Mia's Baker's Dozen

by Coco Simon

  “Hey, Mom,” I said, and she stopped. “I wanted to ask you something. I think Eddie should to go the parent-teacher conference tomorrow.”

  Mom looked surprised. “Instead of Dad?”

  I shook my head. “No, with Dad,” I replied. “Especially since he’s tutoring me in Spanish now and everything.”

  Mom smiled. “Let me make sure it’s okay with Dad. But I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  I hadn’t even thought that Dad might be uncomfortable being around Eddie. I guess divorce is weird for everybody involved. And it’s definitely complicated! But I had a feeling that Dad would be cool with it.

  The next morning I woke up feeling pretty happy about things. I was nervous about what Señora might say to my parents—all three of them—but at least everyone knew the truth now. And I got to wear my awesome new outfit.

  When I got to my locker, Sydney and the PGC walked right by me.

  Callie stopped. “Mia, I love your jacket,” Callie said.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Sydney kept walking like I didn’t exist, and Maggie and Bella followed her. That was just fine with me. Sydney had been totally ignoring me, but at least she wasn’t telling everyone that I was going bald.

  Then, on my way to homeroom, I passed Jackson Montano. He smiled at me, and I knew that everything was cool between us.

  “Hey, Queso!” he said, teasing. But I totally didn’t mind.

  Since it was a half day, we all went to Alexis’s house for lunch and a Cupcake Club meeting. Alexis’s dad took the day off, so he was there when we walked in the door.

  “Hope you’re hungry!” he called out when he heard us. “I’m making my famous grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.”

  “Dad, that soup comes from a can,” Alexis said, rolling her eyes.

  “Hey, you’re going to ruin my reputation,” Mr. Becker said. “Well, the sandwiches are all mine.”

  Mr. Becker reminds me of Eddie sometimes. He’s really friendly, and he’s always joking around. We took off our coats and sat down in Alexis’s neat-as-a-pin kitchen. Alexis’s dad already had a bowl of soup and a sandwich at each place on the table.

  “Nice service, Mr. B.,” Katie said. “When I open up a restaurant someday, you can be a waiter.”

  “I’ll do it if I can be head waiter,” he said.

  Katie nodded. “Deal.”

  We sat down to eat. The grilled cheese was crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside, just the way I like it. Of course, Alexis opened up her notebook while we were eating.

  “I have good news,” she reported. “We already have three new orders based on our baker’s dozen offer!”

  “Woo-hoo!” Katie cheered, and we all started clapping.

  Alexis told us about the orders, and we came up with some ideas. Then we just started talking about regular stuff.

  “You’ll never believe what Jackson Montano called me today,” I said. “Queso!”

  Everybody laughed.

  “I guess there are worse nicknames,” Emma said sympathetically.

  “Anyway, I’ll never forget what that word means,” I said. “Plus, Eddie’s tutoring is really good. He’s even going to the parent-teacher conference tonight. My dad is too. That’s kind of weird, isn’t it?”

  “It sounds kind of nice to have an extra dad,” Emma said.

  Katie didn’t say anything. Remember how she was joking around and cheering just a minute before? Well, she was quiet for the rest of lunch. Just like before. I had a feeling I knew why, but I didn’t want to bring it up in front of everybody.

  Then my cell phone rang, and it was Dad. (Eddie actually told Mom that I should have my phone on when I was out of the house for emergencies, and Mom totally agreed.)

  “I’ll be right back,” I said, and walked into Alexis’s living room.

  “Hey, Dad,” I said. “What’s up?”

  “I’m leaving the city now,” he said. “I’ll be there in plenty of time for the conference.”

  “Yay!” I said. Then I thought of something. “Did Mom tell you that Eddie was coming too?”

  “She did,” Dad replied. “It’s fine with me if that’s what you want, mija.”

  I had to think of a way to explain it without hurting Dad’s feelings.

  “Well,” I began, “you’re my dad, and you’ll always be my dad. But when you’re not here, Eddie’s like a spare dad. Kind of like a baker’s dozen. Most kids only get two parents. But I have three right now.”

  Dad laughed. “Baker’s dozen, huh?”

  I could hear in his voice that he was okay with that. And that was better than anything—even an extra cupcake.

  CHAPTER 16

  Katie Tells Me What’s Wrong

  Now that all three of my parents were going to the conference, and Dan had basketball practice, they didn’t want to leave me home alone. At our school, they do the conferences over three nights. Since Katie’s mom was going on Thursday, I got to hang with Katie that night.

  After we ate chicken tacos and rice with Katie’s mom, we went up to Katie’s room. There’s never a lot of homework when there’s a half day, so I was showing Katie sketches I’d made of the Emerald Forest costumes.

  “These are so cool!” Katie said, looking at a drawing of a fairy in a green sparkly dress. “You have to teach me how to sew sometime. Then we could make awesome costumes for Halloween.”

  “My mom’s a better sewer than I am,” I admitted. “Maybe she could teach both of us.”

  It was nice and quiet in Katie’s room, with no distractions—no cupcakes, classrooms, or popular girls to bother us. I figured I might as well talk to Katie about what was bothering her.

  I just came right out and said it. “Are you okay?” I asked. “’Cause it seems like something’s been bothering you lately. Especially when you’re talking to me. And I just hope I’m not doing something to hurt your feelings or anything.”

  Katie didn’t look at me right away. She didn’t say anything right away either.

  “Don’t worry, it’s not your fault or anything,” she finally said. “It’s just . . . hard to talk about, I guess.”

  “You can talk to me about anything,” I told her. “After all, you’ve been hearing me complain about Mom and Dad and Eddie all the time lately. And I guess . . . I guess I thought maybe something about that was bothering you.”

  “Kind of,” Katie admitted, turning to me. “I never see my dad. He moved away when I was a baby and has this whole other family now.”

  “Wow,” I said. Right away I imagined what it would be like if I never saw Dad anymore. If he spent all his time with other kids, brothers and sisters I didn’t even know. “That sounds awful.”

  “It is,” Katie said. She started talking faster, like she couldn’t hold in the words. “And every year I used to get a card from him at Christmas, but this year there was no card. Nothing. And it really hurts.”

  I felt so bad for Katie. “That’s horrible.”

  She took a deep breath. “So when you were complaining about having two dads getting into your business, it kind of made me upset. I would give anything just to have one dad in my life. You’re really lucky that you have two, you know?”

  “I know,” I said, nodding, and for the first time I really understood that I was. Having a bunch of parents can be a real pain sometimes, but it’s way better than not having any. In a way, I guess I’m very lucky.

  “And I know it’s hard for you too,” Katie told me. “It’s just a different kind of situation. So I’m not mad at you at all. I’m mostly just sad for me.”

  “Hey, if you want, you could borrow one of my dads sometime,” I said.

  Katie smiled. “It all depends on how I do on my next Spanish test!”

  We both laughed, and then everything felt pretty much normal for us again. It amazes me how Katie can be such a positive person when I know how sad she must be sometimes.

  I opened my sketchbook. “Let’s design matching costumes
for this year. You can be the Emerald Fairy, because you look fantastic in green. And I’ll be the Ruby Fairy, because I look great in red.”

  “Wait, won’t we be too old for trick-or-treating next year?” Katie asked.

  “Maybe,” I said. “So we’ll throw a costume party! Then we’ll have to make costumes.”

  Before I started sketching, my phone beeped. I jumped, thinking maybe the parent-teacher conferences were over. I was still worried about what would happen with Señora Delgado.

  But it was Ava.

  Avaroni: Can’t wait for the party Saturday!

  FabMia: Me 2! Nervous tho. Will everyone remember me?

  Avaroni: RU kidding? We all miss u and can’t wait to c u.

  FabMia: Good!

  Avaroni: How r cupcakes coming?

  FabMia: We’re baking them fresh for Saturday.

  Avaroni: Yum!

  FabMia: Katie says hi.

  Avaroni: Hi Katie!

  FabMia: Got to go! Dad’s texting.

  My text conversation with Dad was much shorter.

  Your math teacher really is strict! I love all the others. Let’s talk tomorrow.

  “Looks like it’s all over,” I told Katie, after I replied to Dad. “Dad didn’t say much, but it sounds like everything’s all right.”

  “Excellent!” Katie said.

  A few minutes later Mom and Eddie came to pick me up.

  “How did it go?” I asked as soon as I got into the backseat.

  Mom turned to talk to me. “We had a long talk with Señora Delgado. She says with the tutoring, you’ve been doing a lot better lately. So she’s going to give you some extra assignments to help you bring up your grade.”

  I wasn’t crazy about getting extra work, but it could have been a lot worse.

  “She actually seems very nice,” Eddie said. “And I love your math teacher, Mrs. Moore. She seems like she runs a tight ship.”

  I shook my head and laughed. “You wouldn’t like her so much if you were a student!”

  It was pretty much bedtime by the time we got home. After I showered and got into my pj’s, I climbed into bed and got out my sketchbook. I just wanted to finish that ruby costume before I fell asleep.

  Then there was a knock on the door, and I said, “Come in!” But it wasn’t Mom, as usual. It was Eddie.

  “Your mom will be up in a minute,” he said. “I just wanted to say that I’m glad you wanted me there tonight. I liked getting to know your teachers.”

  “No problem,” I replied.

  “Okay, then,” Eddie said. “Good night, Queso!”

  I groaned and pulled the covers up over my head.

  See? I told you that mistake was going to haunt me forever! But like Emma said, I guess there are worse nicknames.

  CHAPTER 17

  Extra Good

  Avaroni: Did you make my cupcakes yet?

  FabMia: It’s 2 early!

  Avaroni: Sooooo excited!

  FabMia: Me 2!

  Avaroni: Wait till u see my outfit. You’ll love it!

  FabMia: I bet it’s gorgeous. Can’t wait to see u!

  I yawned and rolled back over in bed. It was only eight a.m.! Ava must be really excited if she was up so early on a Saturday.

  I had to get up soon anyway. We were going to make the cupcakes this morning at Emma’s house, and then Eddie was going to drive me into the city so the cupcakes wouldn’t get bumped around on the train.

  That meant I had to pick out two different outfits—one for baking cupcakes and one for the party. What an excellent problem to have! I threw open my closet and stared at it.

  Cupcake baking was easy. I pulled out my favorite pair of jeans and a long-sleeved henley top with tiny flowers on it. If I got batter on it, it would be easy to clean.

  Then there was Ava’s party. That was harder. First, I had to make sure I wore something that went with the party decorations. But also, I wanted to look extra nice. I hadn’t seen some of my Manhattan friends in a long time, and I was a little nervous about it.

  I changed into my cupcake clothes while I thought about the party outfit. I finally decided to wear my fuzzy white V-neck sweater with a denim skirt, boots, and lots of silver jewelry. My boots are black, but the sweater and jewelry would be very snowy. I put the outfit on my bed to change into later.

  After breakfast Mom took me to Emma’s house, and pretty soon the Cupcake Club was busy baking. Katie and I made the batter, Emma made the frosting nice and fluffy, and Alexis used the chopper to make the coconut like snow.

  We baked two dozen, even though Ava ordered only one dozen. Most recipes make twenty-four cupcakes anyway, and this way we’d have extra if we messed up. (And Emma’s brothers will always eat any leftovers we have.)

  Matt came into the kitchen while we were all carefully dusting the tops of the cupcakes with coconut and edible glitter.

  “More cupcakes for your boyfriends?” he asked, looking over Emma’s shoulder.

  “No,” Emma replied firmly. “These are for a birthday party.”

  Matt reached to grab one, and Emma pushed his hand away.

  “Not yet,” she said. “We have to make them all first and pick out the best twelve for the party.”

  “Thirteen,” Alexis corrected her. “This is Ava’s first order, so she gets a baker’s dozen.”

  Soon we had a dozen cupcakes carefully stored in a box, and one extra cupcake in a clear bag with a silver ribbon tied around it.

  “Now?” Matt asked impatiently.

  Emma sighed. “Now.”

  Matt grabbed one, unwrapped it, and then put the whole thing in his mouth.

  “Good!” he said, with his mouth full.

  Then Mom picked me up and brought me and the cupcakes back home. I got changed for the party, and then it was time to go into the city.

  “Your chauffeur is waiting!” Eddie called up the stairs.

  I ran downstairs and put on my coat. We carefully put the cupcakes in the trunk, but I knew the extra one wouldn’t be safe there. So I held it in my lap the whole way to the city.

  There was a lot of traffic, but Eddie let me pick the music on the radio. Then, before I knew it, we were in my dad’s neighborhood.

  “Call your dad and let him know we’re near,” he said. “I don’t think I’ll be able to park, so I’ll drop you off in front of the building.”

  So I called Dad, and he was waiting outside when Eddie pulled up. He popped up the trunk, and Dad moved to get my bag and the cupcakes. I was about to open the door when I thought of something.

  “Thanks for all your help with Spanish,” I told Eddie. I handed him the cupcake. “This is the extra baker’s dozen cupcake. ’Cause you’re kind of like an extra dad for me.”

  Eddie smiled so wide I could see every one of his teeth.

  “Thanks, Mia,” he said.

  I quickly scooted out of the car and waved good-bye to Eddie, my extra dad. Then I ran to hug my Dad Who Will Always Be My Dad, No Matter What. It wasn’t easy because he was holding the cupcakes, but I managed anyway.

  I knew Ava wouldn’t mind about the extra cupcake, and I was right. I got to her apartment early to help set up, and she practically screamed with happiness when she saw them.

  “Mia, they’re beautiful!” she cried.

  “Thanks. The apartment looks great!” I said.

  There were little white lights, those icicle lights, strung all around the living room. Silver snowflakes hung from the ceiling. There was a long, thin table under the window for the food and stuff, and it had a white tablecloth on it with silver glitter dusted over it.

  Ava looked just like a decoration herself. She wore a silver tank top with a sequin design and a fluffy white skirt, almost like the one I had drawn for her.

  “Ava, you look like a snow princess!” I exclaimed.

  Ava smiled and twirled around. “Mom and I looked all over for a dress, but this worked out perfectly. It really reminds me of the dress you drew for me.”

>   By the time I had carefully set up the cupcakes on the table, the buzzer rang and the rest of the party guests started to arrive. Some of my friends from my old soccer team were there, like Jenny and Tamisha. Then there were friends of Ava’s that I had never met before—new friends she met after I’d left. Just like my Cupcake Club friends.

  I was a little nervous at first, but I fit right in. Tamisha and I were talking and laughing like we had just seen each other yesterday, and Ava’s new friends were nice too.

  It wasn’t exactly like before, when Ava and I were best friends and I lived in Manhattan. But I was starting to think that’s maybe just how life is—things keep changing, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Sometimes the changes are bad, but mostly they’re good, or good things can come out of them. And if something bad happens, sometimes you can learn from your mistakes and start fresh. The way my friends and I do when we make a bad batch of cupcakes.

  Take right now, for example. I was having a good time at a party. I had lots of friends. I had three parents who loved me. And I wasn’t failing Spanish anymore. In fact, you might say things were very good—muy bueno. Just don’t ask me to spell that!

  Little Brother, Big Problem

  My name is Emma Taylor, but a few weeks ago I was wishing it was anything but! I was pretending that the little boy who was outside the school bus, wailing that he did not want to go to day camp, was not my little brother, Jake Taylor, and that those desperate parents who were bribing and pleading were not my parents, but some poor, misguided souls who I would never see again.

  In fact, I was wishing that I was already an adult, and that my three best friends and I—the entire Cupcake Club—had opened our own bakery on a cute little side street in New York City, where none of my three brothers lived. The bakery would be all pink, and it would sell piles of cupcakes in a rainbow of lovely colors and flavors and would cater mainly to movie stars and little girls’ princess birthday parties. That is my fantasy. Sounds great, right?

  But, oh no, there was reality.

  “Emmy!” Jake was shrieking as my father (gently but firmly) manhandled him down the bus aisle to where I was scrunched on my seat, pretending not to see them. I could literally feel the warmth of all the other eyes on the bus watching us, and I just wanted to melt away. Instead I stared out the window like there was something really fascinating out there.