CHAPTER1

TheTopicoftheTown

I love Fridays! Almost every Friday, my three best friends—Alexis, Mia, andKatie—andIhaveanofficialmeetingandbakingsessionforourCupcakeClub.Each week we try rotate where it takes place, so that makes it a little moreinteresting,andalotoftimeswestretchitoutintoasleepovertoo.It’sjustfunand kind of relaxing to know I don’t have to worry about Friday plans. I’malways guaranteed to be chilling with my BFFs! It’s also pretty cool to havesomethingtolookforwardtoallweek.

Someweekswehaveverylittlebusinesstocover,butthisweekwehadalot!Alexisranthemeetingasusual.

“First on the agenda is a cupcake competition–birthday party for IsabelGormleyintwoweeks.She’dliketwodozenunfrostedcupcakes;amixofvanillaand chocolate—so half are chocolate cake and the other half are yellow cake.Thenwe’llsendthefrostingontheside,vanillaandchocolate.Theyaregoingtohaveacontestsoallthekidscaniceanddecoratethecupcakesthemselves.”

“Thatissocute!”criedMia,loungingonmyTVroomsofa.“Wouldn’tshemaybelikesomefondantrosesonasheet?Orcontainersoftoppings?”

It’sbecomealmostboring forus tomakebasiccupcakes;wedo it sorarely.We’ve made so many over-the-top cupcake designs in our day. Mia is verycreative idea-wise,andKatie isgreatatexecution.Alexismakessurewechargeproperlyforthem.I’mgoodatpromotingandnetworkingtogetusjobs.

“Actually, itwould be cool to create a cupcake competition kit for parties.Maybewecouldadvertisethatonourwebsite!”Isaid.

Alexis tapped her penwith her teeth. “I agree. Ifwe could get the pricingright, itmightbeworthoffering it for a limited time to seehow itdoes.”Shemade some notes in her book. She’s very strategic with how we spend ourmoney,whichisagoodthing.

“Shouldwe tint thevanilla frostingat least?” suggestedKatie.“Wecangivethemdifferentcolors,likepinkorpurple...?”

Alexismadesomenotesinherbook.“I’lle-mailMrs.Gormleyandaskher,andalsoI’llseeifshewantsustocreatethekitforthem.TheGormleysaregood

clients.She’llprobablybeupforit.”Inodded.“Whatelseisinthelineup?”“Wehave the PTAmeeting coming up, so let’s do a complimentary order

with fliers or little cardswithour contact info tohandout.Maybe twodozenminis, since the parents don’t eat much. Then”—Alexis consulted her notes—“we have a retirement party for Emma’s mom’s friend at work, anotherlibrarian. They’d like us to do something pretty. . . . There are your fondantroses,Mia!Andthataboutwrapsitup.Anythingelse?”

Katienoddedandheldupasheetofpapertornfromamagazine.“Iwanttotrythisnewpink-lemonadefrosting.It’ssupposedtobedelicious,anditmightbecuteforalight,floralspringcupcake.”

Alexisnotedit,andweallagreed.Thentherewasapause,andMialookedupwithadevilishgrin.“Canwe justgossipnowforaminuteabout thenumber-onetopicintown?”

Alexis groaned and put her hands over her eyes. “When will it end?” shecried.

KatieandIgrinnedateachother.“Doyouhaveanewscoop?”IaskedMia.“No! I thoughtyoumight,of allpeople, sinceyou’re sobuddy-buddywith

Romaine!”ThetopicofthetownwasthatRomaineFord,ouroneandonlyhomegrown

superstar—modelturnedactress,singer,Oscarwinner,andmore—ispremieringhernewmovierighthere inMapleGrove in justaweek!Alreadyshopkeepersareofferingpremierepromotionsanddecoratingtheirstorewindowslikeit’stheAcademy Awards. It’s sort of annoying because everyone acts like they’reRomaineFord’sbest friend,or likesheshopsat their storesall thetime,whichthey aren’t and she doesn’t. Even the local paper has been going around andinterviewingpeopleabouther,whoI’msuredon’tevenknowher,whichdrivesmenuts.

I,ontheotherhand,doknowRomaineFord.Idon’tknowherwell,butwearealmostwhatyoumightcallfriends.It’skind

ofalongstory,butImetherwhenIwasmodelingbridesmaiddressesatthestorewheresheboughtherweddinggown.ThenmyfriendsandImadecupcakesforherweddingshower,andshecametomytalentshowatcamp.Thatwasaprettybigdeal.Wehaven’tstayedintouchoranything,butIknowifwewerewalkingpasteachotheronthestreetandIsaid,“Hi,Romaine!”she’dsay,“Hi,Emma!”back.

I’m sure Iwill havemore information tomorrow since I’mworking atTheSpecialDaybridalsalon,whichIdoeveryotherweekend,modelingdressesandhelping out. Tomorrow she’ll be coming in for a dress fitting with herbridesmaids, and I’llbedelivering the salon’sweeklycupcakeorderand stayingontohelpMona,theownerofthestore.Theonlythingis,asanemployee,I’malwayssworntosecrecyaboutbrides(especiallyRomaine!)andtheirdetails.Thiscanbefrustratingandhard,sinceI’msousedtotellingmyfriendseverything.It’sjust that I’m sodying to tell themI’m seeingRomaine tomorrowthat Imightburst!Ilookeddownatmynails.IfAlexisweretolookatmyface,she’dtotallyknowIwashidingsomething.

SinceourCupcakebusinessmeetingwasfinishedfortheday,wemovedintothekitchento startbaking,andourconversationcontinuedaswerandownallthethingsweknewaboutRomaineFord’snewmovie.It’salovestory,setinthepast,witha lotofotherfamousstars,allofwhomarecomingtotheredcarpetpremiereatthetheaterwheremyfriendsandIusuallyhangout!It’ssoinsane!It’slikeadreamtothinktheseactorsandactresseswillbehere,maybeevensittinginmy usual favorite seat; seventh row from the front, second seat in on the left.Therewill be tonsofpress andotherHollywoodbigwigs there,plusof courseRomaine Ford’s handsome fiancé, the gorgeous Liam Carey, an actor anddirectorwhodoesallsortsofvolunteerworkinAfricainhissparetime.

“Weshouldtrytogoandwatchthemontheredcarpet!”suggestedKatie,themoststarstruckofusall.

“Yes!”agreedMia.“Andwecangetdressedup!”WealllaughedsinceMiathefashionistawilllookforanyexcusetogetdecked

out.“IcanwearmydressfromDylan’ssweetsixteen,”saidAlexisdecisively,and

wealllaughedagainsinceAlexisisusuallysoreluctanttogetdressedup.“Okay,let’sfocusonworkforaminute,”Isaid.Icouldn’tkeeptalkingabout

Romaine Ford and not spill the beans. “We need to make five dozen minicupcakes for Mona—she wants half of the vanilla-vanilla combo and halfcinnamonbunwithcreamcheesefrostingfortomorrowmorning.Andthat’sit,right?”

“Yes,butdoyouguysmindifImakethispink-lemonadefrostingrightnowonthe side?Maybemakeanextrahalfdozencupcakesandwecan sample it?”askedKatie.

“Yum!Samplewhat?”saidmyoldestbrother,Sam,walkingintothekitchenfromthemudroom.

“Sam!”criedmyfriends,whichwasbothheartwarmingandannoying.Ihavetwoolderbrothers,SamandMatt,andoneyoungerone, Jake,andtheyareallpretty irritatingtome(Samthe least,actually),butmyfriendsadorethem.MiaandKatiebabyJake,AlexisispracticallydatingMatt,who’sayearolderthanus,andMiaandKatiebothhavemassivecrushesonSam(whoIdohavetoadmitisgood-looking).

“Samplenothing,mister!”Iscolded.“Emma!”chidedMia.“My brand-new pink-lemonade frosting. I don’t care what Emma says—

you’reourofficialtester,”declaredKatie.“No way!” I protested. “These guys will eat anything. Just slather some

frostingonanoldshoe,andSamandtheotherguyswillwolfitdownandsayit’sdelicious.They’retotallyindiscriminating!”

Samcameoverandgavemeanoogiewhile I shrieked.ThenMattcame inwith Jake, and suddenly it seemed there were boys everywhere, peering intobowlsandsniffingtheair.

“Out!” I commanded. “It’smy kitchen time!We’ll call you back if there’ssomethingtosample,okay?You’relikeapackofwildhounds.”

JakeandMatthowledandwoofed likewildhounds,but theyall finally left,withmyfriendsinvaryingdegreesofthegiggles.Itwasveryquietoncetheboysweregone,atleastinthekitchen,butIcouldstillhearthemhorsingaroundintheden.Weworkedinsilenceforaminute,andthentheconversationturned,ofcourse,backtoRomaine.

“Whenisshegettingmarried?”askedKatie.“Idon’tknow,”Isaid.“Iwouldfigureit’sprobablywithinthenextmonthor

two;itwasawhileagothatsheorderedthedress.”Andsinceshe’scominginforherfittingtomorrow,Iaddedsilently.Thefittingiswhentheyhemandalterthedressso it fits perfectly.Most brideshave a few fittings close to theweddingday tomakesurethedressisjustright.Somearereallypickyandhave,like,fiveorsix,butmosthavearoundthree.IknewRomainewasonlyhavingtwofittingsduetoherschedule,soherweddingmustbesoon.

I kind of felt bad forRomaine.Most brides came in for their fittingswithsome friends and family, and it was always like a little party. Mona wascoordinatinghowtosneakRomaineintothestoresonoonewouldtrytotakepicturesorbotherher.Tryingtokeepquietlikethismakesmerealizehowharditmust be to be famous,with somanypeople caring about your everymove.Imagine if someone was taking a picture of you every time you went to the

supermarketorouttoeat.Iknowtheypaystarsalot,butreally,theyareneveractuallyoffduty.Workisfulltimeandforlife,iftheydoitwell.

Wefinishedupourbakingduties,andKatie’spink-lemonadefrostingturnedoutreallywell.Itwasapretty,palepinkcolorandtastedexactlylikelemonade.

“Come and get it, troops!” Katie hollered out the kitchen door, and thenthere was a stampede. The girls and I stood back while my brothers gorgedthemselvesontheextracupcakeswitheitherlemonadeorvanillafrosting.

Irolledmyeyes.“Aretheygood?”Iaskedloudly.“Umm-hmmm.”Mattnoddedemphatically.“Yesss!”saidJakeascrumbstumbledoutofhismouth.“Thevanillaaredelicious.Alittleplain.Thelemonade...,”saidSam.Uh-oh.Hewon’t really say somethingmean aboutKatie’s new frosting,will he? I

worried,butIdidn’tneedto.GoodoldSammy.“Thelemonadeonesareinsane!”Katie beamed like she was being photographed at a movie premiere.

“Thanks!”shesaidhappily.IbitmytonguetokeepfromsayinganythingagainaboutSamnotbeingvery

picky.IwantedKatietoenjoythecompliment.“Anymore?”askedMattaftereatingtwo.Helookedallaroundthecounter

toseeifwewerehidingsome.“That’sit,mister.Youcan’teatupallourprofits!”teasedAlexis.“I’llpay!”saidMatt,reachingintohispocket.“Ohplease.Likeyoucanaffordourcupcakes!”saidAlexis,swattinghimwith

adishtowel.“Well,maybe ifyoudidn’tchargeonehundreddollarspercupcake,” teased

Matt.Theywerebothlaughingandlookingateachotherallgoogly-eyed,andIwantedtobarfsoIhadtoturnaway.Sometimesit’ssuperfunandconvenienttohaveyourbestfriendlikeyourbrother,andothertimesit’ssuperannoying.

Forexample, laterthatnight,all theCupcakerswenttomyroomtochangeintoourpj’sbeforewewatchedamoviedownstairs.ButthistimeAlexisrefusedtochangeintoherpj’s.Ithoughtitwasodd,butthenIgotit.Shedidn’twanttowearherpj’sinfrontofMatt.

It’s just little stuff like that that adds up. I’d never say anything to Alexisthough because then shewould be sorry but also a littlemad, and Iwouldn’twanttostartallthatup.Ihadenoughtroublewithtryingtokeepmybridalsalonworkasecretfrommyfriends,nevermindalienatingthemofficially.

Sometimes it’s so complicated just being me that I can’t imagine howRomaineFordisher.

CHAPTER2

WeddingCupcakes

Igotupearlytoshowerandblow-drymyhairsinceMonahadwarnedmethatImightdoalittlemodelingtoday.TheothergirlswereupandeatingcerealwhenIcameoutofthebathroom;MiaandKatiewereintheircutepj’s,butAlexiswasfullydressed,ofcourse. I sighed. Ikindofwished Icouldhangoutwith theseguysratherthanworkthismorning.

“Lookin’good,Emma!”saidMiaapprovingly.“Thanks,”IsaidwithasmileasIgrabbedabowloffthecounter.“Very pretty, sweetheart,” said my mother, coming to plant a kiss on my

cheek.“Yeah,sweetheart,”sangMattashestrodeintothekitchen,alsofullydressed.

Usually, if he doesn’t have sports, he sleeps late and then spends as long aspossibleinhispjbottomsandarattyoldT-shirt.Hmm.

“Canit,mister,”Isaid.“Kids!”warnedmymom.IglaredatMatt.“Looking pretty spiffy yourself there. Going somewhere?” Now I was

annoyedandwantedtoembarrasshim.“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he said sarcastically as he pulled out a stool

fromthecounterandsat.Mydighadnotfazedhimatall.Annoying.Alexishadherback tohim,butIcould tellbyher face that shewas totallyattunedtohiseverymove,eventhoughshecouldn’tseehim.

“Actually, I wouldn’t,” I said. “I’m sure it’s something gross.” I wanted toteasehimthathewasgoingtomeetagirl,butIrealizedthatwouldhurtAlexis’sfeelings,andIcouldn’tverywellteasehimaboutherwithherthere.Ugh!NowIcouldn’twaitforthissleepovertoend,soIcouldgettowork.

“Em,we’llgo in fiveminutes,okay?”saidmymom.“I’mjustgoingtorunupstairsforasweater.Girls,I’mnotkickingyouout—you’rewelcometostayaslongasyoulike—butifanyonewantsaridehome,youcancomewithusandI’lldropyouoffafterIdropEmmaatthestore.”

MiaandKatiewereheadingintothecitytoseeMia’sdad,sotheyhadtheirplans set. I looked at Alexis, who I knew wished she could stay, but staying

withoutmeherewouldbe reallyweird. She struggled for aminute, then said,“I’ll comewithyou,Mrs.Taylor.Thanks!”She stood to takeherbowl to thesink,andIwatchedhertrytoavoidlookingatMatt.Butthenhesaidsomethingtotallylame,like“Rushingofftoworkonabusinessplan,bosslady?”Shestartedgigglinglikeshe’dbeenwaitingforanyexcusetolaughwithhim,andIwantedtopuke.

I shoveled inmy lastbiteofcerealandwent togetmycoat.KatieandMiasaidthey’dcallMia’smomforaridetothetrainstationandwouldcleanuptheairmattressesandblankets inmyroombefore they left. IglancedatAlexisandsawherstruggleagainwiththeideaofstaying,butnowitwaskindoftoolate;shehadtofollowthroughonleavingwithme.IhuggedMiaandKatieandgotintothecarwhileAlexiswentuptogetherbag.

Aminutelatermymomhoppedinandsaid,“ArewetakingAlexis?”Irolledmyeyesandsaid,“YoumeanMatt’sgirlfriend,Alexis?”Mymomlaughed.“ShedoeslikeMatt,doesn’tshe?It’scute.Puppylove!So

sweet.”“Puppypuke!”Isaid,crossingmyarmstightly.“Oh,Emma,don’tbeabadsport.It’sverysafetohaveacrushonyourbest

friend’sbrother.IhadoneonmyfriendSandy’sbrotherwhenIwasagirl.”“WhatdidSandythinkaboutthat?”“Shedidn’tmind.Idon’tthink.”“Aha!Butyoudon’tknow!”“Well...welosttouch.”“See?”Just thenAlexisgot into thecar, andmymomgavemeaknowing smile. I

wastooannoyedtoeventurnaround.“Allset?”mymomsaidtoAlexis.“Yup!Thanks!”saidAlexis,closingthedoorandbucklingup.“Oh! I forgot the cupcakes!” I said, smacking my forehead. I began

unbucklingmyseatbeltasIreachedformydoorhandle.“Got’em,”saidAlexis.Shepattedthecupcakecarrier,anditmadeahollow

thunkingsoundintheback.“Oh.Thanks,”Isaid.IguessAlexisisn’tallbad.Imean,shehasbeenmybest

friend formywhole life. I turnedaround to smileather, and she smiledback.ShehadnoideaIwasannoyedather,and,honestly,whyshouldIbe?Itwasn’therfaultshelikedmybrother.Anditwasn’therfaulthelikedherback.Actually,maybeitwouldbeworseifhedidn’tlikeherback.Isighedandlistenedtomy

momandAlexisdiscussthebigpremierethewholewaytothemall.Ittookallmyselfcontroltonotyell,“AndI’mgoingtoseeRomaineinafewminutes!”

When I got to the usually serene The Special Day, it was chaos. Controlledchaos.Andthatonlymeansonething.

“Emma!Hiiiiii!” saidPatricia,Mona’s assistant, as she flewpastmewith anarmloadofwhitecutflowers.

“Daaarling!”saidMonaasshesailedacrosstheroomtofluffthesofacushions.I turned to one of the salesgirls hurrying past and said, “Big customer here

yet?”Shewinkedatmeandshookherhead.“Notyet,”shesaid.Ismiledinexcitement.“Mona,I’llgosetupthecupcakes,thenletmeknow

what I cando tohelp,” I called. Iwent into thebackwhere theyhave a tinykitchenandbegantoplatethecupcakesononeofMona’sbeautifulthree-tieredchinadisplayplatters.

Patriciacameintofillavasewithmorewater.“She’scomingintoday,right?”Iwhispered.Shenoddedandsmiled.“Thesecondtolastfitting,actually!”“Wait, so then it’s just the final fitting,which is always the day before the

wedding,right?”“Yup!”saidPatriciawithawink.“Andthatwouldbewhen...?”“Can’ttell!”shesang,andthensheflittedoutoftheroom.“Patricia!” I complained as she skipped away, and I couldhear her laughter

floating back through the hall. I knew I’d find out sooner or later, though. Ialwaysdo.

Sure enough, Romaine arrived with her mom, her sister, and threebridesmaids,oneofwhomwas the famous singerandpianoplayer (and fashionmodel),SamanthaHolmes,rightbeforethestoreopened!Iwaspeekingoutfromadressingroom,andIsawthemallwalkin.Iwasn’tsureif they’dneedmeinthereorjustasarunner(that’ssomeonewhorunsandgetsthings,likeadifferentsize ormore pins), so I stayed put until further instructions. But soon I heardMonacallingme,andIleftmylittlecocoonandwalkedslowlytothelargestoftheprivatedressingroomsMonausesforbrides.Ihadbutterfliesinmystomach,andnowIwasn’tsoconfidentRomainewouldrememberme.Imean,shemustmeetthousandsofpeopleayear!

I opened the door and ducked inside, already blushing. And then I heard,“Emma!”

“Theresheis!”“Hey,Emma!”AndRomainecrossedtheroomtogivemeabighug.Icouldn’tbelieveit!“I—Iwasn’tsureyou’drememberme.Th-thanks!”Istammeredawkwardly.“Rememberyou?Howcouldweforget?Betweenthewonderfulcupcakesfor

myshowerandyourgreatjobatthecamptalentshowandallyourcutefriends!”RomainewasbeamingatmeandsuddenlyIfeltlikeIwasthestarandshewasthefan.Itwasamazing!Ilaughed.

“Oh, you look just as pretty as ever, dear!” saidMrs. Ford from across theroom.Monahadgivenmeabridesmaid’sdresstowear.IusuallyworedifferentdresseswhenIwasatthestore,sothebridescouldseehowtheylookedonanactualperson.TheoneIwaswearingtodayhadareallyprettypinksatinbow.

“Thanks,”Isaid,playingwiththebow.ThenIstopped.Monaalwaystoldmenottofusswiththedresses—especiallywhenI’mwearingthem.

Monawassmilingproudlyatme,andIsmiledback.Thenshesaid,“Now,wehave lotsofEmma’s cupcakes for thismorning, so,Emma,whydon’tyou runandgetus someof those,please,andthenwe’ll see ifweneedyoutostandinagainasa fitmodel forRomaine’sniece.Meanwhile,PatriciaandIwillgogetthedresses,andthebridalpartycantrythemon.”

Iscurriedouttogetthecupcakes,andwhenIreturnedIpassedthemoutonsmall linennapkins, thewayMonahad shownme.Everyone tookone, and itwasprettyquietforaminuteastheyallsavoredthetreats.

“Oh!Thesearesodelicious!”saidSamantha,nibblingonavanillacupcake.“Icouldeatahundredofthem,butthenmydresswon’tfit!”Shelaughed.

Ismiledather,gladtohaveachancetomakeeyecontact.Iwassousedtoseeing her onYouTubemusic videos, playing the piano and singing: her longarmstonedinasleevelessgown,gracefullyoutstretchedwhileshesangandplayedthepianowithouteven lookingdownat thekeys.Sheevenplayedat thispastyear’sSuperBowlhalftimeshow,watchedbyabillionpeople!Itwastooweirdtoseeherhere,sittinginfrontofmeinjeansandaT-shirt.

“Theycouldletitoutforyou,”saidRomaine’ssisterFlorencewithawink.“Mymanagerwouldkillme!”saidSamantha.“Oh, these managers are so ruthless! Mine tells me every pound shaves a

hundredthousanddollarsoffmypaycheck,”Romainesaid,groaning.Ahundredthousanddollars!

“Girls,”scoldedMrs.Ford.“Sorry,”saidRomaine.“Tackytotalkaboutmoneyinpublic!”Mrs.Fordnoddedapprovingly,andRomainerolledhereyeslikeateenager.

“Mom’stheboss,”shesaidwithashrug.“Sorry,Mrs.F.,”saidSamantha.“Yougirlsaretalentedenoughtonothavetotalk likethat,”saidMrs.Ford

withasniff.Wow, I thought. Mrs. Ford had power. Imagine scolding a three-time

GrammyAwardwinner,andanOscarwinner,atthesametime!ThenIthoughtaboutit.Afterall,Mrs.FordwasstilljustRomaine’smom,evenifRomainewasabigstar.MymomwouldprobablystillcorrectmeifIhadbadmannersaboutsomethingtoo,evenifIwasamoviestar.

“Let’shaveanother,then!”Samanthagiggled,andIcircledbacktoherwiththeplatter.

Shepoppedacinnamononeintohermouththistime.“Mmmm!Thatoneisjust as delicious as the other! Romaine, maybe you should have a cinnamon-flavoredweddingcake!Thatwouldsolveallyourtroubles!”

IlookedatRomaineandsawhersigh.“IloveLiamsomuch,buttheonethingwecan’tagreeonisaweddingcake.

He thinks that big fancywhitewedding cakes areold-fashioned, and I kindofagree,butI’mnotgoingtoreinventthewheel,youknow?”

IpassedtheplattertoRomaine,andsheselectedanothervanillacupcake.“Oh, Emma, these really are the best. Too bad you don’t make wedding

cakes!”“Hey!” saidRomaine’s sister,who looks a lot like her. “I saw on that TV

showCupcakeConnections that they did a cupcake tower for awedding. Itwasreallypretty!”

IwantedtosaytheCupcakeClubhadactuallydoneacupcaketowerforMia’smom’s wedding and for a bridal fashion show, but I didn’t want to get tooinvolved in their conversation. Iwas just there as a server after all.Mona hadbeenprettystrictwhenIstartedworkingatthesalonthatIwasn’treallysupposedtochatwitheveryone.Iwassupposedtobeworking.

“Yes,butwheredoyouthinkwouldwefindsomeonewho...”Suddenly,Romainestoppedandturnedtolookatme.Theneveryonewaslookingatme.Iblushed and looked down just asMona and Patricia burst back into the roomwiththerackofdresses.

“Herewego!”saidMona.

“YOU!”saidRomaine.Ilookedup.“Me?”Monalookedbothworriedandconfused.“Everythingallrightinhere?”she

asked.Romaine had crossed the room, her cheeks suddenly pink and her eyes

shiningwithexcitement.“Emma!Wouldyoumakecupcakesformywedding?”IthoughtIwasgoingtofaint.Iputmyhandtomychest.“Me?”Icroaked.“Yes,you!”criedRomaine.

CHAPTER3

StopthePresses!

Mona clapped her hands and said, “That’s a lovely idea, but let’s get peoplestartedon their fittings, and thenyou canworkout thosedetails later. I knowyou ladies have limited time today. Romaine, would you like to come first,please?Rightthisway.”

Still smiling,Romainecrossedtheroomandcalled,“I love this idea!”beforeshedrewthecurtainacrossthefittingroom.Monaswishedinbehindher,alargewhitegarmentbagoverherarm.Monawaswearingherwhitegloves,asusual.Sheneverwantstoleaveamarkonanyoftheexpensivefabricsorembroideriesthatthestorefeatures,soshewearswhitegloveswhenshe’stouchingthegowns.At first it seemed a little silly, but once, I accidentally got some frosting on awhite dress I waswearing, and I learned the hardway you have to be really,reallycareful.

MonaandRomainechattedbehind thecurtain,whileeveryoneelse aroundtheroomchatted.Iputdownthecupcakesandpassedicedwaterinsmallplasticpartycups,whichpeoplegratefullygulpeddown.Chattingwasthirstywork.

Moments later the curtain was pulled back and Mona happily announced,“Ladies,herecomesthebride!”AndoutsteppedRomaine.

Everyone in the roomgasped.Romaine looked incredible!The dresswas asimple,withwhitelaceontopandafittedwhitebodiceunderneathit,andlittlecapsleeves.Thegownballoonedoutintoaprincess-typebottom,withabigskirtmadeofathicksatinthatglowedapearlywhiteandswishedfromsidetosideasRomainewalked.

“Oh,darling!” saidMrs.Ford,and shebegan tocry. Ialmostcried too,butinsteadIjumpedtogetthetissueboxfromthesideboardandbroughtitovertoMrs.Ford,whereshelaughedandgratefullypluckedafewtissues.

“Oh!”Shemoppedhereyes.“YoulookmorebeautifulthanI’veeverseen!”shesaidtoherdaughter,andthatwassayingsomething.

Romainetwirledandlookedatthedressinthemirror,smilingso,sohappily.“Awesome!”hersistersaidbreathlessly.“Girl,youlookg-l-a-m-o-r-o-u-s,glamorous!”sangSamantha.

“I love it,Mona!” said Romaine sweetly. “It’s the prettiest dress I’ve everworn.Andit’s socomfortable! I thought itmightbeheavyor scratchy,but it’snot.Ifeeltotallyrelaxedinit.”Shespunaroundagain.

“It’s divine, dear, just divine!” said Mona. A row of pins between herclenched teeth made her talk kind of funny, but I was used to it. She gotRomainetostandstillandthensquatted,pinningthehematthebackofthedressandthenstandingtopinthebodice.“Pleasedomakesureyou’reeatingenoughcupcakes,though,becauseifIneedtotakethistoppartinanymoreatthefinalfitting, I’ll have to detach it and rework it to fit,” saidMonawith a grin. “Itwon’tbeeasy!”

“Didjahearthat,Sammy?”Romainecackled.“Callmymanagerandtellhim!Morecupcakes!Mona’sorders!”

“Uh-uh,youtellhimyourself!”saidSamantha,allfake-scared.Ismiled,watchingthem.Romainewas so cute. She kept looking at the dress in themirror and just

grinningfromeartoear.“Ican’twaituntilLiamseesmeinthisdress.Thatwillbethehighlightofthedayforme.ThelookonhisfaceassoonasIstartdowntheaisle.”

Iwasdying toknowwhen thebigdaywas,but I couldn’t ask. Itwouldn’thavebeenappropriate. I justheld the traywith thepins forMonaasRomaineturnedveryslowlyaroundandMonapinnedalittlebitatatime.

Soon,MonawasfinishedandRomainewenttochangeoutofthedressandthen her maid of honor went in. That was whenRomaine said, “Mona, I’mstealingyourstar foraminutetotalkbusiness.”Sheperchedonthesideof thesofainherjeans,T-shirt,andsocksandlookedlikeshecouldhavebeenoneofmyoldbabysittersratherthananinternationalstar.

“Okay,Emma,let’sgetdowntodetails.We’rehavingahundredguests,soI’dfigureifyoudofull-sizecupcakes,you’dwant...”

“We usually do a fifteen percent overage,” I said, feeling very professionalusinganAlexisbusinessterm.Thatmeantforahundredpeople,we’dmakeonehundredandfifteencupcakes.

“Great.Maybedo twentypercent,”Romaine said, amischievous sparkle inhereyes.“Icanexerciseonmyhoneymoon.”

“Got it.” I smiled conspiratorially, then asked, “And when do you needthem?”Iwasfiguringshewouldn’tneedthemtillperhapsnextmonth.

“Thiscomingweekend,”saidRomaineinawhisper.

“What?”Iwasshockedtosaythe least.“Whataboutthepremiere?”I feltalittlenerdyacknowledgingthatIfollowedRomaine’sscheduleinthepress,butitwasprettyobvious,anyway.

Romaine giggled. “We staged the premiere to distract frommywedding. Iwantedtohaveahometownwedding,butIknewthepresswouldgetsuspiciousifalltheseHollywoodpeoplewereshowingupingoodoldMapleGrove.Thenthey’dstormmybackyardandcomeinwithhelicopters,andthenmyweddingwouldberuined.SoI’mtrickingthem.”

“Wait,thereisn’tapremiere?”NowIwasconfused.“Thereis,butthere’salsoaweddingthenextday.”“Oh!”NowIgotit.“That’sreallysmart!”Isaid.Romaine tapped the side of her head, like she was smart, but then she

admitted,“Itwasmymom’sidea.”Samanthacameoutinherpalegreensatinbridesmaiddress,andwealloohed

and aahed over it. She could have worn a potato sack and still looked like aqueen.Herposturewas so straight andelegant.Monagot toworkonpinningher,andRomainecalledhermomovertotalkwithus.

“Letmegrabapenandpaper,”Isaid,anddashedoff.WhenIcameback,Mrs.Fordwassaying,“Toocomplicated!”“Nothing’stoocomplicatedfortheCupcakeClub!”Isaid.“Well . . .,” saidMrs. Ford. “Romaine andLiam can’t agree on flavors, so

Romaine was saying it might be cute to do a selection. I think it’s toocomplicated, and it will look messy: chocolate over here, orange here. Thereneedstobesomevisualthemeororganization.”

Inodded.“What’sthethemeofthewedding?Whatcolorsarethetables?”“Spring colors!” said Romaine, excited. “Pastels. Pale pink, pale blue, pale

green,paleyellow.”“Pretty!”Isaid.“Likethebridesmaids’dresses.”“Exactly!”I thought for a minute. “Well, we could do white cake and then have

different-coloredpastelfrostings?Wecouldflavorthefrostingswithsomeextractsifyouwanted.Likethegreencouldbemint,thepinkcouldberaspberry.”

Romaineandhermomlookedateachotherandgrinned.“Thatmightbejustthething,”saidMrs.Ford.Thensheturnedtomewithasmile,butthelookinhereyeswasserious.“Youcan’ttellasoul.”

“I...uh...”Can’ttellasoul?HowamIgoingtobakecupcakesandnottelltheothers?

“Pinkiepromise!”saidRomaine,andshecrookedherpinkieatme.I laughed.“Um. . . the thing is, thereare fourofus in theCupcakeClub.

That’showwework.Alltogether.Ican’tnottellmypartners.Imean,wedoallthe baking and decorating.” I could feel a blush rising frommyneck, andmycheeksfelthot.Iblinkedhard.“I...Idon’tknowhowIcouldevenbakethemallbymyself.”

Romainewaggedherpinkieatmeagain.“Comeon!You’llfiguresomethingout,right?”

Mrs.Ford interjected,“I’m so sorry,honey,butwe’ve found that themorepeople know, well, the more people tend to find out. We need to keep itbetweenuschickens,orthepresswilldescendandruinit.Andafterallourhardworktokeepitasecret.”

HowcouldIturndowntheoffertobakeRomaineFord’sweddingcupcakes?IsighedandcrookedmypinkietolinkwithRomaine’s.“Okay?”Shesmiled.“Okay,”Isaid.“Iunderstand.”AndIdid.ButIwasalreadydreadingkeeping

asecretlikethisfrommybestfriends,nottomentionhowIwasevergoingtopullthisoff.

Asthemorningworeon,thebridalpartyworkedtheirwaythoughallthedressfittings,aswellastwoservingsofcupcakeseach!Itwasafun,festiveatmospherethewholetime,andIcouldseeMonarelaxinchbyinchaseachmemberofthepartycameoutinadressthatlookedfantastic.Nottobeimmodest,butIthinkallthesweetshelpedkeepeveryonehappy,too.

Bytheendofthefitting,Monawasinagreatmood,andthebridalpartywaskindoftiredandgiggly.Romainegotreadyforherdeparturefromthestorebyputting a darkwig on,with sunglasses and a baggy trench coat. Itmade us alllaugh,seeingherlikethatbecauseshelookedsounlikeherself.

“Presenting the new Mrs. Liam Carey!” announced Samantha, and we allcollapsedintogiggles.PartofmefeltscaredforRomainethough,andalittlesad.Itwouldbesohardtobestalkedbythepressthewaysheis.Thenhermomandhersisteralsodonnedcostumes,aswellasSamantha,andtheyallstaggeredtheirdeparturessothatnoonewouldnoticethem.

Romaine left first,givingmea firmhug,alongwithhere-mailaddress,andasking me to send her a proposal as soon as possible. Her mom agreed andsuggested a fewother flavor ideas, and Imade a noteof themonmy sheet of

paper. Samantha also huggedme. “Let’s take a photo!” she said, and I almosthugged her. I would have never asked hermyself. Patricia took onewithmyphone,andSamanthawasverycuteaboutit.Shemimedeatingacupcakewithabiggrinonherface,andIwaslaughing.Welookedgood.Ipromisednottodoanythingwith thephotountil after thewedding. I thought itwas sonicehowprotective Samantha was of Romaine. I’d do the same thing for any of myfriends, especially Alexis. Even if she did end upmarryingMatt.Eww . . ., Ithought.Iputthatthoughtoutofmyhead.

Bythetimethey’dallgone,Mona,Patricia,andIcollapsedontothesofasandclosedoureyestorestforaminute.Ithadbeenalotofworkandalotoffun,andwewerepooped.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Romaine having this funmorning with herfamily and best friends, and then having to stalk off alone in disguise like acriminal.NowthatI’dwitnessedsomeofwhatshehadtogothrough,Ididn’tmindthatmuchaboutnottellingmyfriendsaboutthecupcakesforRomaine’swedding.Eventhoughitwouldbehard,IwoulddoitforRomaine’ssake.

I openedmy eyes and stretched. “Well, I’d better go, or I’m going to fallasleeponthissofa.”

“Iknow.Aren’tthesecushionsdivine?”askedMona.“Divine,”Iechoedwithagiggle.Monacrackedopenaneyeandsmiled.“Thanksforyourhelpthismorning,

Emma.Youwerelovely,asusual.”“It’seasywhentheclientsaresonice.”“Iknow,”agreedMona.“We’relucky.Nowfortherestoftheworld...”Patriciastoodup.“I’llgoopenup,”shesaid.I said good-bye to Mona and went to gather my jacket and my cupcake

carrier.Patriciapaidme for thecupcakesandmytime,but I tried toonly takethemoneyforthecupcakes.

“Itwasanhonor!Aprivilege!”Isaid.“Ishouldbepayingyou!”Ialwaysfeelawkwardwith business transactions. It’swhy I have an agent formymodelingand why I’m happy to let Alexis handle the Cupcake Club billing andnegotiating.IfeltatwingethinkingofhowI’dhavetodoitallwithoutherfortheweddingcupcakes.Ugh.

“Emma,takethemoney.Ican’thavetofighttopayyouevertimeyoucometoworkhere,yousillygoose,”saidPatricia,pressingtheenvelopeintomyhand.“Look atRomaine andSamantha andhow successful they’vebeen.Don’t you

thinkthosetwoladiesknowwhattheirworkisworth?Howdoyouthinktheygotsofar?”

“Iguess,”Isaidawkwardly.“Don’tundervalueyourself, sweetie,”Patricia said, coming frombehind the

counter to put her arm around me and walk me to the door. “You’re aprofessional,andyou’rewortheverypennyyoumake,ifnotmore,okay?”

“Thanks,”Isaid,givingheraquickhug.“Seeyounextweek!”Iloweredmyvoicetoawhisper.“Weddingweekend!”

“Shh!”saidPatriciawithawink.Outsidethestore,Isetoutforthepickupareawheremydadwaswaitingfor

meintheminivan.Itwasonlyshortwalkdowntheopenmainstairwayandoutthefrontdoorsofthemallbelow.Ihadn’tgottentenfeetfromthefrontofthestore,though,whenanice-lookingyoungmansaid,“Excuseme!Miss!”

On instinct I turned around and slowed down a little, still heading for thestairs.Myparentshadalwaystoldmeaboutnottalkingtostrangers.IsawDadinthecarandgavealittlewave,sohecouldseeme.Icouldseehimstarttogetoutofthecar.Themanlookedathimandwaved.

“Hi,miss. JohnCohane fromCelebritymagazine. I just sawyouexitingTheSpecialDay.Iwonder,couldyoupleaseconfirmformethatiswhereRomaineFord’sweddingdresscamefrom?”Heflashedacharminggrinatme.

He’d said everything so fast, it took me a minute to process. Celebritymagazine? I stood stupidly frozen for a split second, then I realized what washappening,andIturnedonmyheelandstartedwalkingagain,fast.Ireachedthetopofthestairsandstartedjoggingdownthemataquickclip.Hefollowedme.

“Miss! I’m not looking for a quote or a photo or anything, just aconfirmation?ForCelebritymagazine.”

Iwasnearlysprintingnow,buthewaskeepingupwithme.Icouldn’tthinkofanythingtosaytogethimawayfromme.IthoughtifIopenedmymouth,Imightgivesomethingaway,butIfeltlikesuchaloserbeingmute.

Iwas scaredandwishedIcould thinkof somethingclever to say toget thisguyawayfromme.

Mydadtookalookattheguykeepingpacewithme,andmyfearandangermust’vebeenwrittenallovermyface,becausehecamerunningaroundthefrontof the car and yelled, “Hey!You!Backoff!You stay away frommydaughterrightnow!”Ihadonlyheardhimyelllikethatafewtimes,anditsurprisedme.

Thereporter lookedover in surprise.Heputuphishands in theuniversal IsurrenderposeasIboltedintothebackofthecar.

“Whattheheckisgoingonhere?”mydadasked,wheelingtofaceme.“He’s a reporter. From Celebrity magazine. He wanted to know about

RomaineFord’sweddingdress.”Ipunchedthedoor’sclosebutton,andthedoorbegantoslideshut.

“Stayawayfromus!Andgetalife!”yelledmydad.Ihadn’tseenhimsomadinages.

Luckily,thereporterturnedonhisheelandquickmarchedbackintothemall.Mydadwasmutteringandreturnedtothefrontseatandshuthisdoor.

“Thatguyhadalottanerve!”hegrowled.“Chasingachild!”Iwasshakingalittlenow.Thathadbeenscary,anditallhappenedsofast.“I . . . I didn’t know what to say . . . I was tongue-tied!” I said. I felt

embarrassed.“Good. I’m glad you didn’t say a thing to that guy.You knowyounever,

evertalktostrangers,andyoualwaysrunandyell,likewetaughtyou.”Mydadlookedatmeintherearviewmirror.“I’msorrythathappenedtoyou,sweetie.You did the right thing. Exactly the right thing.Never talk to strangers. Andespeciallynot to thepress.Andespeciallynot aboutRomaineFord.MonaandRomaine both trust you, and you always have to be true to yourword.”Herakedhis fingers throughhishair and tookadeepbreath.“Ican’twait till thiswholepremierethingblowsover.It’sruiningthistown.”

“Iknow,”Iagreed,andlookedoutthewindow.Andit’snotjustapremiere...,Iaddedsilently.

CHAPTER4

Know-It-Alls

Icouldn’twaitformymomtogethomefromMatt’sgamethatmorning.Iwastotally on edge, dying to talk to someone about the morning but completelyunabletotalktomyfriendsaboutit.ThankgoodnessIhadnoplanswiththemfortherestofthedayorIwouldhaveburst.

Finally, Iheardhercar in thedriveway,and Ibolteddown frommyroom,whereI’dbeenpracticingmyflute,andcareenedoutthebackdoortoseeher.

“Emma!Myheavens! Is everythingokay?” she said, spyingme inmy socksandcozypantsoutinthedriveway.

Mattclamberedoutofthefrontseatinhisbaseballuniformandlookedmeupanddownfromheadtotoe,thenjustshookhisheadandwalkedinside.

“Mom!”Iwhisperedloudly.“What?” shewhispered loudly backwith a grin. She shut her car door and

camearoundthebacktome.“Mom,beserious!Ihavetotalktoyou!”Isaid.“Here?”shesaid,lookingaround.“Isthehousebugged?”Isighed.“Whenyouarereadytobeserious,thenwecantalk.”Itappedmy

sockedfootontheblacktop.Mymom threwher arm aroundme and gaveme a sideways squeeze. “I’m

sorry,Emmy.You’rejustbeingsofunny.What’sup?”“Mom,I’vegottotellyousomethingI’mnotallowedtotellanyone!”Mymomlookedmock-offended.“I’mnotanyone?Gee,thanks!”Finally,Iblurteditalloutinonesentencewithoutstopping.“Mom,Romaine

Ford is gettingmarried next Saturday, and she’s askedme to do the cupcakesinsteadofaweddingcake,butIcan’ttellanyone,andnowIhavetodoitallbymyself!”

“Whaaaaat?”Istaredatherwithoutblinking.She’dheardmeright.Iwonderedwhatshe

wouldsay.“Oh,honey,thatissoexciting!Congratulations!”Mymomclappedherhands

incelebration,butIdidn’treallyfeellikecelebrating.Iwastoostressed.

“But,Mom,Ican’teventellmyfriends!”“Oh,I’msureitwouldn’tmatterifyoujusttold...”“I’mnotallowed!”Ipracticallyyelled.“That’stheproblem.Ifwordgetsout,

itcouldruinthewholething!”Iexplained toheraboutRomainebeing stalkedby thepress (I’ddecided to

wait to tell her aboutmy run-inwith the press because shewould really freakout)andabouthowRomainehadspecificallystagedthepremiereheretocoveruptheweddingandhowallshe’deverwantedwasaprivatebackyardweddinginhermom’sgarden.

“Oh,thatissosweetandromantic!”saidmymom,hereyesallwistful.“Yeah,andIcan’tbetheonetowreckit,”Isaid.“Hmm,”saidmymom.“Well,Icanhelpyouwiththeorder!”“Thanks. Itmight come to that. Imean, no offense, but Iwish itwasmy

friends.I’mnotevensurehowtopricethesecupcakes,nevermindmakethemallbymyself.”

“Aretheyelaborate?”sheasked.“Mmm...well,Ithinkwe’regoingtodoaplainwhitecakebutdifferent-

coloredpastelfrostings.Maybeeachwithadifferentflavor.”“Pretty!”saidmymom.“Yeah.Nottoohardintermsofassembly.Justalittletime-consumingtodo

allthoseminibatchesoffrosting.Andsheneedsmorethanahundredofthemalltogether.Tendozen. Iwant themto lookperfect, though.AndMiaandKatieusuallydothedecorating.”

“Wow.Ahundredandtwentycupcakes?”InoddedandwatchedabeaglemixnamedSkipper,oneofmydog-walking

clients,takingawalkacrossthestreetwithmyneighbor.Isighed.Walkingdogswasaneasierwaytomakemoneythanbakingforcelebrityweddings.

“Sowhat’syournextstep?”askedmymom.Isighed.“Ineedtodoapricinge-mailandcontractforRomaineandsendit

outtohertoday.I’lljustuseanoldsampleofAlexis’sandkindofcutandpasteit.”

Mymomnodded.“Smart.Okay.Well,letmeknowifIcanhelp.”“Thanks.Ifeelbetteralreadyjusthavingsomeonetotalktoaboutit.I’dlike

youtoreadoverthee-mailbeforeIsendit,okay?”“Sure.Canwegoinsidenow?I’mdyingforacupofcoffee!”Ilaughed.“Let’sgo.”

ThatafternoonIstruggledoverthee-mailandfinallycameupwithadraftthatlookedokay.EventhoughIcalledRomainebyherfirstnameinperson,MomsaidIshouldaddressherbyherlastnameinthee-mail.Itsaid:DearMs.Ford,

ThankyouforyourinterestinCupcakeClubcupcakesforyourevent.Weproposebakingtendozenwhitecupcakes,frostedinanassortmentofsixpastelfrostings,eachlightlyflavoredwithanextractofyourchoice(suggestionsinclude:lemon,raspberry,lavender,lime,orange,blueberry,andsoforth).FrostedcupcakeswillbedeliveredforassemblybytheCupcakeClubontoplattersattheFordResidenceat________a.m.onSaturday,May4.Pricingwillbe$300.00.(That’sstillonly$2.50acupcake—abargain!)Paymentdueuponreceiptofcupcakes,please.Manythanksforyourcontinuedbusiness.Allthebest,EmmaTaylorTheCupcakeClub(555)555-2129

Iprintedoutthee-mailandtrotteddownstairsformymomtoreviewitagain.Shethoughtitlookedgreat,soIwentbackupstairsandsentit.AndthenIsatatmycomputerandstaredatmyin-boxfortwentyminutes,hopingforaresponse.

Iwasnervous.Threehundreddollarswasalotofmoney,butitwasabigandstressfuljobtodoalone,andpartofthepricewasformysilence.

MostofallIhatednotbeingabletotellmyfriends.IfeltlikeatraitordoingbusinessastheCupcakeClubalone.Itwasprobablyillegal,nowthatIthoughtaboutit.Well,IcouldtellthemallafterthefactandthenhandoverthemoneytoAlexis.Thatmademefeelbetter.

IwasdyingtohearbackfromRomaine,butIfinallydecidedbusycelebritiesmightnotevenanswertheirowne-mail,anditwasaweekend,afterall.Isighedandputmycomputer to sleep andwentdownstairs towatchbaseballwithmybrothers.Ifyoucan’tbeat’em,join’em.

Atdinnermydadtoldmymomaboutthereporterwhohadchasedme,andmymomwasshockedithadn’tbeenthefirstthingI’dtoldher.

“Ididn’twantyoutonotletmemakethecupcakes,”Iadmittedwithashrug.“Whatcupcakes?”askedJakeinconfusion.“Oh, it’s a long story,” I said, and Iwidenedmyeyesatmymomto signal

thatshecouldn’tsayanything.Luckily,shegotthemessageandnodded.“Well,youdidtherightthing,Em.

Thepresscanbeveryaggressiveandyoucansee just fromthat little tastehow

harditisforRomainetopreserveanysemblanceofprivacyinherlife.”Inoddedandtookasipofmymilk.“Anynews?”askedmymom.Ishookmyhead.“I’llcheckafterdinner.”“Newsaboutwhat?”askedJake.“Longstory,”Isaidagain,andJakesighedinexasperation.“Whydoesn’tanyoneevertellmeanything?”“ ’Causeyou’rethebaby,”Isaid,andIpattedhimonthehead.“Amnot!”hesaidindignantly.“Okay,kids,”saidmydad.“MayIbeexcused?”Iasked.“Yes,youmay,”mymomsaid,andIdasheduptomycomputer.Thereinmyin-boxwasareplyfromRomaine!Itsaid:

Hi,Emma—Thanksforthecontract.Everythinglooksgreat.Stillneedyourguaranteeofconfidentiality—pleasedon’ttellyourfriends.Iknowitwillbehardforyou,butIthinkImighthaveanideatohelp.Willbeintouchtomorrowtodiscuss.Sleepwell!Xx,Ro

PSNoneedtodoatasting.Itotallytrustyourjudgment.

Wow!“Xx,Ro”!NowIfeltlikewewerereallyfriends.Peoplewoulddieifthey knewRomaine and Iwere e-mailing each other.Thiswas pretty cool. IimaginedthelookonOliviaAllen’sface—she’skindofafrenemyofmine—andsmiled,imaginingherreactionifItoldherIwashelpingRomaineFordwithherwedding. I sighed. Itwas just toobadIcouldn’t tellmy friends.And that theywouldn’t be able to help me. How would I pull this off? I shut down mycomputerwith a pit inmy stomach andwent to take a shower. Sleepwell? Ididn’tthinkso.

AssoonasIwokeupthenextdayIcheckedmye-mailandmycellphone,butthere was no new info from “Ro.” The pit in my stomach grew minute byminuteasIrealizedI’dhavetofacemyfriendsatschoolandnottellthemaboutseeing Romaine on Saturday or about her wedding and the cupcakes I’d bebakingforit.

Atmylocker thenextmorning,Iavoidedeyecontactwitheveryone.Iwasjust hoping I’d get home to find an e-mail fromRomainewith some brilliant

planthatwouldkeepmyfriendshappyandgivemea littlerelief fromcarryingthesesecretsallalone.

Unfortunately, Olivia Allen was walking by and stopped to talk to KimWalkeratthelockeracrossfrommine.

“OMG! I heard Romaine Ford is already in town and that Liam Carey iscoming tomorrowand is staying at theStanhopeHotel!We shouldgo stake itout!”Oliviawassquealing.

Igulpedandwilledmyselftobesilent.“Totally!Let’sgoafterschool!”agreedOlivia’sfriendBella.Oliviacontinued,“IheardRomaineandLiamareelopingtoTahiti.Isn’tthat

soooo romantic? That’s just what I would do if I were her. You know, mymom’s friendworks in a bridal salon, and she saidRomaine’s wearing a VeraWangdressinpalestpinkforthewedding....”

Igrittedmyteeth.OliviaAllenissuchaknow-it-all,andshe’salmostalwayswrong,wrong,wrong!Iwantedtoturnaround,throttleher,andyell,“She’snoteloping! She’s gettingmarried right here, this Saturday, in awhite Jaden SacksdressfromTheSpecialDay!”ItwasallIcoulddotokeepmymouthshut.

Islammedmylockerdoorextrahard,though,rightasMiacameupalongsideme.“Whoa,tiger!”Shelaughed.“Everythingokay?”

IrolledmyeyesinthedirectionofOliviaandmotionedthatweshouldwalkaway.Miafollowed.“What’sup?”shewhispered.

Oncewe’dgottenhalfwaydownthehall,Iexploded.“OliviaAllenissuchaknow-it-all! It’s always a bragathonwith her about howmuch she knows andwhataninsidersheis!Itmakesmecrazy!”

Mianodded.“Iagree.Totally.Whatwasitthistime?”Isighedheavily.Icouldn’ttellMiaanything,somyhandswerekindoftied.I

neededtobevague.“Just. . .shethinkssheknowseverythingaboutRomaineFord.Itjustbugsme.”

“Andyoureallydoknowher,soitmustbedoublyannoying!”saidMia.Ilookedathersidewaystomakesureshewasbeingserious.Suddenly,Ihad

thefeelingthatmaybepeoplethoughtIwasasbadasOlivia!“Wait,dopeoplethinkI’mannoyingaboutRomaine?”Iaskedurgently.Mia lookedatme in surprise.“What?No!Notat all!Theopposite!You’re

alwayssoclosemouthedaboutit.RomaineFordcouldbeatyourhouseandyouwouldn’ttellanyone!”

“Okay,ha-ha.”Ifake-laughedalittlebecauseMiahadkindofhitthenailonthehead.“Phew.Ijustdon’twantyouguystothinkI’m,like,possessiveofher

orsomething.”Miashookherheadvehemently.“No.Totallynot.Infact,mostofthetime

wewishyou’dtellusmore!Youkindofkeepitalltoyourself.”We’d stopped outside the English classroomwhereMiawas heading; Iwas

walkingontosocialstudies.“Isthatbad?”Iasked.“No,we understand. It just leaves us hungry formore!We just sometimes

wishyoucould trustyourbest friendsenough to tellus.We cankeepa secret,youknow.”Mialaughed.“Bye!”

“Okay,”Isaidweakly.“Bye.”“Weunderstand”?“We cankeep a secret”?Thatmeans they’ve been talking about

me, I thought as I continueddown thehall.Mybest friendshavebeen talkingaboutmeandRomaineFord,andtheyunderstandmysecrecybutwishI’dtellthemmore.Ohboy.

Anditwasonlyabouttogetworse.Wayworse.

CHAPTER5

Major

At lunchIducked intothe libraryandcheckedmye-mail.Sureenough, therewasane-mailfromRomaine:

Hey,Em—WhatifwehiretheCCtobakecupcakesforthepremiereonFridaynight?Saytendozen.Somethingjazzy.Thatwayyoucanincludetheminsomethingandnotfeellikeyoutotallyleftthemout.YoucanbillmedirectlyandI’llhavethestudiopaymeback.Letmeknow.Xx,Ro

“OMG!”Isaidloudly.“Shh!”warnedthelibrarianwithasmile.“Sorry,” Iwhispered. I quickly exitedmy e-mail and jumpedup, knocking

mychairbackwardinmyhaste.I glanced guiltily at the librarian who was now wagging her finger at me.

Sorry!ImouthedwithashrugasIrightedthechair.ShewinkedandIwavedgood-bye.OutinthehallIbrokeintoaruntoreachthecafeteria.Iferventlyhopedthe

Cupcakerswerestillthere.Luckily,theywere!Iduckedthroughthecrowdsandbeelinedforourtable.“Wherewereyou?”askedKatie.“Areyousittingdown?”Iasked.Theyalllaughedbecauseobviouslytheywere.“IhaveMAJORnews.MAJOR!”Theireyesopenedwide,andtheyallbegansmilinghopefully.“What?”askedAlexis.Isatdownandsaid,“RomaineFordhasaskedtheCupcakeClubtobaketen

dozencupcakesforherpremiereonFridaynight.”Therewasastunnedsilence,andthenthegirlsstartedshoutingandwhooping

somuchthateveryoneinthecafeteriaturnedtostare,butwedidn’tcare.Wejumpedupandhuggedanddancedinplace,andIswearIalmostcried,I

wassooverjoyed.Itjustfeltgreattobeabletoshareanynewswithmybesties.Itwasahugerelief.

Andguesswhowalkedrightuptoustoaskwhatwasgoingon?Yup!OliviaAllen!

“Whatareyoupeoplecelebrating?”sheasked,withasmirkonherface.I’dalreadyhadthejoyofdeliveringthenewsonce,soIturnedtomyfriends

asiftosay,“Youtell.”Katiebeamedproudlyandsaid,“We’rebakingcupcakesforRomaineFord’s

moviepremiereonFriday!”Olivia’sjawdropped,andshewasspeechless.Itwassoclassic;itwasrightout

ofamovie.Shegulpedandstammered,“W-wow.Wow.Thatisso...”“We know,” said Alexis, and turned away to continue celebrating. Olivia

staggeredawayinshock.Wesatbackdowntotalkdetails,butitwasgettingtowardtheendoflunch,

andweallhadsomewheretobenextperiod.“Caneveryoneget together atmyhouse today?” askedKatie.“Weneed to

getcracking!”Weallagreedandstoodtogo.I’dhavetograba sandwichonourwayout

andeatitonthewaytoEnglish,butitwasworthit.Alexis was all dreamy and said, “Can you imagine the exposure for the

CupcakeClub?Whatifwe’rementionedinCelebritymagazine?Youknowhowtheyalwaysfeaturethosebigcelebrityparties?”

We laughedbecauseAlexiswas always about thebusiness andour exposureand growth. Then we parted ways, eager to reconvene after school and getcracking,asKatiesaid.IjusthopedIcouldkeepmymouthshutaboutmyothercupcakejob.Gulp.

WewalkedfromschooltoKatie’s,brainstormingalltheway.Itwasanunusuallygorgeousday—warmandblue-skied,everythingsmellinggreat—anditmademehappyjusttobeoutside.

“Oh, I hope the weather stays like this for—” OMG. I almost said forRomaine’swedding!Luckily,noonecaughtmyhesitation.

“Iknow,”agreedKatie.“Eventhoughthetheaterisinsidethemall,Romainewouldstillhavetorunfromherhousetothecar,soifitrained,itwouldruinherhair.”

“Yeah,”Iagreed,diggingmypalmwithmynailstokeepmyselffromsayinganymore.ThankgoodnessKatiehadthoughtIwastalkingaboutthepremiere.

At Katie’s, we gathered around the computer at her mom’s desk in thekitchen.

“Okay,themovie,OneSweetSummer, isaboutawomanwhoownsacandystore and falls in love with this politician who’s all about making people eathealthierandwantstomakeallthesenewhealthlawsandclosedownherstore,”saidAlexis as she read from themovie’swebsite. She clickedon thebutton towatchthetrailerandthemusicstartedup.ThenRomainecameonscreenlookingradiant,herblondhaircutshoulderlengthandswingy.Shewasdressedinwhitejeansandared-and-white–stripedsailor’sT-shirt—freshandcute.

“Awww!”saidmyfriends.Ismiled,almostproudly.Thetrailerwentontoshowhowthehandsomebutstrictpoliticianwantedto

shutdownRomainebecauseherstorewasnexttoaschoolandthekidsallcameinandboughtcandyeveryday,andhethoughtitwasmakingthemunhealthy.Butthenitturnedoutshewashelpingkidswithhomeworkandgivinggoodlifeadvice and employing some of them and generally being an all-around goodanchorfortheneighborhood.And,asitturnsout,noneofthekidsspentenoughmoneytobeunhealthybecausethey’reallpoor;Romaine’scandystoreisbarelystayinginbusiness.Sothehandsomepoliticianturnssweetandfallsinlovewithher,andtogether theyget thekids intoeatinghealthier—Ialmosthadto laughbecauseit’swhatmymomsays:Youcaneattreats,butit’sallaboutmoderation—anditallendswell.

Thetrailerfinished,andweallsighedhappily.“Ican’twaittoseeit!”saidKatie,andweagreed.“WillwegettoseethemovieonFriday?”askedAlexis.“Shedidn’tsayanythingaboutthat,”Isaid.“That’sokay,”saidKatie.“Westillgettodothecupcakes!”“Soshouldwedocandy-themedcupcakes?”Iasked.“Thatcouldbecute,”saidMiathoughtfully.“Or shouldwe focus on the premiere and do somethingmovie-ish?”Katie

wondered.“Isawsomethingsomewhere....”Shetypedsomethingintoasearchengine andpulledup some cute cupcakeswith “popcorn”on top,wrapped inretro-stripedpopcornbucketpapers.

“Oooh!”Wealllovedthem.“Would they be hard to do?” I asked, leaning over Katie’s shoulder and

squintingatthescreen.“Whataretheymadeoutof?”“YoutakeminimarshmallowsandsnipXsintothem,twistthemintokernel

shapes,andthenmistthemwithyellowfoodcoloring,sotheylookbuttery.”

“Andhowaboutthepopcornbucketpapers?Isthathard?’Causetheykindofmakeit,”saidMia.

“Theselooklikealotofwork.IlikedEmma’sidea—candy-themedcupcakes.Maybe justmake some traditionalwhite cupcakeswithwhite frosting and putcolorfulcandiesontop?”saidAlexissensibly.

“No,butthatwill looksoamateur!”protestedKatie.“WhatwouldCelebritymagazinesay?”

Well,thatgotAlexis.“Wedoneedtoputourbestworkforward,”sheadmitted.“Howhardcouldtheybe?”askedMia.“Doyouhaveanyminimarshmallowswecouldpracticewith?”Iasked.“No.Whydon’tIgetsomesuppliestonightwithmymom,andwecandoa

trialbakingsessiontomorrow,backhere?”Weagreedthatwasagoodidea.“It’sreallyjustprintingoutthetemplatesforthewrappersandtrimmingthem,

andfiguringouthowtomakethemarshmallowpopcornlookreal,”Katiesaid.“Right,”saidAlexis.“Tendozentimes,”Iadded.Justliketheweddingcupcakes...“Oncewegetthehangofit,itwillbereallyeasy,”saidMiaconfidently.“Okay,”weagreed.We did a little homework, had a snack, and then headed home for the

evening.IfeltmuchbetteraboutbeingabletoshareatleastsomeRomaineinfowithmyfriends,butIwasstillcarryingabigsecretaroundwithme.Anditwasabouttogetworse.

At home,mymomhad just come in fromwork, and shewas listening to thevoicemailmessages. Iwaved, and shewaved back and kept onwriting downwhosheneededtocallback.Andthentherewasoneforme.ItwasMona.

“Hello,darlings.It’sMona!”shetrilledonthevoicemail.“I’dliketorequestthehelpoflovelyEmmaforTuesdaynight.Iapologizefortheshortnotice,butwe’ve got final fittings for our friend’s bridal party, and Iwould love Emma’sassistance.Pleasecallmeback!Hopeyoucanmakeit,Emma!Kiss,kiss!”

Thatwasthefinalmessage.MymomandIsmiledateachother.“Fun!”saidmymom.“I know! But oh! Bummer. I have a Cupcake Club meeting. And guess

what?”Irelayedtheexcitingnewsaboutthepremierecupcakes.

“Oh,thatissothoughtfulofRomaine!”saidmymom.“Butitdoesn’treallysolvetheissueofyoubakingallthosecakesforSaturdaybyyourself,doesit?”

Ipursedmylipsgrimly.“Nuh-uh,”Isaid,shakingmyhead.“Well, maybe the boys will help,” saidmymom.We stared at each other

silentlyforamoment.Thenwebothlaughedhysterically.Whenwefinished,wewipedoureyes,andIsaid,“IguessI’dbettertellmy

friendsabouttomorrow.MaybewecanpushthemeetingtoWednesday.”“Okay.Homework?”“Notmuch.Ididsomealready.”“Great.Steakonthegrillfordinner,”saidmymom.“Yum.”Upstairs,Idashedoffane-mailtothegang,tellingthemIhadtohelpMona

tomorrownightandifwecouldpossiblypostponethemeetinguntilWednesday.Alexisquicklywrotebackthatitwasfine,butperhapsweoughttostartprintingandtrimmingthewrappersinthemeantime,whichIthoughtwasbrilliant.ShealsoaskedKatietosendherpricingandquantityestimates,soshecouldworkupaproposalforRomainethatwouldcoverourcosts.Katiereadilyagreed.Phew!

Iwasgladmyfriendsweresoflexible.IcalledMonabackandtoldherIcouldcometomorrow,andshesaidshe’dcomebymyhouseandpickmeup.

“Hey,haveyoubeenbotheredbythepress?”Iaskedbeforewehungup.“Honey, you have no idea!” saidMona. “They’re like bees to honey over

here.ButIhaven’tsaidapeep,andneitherhasanyoneelse.”ItoldherabouttheguyfromCelebritymagazine,andshewasproudofmefor

not saying anything. “Those guys are tough,” she said. “We’ll make suresomeone walks you to and from the car next time. You were smart to staymum.”

“It’seasystayingmumwithastranger.It’swithmyfriendsthatarethetoughpart!”

“Iknow.It’sbeenhardformetoo.Especiallybecauseit’sprettyexcitingforTheSpecialDay!”

Itwastrue.IthoughtabouthowexcitedwewereinthecafeteriatodayandhowIwasburstingtotelltheothersabouttheweddingcupcakestoo.Icouldn’timaginehowharditwouldbeifIownedmyownstoreandhadsuchanexcitingclient.Itwouldbeimpossibletostayquiet.

Wehungupwithpromisestokeepsilentandsaidwewerelookingforwardtothenextday.Ipracticedmyfluteforalittlewhiletouseupsomeenergy,then

checkedmye-mailone last timebefore Iheadedbackdownstairs tohelpwithdinner.Therewasonlyonenewe-mail.ItwasfromOlivia,anditsaid,“CanIhelpwiththecupcakesforthepremiere?”

Of all the nerve! I groaned and shut off my computer without replying. Ineededsomesteakforenergybeforetacklingthisone.

CHAPTER6

HomeSweetHome

Thenextmorning I checkedmy e-mail after I’dwokenup.Alexis had sent amessagewithaschedulethatsaid:

Hi,all—How’sthis:Weds.:SamplesessionThurs.:BakeFri.:Assemblepremierecupcakes&bakeminisforMona—A

Iwrote back that it looked great and that as soon as she had an estimate, IwouldforwardittoRomaine.“BTW,”Iadded,“OliviaAllenwantstohelp ”

It took only a second for Alexis to reply: “NO WAY!!!!!!!!!” The othersquicklyfollowedinthesamevein.Ohboy.Isighed.IdidnotlookforwardtotellingOliviano.

Later at school, I thought I had avoidedOlivia entirely, and as I was leavingschool, Iwas sure I’dmade a cleangetaway.But then Iheardmynamebeingcalled, and I turned to find her running towardme, a few of her hangers-onfollowingbehindher.Shecamerightuptomysideandlinkedherarmthoughmine,saying,“AreweallsetforFriday?”

“Uh...um...,”Istammered.Oliviaflippedherhairandsmiledherboldestsmile,lookingatherfriendswho

had caught up with us. “Wait, more important, what are you wearing?” sheasked.

Mystomachdropped.Didsheknowaboutthefittingtonight?Buthowcouldshe?“Forwhat?”Imustered.

Olivialaughedatwinklingfakelaughandswattedme.“Thepremiere,silly!”“Oh . . . I . . . We don’t get to go to the premiere. We’re just baking

cupcakesforit.It’snotlikewe’reinvited.”

Olivia’ssmiledroppedinstantly,andsheunlinkedherarmfrommine.“Wait,Ithoughtwewereallgoingtothepremiere!”

I shookmy head and looked at her like shewas crazy. “We, theCupcakeClub,arebakingcupcakes,droppingthemoff,andgoinghome.That’sall.Wewereneverattendingtheactualevent.”

Oliviascowledatme.“Thenwhatwereyouallsoexcitedfor?”“Forourbusinesstogetrecognitionandfromthat,moreclients!”“OMG,thatissolame.Seriously?”“Uh. . .yeah!Hello?We’veworkedreallyhardontheCupcakeClub,and

it’sabigdealforus.Maybeourcompany’snamewillbeinthepress.”“Whataboutyournames?Andphotos?”Ishrugged.“Idon’tcareaboutthat.”Iwasabouttopointoutthatasalocal

model, I seemyphoto innewspapers andmagazinesplenty,but thatwouldbebragging,andIdon’tliketodothat.(Unfortunately,Oliviaoftenbringsoutthebraggysideofme,whichIhate.)

“Wow.That is so lame,”Olivia said again, shakingherhead as if sheweredisappointedwithme.

“Sorry!”Isaid,hatingmyselfforapologizing.ButinsideIwasjumpingforjoythatOliviahadnointerestintheeventifshewouldn’tgettoattenditherself.Ihadn’tevenhadtotellherno!“Bye,”Iadded,andstartedtowalkaway.

“Hey!”calledOlivia.Iturnedback.“Howdidyougetthisjob,anyway?”Igrinned.“Romaineaskedmetodoit,”Isaid.ThenIturnedagainandwalkedquicklyaway,gigglingasOliviastoodrooted

tothespot.

Unlike my usual The Special Day routine, today Mona picked me up at myhouse rather than my mom dropping me off at the store. Mona was in anunmarked white van, and she looked kind of hilarious behind the wheel—soglamorousanddeckedout,butdrivingthisbigvan.

Shetootedthehorntwice,andIkissedmymomgood-byeandranout.IhadeatenaPB&J,soIwouldn’tgethungrywhileIworked,andIwasdressedneatlybutcasuallyinwhitejeans,apaleblueT-shirt,andacuteropebelt,withblue-and-white–stripedshoes.

Patriciahoppedoutofthefrontseat(“Youlookfabulous!”shesaid)andslidopenthesidedoor,soIcouldIclamberinandperchontheonebenchseatsintheback.Behindmewasacargoareawitharollingrackofdressesonit,allpastel

coloredexcept forRomaine’sbigwhite, puffyone and the juniorbridesmaid’ssimplewhiteone.

“Lovethecuteoutfit!Buckleup,darling!”calledMonaasshepilotedthebigvanoutofmydriveway.Soonwewereunderwayandheadedtothefarsideoftown.AswedrewintoRomaine’sneighborhood,thepiecesoflandgotbigger,and thehouseswere fartherapart. Itwasalsohillier,asopposed to the flatareawheremyfriendsandIlive.

Wereachedthebottomofadrivewaywithawhitegate,andtherewasalittlecall box. I’d driven by here dozens of times, hoping to catch a glimpse ofRomaine,butI’dneverseenheroutside,andyoucan’tseeanypartofthehousefrom the road. (I’ve tried.) Iwas excited to seewhat it looked like. I knew itwouldbeahugemansion—maybewithanindoorandoutdoorswimmingpoolandasix-cargarage!

Monapushedthecallbutton,andavoicesaid,“Hello?”Monasaid,“SpecialdeliveryfromTheSpecialDaybridalsalon!”Then the voice said, “Hi!Come on up!”Thewhite gates slowly began to

swingopen.Patricia lookedbackatmewithwide,excitedeyes, and Igrinnedlikeamaniac.

Westartedupthehill,andIheldmybreathuntilthemansioncameintosight.After a curve or two in the driveway, we came to . . . amedium-sizewhitehouse. Itwasverypretty,buthonestly itdidn’t lookall thatdifferent frommyhouse.

“Thismustbetheguesthouse,”Isaidknowledgably.“Actually...,”Monabegan.The front door flew open, and Romaine was there waving, with buttery

yellow light spilling out from behind her and illuminating the porch,where awhite wooden swing hung from chains and some white wicker furniture wascasuallyarrangedaroundacoffeetable.

Mona eased thevanup thehill and into theparking areaby thebackdoorwhereabasketballnetstoodovertheblacktopplayareanexttoagarage.TherewasanoldblueSUVparkedthere,withallkindsofhockeyandlacrossestickersplasteredacrosstheback.IrecognizedthelogofromoneofSam’steamsononeofthestickers.Icranedmynecktoseetherestofthehousefromoutofthecar’swindow.

“Wait,thisisit?”Iaskedincredulously.“Itisn’tamansion?”“Well,it’sabeautifulhouse!”declaredMona.“Alovelyfamilyhome,”agreedPatricia.

Itriedtohidemydisappointment.“Oh.Ithought...”Romainecameboundingover to thevan in sneakers andwork-outclothes.

“Not what you were expecting, I bet, after that security gate!” She laughed.“This iswhere Igrewup.Myparents refuse tomove!Wehad toget thegatebecauseofthepress.Sorry.”

“I wouldn’t move either, darling,” said Mona smoothly. “It’s divine. Justdivine.”

Romaine giggled. “Yeah,withmybrothers’ and sisters’ height chart on thekitchen’sdoorframe,andthefrontdoorscratchedupfromourpuppy,who’snowsix,andbunkbedsintheatticguestroom...”

“It’shome,”saidPatriciadefinitively.“Andabeautifulhomeitis,”addedMona.Romaine sighed, and for the first time I saw that shemight be nervous or

embarrassed tohaveus atherhouse, just like anyonewouldbe.“It’s true.Forbetter or for worse.” Then she giggled again. “Listen to me, I’m already inweddingmode!Comeonin!”

Mona,Patricia,andIunloadedthevanandbeganferryingthedresses,shoes,andaccessoriesintoRomaine’sfamilyroom.Florencehelpedus,anditwasdoneinnotimeflat.Mrs.Fordofferedusdrinksandcookies,butwedeclinedandgotdowntobusiness.Itwastimetotalkaboutthewedding.

“Nowletmeshowyouhowthisallwillwork,”beganMonaasshegesturedtotheitemsforMrs.Ford,Romaine,andFlorence.“Everyonehasacolor,anditis all coded on this chart.” She handed a laminated sheet toMrs. Ford. “Eachperson’s shoes, dress, and any other accessories—like the veil, in your case,Romaine—are color codedwith a sticker on the outside of their box or dressbag.See?”ShegesturedtoFlorence’sdress,withitspalegreensticker,thentoanearby shoebox,againwith thepalegreen sticker, and finally toaclearplastictub thatheld ahair clip and thegreen stickeron theoutside.“Thenumberofitemsperpersonarenotednexttohernameandcolor.Forexample,youcanseeFlorenceonlyhasthreeitemsandheretheyallare.”

“Wow,”Romainesaidbreathlessly.“This is so fabulous. Just amazing. I am very impressed,” said Mrs. Ford,

lookingupwithabigsmile.“Thankyou.”“Yes,thankyousomuch!”saidRomaine.Monabeamedproudly,andPatriciaandIjoinedin.Monacontinued,“Now,themorningofthewedding,Iwillbehereatnine

a.m.sharpandwillhelpeveryoneintotheirdresses.Iwillbeatyourdisposalfor

anylast-minutealterationsandPatriciawillbeherewithourstore’scar,andshecandashanywhereweneedtopickupanything.Wewillhaveextrastockings,no-slippadsfortheshoes,hankies,stainremover—ourusualemergencykit.Notthat there will be any emergencies, of course! Just knowwe are prepared foranything.”

“Great,”saidRomaine.“Theweddingstartsattwelvethirty,sotheywantusdressedforphotosbyeleven.Hairandmakeuparecomingat...ugh...seventhirty,sotheycandoeveryone.”

“And,ofcourse,thecatererswillbecrawlingallover,settingthingsup,andthetent...,”addedMrs.Ford.

“Andthecupcakeswillbearriving!”Romainesaid,smilinginmydirection.Ismiledback,nodding,butIgulpednervouslyatthesametime.NowthatI

wasinthemiddleofit,Iwasfeelinglikemaybeithadn’tbeensosmarttoacceptthisbig-leaguejob,andallonmyown,too.Butitwastoolatetobackoutnow.Theweddingwasonlyfourdaysaway!Ohboy.Ifeltnauseatedallofasudden.WhathadIgottenmyselfinto?

IcaughtMona’seyeandsawherlookingatmewithaconcernedlookonherface. Her brows were knitted together with worry. But then she quicklysmoothedawaytheexpressionandlookedhappilyandexpectantlyatMrs.Ford.

Mrs.Ford said,“Whydon’t I showyouaround, soyouhave the layof theland.Thatwayyouwon’tneedmeonSaturdaymorning, sinceI’llbe runningaroundlikeachickenwithmyheadcutoff!”

We followedMrs.Fordona tourof thehouse. Itwasveryprettyandverycomfortable.Itwaslargerthanmyhouseorthoseofmyfriends,andithadbiggerroomsandwasmore“decorated,”butnotover-the-topatall.Thelivingroomandfamilyroomhadcoordinatedupholsteryonthefurniture,withprettyprintedfabric and coordinating throw pillows. There was bright lighting everywhere,which created a nice homey feel.The kitchen had new appliances andwas allcrisp andwhite and clean. She showedus thebackyard and the long sweepofgrasswhere the tentwas being put up tomorrow and the treewith the swingwhere Liam had proposed to Romaine. The garden had hot-pink peonies inbloom,and thepalepurple lilacs along thebackof thehouseperfumed theairwithagorgeous,sweetscent.Ilookedattheyardandthoughtitwastheperfectspottogetmarried.

Romaine still shared a roomwithher sister upstairs, and they still had theirawardsfromcampandcheerleadingallaround,plusaposterfromherschoolplaywhenRomainewas thestar.Eatyourheartout,Celebritymagazine! Iwantedto

yell.AndHowdoyou like this,OliviaAllen?ButofcourseIdidn’t. I just stayedquietasMrs.Fordexplainedwherethebridalpartywouldbegettingdressed(inRomaine’sother sister’s room)andwhereRomainewouldbegettingready(inthemasterbedroom),andsheandMonadiscussedinwhatorderandtimingtheyshoulddoitall.

“Ican’tbelievethis isallreallyhappening!”Romainesaidtome,girlishandsweetasthe“adults”tookcareofthedetails.“I’vebeenlookingforwardtoitforsolong.Ican’tbelieveI’llgettobeMrs.LiamCareyafterthisweekend!It’ssoamazing!”

“Whendoesyourfiancégethere?”Iasked.Ididn’twanttopry,butIfeltlikeIcouldrevealatleastasmallamountofmyhugeenthusiasmfortheevent.

Romaine sighedhappily. “Tomorrow.We’re going to sneakover toGreenLakeforaprivatedinnerathisfriend’srestaurant.Justthetwoofus!Ihopewecanpullitoff.”

Iwinced,thinkingofthereporterstalkinglittleoldme.“Ihopesotoo.Thatwouldbeanicestarttotheweekend.”

“It’s going to be sowild having his family here, and our closest friends, alltogetherinoneplace—thepeoplewelovethemost!ThisiswhyIwantedtodoa backyardwedding,with a sit-down lunch.Having it heremade the choicesobviousbecause thenumbershad tobe small.That’swhywe’reonlyhaving ahundredguestsforthelunch.”

Ahundredpeoplestillsoundedlikealottome.Especiallyifyouweremakingcupcakesforallofthem.“Itotallygetit,”Isaid.“It’sgoingtobegreat.Whatareyouservingforthemeal?”

Romaine described a luncheon that included Liam’s favorite (chicken currywithriceandchutney)andhers(filetofbeefwithhorseradishcreamsauceontheside);greensalad;skinnygreenbeans;roastedpotatoeswithshallots;amazingrollsand breads with a cheese platter; and the cupcakes (my cupcakes!), with smallplatters of handmade chocolates shipped in from her cousin’s sweets store inPortland,Oregon.

“Yum! That sounds soooo delicious!” I said. My mouth was watering. “IthinkI’dliketohavelunchinmybackyardformyweddingtoo.”

Romainenoddedhappily.“It’sperfect.WemighthaveabigblowoutatsomenightclubwhenwegetbacktoLA,inviteallthepeoplewehaveto,letthepressin.ButthisSaturdaywilljustbeforus.”

“Fun,”Isaid,andwesmiledhappilyateachother.“NowyouunderstandwhyIneedyoursilence,”shesaid.

“Ialwaysunderstood,”Ireplied.Itwastrue.“Thanks,”saidRomaine.“Ireallyappreciateit.”And Iknew shedid. I justhadn’t knownhowhard itwouldbe to actually

follow.

CHAPTER7

NeverEnoughHoursintheDay

WewereattheFords’foraboutanhourandahalf—MonadidafinalfittingonRomaine’s dress on the spot—and then itwas time to go.We left everythingneatlyorganizedbutoutoftheway,andMonaandPatriciapromisedtheywereoncalluntiltheevent.

“SeeyouFridaywiththemoviecupcakes,”saidRomaine.“AndI’llseeyousometimeSaturdaymorning,right?”saidRomaine.

“Yup!Can’twait!”Iagreed.OnceweweresafelyinthevanandoutoftheFords’driveway,Monalooked

atmeintherearviewmirrorandsaid,“Okay,tellthetruth:What’supwiththecupcakesforSaturday?”

“I...What...Wait...”Iwasspeechless.Monagrinned.“Iknew it! I could tellby that funny lookyougotonyour

facewhenRomainementioned the cupcakes that somethingwas up. Tell meeverything.”

Ifiguredit’dbeokaytotellMonaandPatriciaaboutthecupcakessincetheyalreadyknewaboutthewedding.SoItookadeepbreathandexplainedtothemas we drove back to my house about the ten dozen pastel-colored cupcakesRomaineexpectedforSaturdayandhowI’dhavetobake,frost,andboxthemallonmyownlateonFridaynightandonSaturdaymorningandhowIcouldn’ttellanyofmyfriendsandIfeltdishonestdoingbusinessastheCupcakeClubwhenitwasjustmeandhowwenowhadthesepremierecupcakestodotoo,andsoonand so on. By the time I finished, we’d been sitting inmy driveway for fiveminutes and my mom had come out to make sure everything was okay. I’dwavedherbackinandsaidI’dberightalong.

Attheendofthetelling,Isighed,andsodidMonaandPatricia.“Well,thatiscomplicated,”agreedPatricia.“Letmethinkaboutthisovernight.Ibetwecancomeupwithaplantohelp

you,”saidMona.“Thanks,”I said.“I thinkIcando it,but it’s justa lot.AndIhatekeeping

secretsfrommyfriends.Also,Idon’twanttodoabadjob,youknow?”

“Running a business is very complicated; asmuch as I enjoy being onmyown, it helps to have confidantes and coworkers to bounce things off. I can’timagine doing it alone. Listen, I’ll call you in themorning.You’re not alone.Andthanksforyourhelptonight,”saidMona,slidingawhiteenvelopefromTheSpecialDaytome.

“Mona! Ididn’tdo anything!Youcan’t payme to take a tourofRomaineFord’schildhoodhome.Ishouldbepayingyou!”

“Stopthissilliness.I’venevermetanyonelikeyou.Youneverwantanyofmymoney.Comeon.Takeit!”Sheflappedtheenvelopeatme.

Patricianodded.“Goon.”Isighedheavilyandtooktheenvelope.“That’s my girl!” said Mona with a cackle. “Never forget you’re a

businesswoman!Don’tsellyourselfshort!”“Thanks.Andthankyoufortakingme.Itwasareallyfunnightandamajor

privilege.Iwasproudtobetherewithyoutwo.”“Wewereproudtohaveyou,darling!”saidMona,andthentoPatricia,“Isn’t

shedivine?”“Justdivine.”Patriciasmiled,andIgotoutofthevan.

The next morning I had an e-mail from Mona. “Call me, darling. I have abrilliantidea!”

Icouldhardlyresistfromcalling,butitwasonlysixthirty,soitwouldhavetowaituntilatleastlunchtime.

At our lockers thatmorning,Katie toldme she had all the supplies for thepremiere samples and we should meet at the bike rack after school to go toAlexis’s house for our baking session. She was so excited and happy and niceaboutit.MytonguehurtwhereIhadtobiteit,soIwouldn’ttellheraboutmyevening atRomaine Ford’s house. It was eatingme up inside to keep all thisincrediblenewsasecretfrommybestfriends.Ifeltlikeatraitor—likesomeoneIdidn’tevenknow.HowcouldIbedoingthis?

AtlunchIsnuckintothegirls’bathroomandmanagedacalltoMona.“Emma, darling!Why do you sound like you’re calling me from the train

station?”Ilaughed.“I’minthebathroomatschool!”“ThenI’llmakethisquick.TellyourfriendsIneedtendozencupcakesforan

eventSaturdaymorning.Wecanroutethebillingthroughme—everything.Just

followthe specificationsRomainegave toyou,andyoucanevendeliver themhereifyou’dlike,earlythough,becausewe’llbeleavingbyeightthirtytogototheFords’.”

“Oh,Mona!”Ibreathedahugesighofrelief.“Thatisaperfectidea.”“Irealizeyoustillcan’ttellyourfriendsthecompletetruth,butthisisbetter

thannothing,yes?”“Yes!Thankyou!I’vegottorun.I’lltalktoyousoon!”Iwasfloodedwithreliefattheideaofsharingthisnewcoverstorywiththe

Cupcakers.Nowtheycouldhelpmeand Iwouldn’thave todo it all aloneorriskcomingupwithsomedumblie.

IleftthestallandwhowasstandingtherebutOliviaAllen,slowlywashingherhandsandlookingatmeinthemirror.

“Goodnews?”sheaskedfinally.Frantically, I replayedmyendof theconversation inmymind.HadIgiven

anything away? Ididn’t think so.Ohboy. Idecided I’dbetterwashmyhandstoo,whichIdidquicklyandwithoutmakinganymoreeyecontactwithOlivia.

Butstill,asIleft,Oliviasaid,“Goodluck,”(notthatnicely,bytheway)andbeganapplyingclearlipgloss.Thewholeencounterleftmerattled.

AndyetagainIfoundmyselfatlunchwithbignewstodelivertotheCupcakeClub.

“Ready?”Ibegan.“Ohboy,”jokedMia.“What’snext?RomaineFord’sweddingcake?”“Ha-ha.”Ilaughedweakly.OMG.Howdidsheguessthatrightoffthebat?“No,

justabigjobfromMona.Veryexciting.Greatexposure,”IaddedmeaningfullyasIlookedatAlexis.Shenoddedlikeanexecutivewaitingataboardroomtablefortheunderlingtobeginherpresentation,whichiswhatIfeltlike.

“Sowhatisit?”askedKatieexcitedly.Iplasteredasmileonmyface.“Insteadofherusualorderofminicupcakes,

MonaneedstendozenregularcupcakesSaturdaymorningforahugebridaleventshe’shaving.Easy,breezy:whitecake,pastelfrosting,afewwithmildflavorings,likelemonorraspberry.Great,right?”

Buteveryonejuststaredatmeblankly.Finally,Alexissaid,“Well,youexplainedwecan’tdoit,right?Andwhy,of

course?”“WhydidMonawaituntil theeleventhhourtoaskusthis?”askedKatie in

confusion.“She’susuallysoorganized.”

“Uh...I,”Isaid.“Ithinkitwaskindofaspontaneousthing....Itjust...cametogether.”

“Tendozencupcakesdoesn’t sound spontaneous!” saidMia.“Doyou thinkwemighthavebeenherbackup?Likesomeoneelsefellthrough?”

IturnedbacktoAlexis.“Wait,whatdoyoumeanwecan’tdoit?”Isaid.“There’s no way we can get all that work done—not if we want fresh

cupcakes...,”saidAlexis.“Orprettyones!”addedKatie“I’m surewe could chargewhateverwe need to, uh, get the job done?” I

asked.“That’snotthepoint,”saidAlexisslowly.“Westillhavetogotoschoolon

Friday.There’sjustnotenoughhoursintheday.”“ButMona’sourbestclient!”Iprotested.NowIwasstartingtofeelpanicky.

IftheCupcakeClubdidn’tagreetodothisbakingwithme,Iwasbacktodoingitallalone—andindefianceoftheclub’sdecisiontodeclinethejob!

“I know, but she’s not really playing by the rules,” said Alexis, cool as acucumber.Iwantedtothrottleherrightthen,evenifsheismybestfriend.

“Listen, Ihave a good relationshipwithMona, and Idon’twant to ruin it.Wewere going to have to do herminis for thisweek, anyway.This is just aslightly larger order. What if . . . what if I come up with a plan, a largerworkforce,tohelpusgetthisdone?Wouldyouagreetothat?Wecoulddoitatmyhouse.”

Theotherthreelookedatoneanotherandshrugged.“Iguess?”saidMia.“Howmanypeoplecouldyoupossiblypullin?”“Andwhen?”askedAlexis.“Justtrustme.LetmeseewhatIcanorganizetonight,”Isaidgrimly.“We’ll still meet up for the after-school baking session today in the

meantime,”saidKatie.“Right,”weallagreed,andweheadedourseparatewaystoclass.

AtAlexis’shouse,noonemadementionof thecupcakes forMona.Itwas liketheydefinitelyweren’thappeningunlessIfiguredoutawaytomakeeverythingwork.Itmademereallymad.Afterall,hereIwas,droppingthismoviepremierejobineveryone’slap...Iwastheonewhogotusthisjob,afterall,anditwasaconcession,anyway!Wewouldn’tevenbedoingitifIhadn’tagreedtobakethewedding cupcakes! They had the chance to bake the wedding cupcakes

themselves, and theywere too stubborn or lazy to do it.Granted, they didn’tknowwhattheywereturningdown,butwhyshouldIhavetotellthem?Monawasourbestandmoreregularclient.Iftherewasanyoneweshouldbedoingafavorfor,itwasher!

Imostly stayed silent asKatie demonstrated how to twist and pull theminimarshmallows together to form lumpy-looking popcorn. Mia, meanwhile,sprayed the lumpswith theyellow foodcoloring, andAlexiswas trimming thestripedpopcornbagpapers.Noneofitwasthathard;itwasjusttime-consuming.Andthetruthwas,itdidn’tlookasamazingasithadinthephotos.Ididn’tdaresayanything,butIwonderediftheotherswerethinkingittoo.

After about an hour of work had only produced a stack of around fifteenpapers and ten lumps of “popcorn,” I said, “Arewe sure wewant to do thisdesign?Itseemsslowgoing.”

Everyoneturnedtolookatme.“Well, we’re doing the prep now. We’ll have time. We can store the

marshmallows in Tupperware and just assemble the cupcakes on Fridayafternoon,”saidKatie.

“Whenarewebakingthem?”Iasked.“Itwillhavetobetomorrow,afterschool,”shereplied.Alexis smackedher forehead.“Ineed todo a run to thebake shop andget

somemorebulksugarandflourtonight.Oh,Ihopemymomcantakeme.”“Makesureyougetenoughfor . . .”Ialmost said“Romaine’scupcakes.”I

caughtmyselfintime.“Mona’s...”Alexissighed.“Idon’tknowifwe’reevendoingthose,andyouknowIdon’t

like to carry such a big inventory of dry goods; they get stale so fast.We justdon’tneedthatmuchfloursittingaroundifwe’renotsurewe’redoingthejob,youknow?”Shelookedatmekindofdefiantly.

“We’redoingit,”Isaidfirmly.Theothersexchangeduneasylooks.“Look,Em,whydon’tyouwalkusthroughthetimeline?Howdoyoucould

seeusdoingthis?”Alexisasked.Itookadeepbreath.“Okay,wedothepopcornandpapertrimmingtonight.

Asmuchaswecan,Iguess.Thentomorrownightwebake;atmyhousewouldbe easiest, sincewe’ll keep everything in one place for assembly and delivery.Fridayafternoonweassemblethepopcorncupcakesandstarttobake...Mona’scupcakes. Friday night after the premiere we finish baking Mona’s cupcakes.ThenSaturdaymorningwefrostanddeliver.”

“Andwedelivertothepremierewhen?”askedAlexis.“Sixo’clockonFriday.”“Andwhendowemake thepastel-colored frostings?” askedKatie,her face

scrunchedup.Atleastshelookedlikeshewastryingtomakeitworkratherthancatchmeinsomeharebrainedscheme,whichwaswhatAlexiswasdoing.

“Look, I’mnot an idiot!We’vebeen in tight spotsbefore.Wecando this.Wewon’t have a lot of time to hang around the premiere.We’ll need to gethome to keep working but . . .” I caught the girls exchanging uneasy looks.“Wait...,”Isaid.“Isthisallbecauseyouwanttogotothepremiere?Seriously?We’renoteveninvited!”

Miaburstin,wailing,“Iknow!Butwewanttoatleastlookgreatandwatchallthestarsfilein!”

“It’s such an opportunity! We could bring our cameras! Get autographs!”agreedKatie.

IlookedatAlexis.Sheshruggedandlookedaway,likeshewasembarrassedtoadmitit.“Guys,”Isaid.“We’regoingtothepremiereasprofessionals.Sure,wecanlingerforalittlebitandseewho’sthere,butwe’vegottogetbacktowork.Comeon.Alexis,youofallpeopleshouldunderstand!”

“ButTrentChanningwillbethere!”shecried.“OMG,”Isaid,andIputmyheadinmyhandsandshookitfromsidetoside.

I can’t compete with Trent Channing. But maybe there was someone whocould....

CHAPTER8

AllHandsonDeck

Matt,Iamnotkidding.Iwill literallypayyou.Iwilldoanything! I’llgiveyouwhateveryouwant!Seriously!Please!”

Mattwaslookingatmewithaglintinhiseyeashisfeetrestedonmydesk.Hewastippedbackinmychair,withhishandslockedbehindhishead,andashesurveyedmyroom,Iknewwhatwascomingnext.

“This,”hesaidfinally.“Oh,Matt.”I’m the only onewith a good bedroom.Matt and Sam share, and it drives

thembothcrazy. (Sam is a slobandMatt isneat.Ormaybe it’s theotherwayaround. I cannever tell. It always looks gross in there tome.) Jake sleeps in aformertinyclosetthatmymomkeepssayingisgoingtostunthisgrowth.SinceI’m theonlygirl, Ihaveagloriousbedroomredonebymymomandme, andeveryoneinthehousewantsit.

“What?Yousaidanything!”Hethunkedthechairlegsbackdowntothefloorandstooduptoleave.“Iguessyouweren’tserious!”

“Okay!Okay!Fine.Youcanmoveinhere.I’lltake...Jake’sroom,andJakecanmoveinwithSam.Butyoucan’tchangeanything.Iwanttheopportunitytowinitbackwithinsixmonths,okay?Deal?”Iputoutmyhand,andMattstareddownatitforwhatseemedlikeaneternity.Finally,hereachedoutandshookit.

“Deal,”hesaid.“But you have to also bring George Martinez and at least one other cute

friend.Notsomeweirdoloser.Gotit?”“Fine,”hesaid,butheclearlywasn’tlistening.Hewanderedoff.“I’vegotto

gogetmytapemeasure.You’rewelcome!”hecalledoverhisshoulder.Ilookedaroundmyroomandshuddered.WhathadIjustdone?Ibootedupmycomputer.ThenIbeganpeckingoutane-mail.Itsaid:

Hey,Olivia—Incaseyouchangeyourmindabouthelpingwiththecupcakesforthepremiere,wearegoingtodeliverthemourselvesandstaytowatchthecelebsfilein.Weshouldhaveagoodspottowatchthem.YoucanhelpmakethecupcakeswithusafterschoolonFriday,buttheonlycatchis,weneedyoutocomebackandhelpwithanotherhugeorderafterthe

buttheonlycatchis,weneedyoutocomebackandhelpwithanotherhugeorderafterthepremiere.We’llgiveyouyourshareoftheprofits.In?Emma

ThenIwincedandpushedsend.Nowitwastimetoe-mailtheothers.

Hey—Matt,GeorgeMartinez,andoneotherhottie,plusmaybeOliviaAllen(sorry,butsheoffered)arecomingtohelponFriday.Nowcanwesayyes?Letmeknow,please,soMonadoesn’thavetowait.Thanks.

Itwaskindofasharplywordede-mail,andIknewitwasweakofmetoplayon Katie’s crush on George and Alexis’s crush on Matt, but I needed to usewhatever I had to get this done. Itwas the onlyway. Iwent down to dinnerbefore I’d heard back from anyone, and when I came back, there were tworeplies—one from Olivia and one from Alexis. Coincidentally, they both hadwrittenjustoneword:“Fine.”

“Woo-hoo!”Iwhooped,whichwaspatheticwhenyouthinkaboutit.Butohwell.Atleastwe’dgetthisdone.

I finishedmy homework and grimly set to the task of trimming dozens ofpopcornwrappers for thepremierecupcakes. Itwasmidnightbefore Iwent tosleep,andI’donlydonesixteen.

Atschoolthenextday,Oliviawasbraggingitupaboutthepremiereinfrontofherfriends.

“Emma, where are you having your hair done for the event?” she askeddramatically.

“Oh...uh,inmybathroom?”Isaid.Irefusedtoplayhergame.“Someone’scomingtoyou?Thatissochic!Who?”Irolledmyeyes.“Olivia,wearegoingtothepremieretowork.Yes,itistrue

thatIamfriendlywithRomaineFord,butshewillmostlikelynotevenbetherewhenwe’rethere.Wewillmakethecupcakes,deliverthem,perhapsstayforafewminutes to see ifwecan spot some stars, and thenweheadback towork.Thebigstarsdon’tcomeuntiltheverylastminute,I’msure.”

“Oh,Emma.Suchaworkerbee!”IturnedtofindAlexisstandingbehindmewithanunhappylookonherface.

She dislikedOlivia evenmore than I did, and tomorrowwas not going to bepleasantforher.

“One thing I was wondering . . .,” said Alexis. “Do you have the rideorganizedtothepremiere?”

“Oh,yes.Mydadistakingus,”Isaid.“Intheminivan?”askedAlexis.“Yeah,”Isaid.Istheresomethingwrongwiththat?Iwantedtoask.ButAlexisnodded.“Good.Justwantedtomakesurewehaveenoughroom

for...everyone,”shesaid,lookingdisdainfullyatOlivia.Igrinned.“Orwereyouhopingwemightnot?”Iasked.Alexis—stillmybest friendeventhoughIwasaggravatedwithher—grinned

back.“Mindreader,”shesaid,andwelaughed.

Afterschoolweracedtomyhousetobeginbaking.Alexis’smomhaddroppedoff all the supplies late last night, and therewere huge tubs of butter, sacks ofsugar and flour, and dozens and dozens of eggs. It’s a good thing we have abackupfridgeinourgarage.It’susually filledwithgallonsofmilkfortheboys,butmymommaderoom,sowewereset.

Alexishadalsoboughtanewkitoffoodcoloring,yellowspray“mist”forthepopcorn coloring, and an assortment of extracts to flavor the frosting for“Mona’s”cupcakes.

Ipulledoutmyprideandjoy—mypalepinkKitchenAidstandingmixerwiththeadorablequiltedcozycover—andsaid,“Letthegamesbegin!”

Whenmymomgothomefromwork,shetookonelookatthechaosinthekitchenandorderedpizza;therewasnowayshewasgettingtoheroventonight.

It actually turned out to be kind of fun, baking a hundred and twentycupcakes.Mybrotherswereinandout,entertainingmyfriends,andpeoplejustatepizzakindofcasually,standingaround.Itfeltlikeanevent.Duringthesmallpocketsofdowntime,wedidhomeworkandquizzedoneanotherforthevocabtestsomeofuswouldhaveonFriday,andwestartedtofeelprettypsychedthatwecouldpullofftwobigcupcakeorders.

ThenJakedecidedtohelp.I heard the crash before I even realized where he was. It came from the

garage,and itwas loudbutnot thatdeadlykindofnoisewhereyouwonder ifsomeonegotreallyhurt.Iranouttothegaragetofindthefridgedooropen,Jakestandingwithhishandsintheair,andtwodozeneggsalloverthegaragefloor.

“Jake!”Iwailed,andhebegantocry.

Well,Iguessitwasn’ttheendoftheworld,ofcourse,butitfeltlikeitatfirst,despitemymomscoldingmetolayoffJake.Weendeduplosingacrucialforty-fiveminuteswhileSam(nicely)wenttothestoreandboughtmoreeggs.Itshookusoutofourrhythmandourgoodmood(doyouknowhowharditistocleanupgooeysmashedeggsfromconcrete?),anditleftusstressedandmaybenotsopsyched and confident about Friday. It also left us rushing through trimmingmanyof thecupcakewrappers andmaking the lumpsof“popcorn.”Surveyingourhandiwork, Ihad toadmit tomyself that itwasprettyamateur looking fortheCupcakeClub.

Bynineo’clock,everyone’sparentswerearrivingtopickthemup,andattheendofthenight,Iwounduponmyownwitheverythingtocleanup.

Thegoodnewswasthateightdozencupcakeswerearrayedonplattersonthediningroomtable,withtwodozenmorecooling in thekitchenandanicebigbowlofwhitefrostingsat inthe(kitchen)fridge.Tendozenpopcornlumpssatunder foil next to a pile of ten dozen popcornwrappers; thosewere the onlyweaklinks.

BythetimeIwenttobed(againatnearlymidnight),everythingwasinorder,andIwaslookingforwardtoFriday’sassemblyline,iffornootherreasonthantogetitoverwith.Theyweren’tgoingtobetheamazingprofessionalcupcakeswelikedtomake,buttheyweresomething.AndtheywereforRomaineFordandherfamousfriends,afterall.

Oliviabroughtagarmentbag to schoolonFriday, alongwitha suitcase fullofhairandmakeuptools,jewelryandaccessories,andthreechoicesofshoes.

“Olivia, remember. This is work. You will be paid,” I said, but again shewavedmeaway.

“Emma,thiscouldbemybigbreak.That’swheretherealpaydaycomesin.TherewillbetonsofagentsandHollywoodpeoplethere.Cupcakemoneylookslikepeanutsnext to theirpaychecks.And, anyway,partofbeing successful,nomatterwhatyoudo,islookinggood!”

Irolledmyeyesandhopedthingswouldworkoutlater.Afterschool,OliviaandtheCupcakersandIwalkedhometomyhouse.Iwas

surprisedtoseethatMiaalsohadagarmentbag,andevenKatieandAlexisweretotingsmallbagswithoutfitsandsuppliesforthepremiere.

“Guys, I just want to remind you,we are not a key part of this premiere.Romaine asked for the cupcakeskindof as a favor to, youknow, includeme.

And there are going to be a lot of serious, real people there, working. It’sRomaine’sbigday.NottheCupcakeClub’s!”

“Oh,Emma,don’tbe sucha stick in themud!Youneverknowwhowe’llmeetalongthedeliveryroute!”Olivialaughed.Iwinced.

“Speakingofbigdays,whenisRomainegettingmarried,Emma?”askedKatie.Noonehadaskedmethatpoint-blanksinceI’dfoundout,soIhadn’thadtolie.Untilnow.

“Oh...”Isearchedfortherightthingtosaythatwouldn’tbealie.“Soon.It’sasecret,so...youknow,theydon’twantthepresstogetwindofanythingandruinit.Mum’stheword!”Phew.Ihadn’tlied.

Outofthecornerofmyeyes,IcouldfeelOlivialookingatme,andIcouldtell she thought I had no idea but was bluffing to make it look like I wasinvolved.Itookadeepbreath.I’dhavetoletthisonego,becauseIwasn’tabouttoblowRomaine’swholecoverjusttomakemyselflookgoodinfrontofOliviaAllen(nomatterhowtemptedIwas!).

Miawasthoughtful.“IfIwereRomaine,I’djustdoitnow.Like,here,whileeveryone’sintown.Noonewouldeversuspectit.”

Mystomachdropped.Ididn’tsayanything.“Are you nuts? Why would a glamorous celebrity like Romaine Ford get

marriedinthislittletownwhenshecouldgoanywhereonEarth?”askedOlivia,shakingherheadindismayofMia’slackofimagination.

“Iguess,” saidMia, consideringOlivia’spoint.“Itdependsonwhatkindofgirlshereallyis.”

Alexislookedatme.“Issheahometowngirl,Em,oraglamourpuss?”“Oh,she’s.. .alittlebitofboth,”Iconceded.Well,itwastrue!Ichanged

thesubject.“Like,Iwonderwhatshe’llweartonight?”“She’sbeenwearingalotofRalphLaurenlately...,”saidMiaknowledgably,

andthentheywereoff—OliviaandMia,mainly—discussingsomeof themanyfaboutfitsRomainehadrecentlysported.

Phew!Wereachedmyhouse,andtheboyshadbeatenushome.Mattwastherewith

GeorgeandhisfriendCharlie,andtheywerehungrilyeyeingthecupcakesinthediningroom.

“Notsofast!”Iyelled.“Rejectsonly!”Silently,Ihopedwewouldn’thaveasmanyrejectsasIsuspected.

I set to work getting everyone organized. Naturally, I paired Katie withGeorgetobeginpipingthefrosting,andofcourseMattandAlexiswereateam

tobaketomorrow’scupcakes.IputCharliewithbothMiaandOlivia(theycouldfight to the death to see who won him!) for the wrapping and taping of thepopcornpapers;Ikindoffloatedandtriedtooverseeeveryone.Unfortunately,IgotalittleboggeddownwithKatieandGeorgeandthefrosting,becausewhenIwentbacktoseehowMiaandOliviaandCharlieweredoing,itwasnotgoingwellatall.

Oliviawasmostlychatting,Charliewasallthumbs,withnostandardofhowtomakethewrapperslookgood,andMiawasnearlyintearsoffrustration.

More than half of the cupcakes they’dwrapped looked terrible—the paperswere crinkled, and some even a little ripped, like they’d been handled tooroughly.

“Whoa,whoa,people!Theselookbad!”Iexclaimed.Charlielookedupatmeinsurprise.“What?Ithinktheylookgreat!”Olivia was caught clearly not paying attention. “What do you mean?” she

asked,onlyjustlookingdownatwhatshewasdoing.Withallherchatting,she’dprobablyonly tapedon threewrappers, but theyweren’t aligned carefully, andtheylookedtotallylame.

“Okay.Wedon’thaveanyextrawrapperstospare,”Isaid,tryingtokeeptheangeroutofmyvoice.“Soweneedtoreallyfocushere,okay?”Ilookedatmywatch.“Wehavejusttwohourstofinishanddeliverthecupcakes.”

Olivia rolled her eyes a little at Charlie, and I saw her. I’d had enough.“Olivia,doyounotlikethisjob?’CauseIcanfindsomethingelseforyoutodo,oryoudon’tevenhavetodoitifyoudon’twant.Youcanjustwatch,andthenwe’lltellyouaboutthepremierewhenwegethome.”IknewIwasbeingnasty,butitworked.Oliviawasnotabouttomissoutontheeventofalifetime.

I triedanother tack, then.“Youknowwhat?Charlie,maybeyoushoulddosomeassembly,overbyKatieandGeorge,andlet’sleavethewrapperstoOliviaandMia,okay?” If Igot theboyoutof thepicture,maybe thenOliviawouldconcentrate.

Charlieshrugged.Hedidn’tmindatall.Itwasn’tlikeanyoftheguyswantedto be good at making cupcakes, because that would be embarrassing. I hadn’tthoughtofthatwhenIsignedonMattandhisfriends,thatitwouldbeabadgeofhonortodoabadjob.Ugh.Boysaresooooweird!

Pretty soon,Mia andOlivia got into a groove andbegan tomakeprogress.Oliviawassointoitthatherchatterdieddown,andshegotfasterandbetter.Bytheendoftheprocess,thevastmajorityofthewrapperslookedgreat,andIknewwecouldhidethelameonesbehindthegoodonesonthestackedplatters.

IturnedbacktoKatieandGeorge,thepopcornpeople,andgotthemalittleback on track. They’d been chatting so much that the popcorn was stickingtogetherandwasextra lumpy,andthey’dsprayedthemunevenly.Boy,beingamanagerwas hardwork! Iwaswishing I’d had just a small focused task to doinstead.Iguessthisiswhatbeingamovieproducerfeelslike!

Pretty soon, I noticed everyone looking at the clock or their watches orphones.Itwasfivefifteen,andwewereduetoleaveforthepremiereatsix.

Mydadarrivedandcomplimentedusonthecupcakesandsaidhewasreadytodriveatanytime.Asitturnedout,theboyswantedtocome,too,anditwouldbeatightsqueezeinourvan,somymomofferedtodrivehercartoo.We’dallgo.Acaravan.Ohgoody!Not.

Finally,wepackedthecupcakes—lumpy,kindofcute,definitelyhomemadelooking—intothecarriersandsetthembythedoor.Weputthefinalthreedozenof“Mona’s”cupcakesintotheoven,andthenitwastimetorunupandchange.Ihadtoletitgoaboutthesecupcakes.Theywereaconcession—afavor—tomeand,evenmoreso,tomyfriends,andIhadtojustlookatthemthatway.Theywere our humble contribution. But it just made me resolve that tomorrow’scupcakes,assimpleastheywere,wouldbeourfinestwork.

Upstairs,OliviaandMia tookwhat felt likeendless amountsof timegettingdressed,tryingdifferentoptionsandtradingthingsbackandforth.Itwasprobablyonlytenminutes,butIwassoantsy,Icouldn’tstandit.

Whenwewereallready,wescurriedoutwiththecarrierstothetwovehiclesand loaded in the cupcakes. Just as we were about to pull out, Olivia yelled,“Wait!Therearestillcupcakesintheoven!”Ihoppedoutofthecarbeforemydadhadeventotallystoppedmoving.Inside,Iracedtotheovenandpulledoutthe trays of cupcakes. I had caught them just in the nick of time.Onemoreminute,and theywouldhavebeen toohardandcompletely ruined. I set themouttocool,turnedofftheoven,andracedbacktotheminivan,wheremydadreprimandedmeforjumpingoutofamovingvehicle.Whoops.

“Olivia.Yousavedtheday,”Isaid,anyway,gasping.Oliviasmirkedandsaid,“Nowcanwestayforthewholepremiere?”Igroanedandre-buckledmyseatbelt.Nowunderway,Iwasstartedtogetjazzed.Halfthecupcakeswerebehindus,

andweweremorethanhalfwaydonewiththenextround.Droppingthemoffatthepremierewouldbefun,andwemightevengettoseeastarormaybeabigproducerorsomething.Evenifwedidn’t,itwasstillcooltobeinsidebeforethestaroftheshow.Howmanyotherkidswouldbeabletosaythat?

Alexis,Matt,George,andKatiewereinthecarwithmymom,andtherestofus,plusJake,werewithmydadintheminivan.Trafficwasheavyheadingintotown, and at the last minute, my dad decided to take a sneaky shortcut andsignaledtomymomtofollow.Weendeduponarandom,quietcountrylaneIdon’tremembereverseeingbefore.

“Itusedtobeallfarmlandouthere,notthatlongago!”saidmydad.“Someoftheseoldaccessroadsaren’treallymarked,andtheydon’tturnupontheGPS,butthey’restillhandy.Wait...”

Therewasacarpulledoverupaheadofus, itshazard lights flashing.Aswedrewcloser,IcouldseeitwasanoldblueSUV.

“Wonderiftheseguysneedhelp?”mydadasked,slowingdowntolook.“Dad!We’re going to be late!We can’t stop!” I cried.But just as I said it,

somethingaboutthatSUVlookedfamiliar.ItwasthestickerfromSam’slacrosseteamonthebackwindow.Mydadpulledalongsideandlowereddownthepassenger-sidewindowinthe

front.“Dad!”Iyelled.“It’s—”

CHAPTER9

Clipboards

Romaine Ford popped her head out of the driver’s-sidewindow. “Oh, thankgoodness!We’vehadabreakdown,andwe’relate....”

Therewasacollectivegaspinourcaraseveryonerealizedwhoitwas.LiamCareyleanedhisheadforwardfromthepassengerseatoftheSuburban,andashecameintoviewsomeoneinmyvehicle(IwillkillhimorherifIeverfigureoutwhoitwas)shrieked.

Irolleddownmywindow.“Romaine!It’sEmma!Wehavethecupcakes!”“Emma?”Romaineblinkedatmeinconfusion.“That’smydaddriving.Doyouwantaride?”“Ohmygoodness,Emma!Oh,thisissolucky.Yes,please!We’dlovearide!

Letmejustlockup.”Irolledupmywindow,andwescrambledtomakeroominthesecondrow

forLiamandRomaine.Everyonewasspeechless.Ifeltbadfortheothersinthecarbehindus formissingout,but Iwaspsyched forMiaandOlivia.RomaineturnedoffherSuburban,lockedit,andcamearoundthecar.Secondslater,Liamjumped into the front next to my dad and shook his hand, and RomaineclamberedintothesecondrowwithOliviaandme.Olivia’seyeswerewide,andherjawhaddroppedinshock.Romainegavemeahard,gratefulhugandsaid,“Hi,guys!”

Liamturnedaroundfromthefrontseatandgaveusallamegawattgrinandawave.“Hi!I’mLiam!”

Like,duh!“Tothepremiere!”criedmydad.“Thepublicawaits!”Andhetookoff.OMG,whydoesmydadhavetobesoembarrassing?Aswe drove,Romaine explained that she’d driven because the carwas old

andglitchy,andshewantedtotakebackroadstoavoidthetrafficandcrowdsontheotherend.Andthentheenginefloodedorsomething,andtheygotstuck.

“Why didn’t you just get a limo, if you don’t mind my asking?” my dadinquired. Embarrassing again. Like, dowe have to acknowledge out loud thatthey’restars?Anyway,dotheyevenhavelimosinMapleGrove?Comeon!

“That’swhat I said.Maybenot a limobut someone todrive,butRomainefeelslikeit’sherhometown,andsheshouldbeabletodriveherselftothemoviesifshewants,right,honey?”Liamteased.

Sherolledhereyesatus,butsmiled.“Right.Seemedlikeagoodideaatthetime.”

“We just get so harassedwhenwe’re out in LA thatwe like to be normalwhenwe’rehere,youknow?”Liamwassayingtomydad.

“It’sgottabetoughforyoukids,”mydadagreed.“Kids”?Seriously?Meanwhile,OliviahadnotstoppedstaringatRomainetheentiretime.Itwas

likeRomainewasamovieandOliviawaswatchingher.“Um . . .hi!”Romaine saidwith agiggle,waving atOlivia.Olivia looked

shockedoutofherdaydream.I jumped in. “Oh,Romaine, this isOlivia.And you’vemetMia before, at

yourshower,whenwedroppedoffthecupcakes,and—”“I’mJake!”saidJake,poppingupoutfromthebackseat.“Hi,Jake!”saidRomaine.“You’reascuteasabutton!”Jakefake-scowled,butIcouldtellhewaspleased.“Liam,Emma’sthegirlwhobakesthecupcakes!”saidRomaine.“Oh,right!Thanks!They’redelicious!”saidLiam.“Ihadsomeafterthebridal

shower,whentheyletmebackintothehouse.Ican’twaitfor—”“Yes, for tonight. When we have some at the premiere, right?” Romaine

interruptedwithaverysignificanttoneofvoice.Iknewwhatshewasgettingat,butshemaskeditprettywell.Liamcaughtherdrifttoo.

“Right,”hesaid,nodding.“That’sgoingtobethefirstthingIeattonight!”I’veseenLiamCarey’sabsinthemoviesbefore,andIhadtodoubtifhewas

eatingverymanycupcakes,butIwasstillpsychedaboutthecompliment.Soonwereachedthebackentranceofthemall.ThePresswaslinedupthree-

people deep, and onlookerswere held back by a red velvet rope. Therewerebeefyguardsatthesidesofthegatetotheparkinglot,andaladywithaclipboardandaheadset, standinginfront.RomaineandLiamduckeddownoutofsight,andIfeltbadforthem.Theywerelikefugitives.

“Sorry,closedforaprivateevent,”saidtheladytomydad.“Iknow,”saidmydad.“I’mdeliveringcupcakesfortheevent.”“Name?”ClipboardLadysaid.“TheCupcakeClub,”mydad replied.Tohis credit,hewasn’t evena little

embarrassedsayingit.

Theladyscannedherlist.“Sorry.Nothere.Backitup.”Shegesturedtotheguards,andtheysteppedintoblocktheway.

“Wait!”Isaid.“Wehaveadelivery.We’remeeting...?”InudgedRomaine,andshemumbledsomething.

ClipboardLadysighedanexasperatedsigh.“Wehaven’tgotallnight.Please.Backthevehicleout.”

Romainepeepedupherheadatinybittomeandsaid,“AnnikaDolan.”“AnnikaDolan!”Icalled.Mydadrelayedthename,andClipboardLadysaid

somethingintoherheadset.Thensheshookherhead.“Ms.Dolanisnotawarewhatthis is inreferenceto.Sonowifyou’llplease

turnthevehiclearound,we’vegotcarsbackingup.. . .”NowClipboardLadywas tappingher foot angrily.Even if shewasusingwords like “please,” iciclesweredrippingfromthem.

Ifeltbreathless.Ididn’tknowwhattodonext!Therewasalongpause,andthenLiamandRomainebothsatupatthesame

time. There was a gasp from the nearby crowd, and Clipboard Lady’s eyeswidenedasshesawthem.

“Oh. . . Iam sorry!Please!Gorightahead!”Thegate lifted,andwe sailedthrough, my mom following close behind and the press only realizing they’dbeen tricked at the very last minute, when it was too late. They roared infrustration,andthesoundsentchillsdownmyspine.Iwatchedthroughthebackwindshieldastheypressedatthegate,andtheguardshadtophysicallyholdthemback.

Butwewere in!We all hooted and hollered and high-fived in relief asweenteredtheparkingstructure.Mydadsaidhe’dtakeusallthewaytothetheaterlevelanddropusoff,thenwaitforusoutsidedownthestreetabit.

“Okay, even if I didn’t get to drive myself, that was pretty successful!”declaredRomaine, laughingandclappingherhands.Weall climbedoutat thetheater level,andtherestof thekids fromthecarbehindusmobbedLiamandRomaineasIintroducedeveryone.

“Well, I’ve got to get this lovely lady off to her preshow interviews,” saidLiam.“Itwasgreatmeetingallofyou.Seeyou”—Romaineelbowedhimandhelaughed—“very soon!” Iwas glad Liam had as hard a time as I did keeping asecret!

Romaine rolled her eyes, hugged my dad, and took off. “Thanks for thecupcakes!” she called over her shoulder. “I’ll tell Annika you’re coming, andshe’llpayyou!”

After they were gone, it felt like a collective letdown, like the energy hadbeensuckedoutofaroom.Weunloadedthecupcakeboxes,wavedgood-byetomyparentsforthetimebeing,andheadedin.

Insideweretonsofcamerasandphotographers,andtheirflashesblindedusasweentered.

“Theythinkwe’resomeone!”criedOlivia.“Weare!”saidAlexis, laughing.“We’retheCupcakeClub!”Shedida little

twirl,holdingoutthecupcakecarrier,andthencurtsied.WealllaughedandwenttofindAnnika.As we roamed the floor, I spied a big buffet, and we went to deposit the

carriersthere.“Wow,”saidKatie,impressed.Therewerebigglassjarsofcolorful—beautiful

—candy and platters of incredible-looking treats. Very professional. TheCupcakersandIexchangedlooks,andweallknewwhatwewerethinking:Wewere definitely amateurs. There was no way Celebrity magazine was going towriteabouttheCupcakeClub.Notforourcontributiontonight!

Surveying thecompetition,Alexis lookeddevastated, andKatie’smouthhaddropped open as she examined the treats from the other bakeries. Thereweretriple-deckercaramelfudgecupcakeswithstepsmadefromcaramelsclimbingthesides,andtinyelaboratepastrieswithbeautifulwhitecreampipedintoswirlsontop. There were small dishes—artistic-looking crème brûlées with shellackedsurfaces so shiny, I could almost see my reflection, and chocolate-dippedstrawberrieswithlong,elegantstems.

“Katie, what’s that expression your mom uses when something comes outlookingjunky?”Iasked.

Katie looked at me, nodding but looking crestfallen. “ ‘Loving hands athome.’ ”Shesighedasshequoted.

Ihadtolaugh.“Yup.That’susallright.Wehadgoodintentionsandlotsoflove,butnotawholelotofskillondisplayheretonight.”

Mialaughed.“Atleastwelookgood!”“Welookgreat,youmean!”correctedOlivia.Suddenly,anexecutive-looking lady inhigh,highheelsandanotherheadset

cametappingovertous.“I’mAnnikaDolan,”shesaidcrisply.Sheputoutherhand,andIjumpedintoshakeit.

“EmmaTaylor.Wehavethecupcakes.”“And thebill,” saidAlexisprofessionally.ShehandedAnnikaanenvelope. I

hadn’teventhoughtofabill!IsmiledatAlexisandnoddedingratitude.

“Thank you,” said Annika, stashing the bill into the file folder she wascarrying. “Romaine askedme tohelp you setup, then she’d likeme todirectyoutoyourseats.”

“Wait...”Iwasconfused.“We’renot...Imean...”ButMiashushedme.“Thankyou.Itwon’ttakeaminute,”saidMia.“Allright.I’llbebacktocollectyouinfiveminutes.No.Makethatseven,”

saidAnnika,lookingatherwatch.“Putthemright...there.”Shegesturedtoaspotintheverybackofthebuffet,offtotheside,andclick-clickedawayonherhighheels.Weallstaredatoneanotherinshock.Thenthegirlsstartedtojumpupanddownandquietlyscreamandtheboysdidakindofmellowhigh-five,asif tosay,This is cool,but it’snot thatbigadeal. Iknew,though, that insidetheywerebeyondpsyched.

“But,guys,whataboutMona’scupcakes?”Iasked.Everyonefroze.“Anyonefreetomorrowatsixa.m.?”Therewasabriefsilence,andOliviasaid,“Iam.”“Metoo,”saidMatt.“We’reallfree,”saidAlexisgenerously.“Thanks,guys.Matt,willyoucallMomandDad,please, and tell themthis

willtakeatinybitlongerthanwethought?”Iasked.Wewedgedthepopcorncupcakesontotheirplattersinthebackofthetable,

andthenwehadtogiggle.“Atleastweknowtheytastegood,”Katiesaidphilosophically.“Just don’t giveoutourname to anyone!” saidAlexis.We all had to laugh

thatAlexisthepublicityhoundwantedtoremainanonymous!

One Sweet Summer was wonderful. A real romantic comedy; even the boyslaughed.Wedidn’tmeetanymorestarsortalktoanyonefamous, though.Wewere up in the balcony,way back in the row,with lots of other non-famouspeopleandthepress,butjustbeingtherewasincredible.

Alexis was hanging so far over the railing at one point, looking for TrentChanning,Ihadtoyellather.ShewasindignantuntilIgesturedatMatt,likeshewasforgettingabouthim,andthenshecalmeddown.Finally,shespottedTrentChanning and dismissed him as “short in real life,” and I saw reliefwash overMatt’sface,asifhe’dreallyeverbeenincompetitionwithTrentChanning.

Attheendofthefilm,everyonegaveitastandingovation.IsawMrs.Fordandahandsomeolderman,whocouldonlyhavebeenRomaine’sfather,downbelow.RomaineandLiamwerekissing,andtherewereflashbulbspopping,andRomainegraciouslywavedandtookabowtoacknowledgetheapplause.Itwaskindof funnytoseeherworkinglive likethat.As if theRomaineIknowandtheRomainethatbelongstothepublicweretwodifferentpeople.

Itmustbeweirdtobefamous.Weleftthetheaterandcalledmyparentstosaywewerereadytoleave.Itwas

nineo’clockbythispoint.Alexiswasyawningandsaid,“AreyousureMonaneedsthesethingsbyeight

thirty?Shedoesn’tevenopenuntilten!”“I’msure,”Isaidfirmly.“Don’tbackoutonmenow,Cupcakers!”“Wewon’t,”saidKatiesweetly.“Anyway, they’re for Mona. They don’t have to be perfect perfect,” said

Alexis.Iwhippedmyheadtoglareather,butthenIsawthatshewassmiling.“Kidding!”shesing-songed,herpalmsupintheair.“Veryfunny,”Isaid.“Not.”Miasaid,“Thankssomuchforgettingusthisjob,Emma.Itwasgreat.”“And thanks for includingme,” saidOlivia. And then she smiled atme.A

sweet,sinceresmile.Shehadrelaxedduringthemovie,andIwasabletoseethatsideofher Ioccasionallyglimpsewhen she’snotbeingcompetitiveornervousbutis,Iguess,actinglikehertrueself.

Everyoneagreedithadbeenawesome,evenGeorgeandCharlie.ThenMattgavemethebestnewsI’dheardallday.

“Youknowwhat,kiddo?Youcankeepyourroom,”hesaid.“Tonightwaspaybackenough.”

Igrinned.“Thanks.I’lltellRomaineIoweherone.”

CHAPTER10

WeddingBells

Myalarmwentoffat5:45,andIwasnotpsyched,tosaytheleast.IputoninasimplepinkdressandwenttowakeupMatt.Wecreptdownto

the kitchen, where we ate some cereal and I put on an apron to protect myoutfit.Olivia,Mia,andKatierolledinsoonafter,andthenAlexis.Sixofuscoulddefinitelygetthisdoneintwohours.EveryonewonderedwhyIhadadresson,but I explained that I’d have to stay to help Mona when we delivered thecupcakes,andIwasworriedIwouldn’thavetimetochangelater.

Iclosedthekitchendoorstokeepdownthenoise,andwegottowork.Firstwemadeahugebatchofbuttercreamfrosting,whichwedividedupamongfivedifferent bowls. Katie took charge of the food coloring—you needed a lighthand,becausepastelscanquicklyturntodeepcolors ifyou’renotcareful—andMia took the leadwith the flavorings.The final list had arrived inmy in-boxyesterday:lemon,lime,rose,pear,andlavender,twodozenofeach.Goodthingwe’dboughtsomanyflavorsinadvance.

“Weonlywanttheslightesthintofflavor,”Iinstructed.“Maybeyoushoulddoit,sinceyou’resostressedaboutit?”suggestedMia.Ihadtoadmitshehadapoint.Carefully,Isqueezedonetinydropatatime

intoeachofthesmallbowlsofwhitefrosting,thenIpassedthemalongtoKatietotint.

All the bakerswereworking steadily, but therewasn’t the sense of urgencywe’dhadlastnight.Iwatchedasthehandscreptaroundthedialofthekitchenclock,andpeoplewerechattingortakingabreak.

Finally,Iexploded.“Guys!WeneedtoleavehereinhalfanhourtogetthecupcakestoMonaontime!Thisisnojoke!”Icried.

“Okay,chill.Seriously,Em,”chidedMatt.Hegavemea look, like Iwasamajorloserforfreakingout,andshookhishead.

Ifthesepeopleonlyknew,Ithought.Ateighto’clockwewereworkingonthe finalbatch—the lavender-flavored

cupcakes—whenthephonerang.

ItstartledmesomuchthatIaccidentallydumpedabigglopofflavoringintothefrostingbowl.

“Nuts!”Iyelled.“Matt,canyougetthephone,please?”“Wecanfixthis.Here.Wait,”saidKatiecalmly.Shetookaspoonanddida

widescooparoundthesmallpuddleofextract,thensheflickeditoffthespoonandintothetrash.“Giveitastir.Ibetit’sokay.”

“Phone’sforyou,Em,”saidMatt.“It’sMona.”Iquicklytastedthefrosting,anditwasfine.Iwenttopickupthephone.“Hello,Mona?”Isaid.“Hello, darling. Listen. Patricia and I will come to you at eight thirty, all

righty?We’dliketogetabitofahop,andwe’rejustsittinghere.Seeyousoon?”I gulped. Only about a fifth of the cakes were frosted, and we had about

twenty-fiveminutesleft.“Okay.Seeyousoon!”Isaid,andhungup.Iwatched asKatie took the finalbowl—the lavender-flavored frosting—and

droppedintwotinydarkdropsofcolor.Shebegantostir,andtomyshock,thefrostingbegantoturnpalegreenasthecolormixedin.

“Katie!”Iyelled.“What?”shejumped,nearlydroppingthefoodcoloringintothebowl.Then

sherecoveredandputthejaraside.“That’sthelavender-flavoredfrosting!”Icried.“No,it’snot!Lavenderisoverthere!”Shegesturedacrosstheisland,andsure

enough,therewasabowlofverypalepurplefrosting.Isurveyedtheothercolors.“Thenwhichoneislime?”“Ohno.”Katiegroaned.Quickly,webegan tasting the flavorswith toothpicks,comparing the flavors

withthefrostings’colors.“Okay,thepinkone...that’slime,”saidMia.“Forsure.”“Thegreenislemon.Definitely,”saidAlexis.Iputmyheadinmyhands.“Oh,Emma,I’msosorry!”Katiewailed.Mymouthset intoagrimline.“Well, it iswhat it is.Nowwejusthaveto

makethemlookperfect.”Everyonelinedup,andinaveryefficientmanner,wequicklyfrostedallthe

cupcakes,eachwithabeautifullypiped swirlofpastel frostingon top.MiaandKatiedidmostof it,andtheylookedperfect—simplebutelegant.Wearrangedthemintothecarriers(newlyvacatedbythepopcorncupcakes),andasIsetthelastcarrierdownbythedoor,Monapulledupininhervan.

Mymomcamedownandreviewedthestacksofcupcakes.“Oh,girls, thesearelovely!Sosweetandsimple.Butabsolutelybeautiful.”

Mattclearedhisthroat.“Ahem.‘Girls’?”Hepretendedtolookindignant.“Sorry, lovebug,” saidmymom, patting his cheek. “These are someof the

prettiestcupcakesyou’veevermade.Likelittleworksofart.”Mattpretended toduckhishead inmodesty.“Thankyou,”he said,wiping

awayafaketear.“Allright,Mr.AcademyAwardwinner,whydon’tyouhelpusgettheseinto

thevan?”Isaid.“Oh,Iforgotthebill!”saidAlexis.“That’swhat you get for staying out late and hobnobbingwith the stars all

night,”teasedMia.“Ihavesomething.Icane-mailitoverlater,”Isaid.Again,Ididn’tlie.Ijust

didn’tsaywhoI’dbee-mailingitto!Wetruckedallthecarriersoutside,andMonaandPatriciahoppedoutofthe

van.Iyankedoffmyapron.“Hey,Emma, justaquick thought,” saidMona,gesturingme to the sideof

thevan.Ohno.Hadsheseenthecupcakesandthoughttheywerelame?Inside,Iwas

dyingofshame.Weshouldhavemadeabiggereffort.Weshouldhavegoneallout.Iknewit.Butno,Monawassayingsomethingelse.

“...alittlemorehelp?”“What?”Iasked.Iwasconfused.“Do you think your friends would like to come? They could set up the

cupcakesandhelpmegettheladiesready?”Myeyeswidened.“DoI!Ofcourse!DoyouwanttoaskthemorshouldI?”Monasmiled.“Iwill.”Shewentbacktowardthehouse,clappingherhands.

“Girls!Girls!Ineeda littlehelp.Doesanyonehavetimetocomewithmethismorning?”

Katie and Mia eagerly volunteered. Alexis noted that she had a lot ofhomework,andOliviawasveryhesitant.

“Comeon,youguys.Weneedtogetgoing.Justsayyes.Itwillbefun,anditwon’t take long,” I said.My eyesmust’ve been shining, because theywere alllookingatmesuspiciously.

“Letmejustruninandcallmymom,”saidOlivia.Theothersjoinedherandscrambledbackoutside.Oliviahadbrushedherhairandevenputonalittleclearlipgloss.

“Youlookpretty,”Isaid,beforeIevenrealizedwhatwascomingoutofmymouth.

“Thanks,”saidOliviashyly.“Youneverknowwhereyournextjobisgoingtocomefrom,right?”She’dbeencalledintomodelatTheSpecialDaybefore,sosheprobablyfiguredtheremightbebusinessathand.Littledidsheknow.

“Allaboard!”Monacalled,andeveryoneclimbedin.SoalltheCupcakegirlswereaboardplusone,Olivia.Mattdecidedtositthisoneout.

Wesetoff,andpeoplebeganaskingquestions.“Wait,we’renotgoingtothestore?”askedAlexis,noticingourroute.“Isthisanoff-sitething?”askedMia.The girls exchanged glances.Mona and Imade eye contact in the rearview

mirrorandsmiledateachother.Soon,wereachedthewhitegateatthebottomoftheFords’driveway.There

wasaguysittingoutside inawhitechairwithaclipboard,andMonaspoke tohimthroughherwindow.“DeliveryfromTheSpecialDaybridalsalon!”

Hesmiledandnoddedandopenedthegate,andupwerolled.“Wait,isn’tthis...?”Olivialookedaround,suddenlyalert.“ThisisRomaineFord’shouse!”criedKatie.“We’redeliveringRomaineFord’sweddingdresstoherhouse!”Miayelled.“Toherwedding,”Isaid.Ahushfelloverthevanaseveryonebegantounderstandwhatwasgoingon.“Wait,youmeanthosecupcakes...,”saidAlexis.“AreRomaine Ford’swedding cupcakes?”Olivia shrieked. (Aha! So shewas

theonewho’dshriekedinthecarlastnight!)MonaandIlaughedassheputthevanintoparkinthebackofthedriveway.

“Yup,”Isaid.“OMG.OMG.OMG!”Katiewasbouncingupanddowninherseat.“Whendidyoufindout?”askedAlexis.“Aboutaweekago?”Isaid.“Buthowdidyoukeepitasecret?”Katiedemanded.“Notveryeasily,”Iadmitted.“Itwassoooohard.”“Ican’tbelieveyoudidn’tbreatheaword,”Miasaidadmiringly.ThenAlexissaid,“Emma,youshouldhavetoldus!Wecouldhavecomeup

withsomethingspectacular!Somethingspecial!Thesearejuststandardcupcakes!”“Andwedon’thaveaspecialpresentation!”wailedMia.Suddenly,Ifeltterrible.MaybeIhadhandledthiswrong.Afterall,whowas

myloyaltyreallyto—somerandomcelebrityIbarelyknowormyclosestandbest

friends(andbusinesspartners)?Nowtheyfeltlikeyetagaintheywerenotputtingforwardtheirbestwork,anditwasallmyfault.

But then Katie jumped in. “You know what? I think these cupcakes areperfect.Lookaround.Romaineisgettingmarriedinherbackyard.Itisn’tfancy.Andthesecupcakesarereallypretty;evenyourmomkeptsayingso.Ithinktheyarejustperfect.”

Iletoutmybreath,andsuddenly,IfeltMona’sarmacrossmyshoulders.“Iagree,”saidMona.“Simpleelegancealwaysisthechicest.Trustme.AndI

thinkthebridewillagreetoo.”Andjust thenRomainecameoutontotheporch.Shedidnot look like last

night’sglamorousmoviepremierestar,infancymakeupwithafancyhairdoandgown.Shelookedlike...well,likethegirlnextdoor!Fresh-scrubbedface,wethair,sweats,andahuge,happysmileonherface.

“Hi,Emma!”shesays.“Hi,Cupcakers!”Thegirlswereall speechlessandRomaine laughed.“Surprise!Nowlet’s see

thecupcakes.I’vebeenwaitingallweek!”Weclimbedtheporchstairs,andRomainesatononeofthewickersetteesas

Iopenedthelidofoneofthecarryingcases.“OH!”criedRomaine.“They’reabsolutelyperfect.It’s justwhatIwanted!”

Thenshegotadevilishlookinhereye.“CanItasteone?”“Ofcourse!”Isaid.“They’reyourcupcakes!”Romainebit intoone, andher eyesgotbig.“These aredelicious!” she said

throughamouthfulofcrumbs.Sheeyedthepurple frosting,andthenshesaid,“Lime,Ithink?”

“Yeah,um,abouttheflavors?Theydon’texactlymatchthecolors....I’msosorry.”

“It’sallmyfault.”Katiebegantoapologizeprofusely.“I think it’s genius!” saidRomaine.“Howboringwould itbe if the flavors

matched the colors? Anyone could do that! This is unexpected; professionalcupcakeswithahomemadetwist.”

“That’sus!”saidAlexisproudly.Thenshemumbled,“Maybethatshouldbeourmotto.”Weallrolledoureyes.

“Allright,darlings,let’sgetgoing,”saysMona,breakingthespell.SheshooedRomaine into thehouse toget readyandaskedme to followalong tohelp tiebowsandzipupdressesafterIfinishedsettingupthecupcakes.

Inthekitchen,Mrs.Fordaskedthecaterertoleadusouttothetenttoputthecupcakesonthebuffet.

There,onthedesserttable,weresixbeautiful,pastel-coloreddisplayplattersofvarying heights. The caterer directed us to put the cupcakes on the pedestals,frontandcenter,andwearrangedthemasinstructed.

“Ihaveanidea,”Katiewhispered,andshedartedoffintothegarden.Shecamebackwithanarmfulofflowers.“Katie!”Iyelped.“Shh,”shesaid.“Itookthemfromthebackofthegarden.It’sfine.”ThensheandMiabeganarrangingthe flowersaroundthecupcakes,peeling

offthepetalsanddelicatelyplacingthemalloverthepedestals.Oncetheplatterswerecovered,westeppedbacktoadmireourhandiwork.“Wow,”saidOlivia.“Theyreallylookbeautiful.”Theyreally,reallydid.Thecupcakeswerepretty,buttheflowersmadethem

perfect.Italmostlookedlikethecupcakeswerebloomingoutofthem.Ibeamed,gladtoknowIcouldcountonmyfriends.

“Ican’tbelieveit!”Isaid.“Didn’tyoutrustus?”saidAlexis,huggingmewithonearm.Ifake-glaredathersideways.“Notexactly.Buttheydolookperfect.”“AndIbettheytastegreat,”saidMia.“Theymatchwitheverythinginhere,”Katiepointedout.We looked around, and itwas true.All the tablecloths andnapkinswere in

mix-and-match variations of the same colors, and the bouquet centerpiece oneachtablehadflowersinthesamepaleyellow,green,pink,purple,andblue.

“It’sallsopretty,”Isaid.“Funnythat thecupcakesweslavedovercameoutsortofcrummy,andthe

oneswejust...did...cameoutbetter,”Katiesaid.“That’sbecauseweweretryingtoohardontheotherones,”admittedMia.I

wasgladsomeoneelsehadsaiditbesidesme.“Ijustcan’tbelieveIhangoutwiththeCupcakeClubfortwenty-fourhours

andgettoattendthetwomostexcitingeventsoftheyear!”saidOlivia.“Thanks,youguys.”

“Yoo-hoo!Emma!”Patriciawascallingmefromtheporch.“Gottarun,guys.I’llcomefindyouwhenit’stimetogo.”“Whatshouldwedointhemeantime?”askedKatie.“Um.I’llsendPatriciadowntofindyou,andthenmaybewecanallstayand

spy on the wedding ceremony, okay? Just don’t call the press while you’rewaiting.Actually,don’tcallanyone!”

“Asif!”Theyalllaughed.

CHAPTER11

ARecipeforSuccess

I’d been helping Samantha (she signed autographs for all the Cupcakersdownstairs!)andRomaine’ssisterFlorenceandniece(whodidlookalotlikeme,bytheway),andwhenitwastimeforthebridalpartytogettogetheratthetopof the front stairs for the procession, I sawRomaine fully dressed for the firsttime.Iactuallyhadtearsinmyeyes,shelookedsobeautiful.

“Oh!”Isaid.Itwassounexpected.Imean,she’sabeautifulgirl,andI’veseenherdressedupbefore.But thiswasdifferent.She looked so, sohappy, like shewasreallyabouttostartanewlifeandlivehappilyeverafter.Shelookedlikeareal-lifefairyprincess.

Igrabbeda tissue fromaboxon thehall table andblottedmyeyes. I felt ahandonmyshoulder,andIlookedup.ItwasMona.

“It never gets old,” she said, wiping at her own eyes. “That’s why I keepdoingit.”

Ismiledupather.“Doyouevergetsickofthebrides?”Iwhispered.“Oh,honey,youcan’timagine!”Monalaughed.“Butnotthisone.She’sthe

realdeal.Anyway,IlikethemallbythetimeI’mlookingatthebacksofthemheadingdowntheaisle.It’salwaysafreshstart.”

We trailed behind the bridal party as theymade theirway toward the doorthatledouttothegarden.

“Psst!” we heard, and we turned to see Patricia waving us into the familyroom.

Insidewere theCupcakers andPatricia,whowere awedby their privilegedspotatthewindow.MonaandIjoinedthemandwatchedasRomainegracefullymadeherwaythroughthebeautifulgarden,uponawhitesatinrunnercoveredinrosepetals,throughtherowsofwhitechairsholdingonlyfamilyandfriends.

ThelookonLiam’sfacewasbreathtakingashesawher.Hiseyeslitup,andhegrinnedtillitlookedlikehisfacewouldbreak.Whenhetookherarm,hehadtoacceptahankie fromhisbestmanandblothiseyes. Itwas sosweet.Weallsighedinunison,thenlaughedquietlybecauseweallhadthesamereaction.

“ThisisoneoftheprettiestthingsI’veeverseen,”Isaid.

“Metoo.”Monasighed,andwegiggled.Later,on thewayback tomyhouse,withPatricia at thewheel (Monahad

stayedtohelpwithwardrobedetails,andPatriciawouldreturntohelptooonceshe’ddroppedusoffsafely),Alexisburstout.

“Istillcan’tbelieveyoudidn’ttellus!”shechided.“Ifeltterribleaboutit,”Iadmitted.“Anditwasn’tthatIdidn’ttrustyou.But

ifoneofusslippedanditgotout...”“I’mgladyoudidn’ttellus,”saidKatie.“Itwouldbetoomuchtokeepthat

newsasecret.I’mrelieved!”“Iagree,”saidMia.“Nopressurethisway!”“You can always tellme,” saidOlivia. “I’m thequietest of all theCupcake

Club!”andwealllaughed.

TwodayslaterIwasdoingmyhomeworkwhenthephonerang.“Honey,it’sAlexis!”mymomcalled.Isatstillinmyseat.Did“honey”meanmeorMatt?Itwasreallyannoyingto

notknow.“Emma!”mymomcalledagain.I jumpedup, pleased that the callwas forme andnotMatt.Ha!So there! I

thoughtasIpassedtheroomhewasstillsharingwithSam.“Hello?”“Areyouonthecordless?”askedAlexiswithabsolutelynointroduction.“Yeeeees?”Isaidsuspiciously.“Gotoyoucomputer.Gotocelebritymag.com.Go!”“Okay, okay!” I scurried into my room and did as I was told. On the

homepagewasastoryabout“RomaineandLiam’sWildWeekend!”Irolledmyeyes.Iwouldhardlyhavecalledthatweekendwild,butwhatever.

“ClickontheRomainestory,”instructedAlexis,soIdid.“Scrolltotheendof the story.Read the second to lastparagraph.” IcouldpracticallyhearAlexistappingherfootimpatientlywhileIgottotherightspotandread.

“OMG!”Iyelled.“Ican’tbelieveit!”Alexiswasscreamingthroughthephone.Whatitsaidwas:

DessertsforbotheventswerecateredbytheCupcakeClub,alocalcompanyrun by old family friends of the Fords’. The bridal cupcake display wasspectacular,withanelegantarrayofpastel-coloredcupcakessprinkledwithspringbloomsmatchingthedecor.“Theymakethemostdeliciouscupcakes

you’veeverhad,”saidRomaine.“Theirmottois:Professionalcupcakeswithahomemadetwist.”ThesamecouldbesaidaboutMs.Ford.

I shrieked. “This is amazing!Better publicity thanwe could ever dreamof!Areyouecstatic?”Icried.

“Ourwebsitehasalreadycrashedtwice!”saidAlexis.“It’sgreat!”We laughed and laughed. “We need a cupcake meeting tomorrow to

celebrate,don’tyouthink?”“Definitely,”agreedAlexis.

The next day we sat around Alexis’s neat kitchen, discussing the RomaineWeekend,aswe’dcometocallit,forthetenthtime.

“PrettysurprisingOliviaturnedouttobesohandy,”Miaremarked.“Yeah,she’sprettygoodwithherhands,”Isaid.“Andshe’sgotadecentworkethic,too,onceyouknowwhatmotivatesher,”

agreedAlexis.“Timeforafifthcupcakemember?”askedKatie.“Nah.Notyet,”Isaid.“Butwedoneedtomakeanotetosharesomeofthe

profitswithher.”Monahaddroppedoff a check from theFords for the cupcakes, andAlexis

wasdepositingit,alongwiththeonefromRomaineforthepremierecupcakes,tomorrow.

We scrolled through the pictures we’d taken at the premiere and at theweddingwithourphones.WehadpromisedMrs.Fordwe’dnevere-mailthemorsendthemanywhere,especiallytobepublished.

“IknowIcancountonyougirls,”shee-mailed.“Ican’twaituntilwehavesomethingelsetocelebrate,sowecanhireyouagain!”

Wehadallcheeredwhenwereadthat.Ibroughtatrayofthe“reject”cupcakes—theystilltasteddelicious,butdidn’t

look as pretty as the others (I’m guessing theywere the onesMatt frosted), sotheydidn’tmakethefinalcut.Alexisputoutajugofmilkandsomeglassesonthetable.

“Whatnext?”askedMia.“IsabelGormley’sbirthday!”saidAlexis,lookingatalist.“Oh,thecupcakecompetitionwiththekits!”“That’sgoingtobesocool!”saidKatie.“Andsoeasy,”addedMia,“comparedtoamoviepremiere.”

“Notsofast!”Icautioned,waggingmyfingerather.ShelaughedandputherhandsintheairlikeIsurrender.Alexis picked up where I’d left off. “Remember, our best clients, like the

Gormleys—andMona—arethemostimportantonestoplease.Andoursimplestcupcakes are theonesweneed toworkon thehardest. It’s all theoppositeofwhatyou’dthink.”

“A recipe for success if ever therewas one,” I said admiringly. I held up acupcakeforatoast.“ToRomaineandLiam.”

“And to theCupcakeClub!”Mia added.We all clinked cupcakes togetherandlaughed.Itwastheperfectendtoaperfect(notwild!)weekend.

Wantanothersweetcupcake?

Here’sasneakpeekofthetwentiethbookinthe

Cupcake Diariesseries:

Alexis

theicingonthecupcake

GrowthSpurt

Myankleswerefreezing.Itwas a coldand rainymorning,even though itwas almostMemorialDay,

and theweatherwasa little fluky:hotandmuggyoneday,chillyandcool thenext.Somaybethatexplainedmycoldankles.Buttherestofmewasn’tchilly.Myanklesfelt...bare,despitethefactIhadonlongpants.Istretchedoutmyfoot at the breakfast table and lookeddown.Wait,whywas there suddenly somuchankleshowingfromthebottomofmypantleg?Thesepantsweren’tcapris!Hadtheyshrunk?

Istoodupandshimmiedthepantsdownalittlesothattheycoveredmoreofmy ankles. My older sister, Dylan, gave me glance over her teapot and thenlooked back at what she was reading. Nowmy ankles were covered, but mypantswereridingtoolowforcomfort.Theywerepracticallyfallingoffmyhips,actually.

“Argh!”Icriedinfrustration.“What’sthematter,Lex?”askedDylaninaslightlyannoyedtone.“I’mtrying

to have a peaceful morning here.” Dylan’s been trying to be all mature thesedays,drinkingteaandactingreallypatientandcalmnomatterwhatthesituation.Shetookthisrelaxationandmeditationclass,andnowshegoesaroundtellingusthatthehousehastobeher“Zenplace.”

“Mypantsdon’tfit!”Icriedveryun-Zenlike.“Andthey’renotthatold!IjustboughtthemwithGrandmaoverspringbreak!”

Dylan rolled her eyes. “Youmust’ve shrunk them.You’re supposed to linedrycottonpantslikethat.”

“Ido!”Iprotested.“Always!”Dylan thought for aminute, then she sighed and shookher head. “Then it

couldonlybeonething,”shesaid,returningtothefascinatingbackofthecerealbox.

I guess shewasn’t going to tellmeunless I asked.And I really, really didn’twanttoask.Butthesuspensewaskillingme.

“What?”Dylansighedagain,asifitwasallsoobviousandIwassuchanitwit.“Hello?

Growthspurt!”“What?”“Yougrew!Happensallthetime.That’swhytheycallit‘growingup.’ ”She

shookherhead.“Butthatfast?”She nodded. “It can happen overnight sometimes. You come down in the

morningandsuddenlyyoucanseethingsonthetopshelfofthefridgethatyou’dswearyoucouldn’tseewhenyouwenttobedthenightbefore.”

“Really?”Iwalkedovertothefridgeandopenedit.Iglancedaroundthetopshelf:yogurt,pickles,mustard . . .Wait,had that temperaturedial alwaysbeenbackthere?IknewI’dneverseenitbeforebecauseIwouldhavehadsomefuntweaking it to see ifdifferent temperatures savedusmoneyormade things icy.Hadthefridgereallycomelikethat?Ididn’tdareaskDylan.

Feeling slightly freaked out, I shut the door and stoodwithmy back to it,handsstillonthehandle.

Therewasnodoubtaboutit.Ihadgrown.“SowhatshouldIdo?”IaskedDylan.“Aboutwhat?”Igesturedhelplesslyatmynakedankles.Dylanstooduptowashhercupinthesink.“Buynewpants,”shesaid.

BeforeIcouldgotoschool,Ihadtochangemypants,butIhadtotryontwootherpairsbeforeIfoundonethatfit.AtschoolIranintomybestfriend,EmmaTaylor,onthewaytomylocker.

“Igrew,”Isaid,fallingintostepbesideher.

“Iknow,”sheagreed.Istoppeddeadinmytracks.“Wait!Really?Youcouldtell?”Emmastoppedtooandnodded.“Uh-huh.Ihaveto lookupatyouwhenI

talktoyounow.”“Well,whenwereyougoingtotellme?”Emma laughedandstartedwalkingagain.“Seriously,Lexi?Youneedmeto

tellyouthatyougrew?”“Idon’tknow.Imean,it’snotlikeInoticeditmyself.”Iunlockedmylocker

andwasstartledtoseehowpackedmytopshelfwas.“Ugh.Thislockerisapit.Ineedtocleanthisthingout!”

Emmalaughedagain.“See?Suddenly,youcanseestuffthat’shighup.Maybeyoucouldcheckthetopshelfinmylockerandseeifmymouthguardforsoccerisupthere.”

Ilaughed.“What,nowI’mrentingoutmyheight?”Shegiggled.“Youcould!”“What,forlockercleanouts?”“Yeah,youcouldcharge....”Mymoney-makingsensestingledalittle.Idohaveaheadforbusiness.Could

I earn cashby cleaningout lockers?Probably.Thebigger question is,would Iwantto?Athoughtforanotherday.

Speakingofmoney...“Hey,arewemeetingtoday?”Iasked.OurCupcakeClub usually meets on Fridays at lunch to plan out upcoming jobs andexperimentwithnewrecipes,aswellasbakeforourregularcustomersandanyweekend jobswemight have lined up. Plus,we always get together at Fridaylunchandbringcupcakes;it’sadelicioustradition.

“Yup,” saidEmma.“Wehaveour lunchmeeting,obviously, and thenafterschoolwe’reonforbaking.Miacancomenowthatshe’llbeathermom’sthisweekend.Let’sdoitatmyhouse.”

“Great.Ibroughttheledgerandeverything,justincasewewereabletomeet.I’llseeyoulaterinthecafeteria,”Isaid,andweheadedofftoourclasses.

Downthehall, I stopped foraquickgulpofwaterat the fountain. I swear,I’venevernoticedhowlowthatthingis.It’s,like,elementaryschool–size!Theyshouldreallyhaveitraised.

“Lexxxiiiiii!” called Mia from our table in the corner. I cringed a little andglanced around to see if anyone elsehadheardher callme that. It’s not that I

reallymindifmyfamilyormyveryclosestfriendscallme“Lexi”inprivate,it’sjust that lately ithasbeenrubbingmethewrongway.It soundsbabyish,andIdon’twant it tospread.Andalso, just secretly, itdoesbugmea teeny, tinybitwhenMiaandKatiecallme“Lexi”because it’s reallymychildhoodnicknamefrombeforeIknewthem.Like,theydon’treallyhavetherighttocallmethat.Butwhatever.

IcrossedthelunchroomwithmytrayandwenttositbesideMia.“What’sup?”askedMia.“Cutepants.Haven’tseenthosebefore.”Mia is amajor fashionista (hermomis aprofessional stylist), so I alwayspay

closeattentiontoherfashionadvice.“Seriously?Doyoulikethesepants?”Iasked,lookingdown.“I’vehadthem

forawhile,buttheywerealwaystoobig.Nowtheyfit.Theycovermyankles,anyway.”Ishrugged.

“Definitelycute.Myfavesareyourpalepinkones,though.”Isighedandpickedupaforkfulofchili.“Theyshrank.Or,actually,Igrew.

Theydon’tfitanymorealready!”“Can’t you get them shortened a littlemore andwear them as capris?” she

asked.“They’dbecutewithawhitesleevelessblouse.”I chewedmychili and thought about it. “Maybe.The thing is . . . I don’t

looksogoodincroppedpants.”“Oh, come on! With those long, thin legs of yours, you’d look good in

anything,”saidMia.I couldn’thelpbut smile a little, since a compliment fromMiameans a lot.

“Thanks.I’mnotsurethat’strue,butwhatever.”“Oh please, I’d kill to be tall and thin like you.” At that point in the

conversation,EmmaandKatiejoinedus.IdidfeelalittlebetterafterwhatMiasaidaboutmyfigure,eventhoughIwasstillfrustratedaboutmywardrobe.

“Hey,listen,wegotagoodorderovertheweekend,”saidKatie.“RememberMrs.Dreherwhohadthebabyshower?She’shavingasummerkick-offbarbecueslash pool party next Sunday, and she wants us to bake six dozen ‘beachy’cupcakes.”

“Great!”Isaid.“DidyouquoteherapriceorshouldIfollowup?”Katiesmiled.“IgaveheraballparkpriceandsaidourCFOwouldfollowup

withane-mailonceweknewforsurewhatwewerebaking.”“Excellent.” Inoddedhappily. I love itwhenourbusiness runs like awell-

oiledmachine.

Miastartedbrainstorming.“Remember thosecoolpoolcupcakeswedid fortheswimteamfundraiser?Maybeweshoulddothoseagain?”

“Oh,butrememberhowthefrostingmeltedonthosewhenitgothotintheindoorpoolarea?”remindedEmma.“Wewouldn’twantthattohappenifit’sahotdayforthebarbecue.”

Igroanedat thememory.That swimteamepisodehadalmostbeenamajorcatastrophe.We’dalmostendeduplosingmoney,whichissomethingIhate!

“Let’s do something with light brown sugar around the edges—like fakesand?”suggestedKatie.

“Ooh,that’sgood!”agreedMia.Emma’seyessparkledsuddenly.“Ithinkweneedafieldtrip!”shesaid.“Let’s

gotothebeach!”“Yes!”exclaimedMia.“When?”Emmashruggedandlookedaroundatallofus.“Thisweekend?”I thought aboutmy schedule.Wehave examsnextweek, and I have a big

paper due.Of course, I’ve been studying, so I’m in pretty good shape for thetests.AndI’mmorethanhalfwaydonewiththepaper.Plus,Ihavetherestofitmappedout. IknewMomandDadwouldbeokaywith theplan.“I’mup forit!”Isaid.

Everyone agreed.We’d go tomorrow, providing all the parents said it wasokay,andwe’dstillhaveSundayforhomework.

“Yay!”saidKatie,clappingherhands.“Icanwearmynewswimsuit!”Hmm.Mentally,IscannedmyclosettothinkaboutwhatI’dwear.IguessI

wouldn’tknowuntilIwenthomeandtriedthingson.Iwasnotlookingforwardtoit.

AllAboutEmma!

HowwelldoyouknowEmmaTaylor?Takethisquizandfindout!

1.Emmais

A.atomboy.

B.agirlygirl.

C.abaseballchamp.

D.asciencewhiz.

2.Emmahasacrushon

A.George.

B.Dan.

C.Diego.

D.Joe.

3.Besidesbakingcupcakes,Emmaworksas

A.adogwalker.

B.amodel.

C.afashiondesigner.

D.bothAandB.

4.AlexishasacrushononeofEmma’sbrothers.Whichone?

A.JakeB.MattC.SamD.Frank

5.WhatisEmma’sfavoritecolor?

A.PurpleB.PinkC.TurqoiseD.Shedoesn’thaveafavoritecolor.

6.EmmalovesalltheCupcakegirls,butwhoisherBFF?

A.MiaB.AlexisC.KatieD.Olivia

7.WhatisEmmaafraidof?

A.SpidersB.MiceC.BloodD.Snakes

6.WhatmoviestarconsidersEmmaherfriend?

A.AngelinaJolieB.SandraBullockC.KateWinsletD.RomaineFord

Didyougettherightanswers?1.B2.C3.D4.B5.B6.B7.C8.D

Howdidyoudo?All8correct:You’reEmma’snewBFF!Threecupcakesforyou.Yay!6-7correct:Youdidverywell.Emmaissureyou’llgetalltheanswersrightnexttime.Twocupcakesforyou!4-5correct:Emmathinksyouneedtolearnalittlemoreabouther.Butyougetacupcakefortrying!Fewer than4correct:Emmasaysyou’renotpayingattention!YouneedtorereadtheEmmastoriesrightnow!Nocupcakeforyouuntilyoudo—but

Emmasaysyoucanhaveacookie.

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CocoSimonalwaysdreamedofopeningacupcake

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 toone hundred books for children,

tweens,andyoungadults,whichisalotlessthan

the number of cupcakes she’s eaten. Cupcake

DiariesisthefirsttimeCocohasmixedherloveof

cupcakeswithwriting.

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