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  I sniffed. “Yes,” I said, because I do know how much Mom loves me, but it still felt good to hear. It made me feel stronger. “Right now, I just want things the way I know them, which is just you and me.”

  Mom smiled. “Well, they might not always just be you and me. At some point I’d like you to meet Jeff. I think you’d like him.”

  Now that I wasn’t angry anymore, I was curious. “What’s he like?”

  “Well, he’s a teacher,” Mom said. “And he has a daughter, too, but she’s a few years younger than you. And he’s a runner. But I guess you knew that, right?”

  All these things sounded okay. If he had a daughter a few years younger than me, that wouldn’t be too bad. At least she’d be older than Jake or Ethan, and hopefully a lot less whiny and annoying, too. Maybe Jeff would be as cool as Eddie and make spicy food for us.

  “Maybe one day I can ask my father about why he did what he did,” I said. “But not now.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll e-mail your father back,” Mom said. “And I’ll let him know that you know how to reach him if and when you’re ready. Okay, Katie?”

  “Yes!” I replied with a sigh of relief.

  Mom stood up. “I’m dressed up, you’re dressed up, and I know we’re both hungry. Let’s go get a late lunch.”

  “Weren’t you going to meet Jeff?” I asked.

  “Jeff can wait,” Mom said. “Remember what I said? You’re the most important thing to me, Peanut Butter. And you always will be. Let me call Jeff to tell him today won’t work. Why don’t you splash your face with some cool water? Then meet me downstairs in five minutes, okay?”

  I nodded. “Just no French food,” I joked.

  Mom smiled and then went downstairs. I got up to brush my hair and wash my face.

  So, one problem was solved. I could deal with my dad later. But it didn’t look like this Jeff guy was going away any time soon.

  Will he be like guava jelly? I wondered. Different, but still good? Or what if he’s something that isn’t good with peanut butter at all, like . . .

  Honestly, I couldn’t think of anything that isn’t good with peanut butter. So maybe that was a sign or something. Like everything was going to be okay.

  I was just going to have to wait and see.

  CHAPTER 17

  A Little Spicy, a Little Sweet

  The next day I was feeling a lot better about everything. Mom was really worried about me, but just getting it out made me feel a lot better. She kept giving me the worried face all night, but honestly I was good. We had pizza for dinner and Mom brought out all our old pictures from when I was little, just to show me how much I’ve changed and grown.

  After reassuring her about a million times that I was okay and that I’d never, ever go anywhere again without telling her, Mom dropped me off at Alexis’s house, so we could make our cupcakes for the PTA dinner. The kitchen there is always sparkling clean and perfectly ordered, with nothing on the counters to clutter things up.

  We quickly got to work on the batter.

  “So, what’s the plan tomorrow night?” I asked. “We just need to drop these off, right?”

  “I was thinking that we could stay and pass out cupcakes,” Alexis said. “That way, if someone says they like our cupcakes, we can give them a business card in person.”

  “Are we allowed to do that?” Emma asked.

  Alexis nodded. “I’ve already e-mailed the president of the PTA, and she said okay. We won’t be served the dinner, though, so we’ll have to eat beforehand.”

  Mia nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. Our parents are going, anyway, and we can do homework after school.”

  “So, what did you guys do yesterday?” Emma asked.

  Mia and I looked at each other. I decided I might as well tell everybody.

  “We went to my dad’s restaurant to check it out,” I said. “It’s fancy and expensive. And I saw my dad for, like, a second, but he didn’t recognize me.”

  Emma and Alexis froze. Then Emma’s face melted. “Oh, Katie, that must have been awful!”

  “I had a big freak-out. And then when I got home, my mom told me that she has a sort of boyfriend. His name is Jeff.”

  “I knew it!” Alexis said. “Did she tell you anything about him?”

  “Just that he’s a teacher, and he likes to run, and he has a daughter who’s younger than me,” I said. “Oh, and I forgot to tell you. It turns out my dad has three daughters.”

  “Didn’t you always want a sister?” Mia asked. “If your mom stays with Jeff, and you end up seeing your father, you’ll have, like, four of them!”

  I couldn’t even imagine that. “Aaaah! I can’t think about that right now. For all I know, Mom will break up with Jeff and I’ll never get together with my father. Then things will just be the same. Right now I don’t want to see my father. But it looks like Jeff might be sticking around. That’s all I know.”

  Everyone took a minute to take this in. Then we all started talking about other things as we finished the cupcakes. After we filled and iced them, Emma brought out the little bag of candied ginger we had bought.

  “They do look like little jewels,” Mia said.

  “What do they taste like?” Alexis asked.

  “A little spicy, and a little sweet,” I said.

  Alexis reached into the bag. “Are you sure you want to do that?” I asked her. “I thought you didn’t like spicy.”

  Alexis shrugged. “Nothing can be as spicy as Eddie’s green-chile chicken. And I’m curious.”

  She took one of the smaller pieces and popped it into her mouth. Then she smiled.

  “This is really good,” she said. “Sure, it’s spicy, but the sweetness balances it out. Our cupcakes are going to be awesome.”

  “I’m so proud of you!” Emma teased.

  Alexis kind of got me thinking. Maybe things were going to stay the same with me and Mom, but deep inside I knew that probably wasn’t true. So I’d have to be brave, like Alexis, and give things a try. If I was lucky, there might be some sweetness to balance things out.

  “We are going to be a huge hit tomorrow night,” I predicted. “I just know it!”

  On Monday night, we got into our best business mode. We have these Cupcake Club T-shirts that Mia made for us, and we made sure to wear them. Alexis printed out a fresh new batch of business cards, and she had printed out a sign for our table: CUPCAKES BAKED BY THE CUPCAKE CLUB, STUDENTS AT PARK STREET MIDDLE SCHOOL.

  The PTA dinner was held in a banquet hall in town, one of those fancy-looking ones with Roman columns along the walls and fake plants in big brass urns everywhere. The tables were decorated in blue and yellow, the official colors of Park Street Middle School.

  We set up our cupcake table while the PTA parents ate salad and pasta and chicken. We have these nice-looking tiers with big round platters on each level, and we use them a lot to display our cupcakes. The PTA had ordered ten dozen cupcakes, so there were a lot to set up. But it looked really nice when we were finished.

  It was kind of boring waiting for the PTA to finish eating, and a couple of moms got up and gave long speeches. Emma’s mom had brought us sandwiches to eat, so we finished them and waited quietly. But things picked up when it was time to get the cupcakes. The parents crowded around the table, and we couldn’t give them out fast enough.

  Everyone took the cupcakes back to their tables, so they could have coffee and talk some more. Nobody asked for a card.

  Alexis frowned. “Maybe we didn’t need to come tonight after all.”

  But then something really cool happened. As people finished their cupcakes, they started to come up to the table.

  “That was one of the most unique cupcakes I’ve ever had,” one woman said. “What kind of jelly was inside?”

  “Guava,” Alexis replied, handing her a business card. “We are available for parties, meetings, or any occasion, and we can customize your cupcakes to your taste.”

  I love Alexis. She is a born s
aleswoman.

  The woman looked impressed. “I will certainly keep you girls in mind. Can I have a few more cards for my friends, please?”

  Alexis happily handed over the cards.

  “See?” Emma said. “You were right, Alexis. It’s good that we came.”

  A man and woman came over. “Which one of you is Katie?” asked the man.

  “That’s me!” I said.

  “It’s so nice to meet you, Katie. We’re Mr. and Mrs. Martinez!” he said. “George’s parents. He talks about you all the time.”

  “He does?” I asked.

  Mrs. Martinez smiled. “He’s mentioned your cupcake club. He’s right, you make delicious cupcakes,”

  “Thanks!” I said. “And tell George I said hi!” As soon as I said it, it felt weird. Why would I tell his parents that I said hi if I was just going to see him the next day? Ugh. Weirdness.

  Then a blond-haired woman approached us. “Mrs. Delfino told me I should talk to you girls. You organize children’s parties, right? My twins are turning four, and I need to invite all twenty kids in their preschool class, but I have no idea what to do!”

  Alexis, Emma, and Mia all looked at me.

  “What do you think, Katie?” Mia asked. “Are we still doing children’s parties?”

  For a second, the face of a screaming five-year-old flashed through my mind, and I shuddered. It would have been easy to say “No way!” But I knew that doing new things was they way to go.

  “Sure,” I said. “We’d love to organize your party for you.”

  The woman looked completely relieved. Alexis handed her a business card. “E-mail me with the details, and we can discuss some options for the party,” she said.

  “Katie, what gives?” Mia asked, when the woman walked away. “I thought you had enough of screaming kids.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just decided that sometimes change can be good. Like guava jelly instead of grape. You can keep the tried and true, but not be afraid of something different once in a while. Sometimes, you have to try a new recipe, I guess!”

  My friends all grinned. “Like something spicy!” said Alexis.

  “Or something scary,” volunteered Emma.

  “Or something that totally doesn’t feel like you!” Mia chimed in.

  “Exactly!” I said.

  For some reason Chau’s funny poems popped into my head, and I thought of how mine would sound:

  Grape and guava, too.

  Tried and true.

  And a little new.

  Good friends do

  stick together like glue.

  It wasn’t perfect. It needed a few changes. But it was getting there.

  The Worst News Ever

  Okay, Mia, open wide.”

  “Open wide” might be two of the scariest words in the English language, don’t you think? Because when you hear them, it usually means a dentist is about to look into your mouth.

  Not that I have anything against dentists. My dentist is Dr. Brown, though I normally call her Mrs. Brown since she is my friend Katie’s mom. She’s supernice, and I’m sure most dentists are perfectly nice people. I just don’t like the stuff they have to do.

  Anyway, the person asking me to open wide wasn’t even Mrs. Brown. It’s her assistant, Joanne, who is also really nice. She’s tall, and she wears her blond hair up in a ponytail all the time, and under her blue scrubs I can always tell that her clothes are very fashionable.

  Joanne must have noticed the nervous look on my face.

  “It’s cool, Mia. I’m just taking some X-rays. This doesn’t hurt at all. You know that, right?” she asked.

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  I opened wide, and Joanne stuck this white square thing into my mouth and told me to bite down. Then she straightened the heavy gray apron covering me and left the room. I heard a quick buzz, and then Joanne came back in and took out the square thing.

  “You know, this really isn’t that flattering,” I joked, looking down at the apron.

  She laughed. “Just a few more shots and you can take it off, and then you’ll be ready for the runway again, okay?”

  Joanne was right—the X-rays didn’t hurt at all, but I was glad when they were over.

  “Dr. Brown will be by in a minute to go over them with you,” Joanne told me. “I’ll send in your mom, okay?”

  “Thanks,” I said, and inside I felt a little bit relieved. Up until a couple of years ago, I lived in Manhattan. Mom and Dad worked during the day, and my babysitter always took me to the dentist. Now we live in the suburbs, and Mom mostly works from home and has her own company, so she has more time to do stuff like this. It’s nice having her around, especially at the dentist’s.

  “How’d it go?” Mom asked as she came into the room.

  “My teeth are superclean,” I said, flashing her a smile. “And Joanne said it doesn’t look like I have any cavities. So I’m thinking I deserve some kind of reward for being so awesome.”

  Mom raised an eyebrow. “You want a reward for not getting any cavities?”

  “I was thinking a trip to the mall would be good,” I said.

  “Well, you don’t have to twist my arm for that,” Mom replied. I guess it’s a good thing we both love shopping!

  Then Mrs. Brown came in, wearing a white dentist coat. She has the same friendly brown eyes as my friend Katie, but Mrs. Brown’s light brown hair is cut short, with long bangs that are stylishly angled across her face.

  “It looks like you’re cavity free, Mia, but let me take a look in person, okay?”

  I nodded and opened my mouth again.

  “Very good,” she said with a nod. Then she looked at me and then at my mom. “But we should talk about your X-rays.”

  She pressed some keys on the computer on the table next to me, and these pictures of my mouth popped up. It was really weird to see how long the roots were underneath my gums, and I turned my head away. My teeth looked too creepy!

  “Mia’s got some crooked teeth on her bottom jaw, and her top jaw as well,” Mrs. Brown said, pointing to the screen with the end of her pen. “Her bite is misaligned, which can cause problems down the road. I’m recommending you see an orthodontist. I’m not sure, but Mia may need braces.”

  A cold chill went right through me.

  “Braces? Seriously?” I asked. It sounded more like I was squeaking, because I was so upset.

  “Well, as I said, I’m not one hundred percent sure,” Mrs. Brown said. “But it’s very likely.”

  I looked up at my mom. I could already feel my eyes starting to well up with tears. I started shaking my head. “No way! I cannot get braces. I will die!”

  “Mia, it’s okay,” Mom assured, putting her hand on my shoulder.

  Mrs. Brown gave me a sympathetic look. “I understand. Nobody wants to hear news like this. But by correcting your teeth now, we can help make sure your mouth stays healthy for a long, long time. I have some brochures I’ll give you, so you can find out what it’s all about.”

  Then she turned to my mom. “I know a great orthodontist over in River Glen. I’ll get you her card.” She smiled at me. “She’s the same doctor Katie used when she had her braces.”

  Mrs. Brown left, and I looked at Mom. “Please tell me this isn’t happening!”

  “There’s no need to panic yet, Mia,” Mom said. “Let’s wait and see what the orthodontist says before we start worrying, okay? And anyway, braces aren’t so bad. Katie had them! And your cousin Marcela had them, remember?”

  Marcela is a junior in high school now, but she had braces when she was my age. I definitely remembered them. How could I forget a mouth full of metal and wires? I shuddered.

  “She was always complaining that they hurt,” I pointed out. “And when we all went to that farm she couldn’t eat a candy apple, and she cried.”

  “That’s just what you remember. I know that most of the time, she was fine,” Mom said, and then she quickly changed the subject. “Hey, we should get
out of here and get to the mall!”

  Mom’s strategy worked—at first. I never get tired of going to the mall. Since my dentist appointment was right after school, I was kind of hungry, so Mom got me a vanilla mango smoothie at Smoothie Paradise. I sipped the delicious tropical goodness through a straw as we slowly walked around, window shopping.

  “Well, if I get braces, at least I can still have smoothies,” I remarked, and Mom smiled.

  “That sounds more like my Mia. Stay positive!”

  But I ruined my own mood by bringing up the braces, and it didn’t even help when we went inside Icon, my favorite shop in the whole mall. They had all the new summer styles on the racks, in tons of bright, almost fluorescent colors.

  I held up a neon-yellow sleeveless dress. “Wow, you could wear this in the dark and people could see you for miles,” I said. I actually look good in yellow, so I brought the dress to the mirror and held it up to my face.

  I posed and smiled, and then suddenly I got a vision of myself in the bright yellow dress with a mouth full of blinding silver metal.

  “There is no way I can wear this if I get braces!” I wailed. “It’s too much! Aliens in space will be able to see me.”

  “Oh, Mia, that’s not true,” Mom said, trying to reassure me, but it was no use.

  “If I get stupid braces, I won’t be able to wear any of the new summer styles!” I complained. “I might as well go live under a rock somewhere!”

  Mom sighed. “Come on, let’s go to the candle shop. I think you need some calming scents.”

  I could feel tears stinging my eyes as I followed Mom out of Icon. And the scent of misty mountain sandalwood candles (my favorite) did not help one bit. I was convinced that braces were going to ruin my life!

  Coco Simon always dreamed of opening a cupcake bakery but was afraid she would eat all of the profits. When she’s not daydreaming about cupcakes, Coco edits children’s books and has written close to one hundred books for children, tweens, and young adults, which is a lot less than the number of cupcakes she’s eaten. Cupcake Diaries is the first time Coco has mixed her love of cupcakes with writing.