Recipe for Trouble

by Sheryl Berk

  “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou?” she began.

  Jeremy blurted out, “I’m right here! I mean, she speaks!”

  Lexi grinned back. He looked even cuter when he messed up his lines and blushed.

  When they were done with the scene, the entire class applauded. “Brava!” Mr. Higgins said. “You do Shakespeare proud.”

  Shakespeare and Aunt Dee would be proud, Lexi thought to herself.

  At the next drama class, Mr. Higgins handed out permission slips for the class to go on a field trip. “I think you’ll all enjoy this very much,” he said. “Next week, we’re going to New York City for the day to attend a matinee of Romeo and Juliet at the New York City Ballet.”

  Meredith jumped up and down. “Yay! I love ballet! I’m so good at it!”

  “This is great!” Kylie told Lexi.

  “Really? I thought you liked monster movies, not ballets.”

  “I do! I mean it’s great that we can get a whole day to observe Jeremy in action.”

  Given her dizzy spell in drama class, Lexi had almost forgotten about Kylie’s plan to snoop on Jeremy. But Kylie hadn’t forgotten! She reminded Lexi of her dog, Poochie, when he got his teeth wrapped around a chew toy. There was no way he would let it go, no matter how hard Lexi tried to pry it out of his mouth. Kylie was not going to let the whole Jeremy thing go either.

  “This is an interpretation of Romeo and Juliet without any of Shakespeare’s words,” Mr. Higgins explained. “The story is told solely through dance. It’s quite dramatic.”

  Juliette nodded. “Can you imagine trying to tell a story as complicated as this without any words?”

  “I’ve seen silent monster movies, like Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney,” Kylie volunteered. “There’s no talking in that.”

  “You’re right,” said Juliette. “You experience the drama through the actors’ facial expressions. In ballet, you experience it through the way they move their bodies in dance.”

  • • •

  On the day of the trip, the entire fifth grade piled into two school buses. Jenna’s mom Betty was one of the chaperones. “She’s never seen a ballet before and me either!” Jenna said. “I’m so psyched!”

  As the bus got off the highway and drove down the Upper West Side of Manhattan, Lexi recognized some of the places her Aunt Dee had taken her over the summer. “Look!” she said, pointing out the window. “That’s Zabar’s. They have the yummiest bagels and lox.”

  “What’s lox?” asked Sadie. She was sitting with Kylie, a row behind Lexi and Jenna.

  “It’s smoked salmon,” explained Lexi. “Salty, fishy, and delicious.”

  Sadie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like anything fishy.”

  Kylie leaned over their seat and motioned toward Jeremy. “Doesn’t that look fishy to you?”

  Jeremy was digging into a small fanny pack around his waist, popping something into his mouth.

  “What’s he eating?” Jenna wondered out loud.

  Sadie shrugged. “I thought Mr. Higgins said no snacks on the bus?”

  “Go find out, Lex,” said Kylie. “Pretend you have to ask Juliette something about the play. She’s sitting right across from him.”

  “Why me?” sighed Lexi.

  “Because you’re up already!” said Jenna, inching her off the seat with her butt. “Out ya go!” Lexi wasn’t thrilled, but she made her way down the aisle.

  “Uh, Juliette?” she began.

  Her teacher looked up. “Lexi, why are you out of your seat? That’s very dangerous! What if we hit a bump or make a short stop?”

  Just as she said the words, the bus driver slammed on the brakes to stop for a red light. Lexi went sprawling forward and landed right in Jeremy’s lap.

  “Hey!” he said, startled.

  Juliette helped Lexi to her feet. “This is what I was talking about!” she said. “You could have been seriously hurt!”

  “Sorry,” Lexi said, embarrassed. She made her way carefully to the back of the bus and her friends.

  “Well, that didn’t go exactly according to plan,” said Kylie.

  “I told you I didn’t want to do this,” Lexi sighed.

  “But you did a great job, Lex,” said Jenna, picking a few flakes off her shoulders.

  “What’s that?” asked Sadie.

  “Almonds,” Jenna replied. “Jeremy must have spilled them on you when you fell on him. Good work!”

  “So we know he’s not allergic to nuts,” Kylie deduced. “Hmmmm…”

  “Maybe he didn’t have breakfast? Maybe he’s starving?” sighed Lexi. “This is ridiculous!”

  • • •

  The bus pulled in at Lincoln Center and the fifth graders lined up around the enormous fountain in the plaza.

  “Qué bonita!” exclaimed Mrs. Medina. “What a beautiful place this is!”

  They walked inside the David Koch Theater and everyone gasped. There were five balconies of red velvet seats and a massive orchestra section. A twinkly globe hung from the ceiling. The stage was wrapped in a gold curtain, and a live orchestra was warming up in the pit.

  “We’re in the first ring,” Mr. Higgins explained. “So we’ll have an excellent view of the stage.”

  “I wish I brought my sketchbook so I could draw this,” Lexi said.

  “Wait till you see the ballet,” Juliette assured her. “It’s even more beautiful.”

  The lights dimmed and a hush fell over the audience. The music by Sergei Prokofiev filled the theater, and the curtain drew back, revealing the vibrant streets of Verona, Italy. Romeo wore pale blue tights and boots and a billowing white shirt. Jack Yu laughed, “You won’t catch me wearing tights,” but Mr. Higgins shot him a look. When Juliet appeared, she looked as delicate as a dove, flitting around the stage in a flowing white dress and pointe shoes.

  “Lexi, you are so lucky to be playing that part!” Jenna whispered.

  Lexi agreed—the ballerina was breathtaking, but she couldn’t imagine herself ever looking that angelic or graceful. She’d probably fall flat on her face or land in someone’s lap—just like she’d done on the bus.

  When she appeared on the balcony, Juliet smiled and twirled around on her toes. Then Romeo ran across the stage, a cape flying behind him. Their eyes met and locked on each other. As the music swelled, Romeo drew closer and closer. Juliet descended the stairs, and they began a romantic pas de deux. Romeo got down on one knee and lifted Juliet over his head in a graceful arabesque. The dance ended with the lovers’ arms wrapped around each other.

  When the lights came up for intermission, Mrs. Medina was sobbing. “Es tan romántico!” she cried.

  “What do you think, Lexi?” Juliette asked.

  “I think I’m in big trouble,” she said. “I can’t do that!”

  “You don’t have to,” Juliette replied. “No pointe shoes, I promise. I wanted you guys to experience this so you could bring more emotion to our version of Romeo and Juliet.”

  Lexi did feel swept up in the story, especially the second half of the ballet. In the death scene, Romeo took Juliet in his arms and tried everything he could think of to awaken her. When she wouldn’t open her eyes, he thought she was dead and drank poison to end his life as well. Just then, Juliet woke up…too late to save her Romeo.

  Lexi poked Jenna. “Do you have a tissue?”

  Jenna passed her the box her mom had brought. It was almost empty. “This is heartbreaking!” Jenna cried, blowing her nose.

  “Tan triste! Tan triste!” Ms. Medina sobbed. “So sad! So sad!”

  “Shhhh!” Jeremy hushed them. He was wrapped up in the scene as well.

  After the ballet, the fifth grade made its way outside. Everyone took out their lunches and crowded around the fountain.

 
“We brought Oreos to share,” Jenna offered, passing them around with her mom.

  All the kids dove in—all except Jeremy, who passed the packages along.

  “That’s weird. He doesn’t like Oreos either?” Kylie remarked.

  “Maybe he’s a healthy eater?” Sadie suggested. “When I’m training for a track meet or a big game, I eat lots of fruits and veggies.”

  “Yeah, but you’ve never met a cupcake you didn’t like,” Jenna pointed out.

  “And you’re on the basketball team and the track team,” Kylie added. “Jeremy’s on the chess team.”

  “Maybe he only eats brain food,” Sadie said. She was eating a pita stuffed with veggies, humus, and sprouts.

  “Chocolate is brain food,” Jenna pointed out, popping an Oreo in her mouth. “Well, cocoa powder to be specific from the cacao bean. Did you know the ancient Aztecs used to make a breakfast drink out of it to fuel their minds and bodies for the day?”

  Kylie laughed. “Jenna, you are like an encyclopedia of chocolate!”

  “Maybe you could have given Jeremy a report on how healthy chocolate is before he tossed my cupcake in the garbage,” Lexi muttered.

  Jenna’s mom couldn’t help but overhear. “Some people just don’t like chocolate,” she said. “Jenna’s older sister, Gabriella, no le gusta.”

  “That’s true,” Jenna added. “She likes vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate. I don’t get it.”

  “So Jeremy doesn’t like brownie cupcakes but sneaks almonds in his fanny pack. So what?” Lexi complained.

  “We’re just trying to get some answers, Lex,” Kylie said.

  “You’re just trying to make me feel better that my crush hates my guts.”

  “That too,” Jenna said. “We’re your friends. We hate to see you hurting.”

  “I refuse to believe that Jeremy dumping the cupcake had anything to do with you,” Kylie insisted.

  Lexi closed her lunch bag—she’d lost her appetite. “Well, it’s true. Face it, he doesn’t like me.” She walked away discouraged and climbed back on the bus.

  “This is going to take a lot more detective work than I thought,” said Kylie, taking a bite of her PB&J sandwich. “That Jeremy is a tough nut to crack!”

  Kylie, Sadie, and Jenna all agreed they weren’t ready to give up just yet. They’d take turns the next day at school observing Jeremy’s every move. Sadie took the first shift. Her mission: tail Jeremy during lunch and recess. Kylie suggested all the girls wear disguises—baseball hats and sunglasses—and report any info immediately.

  “He had spaghetti and salad for lunch, no dessert,” she briefed the girls. “The pudding parfait looked really good, and he passed.”

  “What about chocolate milk?” asked Jenna.

  “Negative,” Sadie replied. “Just a bottle of water.”

  Jenna was the next shift. Since she had PE with Jeremy, it was easy for her to hide behind the bleachers and eavesdrop on his conversation with Jack.

  “You want to come over tomorrow after school? I got the new NBA game for Wii,” he said.

  “Can’t. I have a stupid doctor’s appointment,” Jeremy answered. “Maybe this weekend?”

  Kylie took the last shift—fifth period. Jeremy was in her art class. In the middle of class, he got up and left the room. “Where’d he go?” she whispered to Abby.

  “Nurse,” she replied. “He goes there a lot.”

  Kylie knew that Ms. Bayder would excuse her from art class if she pretended to have a paper cut. “It really hurts,” she moaned, sucking on her finger. “Can I please go to the nurse?” She raced out of the room and down the hall to where Lexi was in math. She knocked softly on the door and interrupted Ms. Nuñez’s class.

  “I’m sorry. We have an emergency in the teachers’ lounge kitchen. Can I borrow Lexi for five minutes?”

  Ms. Nuñez pursed her lips and looked suspicious. “What kind of emergency?”

  “A flood…of frosting…everywhere,” Kylie improvised.

  “Okay,” the teacher said. “Just make it quick and clean it all up before my free period. I don’t want to be up to my elbows in frosting.”

  Kylie yanked Lexi out of the classroom. “How did frosting flood the kitchen?” she asked. “Did Jenna get loose in there again?”

  “No, I had to say something so Ms. Nuñez would let you leave. It’s Jeremy. He’s going to the nurse and I need you to come with me now.”

  Lexi felt her temper start to boil. “Are you serious? You dragged me out of class to help you spy on him? I told you, I won’t do it anymore, Kylie.”

  “Just this once?” she begged her friend. “He looked very serious when he left art, and Abby said he goes to the nurse a lot.”

  “What does that prove? Maybe he has a headache.”

  “I don’t know. Please just come with me for five minutes?” Lexi knew if she didn’t give in, Kylie would continue to whine and plead with her.

  “Fine, five minutes,” she said, following Kylie to the first floor where the nurse’s office was located.

  “I’ll pretend I’m hurt or something. You stay at the door and listen in,” Kylie instructed her.

  Lexi crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. This was ridiculous. What could they possibly hope to learn? And what if Nurse Finster realized Kylie was lying? They might get sent to Principal Fontina’s office for cutting class! But it was too late. Kylie had already pushed through the door.

  “Oh, my stomach,” she moaned. “Ow, ow, ow!”

  The nurse rushed over. “Where does it hurt, dear?” she asked.

  “Here,” Kylie pointed to her stomach. “No, kind of here.” She pointed to her back. “Well, maybe here.” She pointed to her butt. Lexi laughed and covered her mouth so the nurse wouldn’t hear. “Oh, it just hurts everywhere!”

  “When did it start?” Nurse Finster asked, feeling Kylie’s head.

  “Um, about a half hour ago.”

  “Did you eat anything different?”

  “No…just a dozen cupcakes.” The nurse’s mouth dropped open.

  “You ate a dozen cupcakes? And that’s normal?” she gasped.

  “Well, sometimes I eat two dozen. But I was kind of full from lunch.” Kylie continued moaning and groaning and rubbing her tummy.

  “Well, that’s the reason for your bellyache!” the nurse scolded.

  “Can I please have a warm compress for my tummy?” Kylie asked sweetly. “Pretty please?”

  “Sure. Stay right here.” Nurse Finster went to her supply closet. Lexi kept watching Jeremy. He was just sitting there in a chair, not saying a word.

  The nurse came back, handed Kylie a hot water bottle, and read a small instrument on the desk next to Jeremy. “Okay, Jeremy, you can go back to class now. Your sugar seems fine,” the nurse called. He got up and walked out the door just as Lexi ducked out of sight.

  Nurse Finster turned to Kylie. “Now, about you…”

  “Gee, I feel all better,” Kylie smiled. “I’m good to go.”

  Nurse Finster stared. “Really? Are you sure?”

  Kylie raced out the door. “Yup! I feel great! Thanks!”

  When she came out, Lexi was hiding in an empty office waiting for her.

  “Did you hear that? Did you hear what Nurse Finster said?” Kylie grabbed her.

  “Something about sugar being fine? What does that mean? And if it’s fine, then why did he hate my sweet cupcake?”

  Kylie considered what they’d overheard. “I don’t know. But I know who to ask: your mom.”

  “My mom is a veterinarian—an animal doctor, not a people doctor,” Lexi said.

  “But she studied medicine, right? We have a lot of clues. We just need her to help us piece them all together.”

  • �
� •

  After school, Lexi, Kylie, Sadie, and Jenna laid out all the facts for Dr. Poole in her home office while she tended to a cocker spaniel with a splinter in his paw.

  “So Jeremy snacks on nuts, doesn’t eat any sweets, goes to the nurse a lot, and Nurse Finster told him his sugar was fine?” Lexi’s mom repeated the clues back to them.

  “That’s right,” said Lexi. “Does it make sense?”

  “It makes perfect sense,” said her mom. “It sounds to me like Jeremy may have juvenile diabetes.”

  Lexi’s face grew pale. “What does that mean? He’s sick?”

  Her mother put the dog back in his carrier and took Lexi’s hand. “Well, honey, it’s complicated,” she began. “Everybody has some amount of sugar, or glucose, in their blood. We couldn’t live without it, and glucose comes from the food we eat. But when someone has diabetes, his body has trouble controlling the level of glucose in his blood.”

  “That sounds really scary,” gulped Lexi.

  “I’m sure it’s hard for Jeremy,” Dr. Poole said. “Along with all the things you guys learn in school, he’s also had to learn to manage his diabetes.”

  “And that means not eating a sugary cupcake, right?” asked Kylie.

  “Probably,” said Dr. Poole. “It certainly would explain why Jeremy doesn’t usually eat dessert…or even the best cupcakes in New Fairfield.”

  Jenna sighed. “I just can’t imagine a world without cupcakes! Poor Jeremy!”

  “If you want, you can find out more about it,” Dr. Poole suggested. She went over to her laptop and called up a website for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

  For over an hour, the girls pored over the site, reading all the FAQs and stories about kids who were diagnosed with diabetes. “So his body probably can’t process sugar,” Lexi said.

  “And we made him the sweetest cupcake on the planet…major mess up!” groaned Sadie. “No wonder he got rid of it so fast. We’re lucky he threw it in the trash and not at us!”

  Lexi paged through the site and pondered, “What if we made Jeremy a cupcake he could eat?”