by Coco Simon
At the end of the night, Kira pulled out her phone to call her sister for a ride. I could see Katie looking at her with curiosity. Just as I realized what Katie was thinking, it was too late.
“Why does your sister pick you up instead of your parents?” she asked.
I winced and looked down at my hands. I didn’t know what to say.
Kira bit her lip. “Well, my mom died last year, and my dad travels for work all the time. I mean, he has to. That’s his job. So, I have three older sisters, and they take turns taking care of me.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,” said Katie. And to her credit, she was visibly upset.
“That’s okay,” said Kira graciously. “Thanks.”
“I’d love to have three older sisters!” I said, to change the subject.
Kira groaned. “No, you wouldn’t! They are so bossy!”
“It’s true!” agreed Alexis. “Older sisters are the worst!”
And just like that, things were back to normal. We chatted as we put the finishing touches on the cupcakes. Too soon, Kira’s sister was at the door, and we all hugged good-bye, with Mia and Katie even hugging Elle and Kira!
After they left, it was just the Cupcakers in the kitchen, waiting for Mia’s stepdad to come pick them up.
“Wow, those girls are really nice!” said Mia. “I’m proud of you two for going out in the world and finding such nice new friends for us all,” she joked.
Katie agreed. “Yeah, and I’m sorry I wasn’t very friendly at first. I was just shy, and I felt like, you know, you were kind of replacing us with those two.”
“It’s okay,” I said, putting my arm around her shoulders. “And don’t worry. You’re irreplaceable!”
That night my mom came to tuck me in.
“Good job, lovebug,” she said. “It was really nice to see all those girls getting along and having such fun. You’re a great judge of character, and I love your friends. I’m sorry about the sleepover, but I’m glad you worked something out.”
I snuggled under my pink duvet. “I know, Mama,” I said, using my baby name for her. “It was really nice. Thanks for the pizza!” I yawned.
“See? Wasn’t I right? Aren’t you glad you’re not lying on the TV room floor in a sleeping bag for the next three hours, giggling?” She gave me a kiss on the forehead.
“Yes. I actually am,” I said.
And I was.
CHAPTER 12
Happy Birthday, Jake!
Take fifteen six-year-old boys, add fifteen water guns, two hundred water balloons, mud, tears, and lots of junk food, and what do you get? Total chaos. That was Jake’s party.
I had invited Mia, Alexis, and Katie to help with the party. My mom was actually paying us to help wrangle the kids, keep the refreshments going, and stay on top of the garbage and cleanup. We also had to guard the doors, so the kids didn’t end up inside watching TV or trashing Jake’s room or anything.
For me, the best part was that Mia, Alexis, and Katie got to sample what my life is really all about. There was no time to be squeamish when one kid gashed his foot open. There was nowhere to run when Jake’s friend Ben picked up a toad and brought it right up to us to see. Replenishing the snacks and drinks was an endless task. The minute a bowl of Cheetos had been filled, the bowl of chips was empty and needed to be refilled, and so on.
As the party wore on (only two hours had passed!), Mia, Katie, and Alexis began to look more and more bedraggled and overwhelmed. When Jake and another kid got into a fight over whose water gun was whose, my friends were horrified.
“But they’re friends!” said Katie, observing the chaos with a hand to her mouth. “Why do they fight like that? Look, that guy is punching Jake!”
“I know,” I said. “That’s what boys do. They just work it out on the spot and move on. Hey! Guys! No hitting! Use words!” I called, to no real effect. I shrugged.
“Wow, Emma. I had no idea,” said Mia.
“Yeah, how cute do you think Jake is now?” I asked.
We all looked at him. He was covered in mud, his hair was soaked and sticking up all over, and he had a scratch on his arm from a tree branch (it was bleeding). He had orange Cheetos dust all over his face and had on ratty clothes. Well, they were ratty now. They didn’t start out that way. And he and his buddy Justin were saying horrible things to each other as they yanked a water gun back and forth.
Suddenly, Jake realized we were looking at him. He let go of the water gun, leaving Justin to collapse in a heap, and came over with a big, sweet smile on his face. “Where are my cupcakes, girls?” he asked.
“Awww …,” said Mia and Katie, melting all over again.
I rolled my eyes and then looked at my watch. “Five more minutes,” I said. “Go back and play, and be a good host! Let your guest have the water gun he wants!” I watched to make sure he did, then I turned to the girls. “Shall we?” I asked.
We went inside to get the cupcakes, candles, and camera, as well as the party plates and napkins. Outside, the boys saw us coming and swarmed us. “Down, boys! We’ll call you in just one minute. We’re not ready yet!”
“Oh wow!” said Mia, laughing with shock as she held the cupcake platter high above the boys’ heads. “They really are savages!”
“See?” I said. “Okay, guys. We have to light the candles and then sing.” The boys were busy forming themselves into a straggly line, insisting who was first and second to get cupcakes. I started a rousing rendition of the birthday song, and everyone joined in. Jake looked cute as everyone sang, then he blew out his candle and the crowd surged.
Suddenly, Jake yelled, “STOP!” at the top of his lungs, and miraculously, everyone stopped. Jake smiled, then said, “Let’s give a cheer for my big sister, Emma, who is the best! She and her friends all made these cupcakes for us and they are going to be awesome! Yay, Cupcake girls!”
All the little boys cheered and applauded, and there was nothing for us girls to do but take a bow. I turned to smile at Alexis, and I saw she had a funny look on her face, the one she gets when she has an idea. I couldn’t begin to imagine what she’d be thinking of now, but I was just glad to see she, Mia, and Katie were happy and Jake was having a ball. All in all, a great party!
It took forever to get the backyard and kitchen back in order. But the Cupcakers were great. They’d stayed late to help clean up, then flopped on the couch to watch TV afterward. We were pooped. They said it gave them new respect for me, living with all those boys.
“See?” I’d said. “I told you so!”
The week after Jake’s party, no one at camp could talk about anything but the Camp Olympics and the talent show. We trained for our sporting events like we were in boot camp, and at home I practiced my piece and took out my bridesmaid dress for my mom to press. I was nervous about the charm portion, but Alexis was assuring me she had it all figured out. That kind of scared me, but since I didn’t have any better ideas, I had to just let it go.
Sydney was like a slave driver to her team, totally dissatisfied with their performances as the time of the talent show drew near. We watched in horror as she yelled at one girl after another for what she considered their bad performances, and we discussed in whispers the rumor we’d heard that Sydney would not be permitted back at camp for the second session.
Finally, it was Friday!
The Hotcakes got to camp early and warmed up, stretching and dancing to great music. We were pumped. Raoul and Maryanne had brought us granola bars and yogurts to keep up our energy.
The games got off to a great start, with an awesome, three-inning softball game, which we won! Tricia hit an amazing home run, and Louise knocked a double that brought in two runners. I kept the water coming, and before we knew it, the game was over and we were at the track for relays and sprints. This was my moment.
I lined up alongside the other girls my age in the first heat of the first race: a five-hundred-yard sprint. Elle was running too, and so was Charlotte. To my left was Sydney
. Nothing could make me run faster than that.
The camp director blew the whistle, and we were off! I didn’t look to the left or the right. I just pumped my arms hard and lifted my legs high, and I ran like Sydney Whitman was chasing me. Which she was. After I crossed the finish line (first! Yay!), I looked back, and Sydney was still about twenty yards back. I had beaten her handily and so had one of her teammates, a girl she’d repeatedly yelled at for being slow.
“Nice race, girls!” said the camp director as three of us were given medals for first, second, and third place. Sydney crossed the finish line and then pouted, tossing her hair. I heard her saying to someone that there had been a “false start,” and she hadn’t been ready, so that race didn’t really count. I had to just shake my head.
Our team did well through the track-and-field events, and we had a lead heading into the swimming. We trooped over to the pool as the boys’ teams exited, and I saw Sydney trying to chat up a bunch of boys who were clearly having a hard time figuring out what to do or say. Their heads were in the game, but they were interested in her. They just didn’t know whether to stay and talk or keep on walking. I almost felt sorry for them.
At the pool, the Hotcakes huddled for a pep talk and a strategy meeting, and Raoul, with a huge smile on his face, asked for our attention.
“Chicas, I have some very exciting news. We will be fielding two swim squads today, after all.” He grinned.
Everyone looked around in confusion and chattered while he called for silence.
“One of your teammates has made an extra effort so that everyone would be able to participate in these events. Kira has been coming to camp early all month to work with Mr. Collins, and she is ready to bust out her new moves in the pool today and show you all what she can do!”
I looked at Kira in shock. She was smiling shyly as everyone congratulated her. I thought back to her early morning drop-offs and the wet hair, and was annoyed at myself for not figuring it out sooner.
“Oh, Kira! I am so proud of you!” I cried, and I threw my arms around her in a hug.
We assembled for the relay: two squads, with three swimmers from each at either end of the pool. I noticed Kira was swimming from the deep end, which would be easier for her. If she started to fail, she’d be in the shallow end. But I needn’t have worried.
When Mr. Collins blew his whistle, the swimmers dove in and took turns swimming the length of the pool. Kira was in the final heat of the relay, and because her team was a little rusty, she wound up swimming alone, dead last. But she dove into the pool and glided, and the Hotcakes were silent until she surfaced. Then we went wild, screaming and cheering until we were hoarse. We walked the length of the pool with Kira as she swam, encouraging her all the way. Her stroke wasn’t perfect and she wasn’t that fast, and her team obviously did not win, but it was, for us Hotcakes, the sweetest victory we could ever have imagined. We mobbed her when she got out of the pool, and Maryanne was there with a towel. Kira was crying, and it was the best, best moment of my whole camp experience. It was right then that we all felt we’d won the Camp Olympics, no matter what.
I saw Sydney on the sidelines, looking perplexed, and I was glad she had no idea what was going on. We’d kept this issue private, and we’d celebrate Kira’s triumph among ourselves, just the Hotcakes. That was the way it should be. I couldn’t have been happier if our team had won every race. Friends were more important than medals, and I was so proud of my new friend Kira. I’d always heard the expression “It’s not whether you win or lose; it’s how you play the game.” But now I finally understood it—and it’s true.
CHAPTER 13
Hotcakes to the Rescue!
Well, we didn’t win the Camp Olympics overall. The Wolverines did, but that was to be expected. The Angels came in dead last. They were so far behind the rest of us that I had to wonder if Sydney’s team mutinied against her and decided to lose on purpose. I would have if I were on the Angels. Still, the Hotcakes came in second, and that was good enough for us. The celebration of Kira’s victory continued into Elle’s sleepover, and we all toasted her with ginger ale at the movie and again back at Elle’s house, when we had a snack before bedtime.
Elle’s party was a blast, and for me and Alexis, it cemented our friendships with the summer gang. Even though most of us didn’t live in the same part of town—some of us didn’t even live in the same town—we knew we’d get together throughout the rest of the year and stay friends forever.
On Saturday morning, Alexis and I were up and packed by seven a.m. Her mom had promised to bring us to Katie’s so we could finish frosting the cupcakes. My mom would pick us up from there, after dropping Matt off at soccer, and take the Cupcakers first to Mona’s, then to Romaine’s aunt’s house. Then we’d head home to change for the big talent show! I couldn’t even think about that last part—I was so nervous. Plus, we had so much to get through before it came time for that.
While we waited for Mrs. Becker, I checked my e-mail on Elle’s family computer in her kitchen.
“Oh no!” I said. I couldn’t believe the e-mail I’d just received.
“What?” said Alexis, hearing the alarm in my voice.
“Mrs. Shipley e-mailed yesterday, but obviously I didn’t get it in time. She wanted to know if we could put daisies on the cupcakes ’cause it’s a daisy-themed shower!” I looked at Alexis with horror. “How will we ever have time?”
“Time for what?” Kira yawned, straggling into the room. She was dressed but looked sleepy.
Alexis and I looked at each other in a panic, trying to think. “We need help,” she said finally.
“I’ll help you!” offered Kira.
“I’ll help you with whatever it is too,” said Georgia, who’d just come into the kitchen.
Pretty soon we had all of the Hotcakes offering to help us.
“Assembly line?” said Alexis with a smile.
“Totally,” I agreed.
With a quick call to Katie and to Mrs. Becker, we rearranged the plan so that Mrs. Becker would pick up Katie, Mia, and all the supplies, and bring them to Elle’s, where ten helpers awaited their tasks.
It wasn’t an hour before everyone had a spot in Elle’s kitchen and dining room, and we were frosting cupcakes and piping flowers onto them, chatting and working hard. Everyone was ecstatic to be working on cupcakes Romaine Ford might eat, so they were taking extra care that things looked perfect.
Mia and Katie were very gracious about the whole change of plan, and Elle even apologized to them, saying, “I’m so sorry I didn’t think to invite you two to sleep over, since you’re honorary Hotcakes. Next time, you two are at the top of my guest list!” I was so happy to see my friends becoming friends.
Finally, everything was ready and packed to go. My mom was outside in the minivan waiting for us, and the Cupcake Club said our good-byes and thank-yous to everyone. Kira was looking at us so wistfully, and all I could think of was how excited she’d been to meet Romaine at the mall. I whispered a quick question to the Cupcakers, and everyone nodded enthusiastically in reply. So I said, “Hey, Kira, want to come, and we’ll drop you off afterward?”
It only took her a nanosecond to process what I meant, but then she cried, “Do I?” and ran to get her things. After all of Kira’s hard work for the team, she deserved a special treat like this.
After running Mona’s cupcakes to her, we immediately took off for the far side of town and reached Mrs. Shipley’s right on time. There was a catering van parked in her driveway, and a few other cars—one of them looked really fancy, like the kind a movie star might drive—so I hoped that meant that Romaine was there.
Nervously, the five of us carried the cupcake bins to the back door. I rang the bell, and Mrs. Shipley herself came to the door.
“Oh, Emma, hello! And this must be the Cupcake Club! Come in, come in!”
I held my breath, waiting for someone to point out that it was the Cupcake Club plus one, but to everyone’s credit, they didn’t s
ay anything.
“Here we are! Daisy cupcakes!” I said.
“Fabulous! I’m so sorry that was such a last-minute idea, but ooh goody! Let’s see!”
We lifted the lid from the cupcake carrier and showed her our work. The cupcakes did look adorable.
“Oooh! Wow! Kathy! Come see!” she called.
Mrs. Ford appeared in the kitchen doorway, decorating supplies in hand. “Hi, girls! I’m Kathy! Hi, Emma, honey, how are you?”
I knew my friends were impressed that these ladies all knew me, and I did feel a little proud, I have to say. But the main thing we were all wondering was, would we get to see Romaine?
And then, “Mom?” I heard her voice!
“In here, honey! Emma’s here!”
Mia and Katie nudged me with excitement, their eyes sparkling. I had to smile.
“Emma! And cupcakes! Yay!” Romaine was in the doorway and came over to give me a big hug. I was grinning from ear to ear, and I knew I was blushing. I felt kind of like a dork, but I was proud.
“Hi, girls! Is this the rest of the Cupcake Club?” asked Romaine, superfriendly. “Hi. I’ve met you before! At the mall, right?” she said to Kira. Kira just about died of happiness.
She nodded.
“That’s Kira,” I said, taking charge of the introductions. “And this is Mia, Katie, and Alexis.”
Everyone said shy hellos, and Alexis congratulated Romaine on her wedding, remembering to mention Liam Carey’s name, which I thought was a nice touch.
Then Romaine looked at the cupcakes, and squealed, “I love them! Oh my gosh! They are so pretty!” Then she looked at me with a sneaky expression. “Can I try one?” she asked.
“Go ahead! They’re all yours!” I said.
“Mmm! Oh, delicious!” said Romaine through a mouthful of crumbs.
