Fiction Former Embark Student Fiction Former Embark Student

Throw Back Thursday: The Great Pastry Fight

Eireann R. - 8th grade

What if the pastries inside pinwheel’s pastry case could talk? Have you ever wondered what conversations, or conflicts, might occur?

Well, Eireann did, with some pretty hilarious results.


The bell dinged, a new customer had arrived, interested in the shop she had found. She looked all around the shop. What drew her attention were the window panes hanging from the ceiling, dividing the shop into two, comfortable seats all around, and the menus hanging from the wall. Everything looked quite tasty and she had trouble deciding, so she stepped aside. Her top two choices were the croissant and the scone. While choosing something was a minuscule problem, a much bigger one was occurring inside the glass pastry case. 

Look,” said the croissant in a condescending tone, “all of you are decent pastries, but my buttery goodness provides the perfect pairing for any drink.

The croissant side-eyed the scone, “Why would she pick you, you’re just a dry, crusty piece of bread.” 

“At least my skin isn’t so flaky that it’s always on the brink of falling apart,” the scone said back heatedly. The other pastries stared at them in silence, not wanting to get in the middle of the fight. 

“You’re one to talk, one bump of this case and you’d be gone. Actually, I’d be the only one in this stupid place to survive a fall.”

“Why are we always dragged into the argument?” mumbled the muffin. 

“Look, why don’t we all just get along and be nice to each other?” All the pastries turned to the coffee cake. The cake was always the peacemaker in this scenario, at times too sweet for the others. It shuddered as it waited for the insults to come. The same argument often happened and it would always turn out the same way. 

The scone and croissant both looked to each other, then back at the cake, and screamed, “SHUT IT!” 

“Look,” said the croissant in a condescending tone, “all of you are decent pastries, but my buttery goodness provides the perfect pairing for any drink. And you can’t do anything about that.”

Outside the case, the new customer was now gravitating towards the coffee cake. She had decided on something sweet and chewy. 

“Are you actually joking me right now!?” The croissant screamed out in anger at the unexpected turn of events. 

“Literally what is she thinking?” 

The coffee cake was surprised, this had never happened before. It would be able to see the world for the first time. As the barista packaged the slice, the cake was blissful, ignoring the other pastries’ scoffs of shock and envy.

 “Thanks,” said the customer as she turned to leave.

The cake marveled at the outside world. There were now so many possibilities open to it. Suddenly the slice was brought back to reality as another person bumped into the customer, making her drop the pastry. It seemed as if everything slowed and it slid out of the bag. A tear ran down its face as it fell to hard, cold, concrete. The last thing the slice of cake heard was the croissant’s muffled manic laughter from inside the case, and then everything went black.

Read More
Fiction Former Embark Student Fiction Former Embark Student

The Great Pastry Fight

Eireann R. - 8th grade

What if the pastries inside pinwheel’s pastry case could talk? Have you ever wondered what conversations, or conflicts, might occur?

Well, Eireann did, with some pretty hilarious results.


The bell dinged, a new customer had arrived, interested in the shop she had found. She looked all around the shop. What drew her attention were the window panes hanging from the ceiling, dividing the shop into two, comfortable seats all around, and the menus hanging from the wall. Everything looked quite tasty and she had trouble deciding, so she stepped aside. Her top two choices were the croissant and the scone. While choosing something was a minuscule problem, a much bigger one was occurring inside the glass pastry case. 

Look,” said the croissant in a condescending tone, “all of you are decent pastries, but my buttery goodness provides the perfect pairing for any drink.
Croissant from Pinwheel Coffee in Denver, CO

The croissant side-eyed the scone, “Why would she pick you, you’re just a dry, crusty piece of bread.” 

“At least my skin isn’t so flaky that it’s always on the brink of falling apart,” the scone said back heatedly. The other pastries stared at them in silence, not wanting to get in the middle of the fight. 

“You’re one to talk, one bump of this case and you’d be gone. Actually, I’d be the only one in this stupid place to survive a fall.”

“Why are we always dragged into the argument?” mumbled the muffin. 

“Look, why don’t we all just get along and be nice to each other?” All the pastries turned to the coffee cake. The cake was always the peacemaker in this scenario, at times too sweet for the others. It shuddered as it waited for the insults to come. The same argument often happened and it would always turn out the same way. 

The scone and croissant both looked to each other, then back at the cake, and screamed, “SHUT IT!” 

Pastry from Pinwheel Coffee in Denver, CO

“Look,” said the croissant in a condescending tone, “all of you are decent pastries, but my buttery goodness provides the perfect pairing for any drink. And you can’t do anything about that.”

Outside the case, the new customer was now gravitating towards the coffee cake. She had decided on something sweet and chewy. 

“Are you actually joking me right now!?” The croissant screamed out in anger at the unexpected turn of events. 

“Literally what is she thinking?” 

The coffee cake was surprised, this had never happened before. It would be able to see the world for the first time. As the barista packaged the slice, the cake was blissful, ignoring the other pastries’ scoffs of shock and envy.

 “Thanks,” said the customer as she turned to leave.

The cake marveled at the outside world. There were now so many possibilities open to it. Suddenly the slice was brought back to reality as another person bumped into the customer, making her drop the pastry. It seemed as if everything slowed and it slid out of the bag. A tear ran down its face as it fell to hard, cold, concrete. The last thing the slice of cake heard was the croissant’s muffled manic laughter from inside the case, and then everything went black.

Read More
Fiction Former Embark Student Fiction Former Embark Student

I Gotta Get My CHAI!

Malachi S. - 7th Grade

It was a nice morning, and I was going on my daily bike ride to the nearest coffee shop. The shop’s name was Pinwheel Coffee and they had my favorite chai. I would always get an orange chai. Ever since Pinwheel opened two years ago,  I had never missed my morning chai. Before leaving the house, I put in my AirPods to listen to the morning news.

 I was on my bike and I felt a little shake in the ground. At first, I just ignored it, but then it kept getting worse and worse. As I was thrown from my bike, I heard the news reporter say, “The earthquake has reached a level 10.” I had lived in California my whole life so I was kinda used to the earthquakes. I was just focused on getting my orange chai. Then I lifted my bike up, hopped on, and got back on the road.

I got to the coffee shop and it was a disaster in there. There was coffee all over the floor and everyone was freaking out. I really wanted to get my chai and nowhere else had as good a chai. Pinwheel’s chai had the perfect mix of spices.  Peppercorn, cinnamon, clove and just a hint of orange. Delicious! I went in and they said everything but the milk spilled because it was capped. So I didn’t get my chai because all the chai mix spilled and mixed with all the coffee and iced tea mix. Since everything spilled, there was no chai or coffee that I could get.

I biked to the next nearest coffee shop, and they said that they had just run out of their chai mix. I ended up deciding on a hot chocolate from the second shop. My day wasn’t that great because I didn’t get the usual drink that I get.


Read More