Alexis's Cupcake Cupid by Coco Simon

have to get you some balancinglessons!” someone said. I turned around, and Olivia was standing there with her tray in her hands, smirking. I wanted to hit her tray hard and have all her food go up in her face, but I remembered how Sasha just ignored mean girls, so I did the same and returned to my clean-up attempt.
    Emma said all sarcastically, “Oh, Olivia, are you here to help clean up? Or is that a new lunch tray for Alexis? That’s so sweet!”
    I laughed, and Olivia’s face turned red and she walked away.
    â€œEven better than turning the other cheek!” I said to Emma. “Thanks.”
    â€œShe is too much,” said Emma, shaking her head in dismay.
    After I apologized to the maintenance man (he waved it off and said, “Happens every day,” which I think was him just trying to be nice), Emma and Katie led me over to the table, and Mia followed right behind us with a new tray for me. I sat down and spied a pile of red and pink stuff on the table.
    â€œHey, what’s all this stuff?” I asked.
    â€œValentines, silly!” Katie laughed. “Duh!”
    â€œWho gave you valentines?” I asked stupidly.
    â€œWe gave them to one another. Here are yours,” said Mia, tucking a strand of hair behind her earand pushing three little items over to me.
    â€œBut . . . I didn’t get you guys anything!” I said, my face turning deep red again. I was so ashamed. I should have realized, that day at the stationery store, of course they were buying things for all of us. I was just so distracted by my Matt drama that I didn’t get them anything! My eyes welled with tears.
    Emma laughed incredulously. “Oh, Alexis! Don’t cry! It’s okay. We still love you!”
    â€œI am such a bad friend,” I wailed quietly. “And you guys are so good! I am so selfish! And clumsy!”
    Katie scooted over and patted me on the back. “Shh. Don’t cry. And if you’re really upset, you can get us something later, and all the valentine’s stuff will be on sale!”
    I perked up a little at this. I do love a bargain. I sniffed hard and patted my eyes with a napkin. “This has just been a bad couple of days. I am so sorry.”
    â€œBesides the falling down and us not being able to go skating yesterday, is it something else?” Mia asked.
    I sighed. I didn’t really want to get into the Matt/cupcake thing right now, especially in front of Emma. I felt the most embarrassed about it infront of her. It was all so very humiliating.
    Luckily, George Martinez walked up just then. I sat up straight and tried to blink my eyes back to normalcy, but he busted me immediately.
    â€œSweet tray spill, Becker,” he teased. Then he looked more closely at me. “Jeez, you aren’t crying about it, are you? I mean, I dropped my tray on chili day! Chili and banana pudding day! It was such a mess, and it got all up my pants, and it was so uncomfortable. . . . Seriously! Have you ever had pudding in your pants?!”
    He started mimicking a funny dance, like he was trying to get pudding out of his pants, and everyone started laughing really hard, even me.
    â€œHey, did you come over here to bring Katie her valentine, George?” asked Mia.
    â€œI don’t see any flowers or candy,” said Emma, craning her neck like he might be hiding something behind his back. “Maybe you wrote her a poem?” Emma suggested.
    Katie blushed a little, but she knew it was all good-natured fun, and besides, she was a bit curious to see how George would respond.
    â€œA poem!” George shouted. “How did you ever guess? In fact, I’ll recite it right now.” He cleared his throat dramatically.
    â€œRoses are red.
    Violets are blue.
    I like you, Katie.
    And your silly arms, too!”
    He then took a long exaggerated bow as we all laughed and applauded. “That was fun,” George said. “So much