Emma: Lights! Camera! Cupcakes! (14 page)

“Lexxxiiiiii!” called Mia from our table in the corner. I cringed a little and glanced around to see if anyone else had heard her call me that. It's not that I really mind if my family or my very closest friends call me “Lexi” in private, it's just that lately it has been rubbing me the wrong way. It sounds babyish, and I don't want it to spread. And also, just secretly, it does bug me a teeny, tiny bit when Mia and Katie call me “Lexi” because it's really my childhood nickname from before I knew them. Like, they don't really have the right to call me that. But whatever.

I crossed the lunchroom with my tray and went to sit beside Mia.

“What's up?” asked Mia. “Cute pants. Haven't seen those before.”

Mia is a major fashionista (her mom is a professional stylist), so I always pay close attention to her fashion advice.

“Seriously? Do you like these pants?” I asked, looking down. “I've had them for a while, but they were always too big. Now they fit. They cover my ankles, anyway.” I shrugged.

“Definitely cute. My faves are your pale pink ones, though.”

I sighed and picked up a forkful of chili. “They shrank. Or, actually, I grew. They don't fit anymore already!”

“Can't you get them shortened a little more and wear them as capris?” she asked. “They'd be cute with a white sleeveless blouse.”

I chewed my chili and thought about it. “Maybe. The thing is . . . I don't look so good in cropped pants.”

“Oh, come on! With those long, thin legs of yours, you'd look good in anything,” said Mia.

I couldn't help but smile a little, since a compliment from Mia means a lot. “Thanks. I'm not sure that's true, but whatever.”

“Oh please, I'd kill to be tall and thin like you.” At that point in the conversation, Emma and Katie joined us. I did feel a little better after what Mia said about my figure, even though I was still frustrated about my wardrobe.

“Hey, listen, we got a good order over the weekend,” said Katie. “Remember Mrs. Dreher who had the baby shower? She's having a summer kick-off barbecue slash pool party next Sunday, and she wants us to bake six dozen ‘beachy' cupcakes.”

“Great!” I said. “Did you quote her a price or should I follow up?”

Katie smiled. “I gave her a ballpark price and said our CFO would follow up with an e-mail once we knew for sure what we were baking.”

“Excellent.” I nodded happily. I love it when our business runs like a well-oiled machine.

Mia started brainstorming. “Remember those cool pool cupcakes we did for the swim team fundraiser? Maybe we should do those again?”

“Oh, but remember how the frosting melted on those when it got hot in the indoor pool area?” reminded Emma. “We wouldn't want that to happen if it's a hot day for the barbecue.”

I groaned at the memory. That swim team episode had almost been a major catastrophe. We'd almost ended up
losing
money, which is something I hate!

“Let's do something with light brown sugar around the edges—like fake sand?” suggested Katie.

“Ooh, that's good!” agreed Mia.

Emma's eyes sparkled suddenly. “I think we need a field trip!” she said. “Let's go to the beach!”

“Yes!” exclaimed Mia. “When?”

Emma shrugged and looked around at all of us. “This weekend?”

I thought about my schedule. We have exams next week, and I have a big paper due. Of course, I've been studying, so I'm in pretty good shape for the tests. And I'm more than halfway done with the paper. Plus, I have the rest of it mapped out. I knew Mom and Dad would be okay with the plan. “I'm up for it!” I said.

Everyone agreed. We'd go tomorrow, providing all the parents said it was okay, and we'd still have Sunday for homework.

“Yay!” said Katie, clapping her hands. “I can wear my new swimsuit!”

Hmm. Mentally, I scanned my closet to think about what I'd wear. I guess I wouldn't know until I went home and tried things on. I was not looking forward to it.

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