Daisey Matthews, a senior at Elkin High School in Elkin, North Carolina, floated into school on a typical snowy Monday of December, which she thought was going to be just a normal day.  It seemed to be going alright during her first three classes, but when Daisey strode into her AP Biology class is when things took a turn for the unordinary.

    Daiseys class was flooded with people. It had many people that the class had to be held in the theater.  When she sat in her assigned seat she noticed a piece of paper peeking through the holes of the cup holder attached to her seat.

    Dear Daisey,

    I know this is weird, writing you a letter since it’s kind of old school.  But since I don’t have your number doesn’t really do stuff like this anymore.  Well, since we’re nearing Christmas I wanted to take a risk.  I like you a lot, I think you’re so beautiful and I look forward to this class everyday just knowing I’ll get to see you in it. Hopefully someday I’ll have the courage to let you know who I am.

                    -Your Secret Admirer

    “I bet it’s Chad Peterson, I heard he’s had his eye on you.” Claire Jensen chirped in Daisey’s ear from the seat behind her, scaring her to death.  She must’ve read the entire letter while Daisey had it flaunted out.

    “Chad Peterson? Do ya think so?” Daisey asked Claire with interest.  Claire and Daisey weren’t necessarily friends, but they shared gossip with each other when they both needed someone to talk to.  Daisey knew Claire was well informed of the ‘Elkin School 411’.

    “Well, James Douglas told Reid White who told Ted Bridges…..” Daisey spaced off as Claire went on. 

Could Chad Peterson really like me? I’ve only been crushing on him since second grade!

This was true. Of course Daisey being an attractive girl had boyfriends throughout junior high and high school, but there was always Chad Peterson that Daisey would never stop falling for. The butterflies every time she saw him, choking up every time he tried to talk to her, and of course, the countless journal entries, daydreams and fantasies she’d had of Chad for years.  Daisey’s feelings never went away.

    “Daisey? Hello, were you even listening?”  Clare's voice interrupted her thoughts.

    “I’m sorry, I spaced off.”  Daisey answered.

    Annoyed, Claire repeated herself. “I said Chad’s favorite holiday treat is peanut butter balls.  Why don’t you make him some and put it in his locker or something.”

    “Isn’t that a little pushy?”  Daisey asked.

    “C’mon, Daisey, the guy just hand wrote you a letter and stuck it in your seat.”

    “We don’t know for sure if it’s Chad, for all I know it could be Lawrence Homer, my weird biology partner. It’s probably nothing.

    “Daisey,” Claired dragged out her name, “just look at him.”

    Daisey turned a peaked a glance behind a few rows back where she knew Chad’s seat was.  He caught her glance and nonchalantly gave her a head nod which Daisey returned with a red flushed face and an awkward wave that lasted way too long.

    Daisey turned to Claire who was watching her. “Okay fine, you’re right.  I’ll make the boy his stupid peanut butter balls.”

    After school Daisey rushed home to log onto Pinterest in search for recipes.  Her piles of homework and three tests she had to study for didn’t amount to the nerves and excitement Daisey secretly had for making Chad his favorite holiday dessert.  She decided she was going to “man up” and drop the sweets off at Chads house when he was done with basketball practice.  She didn’t like this secretive stuff. She’d known the Peterson’s for years, it couldn’t be too out of the ordinary.

“Who knew peanut butter balls could be so complicated.” Daisey mumbled to herself after hours of pretending to be the new Top Chef.  She had completely trashed the kitchen but ignored it as she sunk into the corner with her bowl of leftover chocolate and peanut butter mix that she guiltily ate the rest of.

She’d spaced off into a deep daydream about her and Chad being the Golden Couple of Elkin, something she did quite frequently.

“Daisey this timer has been going off for five minutes are you gonna get up and take care of it?!” Her mother shouted from across the kitchen.

    “Sorry, Mom, I uh… I must’ve just spaced off a little.”

    “What is all of this mess? Why are you baking? You don’t bake, Daze” Her mother used her childhood nickname on her whenever she was concerned.

    “Mom, Chad Peterson wrote me a love letter.”  Daisey gushed as danced to her mom.

    “From grade school?” Her mom asked occupied and uninterested.

    “YES!” Daisey shrieked. “And he finally likes me!”

    “Well how sweet, just make sure he doesn’t eat that, he might not like you anymore.” Daisey’s mom said as she left the room.

    She frowned, they didn’t even look that bad.  A little deformed and maybe a little sour tasting from the expired peanut butter she used, but who would notice?

    Daisey packed the peanut butter balls in a little tub and started off towards Chads house down the street.

    She rang the doorbell and waited nervously for what seemed like hours but was really just seconds before she heard feet thumping towards the door.

    Chad answered.

    “I, uh, um, hey! Hi. Here.” Choking up, as usual, Daisey shoved the tub into Chad and quickly turned around towards her car.

    “Wait, why are you leaving? What are these for?” Chad, being the sweet guy that he was, tried to make things less awkward.

    Daisey was about to answer, but just then a gorgeous girl who looked like she’d be in a Teen Vogue magazine, walked behind Chad and placed her hands around his stomach.

    “Chad? Who’s this?” Asked the blonde, in a snotty tone.

    “Oh, Jamie, this is… uh… Daisey? Right?”

Oh. My. God. He doesn’t even know my name! We’ve been in class together for nearly our whole academic lives.

Daisey could feel her throat closing and her face getting hot.  No way was she going to start crying in front of Prince Charming and Bobble Blonde Barbie.    

    “I gotta go, bye.” Without another word Daisey home.

Too embarrassed to even look at her mother when she walked through the  front door, she sprinted straight for her room where she locked herself the rest of the night.

Daisey contemplated skipping class for a week… or a month… or maybe just drop the class entirely and avoid Chad for the rest of the school year. But she didn’t.  Not by choice of course.  Her emotionless mother refused to agree to something so silly.

With her head down and hair hiding her face, Daisey slid into her seat not even looking near Chad’s direction.

“Soooo, how did it go?! Did  you put them in his locker?” She heard Claire whisper behind her.

Daisey glared at Claire, “Hey, did you forget to mention to me that Chad has a girlfriend?” Daisey answered fiercely to Claire. She automatically felt terrible for reacting so rudely by the sad-puppy look on Claire’s face. Daisey began to apologize but was interrupted by her teachers announcement.

    “Okay, class, listen up. Chad Peterson will not be joining us in class for about two weeks.  He had a terrible allergic reaction to something he ate that contained peanut butter?  His parents aren’t sure how he would’ve even been in contact with peanut butter, but he’s all shriveled up and swollen in the hospital like a blow fish.  I’m passing around a “Get Well Soon” card that we’ll send him.”

    Any guilt Daisey had had changed to anger as she turned around to Claire and gave her a sharp glare.

    “Uh, oopsies!” Claire shrugged as she dashed to find a new seat away from Daisey.

    “Gosh dang it, Daisey,” she whispered, “What a recipe for disaster!”

    So who was the real secret admirer? And what will happen with Chad? Find out in A Recipe For Disaster Part II.
Too Be Continued.