake. "Considering your wife isn't here today, I thought you might want SOMEONE to give you cake."

He looks at me suspiciously. "How did you know she isn't here?"

"The cows aren't milked."

"Maya, now really isn't the best time. You can come back any other day, just not today."

I pout. "Will you please at least try my cake? I want to see if you like it."

He sighs and goes over to the kitchen, pulling a fork from the drawer.

"Maya, have you seen Hikari? I haven't seen her since she left yesterday to buy fish."

I smirk. "Oh yes. I did yesterday. She helped me make this cake."

He looks at me. "Really?"

"Yep." I say. "She helped me out on the ingredients. I couldn't get some of them from the general store, so she gave me some of hers."

With that, he sits down and takes a bite of the cake. His face slowly goes from aggravated to amazed, and he looks at me with disbelief.

"Maya. Did you really make this?"

"Yes."

Chase looks at the cake, then back at me. "It's incredible! Absolutely amazing!"

He cuts himself a slice and begins to eat it. I watch, content with my work. If only he knew…

"What's in it?" he asks quickly.

I laugh. "Well, a lot of blood, sweat, and tears."

Chase laughed. "Good one! But seriously, what's in it?"

I look at him. "I am serious."

His smile becomes forced. "Maya, quit joking. What's the secret ingredient?"

I laugh. "Hikari. Beaten, whipped, and baked."

Heyo! How you guys been? I know it's been five months, and I'm really sorry, but lack of inspiration and school don't mix very well, so I haven't been able to update. BUT I'M BACK AND SCHOOL'S OUT SO WHOOP WHOOP! Been playing New Beginning and still freaking love it. I can't wait for Connecting to a New World to come to the US. SO PUMPED! Anyway, please review because I love to improve myself. PM me if you've got any questions, and I'll try to update soon. - Beetle