Cupcake Club

by Sheryl Berk

  “Sorry, everyone. We have to get Meredith home and to a doctor. Party’s over,” said Mr. Mitchell. There were groans of disappointment as the two hundred guests emptied out of the ballroom.

  “OMG,” gasped Jenna.

  “What just happened?” Juliette asked.

  Sadie, Lexi, and Jenna looked at each other—then at Kylie. They waited for her to say something. But Kylie was speechless. She felt awful, worse than she had ever felt—even after the time Meredith put a Post-it on her back that said “Monster,” and she walked around wearing it all day. This wasn’t the revenge she had imagined. Yes, the party was ruined and Meredith had left feeling horrible. But Kylie wasn’t much in the mood to celebrate. It didn’t feel very good.

  She looked around the room. Their beautiful Leaning Tower of Pisa had toppled to the floor. Whatever cupcakes had survived the fall had been trampled by the guests leaving. Lexi had tears in her eyes. “All my hard work,” she cried. “Ruined.”

  “And no one will get to taste our delicious cannoli-cream cupcakes,” said Jenna.

  “What do you think made Meredith sneeze like that?” asked Sadie. “It was freaky!”

  Kylie couldn’t look any of her PLC club members in the eye. She fingered the spice jar in her pocket and was grateful when the banquet manager chased them out of the ballroom. All the way home in Juliette’s car, no one spoke a single word.

  All night Kylie tossed and turned in bed. She wondered what had happened to Meredith. What if she was in the hospital? Then she thought about Jenna, Sadie, and Lexi—after all the hard work and long hours they had put in on those cupcakes, she had ruined it. She had let down her friends, and that hurt most of all. She felt like her whole life was coming unraveled—like the wraps unwinding on the Mummy.

  When she saw that Meredith wasn’t in school on Monday, Kylie feared the worst. What if she’s really sick or dying and it’s all my fault? I could keep quiet and pretend I don’t know anything, she reasoned with herself. Then she pictured poor Meredith in a hospital bed, hooked up to wires and tubes as doctors struggled to figure out what was wrong with her.

  “If we only knew what caused the allergic reaction, we could save her!” the doctor in her daydream said.

  Kylie suddenly recalled the time she had accidentally dropped her mom’s diamond engagement ring down the drain and then pretended not to know where it was.

  “You’re sure you weren’t playing with it?” her dad had asked her.

  Kylie was five years old and terrified that her parents would punish her.

  Then she saw her mom sobbing and frantically turning the house upside down. “Mommy, I dropped it down there,” she said, pointing to the bathroom sink. Luckily, the plumber was able to fish it out, and instead of being mad, her mom was relieved and hugged her.

  Kylie knew Meredith was not about to thank her or hug her for coming clean. Still…

  “If only someone would tell us what caused this,” Mrs. Mitchell sobbed in Kylie’s fantasy. “My poor, poor darling daughter…sneezing herself into a coma!”

  Kylie shook the awful picture out of her head—but she knew what she had to do. She called an emergency meeting of Peace, Love, and Cupcakes after school in the drama room.

  “I have something I have to tell you guys,” she said. Then she took a deep breath. “I put cinnamon on top of Meredith’s cupcake.”

  Juliette shook her head. “Kylie, I am very disappointed in you,” she said. “You knew Meredith was allergic.”

  Kylie braced herself for her friends’ reactions.

  “I kinda thought you did,” said Jenna. “I had a feeling that’s what made Meredith sneeze like that.”

  “Why?” asked Lexi. “We all agreed we’d do the cupcakes for the party. Why did you want to destroy all our hard work? Now no one will ever hire us again—not after Mrs. Mitchell spreads the word.”

  “I feel awful,” said Kylie. She couldn’t keep the tears from streaming down her cheeks. “I just was so mad at Meredith.”

  “What Meredith did to you at the Wellness Day play wasn’t nice,” Juliette said. “But what you did…it was dangerous. You’re lucky all Meredith did was get a whiff of that cinnamon. What if she had eaten it? Who knows what might have happened to her then!”

  “It wasn’t just the Wellness Day play, Juliette,” Sadie said, defending her friend. “Meredith has been bullying Kylie since third grade. And it’s really getting bad.”

  “Is that true?” Juliette asked. Kylie nodded. “Then why didn’t you tell someone? Me? Principal Fontina? Your parents?”

  Kylie shrugged. “I thought it would make things worse.”

  “Well, now you’ve gone ahead and made things worse on your own,” Juliette replied. “You need to apologize to Meredith and her parents. You need to tell them what you did. It’s the right thing to do.”

  Kylie shuddered. The thought of facing Meredith was terrifying. She’d be livid when she heard about the cinnamon. This was ten times worse than hitting her in the eye with a sneaker.

  “We’ll go with you,” offered Sadie, putting her arm around her friend.

  “No,” Kylie responded. “I did this, not you guys. You shouldn’t have to take the blame.”

  “I’ll drive you there now,” said Juliette.

  “Can’t it wait?” asked Kylie. “Like maybe till school is out for the summer and I won’t have to see Meredith every day?”

  Juliette shook her head. “Kylie, you know you have to do this.”

  In the car ride to Meredith’s house, Kylie didn’t know what to say to her club adviser. Juliette had always had so much faith in her—and Kylie had disappointed her terribly.

  “I’m sorry,” Kylie said.

  “I know you are,” said Juliette. “But it’s not me you should apologize to. I understand why you did it, Kylie, but I’m surprised that someone as smart as you couldn’t see right from wrong.” Kylie hated when Juliette sounded “teacherly.” It made her feel very guilty.

  “I just wanted to get even with Meredith,” Kylie explained. “I thought it would feel great.”

  “But it didn’t feel great, did it?”

  “No, it felt awful.”

  “Maybe you should think about why Meredith is mean to you,” Juliette said.

  “Why? Because she hates me!” Kylie cried. “She has always hated me and she always will.”

  “But why does she hate you? Maybe because she sees something in you that scares her, that threatens her.”

  Kylie thought about it. Could Meredith really be scared of her? It didn’t seem possible. Nothing scared Meredith. Then again, she had looked very upset that day when the kids were all fighting to be Kylie’s Secret Santa. Meredith was almost in tears.

  “Remember when I told you that kids used to make fun of my red hair in school when I was a kid? Well, one kid in particular loved to torture me: Evangelique Girard. Angie for short. She had long, shiny black hair and I was so jealous. But you want to know something funny? Years later, when we were both in college, I bumped into her in a Starbucks. She had dyed her hair bright red—I didn’t even recognize her!”

  “So Angie was jealous of you?” Kylie asked. “She really liked your red hair?”

  “Yup. And her teasing and bullying were how she dealt with those feelings. Just think about it, okay?”

  Juliette parked the car in front of the house. “Time to face the music,” she said, squeezing Kylie’s hand. “Take a deep breath. You’ll be fine.”

  Inside, Kylie was slightly relieved to see that Meredith wasn’t in the hospital like she had imagined. She was actually lying on the couch in a fluffy pink robe, covered with a cashmere blanket. Her eyes were all bloodshot and swollen, and her nose was still pink. Mrs. Mitchell hovered over her, plumping her pillows and spoon-feeding her sips of chamomile tea.
“It’s simply horrible,” Meredith’s mom told Juliette. “Her throat is still scratchy and sore from all that sneezing.”

  “The doctor said she’ll be just fine,” Mr. Mitchell interjected. “Just an allergic reaction to something in the ballroom…probably dust.”

  “Ahem.” Juliette cleared her throat and gave Kylie a little push.

  “About that…” Kylie began. She turned to face Meredith, who was already shooting her a nasty look. “Meredith, I owe you an apology. You see, I kind of sprinkled some cinnamon on your birthday cupcake.”

  “What?” shrieked Mrs. Mitchell. “I specifically told you not to use cinnamon!”

  “Perhaps it was an accident?” offered Mr. Mitchell. “I’m sure Kylie didn’t do this intentionally.”

  Kylie shook her head. “No, sir. I did. I wanted to get back at Meredith.”

  Mrs. Mitchell’s eyes looked wide and wild. “You did what ? I am going to call Principal Fontina this instant and have you expelled from Blakely!”

  Kylie gulped. “Please! Wait! Let me explain!” She told Meredith’s parents about all the things Meredith had done to her: tripping her down the stairs of the bus, calling her names, sabotaging her turnip costume, putting bugs in her snowman cupcakes.

  “I just wanted Meredith to see what it felt like to be me,” she said.

  “I don’t believe it,” Mrs. Mitchell said, turning to Meredith. “She’s just jealous of you, isn’t she, darling?”

  Meredith nodded and croaked out, “Yes, Mommy.”

  “I will make sure that everyone in Blakely, everyone in town, knows what you did. Your cupcake business is over. You’ll be lucky if I don’t call the sheriff himself!”

  “You’d better go now, Kylie,” Mr. Mitchell said.

  Juliette took Kylie by the elbow and pulled her toward the door. “I’m proud of you for doing that, Kylie,” she said. “I know it was really hard. Don’t worry. I’ll talk to Principal Fontina and explain what’s been going on. You’re not the only one to blame here.”

  That didn’t make Kylie feel much better. She had become what she hated most about Meredith—a mean bully bent on getting even, no matter who she hurt along the way. Peace, Love, and Cupcakes was over—and it was all her fault. She’d gone against everything the club stood for. How could she face Lexi, Jenna, and Sadie again? She deserved whatever punishment Principal Fontina had in store for her. And from the angry, determined look on Mrs. Mitchell’s face, it was going to be pretty bad.

  At 10 a.m. sharp Tuesday morning, Kylie was summoned to Principal Fontina’s office.

  “Good luck,” Ms. Shottlan said, giving her a weak smile. Abby and Bella stared and whispered as Kylie got up from her desk and walked toward the door. Did everyone at Blakely know what she had done to Meredith? Were they all rooting for her to be kicked out of school?

  She walked down the hallway, her heart pounding in her throat. When she got to the principal’s office, she was shocked to find her parents and Mr. Mitchell already there, seated at the desk. Juliette was also there, but she wasn’t her usual cheery self. Her face looked sad and uncertain.

  “Kylie, please come in,” Principal Fontina began. Her voice was stern. “I have explained the situation to your parents, as it has been explained to me by Ms. Dubois and Mr. Mitchell.”

  Kylie gulped and looked to her mom and dad for support. Her mom bit her lip, and her father tapped his foot on the side of the chair—a habit she’d noticed he only did when he was worried about something. She knew she should have told her parents last night what happened, but she just couldn’t. She knew they would be furious at her for doing something so spiteful. Especially her mom, who volunteered all the time at Blakely, the senior citizens’ complex, and the library. She’d be crushed that her daughter was so cruel and unfeeling. How would her mother be able to show her face at the next PTA meeting when she had such a horrible kid?

  “I will let Mr. Mitchell speak first,” Principal Fontina said.

  Kylie faced Meredith’s father. At that moment, she wished she could turn into a vampire bat and fly out the office window. But no such luck; she had to stand there and take it.

  “Kylie, I am very sorry,” said Mr. Mitchell. Kylie stared in disbelief. He sounded like he was apologizing.

  “What Meredith has been doing to you…well, there is just no excuse for it.” Kylie was stunned. Meredith would never confess, so how did Mr. Mitchell know what Meredith had done?

  Principal Fontina read her mind. “Your friends Sadie, Lexi, and Jenna filled me in on the bullying, and Ms. Dubois was a witness as well.”

  Kylie looked at Juliette, who gave her a wink. Her friends had stood by her. None of them had been worried about challenging Meredith or Mrs. Mitchell or what she might do to the club. They were only worried about her, Kylie.

  Mr. Mitchell nodded. “Kylie, we are so sorry for our daughter’s poor behavior. We understand why you did what you did this weekend. In a way, Meredith finally got her just desserts. And she will be calling you today to apologize.”

  Kylie let out a huge sigh of relief. “So I am not expelled?”

  “No,” said Principal Fontina. “But what you did wasn’t right either, Kylie. And I cannot just excuse it.”

  Kylie sighed. Here it comes…

  “To make up for what you did to Meredith Mitchell, I want you and the members of Peace, Love, and Cupcakes to bake for school Field Day—enough for all the students and teachers at Blakely. That’s seven hundred cupcakes, to be exact.”

  Kylie laughed. “We can do that…I think!” Then she hugged her parents, Juliette, and Mr. Mitchell.

  “Thank you,” she told him.

  “And you don’t have to worry about Meredith making your life miserable anymore,” Mr. Mitchell told her. “We’ve grounded Meredith for the rest of the school year. No more hip-hop, no more TV, no more gymnastics, no more shopping. And if she ever tries anything again…”

  “You come directly to me,” said Principal Fontina. “No more taking matters into your own hands.”

  “Okay,” said Kylie. “I promise.”

  As she walked back to her classroom, she felt like a huge dark cloud had just been lifted. She couldn’t wait to find Lexi, Sadie, and Jenna and give them each a huge hug. She was so relieved and happy. Maybe now Meredith would finally leave her alone. Even better, PLC wasn’t out of business. In fact, things were only just beginning.

  “Go, Sadie!” Kylie cheered as her friend leaped over a hurdle and landed in a blow-up kiddie pool filled with whipped cream. Sadie pumped her fist in the air.

  “Yes!” she shouted. “I win!” Sadie had already won a gold medal for the potato-sack race, the crazy-shoe relay, and the backward basketball toss. Kylie marveled; even blindfolded and shooting behind her back, Sadie could sink five baskets!

  “You rocked it!” Kylie called, giving her the thumbs-up. Field Day at Blakely was all about silly obstacle courses, team spirit, and good sportsmanship. Everyone loved it—especially the teachers who got to invent and referee these crazy contests. Ms. Shottlan was one of the most creative. She’d thought up the Worm Sundae Slide, where students had to crawl on their bellies across a tarp covered in chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and whipped cream. Everyone went home a sticky, gooey mess—but it was the best day of the entire school year.

  Kylie noticed Lexi and Jenna waving at her from the picnic area and she ran over.

  “How are we doing?” she asked. Jenna held up a cupcake piped with green “grass” frosting. On the top was a fondant bear—the Blakely mascot.

  “Our Beary Special Field Day cupcakes are a huge hit,” Jenna said. “It was utter genius, Kylie, to do a green velvet cupcake. Principal Fontina had two of them.”

  “I think our class is about to have a tug-of-war,” Lexi said, pointing in the direction of the soccer field. Ms. Shottlan was
lining up her classmates on opposite sides of a long rope.

  “Gotta run!” said Kylie. When she got to the rope, she noticed that Ms. Shottlan was pouring something all over it.

  “Liquid soap!” her teacher grinned. “Makes it a little tougher to get a grip!”

  Kylie took a spot behind Emily on the left side of the rope. Ms. Shottlan did a quick count. “I need one more person on the left to even it out,” she said. “Meredith, come on over and grab on behind Kylie.”

  Kylie gulped. The idea of Meredith looming over her shoulder still scared her—even though her dad had promised there would be no more bullying and Meredith had called and said, “Sorry.” Meredith took the rope without a word. That was a good sign, Kylie thought, but then again, she never knew when Meredith might launch a sneak attack.

  As Mr. C., the gym teacher, blew his whistle, the kids began pulling with all their might.

  “Go! Go! Go!” screamed Jeremy, who was captaining the left team. Kylie tried to hold tight to the rope, but it kept slipping through her fingers. “I’m losing it!” she called.

  She could hear Meredith huffing and puffing in her ear. “Oh no! I broke a nail!” she cried.

  Abby, on the right, dug her heels into the grass. “Keep…pulling…hard !” she coached as her side slowly began to gain ground. With one last big tug, everyone on the left side lost their grip and went sprawling on their backs. They collapsed in a heap, and at the very bottom was Meredith.

  “Get off! Get off!” she shrieked. Kylie stumbled to her feet. She looked at Meredith, who was covered in grass stains and dirt, and her perfect curls were matted with mud. Her face was beet red. She looked like a volcano about to erupt.

  But instead she let out a high-pitched cry. “Oh nooooooooo!” she wailed. At first Kylie thought she was upset over her ruined manicure. But then Meredith began to scream, “My necklace! My diamond M—it’s missing!” She dug frantically through the dirt.

  Everyone crawled around on the grass, trying to help her find it.

  “When did you last see it?” asked Ms. Shottlan.