HOW TREVOR WAS EATEN

by Greta Vrabcová

There is a Sprinkles cupcake machine which gets you a cupcake by your choice any time of the day. All you have to do is to touch the icon on the screen and choose the flavour you want. This is a story about Trevor, who’s icon wasn’t uploaded properly.

It was July 1st. One of the warm nights, so common for Washington D.C at this time of the year, and a group of hungry friends was going home after a party they all enjoyed very much. They stopped as soon as the corners of their eyes noticed the neon lights saying Cupcake ATM.

The machine was brand new and all the cupcakes were excitedly waiting behind the screen in the specialized cupcake space to get picked. They all went through the tiring photoshoots and were now only waiting for the moment somebody touches their icon on the screen, takes them out and eats them. Trevor was no different. He was made of the best combination of cream and dough and none of the other cupcakes could doubt he tasted the best.  All smiley, Trevor was listening to the steps of the group getting close.

Suddenly he heard the coins falling into the machine followed by a girly voice: ‘‘Which one should I go for?‘‘ Trevor shook in excitement, this was his moment.

‘‘How many are there?‘‘ he heard a young guy saying.

The girl started counting ‘’28, 29...and then, um, this one is probably not there or old because its icon is not uploaded, it says...‘‘

Trevor got worried. He was the 30th icon. The girl tapped on Eric – a strawberry-filled chocolate cupcake that tasted nothing special, and stepped aside from the ATM. Trevor tried not to lose his mind, there was still plenty of time until midnight when the cupcakes are considered old and thrown away...but neither of the next customers chose him.

He got desperate. What if everybody will be picking icons with perfect quality pictures and none of them will risk tapping on the unknown one? Nobody even glimpsed on Trevor’s icon for hours and hours and as the midnight was closer and closer, he was in his box quietly crying while others got replaced by new ones.

When suddenly there appeared a couple at 11.53 PM. Two people, newly in love. Young and happy. Holding hands they stepped at the ATM.

Trevor was no longer hopeful. He knew his time's about to come and that he will soon be thrown away into the garbage can.

‘‘So which one are you getting, Sally?‘‘ said the guy and put his money inside.

‘‘Oh, I only have cash for one, looks we‘ll have to share it.‘‘ he said smiling cheekily. ‘‘I’ll pick it!‘‘ said Sally with excitement in her eyes, from both, the cupcake and the love she was feeling.

Trevor looked down. Reconciled with his fate, he felt one more of his tiny tears fall on the bottom of the paper box.

Sally swiped through all of the pages and still could not decide, then something cought her eye. “What's wrong with this one?”

It was 11.55 PM now. Trevor perked up anyway. Was he finally going to be saved?

“The icon is missing. There's nothing” said Rob and Sally looked him right in the eye.

‘‘Babe, you are not gonna press that icon, are you?‘‘ he smiled desperately.

He loved how messed up she was. Whenever there was a risk, she would take it and was never scared of what will it bring, she loved the unexpected. Sally kissed him on the cheek and pressed Trevor’s icon with her soft finger. Rob sighed, expecting nothing will happen, except for his 5 dollars dissapearing to the depths of the machine. Suddenly, there was a noise and a little pink door opened. Trevor was there, the happiest he ever was. Sally smiled widely. Opened the box and together they ate the best tasting cupcake the whole world has ever seen.

You only have one life, don’t stand back and don’t get stuck living the stereotypes. Take as many risks as possible, they can end up being the best choices you will ever make.