The Secret Ingredient
Page 14
Just then, I spotted someone I didn’t expect to see.
Zach Anderson pushed through the crowd. I almost made a quick escape to the bathroom, but it was too late. I could see that he’d spotted me.
“Green. I hear your terrible lumps of dough were slightly less terrible than everyone else’s today.”
I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. “Zach. Are you trying to congratulate me? If not, scram.”
“Scram? Scram? Have I stumbled into a gangster movie?”
I jabbed him in the kidney. Just then, Genna walked up to us. “Hello, Z.”
“Hey, Matthews. Your friend here is trying to injure me.”
“Maybe you should tell her what you did and she’ll stop,” Genna said. Huh?
“I doubt it,” Zach replied.
“What are you talking about?” I demanded.
Zach looked at the ground and seemed to be edging away from us.
“He got you your blog followers at the last minute,” Genna announced. “I couldn’t think of anyone else we knew who wasn’t at the Leaf the night before the deadline. So I checked the e-mail addresses of your last forty followers. Look.”
She held up her phone and I peered at it. Sure enough, several of them had the name “Anderson” in the addresses. Lots of them must’ve been employees of Zach’s dad. A few of the names were familiar from school: Zach’s friends.
“Wow,” I said. “Thank you. I can’t believe you did that.”
“It wasn’t a big deal,” Zach said quietly. “And I wasn’t spying on you either. I don’t even know what’s in a scone.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I’m sorry about that. It’s just you were acting so weird after—”
Genna backed up then, mumbling something about needing more chai. I continued, “You know, after that thing in the storage room.” Why couldn’t I say the word “kiss”? It was like I was worried he didn’t remember it and I would sound dumb.
“Yeah. I guess I was.”
“So … are we friends, or what?” I really, really wanted to know.
“Friends? No, we’re …” Zach kind of looked like he wanted to throw up. I smiled a little. A dash of Louisa’s wisdom fluttered though my head, and I was certain of something just then. Zach did not want to be my boyfriend. Or anyone’s boyfriend. Definitely not now. Maybe not ever.
“… nemeses,” I finished for him.
He immediately looked right at me then, more relieved than I’d ever seen him. “Exactly.”
“You should get a haircut before school starts,” I said. “Didn’t anyone tell you faux hawks aren’t cool anymore?”
“Ha! Didn’t anyone tell you that a bright red creature of some sort is fighting with your head? And winning?”
“You should also buy some cologne or something. You still smell like algae,” I added.
“You smell like … ack! You actually smell good. Can I get one of those?” I was still holding my award-winning toffee apple tea scones. I grinned.
He ate three of them, all the while telling me how awful they were.
Dear readers,
It’s Annie again. Whew, what an exciting day. I thought I lost, but then it turned out I won! I’m so exhausted, but in a totally good way. I’m so pleased to share with you the winning recipe. I hope you like it.
Humbly yours always,
Annie Green
Toffee Apple Tea Scones
Ingredients
2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of tea
3 tablespoons Lurpack butter
1 fresh egg
3/4 cup fresh buttermilk
1/2 cup green apple, chopped
1/4 cup English toffee pieces, chopped (I used Heath brand Bits o’ Brickle toffee pieces)
1/4 cup milk
For the glaze:
2 tablespoons brewed black tea, cooled
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (more to texture if necessary)
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the dry ingredients together first, then cut in the butter, toffee, apples, and egg. Slowly add the buttermilk to form a thick dough. Knead the dough on a board, roll to a 1-inch thickness, and cut the dough into 2-inch triangles. Place each triangle on a greased cookie sheet and brush the tops with milk. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes in the oven until golden brown. While the scones are baking, brown the butter in a saucepan and add the brewed tea. Mix in the confectioners’ sugar with a whisk. Add the milk until you have a thin glaze. Whisk in vanilla extract. Drizzle on top of the scones when they’ve cooled slightly; serve. Makes about 12 scones.
September 4 11:57 p.m.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
When tea becomes ritual, it takes place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things.
—MURIEL BARBERY, THE ELEGANCE OF THE HEDGEHOG
Stuff I Have to Do the Day Before High School (High School … Aughhhhh!)
• Buy school supplies (notebooks, erasable pens, folders)
• Buy clothes (new jeans, a sweater, maybe some cute flats?)
• get a HAIRCUT
• Drink calming tea
• Figure out where my homeroom is
• get some London guidebooks (okay, this doesn’t have to happen today…but still)
• Have at least six spazzy IM conversations with Genna and Zoe
Believe it or not, I accomplished all of that stuff. The lady at the salon used this thinning shears dealio on my hair and it looked amazing. Like a real hairstyle instead of a curl explosion. I knew that it would last precisely six hours, but I’d take it.
Genna and Zoe arrived at my front door the morning of our first day of school. I was so happy that the Teashop Girls had made plans to walk in together. Genna wore a bright lime green dress, striped leggings, and cute wedgies. Zoe was as crisp as ever in a white button-down shirt, white skirt, and fresh New Balance sneakers. She carried a navy blue sweater with her. I decided on jeans and a yellow blouse. I had a brand-new backpack and I actually felt ready. Over the summer I’d done everything I wanted to do. Now it was time for a new chapter.
“So, are you and Zach going to totally make out in front of your lockers?” Genna asked. It was seven a.m. I didn’t even know where my locker was.
“Nope,” I said. I smiled at Zoe, who rolled her eyes.
“Why not?” Genna wailed.
“It’s just not like that, Gen. Sorry.”
“Oh. Well, did I tell you guys I want to have a huge back-to-school party next weekend? We need to start making the food ahead of time because I want it to all be really good. And start trying to meet some upper-classmen right away because I don’t want it to be all freshmen….”
Zoe and I laughed. High school, we knew for sure, was going to be fun if Genna had anything to say about it.
“I can hardly even think about actual school,” Zoe said then. “We’re going to London!” Our trip would probably happen over winter break, because we all knew that Zo’s parents wouldn’t let her skip any school. I couldn’t wait to begin planning it. I did manage to buy some guidebooks when I was supposed to be trying on school clothes the day before, and I was already compiling a mental list of spots I wanted to have tea at while we were there. Genna was making a list of the outfits she planned to take and the plays she wanted to see in the West End. Zoe wanted to do a side trip to the All England Lawn Tennis Club, where Wimbledon is held. We were all very excited. But before we conquered England, we needed to conquer high school. I knew we’d do it together, and that we would have an amazing four years. With tea whenever we needed it, of course. Suddenly the thought of high school didn’t make me nervous at all. Not with Genna Matthews and Zoe Malik at my side. The original Teashop Girls could do anything.
We climb
ed the stairs to Madison West. Here we go!