by Coco Simon
Katie still looked half asleep, and Mia was grumpy. Emma was pleasant if a little quiet, but I was raring to go. After all, ten days without school or friends or the Cupcake Club is a long time! By habit, and without even planning it, all of us Cupcake Club members had convened at Mia’s locker this morning to catch up before homeroom.
“Why can’t it be spring break forever?” Katie was moaning. She leaned against Mia’s locker like she couldn’t spend the energy to stand up on her own.
“Where is my new assignment notebook?” Mia wailed, pawing wildly through her tote bag.
I smiled, not wanting to gloat about being all organized and ready. I’d had all my school things laid out since yesterday: my outfit, my books, my pens, and my day planner. Failing to plan is planning to fail, I always say! (But I don’t say it out loud too much or my best friends get annoyed).
“Cupcake Club meeting today after school?” I asked, trying not to sound too cheerful since everyone else was kind of down.
They all looked at me blankly. Then Katie said, “How can you even think that far ahead?”
“We can meet at my house . . . ,” I offered. “I have some cool quartz rocks I got on the trip I want to show you.”
Mia sighed and slammed her locker shut. “No notebook.” Then she looked at me. “Sure, I’ll come. It will give me something to look forward to on this horrible first day back,” she said.
“Obviously, we’ll all be there,” said Emma, snapping out of her trance.
“Of course we will,” agreed Katie.
Mia was looking carefully at my face.
“What?” I asked. It is kind of annoying to have someone peer at you like that.
“Do you have any balm or cream you can put on that peeling skin of yours?” she asked.
I’m not much of a cosmetics person, even though I periodically try to get into it. It just seems like too much work, and I hate carrying extra stuff in my bag. I shrugged. “No. Does it look terrible?”
“No . . . just kind of painful,” said Mia. “Here.” She reached into her tote bag and took out a huge cosmetics case, then she opened it and rummaged for a minute before pulling out a small tube of cream. “Here, take this. My mom got free samples at the mall. You can keep it till the peeling stops. Just remember to reapply every hour on the hour.”
“You know, you really should be more careful about sunscreen on the slopes,” said Katie.
“I know, but who would have thought Utah would be so sunny in February?!” I said. My face had really hurt for days out there, between the sunburn, the windburn, and the dry air.
We reached a turn in the hall and separated for homeroom. I stopped into the bathroom first to apply the cream when Olivia Allen, our resident mean girl, came in. She took one look at me and then began to snicker.
“Does your face hurt? Because it’s killing me!” she said, and laughed to herself.
“Ha-ha,” I said. “Not.” I can take a joke, but a bad one? From someone I don’t like? About my appearance? Please.
“What did you do, fall asleep reading a book in the sun?” she said, all serious and fake-concerned.
“No, it’s from skiing,” I said. I ignored her kind of bratty tone and looked away, busying myself putting the cap back on the cream and stashing it into a pocket of my backpack.
“So, you were reading while skiing? Now that’s impressive!” she said sarcastically.
I was confused. “I wasn’t reading,” I said. “I was skiing.”
“Oh, but I know how much you love to geek out on your homework, so I just assumed—”
“Good morning, girls!” said my homeroom teacher, Ms. Dobson, as she went to wash her hands.
I looked at Olivia for a second longer. She was smirking, amused with herself. Why was she going after me all of a sudden? I mean, Sydney Whitman, our former mean girl who moved away to California was one thing. But Olivia Allen had never before directly attacked me like this. It was surprising and upsetting. My face was flushed, and my ears burned at the tips, which made them even redder, if that was even possible. I kept playing Olivia’s comments over in my head, the words “geek out” rattling around like pinballs in a machine. Am I a geek? Is that what people think of me? I was too mortified to even work out what my comeback should have been.
When the warning bell rang signaling us to head out to our homerooms, I kept my head turned away from Olivia, hoping she wouldn’t say anything else. She must’ve been satisfied with her morning’s work, because she just grabbed her bag and calmly strolled off. I stalled a little to put a good amount of space between us in the hall.
I couldn’t wait to tell the other Cupcakers what had happened. Maybe they could help me figure it out.
The morning started off well after that, since I had math (which I love) with my favorite teacher, Mr. Donnelly (who rocks). My next class though was English, which is not my favorite. We’re reading Charles Dickens’s book Great Expectations and learning about life in Victorian England. Today, Mrs. Carr announced we would each have to complete an independent project with a visual presentation component that shows what it was like to live in Victorian England. Ugh. Math is so much easier than this, I thought, heading to gym class.
I was lost in thought as I walked to the locker room. What on Earth would I make? I am not crafty or creative, like Katie, who is obsessed with baking, or Mia, who is obsessed with fashion. When we do Cupcake Club stuff, I am mostly in charge of the business side of things—marketing, invoicing, purchasing, and all the numbers stuff. I knew I’d have to brainstorm for this project with my friends. I just hoped their ideas weren’t too wild, because I did not have the skills, patience, or interest to do something over the top.
We didn’t have time to talk about it during gym class, so I was still distracted at lunch when I got on line for food, but suddenly, I realized someone had jostled me and cut me in line. I looked up from the silverware rack to see the unmistakable back of Olivia Allen.
“Hey!” I cried out in protest.
Olivia turned back to look at me. “What?” she asked, all innocent.
“You just cut ahead of me!” I sputtered.
Olivia laughed. “Alexis,” she said, all saccharine sweet. “I know you have a hearty appetite, what with all those cupcakes you eat, but can you let other people have a chance at the food too?” Then she turned and kept moving along.
I was speechless. To so rudely and blatantly cut me, and then to insult me on top of it? What a jerk! I fought the urge to bash her over the head with my tray. Luckily for Olivia, she headed off to the salad bar while I stopped for the hot meal. I wished I’d had something clever and mean to say to her to put her in her place. I’d have liked to see her blush and shake for once!
By the time I got my food, I was in a red rage. I sought out my friends and stomped over to join them.
“Uh-oh!” said Emma, spying me. She has been my best friend since we were toddlers, so she can spot my mad face a mile away. “What happened?”
I slammed my tray down hard on the table. “What happened? What happened? I’ll tell you what happened! I hate Olivia Allen, that’s what happened. She is an evil witch, and she is after me!” I proceeded to tell the others all about Olivia’s unwarranted attacks on me so far today. They were appropriately shocked and angry on my behalf, and I began to calm down. By the end of my retelling, I was mostly mad at myself for not coming up with a comeback or beating her down in some way.
“If she was so eager to get her lunch, that line-cutting piggy, then she should have gotten to the cafeteria a little faster!” I snarled.
My friends hooted and clapped. “That’s what you should have said to her!” said Mia, laughing. “‘Line-cutting piggy’! That’s great!”
“I know,” I muttered, digging into my fish taco. “I always think of things like that too late. I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot,” said Katie kindly. “You’re the opposite. Anyway, would you really want to be the kind of nasty
person who always has a sharp comment or comeback ready to go? That’s a terrible way to lead your life.”
I nodded. She had a point. But still. “Maybe I’d like to be the person who sometimes has a comeback, instead of the person who never does,” I said. “Oh, and to make matters worse, I have to do a visual component for my presentation on Victorian England for English! What the heck am I going to make?” I wailed.
Mia clapped her hands. “Ooh. What about a costume? I could help you dress up like a Victorian lady. That would be so much fun! The high, tight waist; the long, full skirts; the lace-up shoes . . . !”
“No, you should do a diorama of, like, people selling stuff from carts. . . . You know, Victorian business practices!” suggested Emma.
“Hmm. That would be fun to research,” I said, already imagining the diorama.
“No, what if you did a diorama out of gingerbread!” said Kate, always thinking about food. “Like a Victorian house, but in gingerbread!”
“Yessss!” cheered Mia and Emma.
“That is totally it!” added Emma.
I thought for a minute. “I think that would be really, really hard, even if it is a cool idea,” I said.
“We’ll help you!” offered Katie. “It’ll be fun!”
“Yeah,” Mia chimed.
“Well . . . ” It was hard to turn down your three best friends, whom you already know you work well with in the kitchen, when they’re offering their help on a horrible project like this.
“And Olivia Allen will be so jealous when she sees it, her eyes will pop out of her head!” said Mia.
Well, that sealed the deal for me!
“Okay!” I agreed. “Thanks, you guys! You really are the best.” I pictured Olivia’s jaw dropping as I wheeled some massive and spectacular creation into class. All the kids would be oohing and aahing. It would be glorious!
“Hey, wake up, you two dreamers!” Mia laughed.
Katie was also lost in thought. “Wouldn’t it be cool to do gingerbread houses from all different eras? Like, imagine a log cabin, Little House on the Prairie style. That would be fun to make.”
“Oh, I always wished I’d lived then!” said Emma wistfully. “I would have loved those pioneer days.”
“Uh-uh, not for me. I’d have liked the nineteen seventies! Just think of the clothes!” Mia sighed. “The whole Yves Saint Laurent gypsy–peasant thing? I would have totally loved that!”
“I think the nineteen fifties had cool clothes,” said Katie. “Those cute Peter Pan collars and the swirly skirts that stick out? I would have looked great in those.”
“What about the sixties? All the hippie stuff?” I said.
“We still have a bunch of those kind of clothes from my grandma,” said Mia. “My mom saved them because they were so chic.”
“It’s funny when you see pictures of how your mom used to dress when she was your age, right?” said Emma. “My mom was our age in the seventies, and her clothes were a disaster!”
“I know, but at the time they thought they looked great!” Mia laughed.
I tried to picture my mom back then. We don’t have too many pictures of her when she was a kid because she hates clutter. I’ve seen some at my grandparents’ house, but now I was wishing I’d seen more. I made a mental note to ask her when she got home from work tonight.
I looked at my watch. It was time to go. I dreaded seeing Olivia again. My reserves were worn down, and I knew I’d probably burst into tears if she was mean to me again (more from my frustration at not knowing what to say back than anything else!). “Back into battle,” I said sadly.
“Come on! You’re tough, Becker!” said Emma. “Don’t let her get the best of you.”
“Yeah, and you’ve got us to back you up!” said Katie, making a fist so puny, I had to laugh. “What?” she protested. “I’m tough!”
Mia added, “We’ve got your back, and all she’s got is some ragtag band of hand-me-down jerks from Sidney Whitman.”
I laughed. “Yeah!”
“Okay, so buck up!” added Mia, rubbing my back supportively. “And remember, fun Cupcake Club meeting at your house today, to look at your new rock thingies.”
“Okay. I’m ready! I can do this!” I said, pumping myself up.
I usually hate conflict, but I realized the only way to deal with Olivia would be to “fight fire with fire.” And, of course, because I was ready, I didn’t run into Olivia again—not for the whole rest of the day! Typical!
Coco Simon always dreamed of opening a cupcake bakery but was afraid she would eat all of the profits. When she’s not daydreaming about cupcakes, Coco edits children’s books and has written close to one hundred books for children, tweens, and young adults, which is a lot less than the number of cupcakes she’s eaten. Cupcake Diaries is the first time Coco has mixed her love of cupcakes with writing.
Are you an
Emma, a Mia, a Katie, or an Alexis?
Take our quiz and find out!
Read each question and circle the letter
that best describes you. (If you don’t want to write in your book, use a separate piece of paper.)
1. You’ve been invited to a party. What do you wear?
A. Jeans and a cute T-shirt. You want to look nice, but you also want to be comfortable.
B. You beg your parents to lend you money for the cool boots you saw online. If you’re going to a party, you have to wear the latest fashion!
C. Something pretty, but practical. If you’re going to spend money on a new outfit, it better be one you’ll be able to wear a lot.
D. Something feminine—lacy and floral. And definitely pink if not floral—a girl can never go wrong wearing pink!
2. Your idea of a perfect Saturday afternoon is:
A. Seeing a movie with your BFFs and then going out for pizza afterward.
B. THE MALL! Hopefully one of the stores will be having a big sale!
C. Creating a perfect budget to buy clothes, go out with friends, and save money for college—all at the same time—and then meeting your friends for lunch.
D. Going for a manicure and pedicure.
3. You have to study for a big test. What’s your study style?
A. In your bedroom, with your favorite music playing.
B. At home, with help from your parents if necessary.
C. At the library, where you can take out some new books after you’ve finished studying, or anyplace else that’s absolutely quiet.
D. Anyplace away from home—away from your messy, loud siblings!
4. There’s a new girl at school. What’s your first reaction?
A. You’re a little cautious. You’ve been hurt before, so it takes you a while to warm up to new friends.
B. You think it’s great. You welcome her with open arms. (Maybe you can share each other’s clothes!)
C. If she’s nice and smart, maybe you’ll consider being friends with her.
D. You’ll gladly welcome another friend—as long as she really wants to be friends with you—and not just meet your cute older brothers!
5. When it comes to boys . . .
A. They make you a little nervous. You want to be friends first—for a long time—until you’d consider someone a boyfriend.
B. He has to be tall, trustworthy, sweet—and of course, superstylish!
C. He has to be cute, funny, and smart—and he gets extra points if he likes to dance!
D. He has to be loyal and true as well as good-looking. You look sweet, but you’re tough when you have to be.
6. When it comes to your family . . .
A. You come from a single-parent home. It’s hard for you to imagine your parent dating, but you will try to get used to it.
B. You come from a mixed family with stepsiblings and a stepparent. At first it was overwhelming, but you’re starting to get used to having everyone in the mix!
C. You get along okay with your parents, but your older sister thinks she’s queen of the world. Still sometimes you
ask her for advice anyway.
D. You live in a house with many brothers—dirty, sticky, smelly boys! You love them all, but sometimes would give anything for a sister!
7. Your dream vacation would be:
A. Anyplace beachy. You love to swim and also just relax on a beach blanket.
B. Paris—to see the latest fashions.
C. Egypt—you’d love to see the pyramids and try to figure out how they were constructed without any modern machinery.
D. Holland—you’d love to see the tulips in bloom!
Which Cupcake girl are you? What your answers mean:
Mostly As:
You’re a Katie! Your style is easy and comfortable. You always look good, and you always feel good too. You have a few very close friends (both girls and boys), and you like it that way. You don’t want to confide in just anybody.
Mostly Bs:
You’re a Mia! You’re the girl everyone envies at school because you can wear an old ratty sweatshirt and jeans and somehow still look like a runway model. Your sense of style is what everyone notices first, but you’re also a great friend.
Mostly Cs:
You’re an Alexis! You are supersmart and not afraid to show it! You get As in every subject, and like nothing more than creating business plans and budgets. You love your friends but have to remember sometimes that not everyone in the world is as brilliant as you are.
Mostly Ds:
You’re an Emma! You are a girly-girl and love to wear pretty clothes. Pink is your signature color. But people should not be fooled by your sweet exterior. You can be as tough as nails when necessary and would never let anyone push you around.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.