//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: Sweet Carrots 
// by Epic Yarn 
//------------------------------//

CHIFFON SWIRL


What can I say? It was really good advice.
“Well?” I don’t really want to look, but I can’t seem to move my eyes away. Pear Butter and I are sitting at her family’s kitchen table with my latest experiment. The Pear family was nice enough to let me use their kitchen when my dad banned carrot cake from the house. I guess making it three times a day is a bit much.
Pear Butter just swallowed her bite and now her mouth is hanging open. “Chiffon…”
“It’s okay if you don’t like it. I was just trying out something new.” I reach over to take the plate, but she pulls it back before I can grab it. 
“Don’t ya dare! This is your best one yet. Didn’t think you could top the last one, but I was so, so wrong. What’d ya do to it?”
“Messed with the topping a bit. I made some buttermilk syrup, but I let it boil an extra five minutes so it’s more like a caramel. Then, I poured it over the cake. Once that was all sticky and cool, I used the powered sugar.”
Pear Butter is already slicing herself another piece. “Can ya do that? I mean, isn’t that against the rules?”
“I don’t think so. I looked at the rules again and tracked down previous years’ winners. We’re allowed to perfect the recipe’s taste and as long as it looks like the original it shouldn’t be a problem. The point is so the judges can’t tell who’s whose.”
“Well, this is the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted! Pa!” Pear Butter yells over her shoulder at her dad who’s passing in the hall, “you hav’ta try this!”
Grand Pear stuck his head through the kitchen doorway. “What’s that?”
“Only the best carrot cake you’ve ever tasted! Here.” Pear Butter grabs another plate and takes a big piece of cake from the pan. She hands it to her dad who doesn’t waste much time taking a bite. 
“Mmmmmm.” He smacks his lips together. “You say this here is carrot cake?”
I can’t stop myself from smiling. “You like it?”
“Never knew carrot cake could taste this good! Is there…walnuts in this?”
“Pecans, actually. And coconut.”
“I like the powdered sugar. Never thought much of cream cheese frosting.”
I sort skipped on my hooves. “Thanks, Mr. Pear.”
Pear Butter took another piece and put it in a small box. “Mind if I save this for later?”
“Take all of it. Dad told me carrots are banned from our house for a year. Mom said if she never looks at another carrot in her entire life, she’ll be perfectly fine.”
Pear Butter laughed. “Well, they’re missing out. Hey, how’d you get over the whole carrot issue? You spent weeks trying to get them just right.”
“Ugh. It was only the simplest solution in all of Equestria. Sticks told me his mom hoof-shreds her carrots for cooking. I guess they cook differently if they’re machine grated.”
“Sticks? Who’s—Oh, you mean Carrot Sticks?”
“Makes sense, too.” Grand-pear licked the last crumbs from his plate. “Carrot farmers know their way around carrots. Good thinking, Chiffon, on asking him.”
I look down at the table. I didn’t really ask Sticks, he offered it up freely.
“Which one is he, again?” Pear Butter asked. “Never could keep all the brothers straight.”
“The tall one.” I start gathering up all the dirty pots, pans, and plates in order to hide the pink in my cheeks. Sticks is sorta cute and all, but I don’t want anypony to notice me going all ga-ga over a guy. “His coat looks a bit like butter.”
“Oooh. He’s the one that makes the carrot deliveries, right? I thought that was Carrot Top.”
“Yeah, that’s Sticks.” I practically bury my face in the dishes as I dump them in the sink. Every time he delivers to Sweet P’s he orders my Candy Pear Cinnamon Swirl Cake. I guess he likes it. A lot. I wonder what else he likes. “You know the Carrot family at all, Mr. Pear?” I pick up a pan and start scrubbing.
“Not well. Their farm’s on the other side of Ponyville. Our only neighbors are the Apples and them lots are all rotten cores, if you ask me.”
I glanced at Pear Butter just in time to see her roll her eyes. “Hey!” She sits up in her chair, “do’ya think Mrs. Carrot’s the one you’re competing against?”
“The thought crossed my mind, but I’m not sure she bakes. I’ve seen a few of her columns in the Ponyville Daily and they’re all about cooking—not baking. I’ve also never seen the Carrots selling cake at the market.”
“Maybe it’s Sticks. What’s his cutie mark look like again?”
I swallow. “I don’t know. It’s always covered with delivery bags. Besides, it can’t be him. He helped me and that’s against the rules.”
Pear Butter shrugged. “Guess we’ll find out in next week. Hey, don’t wash that pan yet, I was gonna lick it clean.”