** ATTENTION STUDENTS!! **

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| The following piece was written for a similar assignment by a former |
| student. Feel free to refer to it as you write, revise, and edit your|
| essays. Enjoy!!                                                      |
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                        The Pizza Pirates
                       by Jennifer Okimoto

     As I walked towards Boston's North End Pizza Bakery in

Kailua, the first thing I noticed was the music I could hear from

1 1/2 blocks away.  Upon entering this pizzeria, Elvis' voice,

which pounded from the speakers, immediately entered my body.  My

hips started swinging to the beat, and as I looked around, I

noticed that other customers were also moving their bodies to the

music as they waited for their orders.

     Aside from the music, what really made this place stand out

were the employees, who called themselves The Pizza Pirates. 

There were seven men working behind the counter; some were

twirling dough through the air; others were piling sauce, cheese,

and toppings on flat discs of dough.  What fascinated me was how

they all worked together as a team in such a cramped working

environment.  Although space was limited, there was no pushing,

shoving, or bumping one another.  They were truly a team, all

working toward one goal: to make pizza, to make lots of it, and

to make it fast!

     The first person I noticed was the cashier.  He had a tall,

bulky frame, dark blond hair, and a deep, husky voice.  The

cashier walked over to an intercom on the back wall and hollered,

"More sausage!  We need more sausage!.  I suppose he yelled

because he needed to be heard over the music, which was blaring

so loudly I had difficulty hearing myself think.  The cashier

walked back to the counter and waited for another customer to

place an order.  As he waited, he pounded the counter to the beat

of the music, sang along with the music, and danced as if he were

Elvis himself.  I wondered where he got so much energy--was it

too much caffeine, drugs, or just a natural high?  Could it

possibly have been the thundering music that kept him going

through the night?

     As I waited for my order to be called, I noticed how heavy

and thick the air was and how it was filled with smells of

fragrant tomato sauce and pungent sausage.  As I daydreamed about

the basil and oregano in their secret sauce, I heard screaming

which brought me back to reality.  A slim-built man with light-

blond hair and a demanding voice shouted for a customer to pick

up an order.  Each time he called this person's name, his

screaming got louder.  This happened to a few more customers and

I noticed how embarrassed they looked when they finally picked up

their order.  I made sure to stay near and listened closely for

my name to be called, for I didn't want him shrieking at me to

pick up my order.

     In between all this madness, a very thin, lanky man with

curly, dirty-blond hair appeared from the back.  He was wearing a

white apron with stains of sauce, cheese, and sausage splattered

all over it.  Sweat dripped from his face, down his neck, and

drenched his tee shirt. He walked through the crowd, taking long,

slow strides, reached the cooler, and grabbed a soda.  As he

walked back to his dungeon, the kitchen, he popped the can open

and took a long gulp.  The he disappeared without one word to his

co-workers.  Obviously, this guy had no time for chit-chat, for

there was too much work to be done.

     Finally, my order was ready.  I hurried to pick up my pizza

as soon as my name was called.  These pirates made some serious

pizza.  Hot, aromatic crust was literally spilling out the sides

of the limp cardboard box.  I took a bite out of an oversized

slice of pizza and I was in heaven.  The aromatic tomato sauce

and spicy sausage were blended beautifully with layers of velvety

cheese.  I had found the perfect slice of pizza.

     Boston's North End Pizza Bakery is exactly that--a pizza

bakery.  There's no Caesar Salad, no sun-dried tomatoes, no

Chardonnay.  All you'll find there is scrumptious pizza loaded

with fresh toppings, served piping hot, and made especially for

you by The Pizza Pirates.

     Visit this pizzeria and the cashier, the shrieker, or the

guy from the dungeon will surely make your visit worthwhile. 

Waiting for you order won't seem like an eternity because there's

so much to see, hear, and smell that time seems to streak by.