Mia's Baker's Dozen by Coco Simon Page B

of fashion. Today she was wearing a really flowy purple-and-orange dress that looked like it was made from Indian saris, and she had lots of silver bracelets jangling on her wrists.
    â€œIt’s the cupcake girls!” she said when she saw us. “And right on time, too. Come here, let me show you the display.”
    We walked through the store to the place in the back that Harriet called the reading nook. It’s filled with comfy couches and beanbag chairs, and Harriet doesn’t mind if you sit there and read all day. Today she had decorated it with pink and red flowers on the end tables, and in the middle was a round table with a pink tablecloth on it.
    â€œWe’ll set them up for you,” Katie said, and we started by putting out four round, clear plastic trays that we got from a party store. They don’t cost much, and the cupcakes look good on them. Then we carefully placed the cupcakes on them: two traysof my spicy dark chocolate with cinnamon frosting, and two trays of Emma’s fluffy pink cupcakes.
    â€œThey look too good to eat!” Harriet exclaimed, but then she picked up a spicy one. “But of course I can’t resist.”
    Katie and I held our breath while Harriet took a bite. We always get a little nervous when someone tries our cupcakes for the first time.
    Harriet smiled. “Fantastic!” she said. “What’s in this?”
    Katie and I explained the flavors of the two cupcakes, and Harriet nodded in approval. She walked to the register and came back with an envelope for us.
    â€œThank you so much, girls,” she said. “I’ll be sure to recommend you to my friends.”
    Then I remembered Alexis’s cards. “We have some business cards,” I said. “Would it be okay if we put some out on the table?”
    â€œOf course!” Harriet said. “My, you girls certainly are professional.”
    I made a mental note to tell Alexis that later. She would love that compliment!
    Next Mom dropped us off at the movie theater, which is in the mall. Now that we’re in middle school, our moms have decided that we can go tothe movies by ourselves, as long as we don’t leave the theater. (Eddie didn’t like that idea much, but Mom convinced him.)
    Soon Katie and I were sitting in our seats with sodas and a bucket of popcorn between us. They were showing some commercials or something on the screen, so I started to tell Katie about my problems with Mom and Eddie and Spanish.
    â€œIt’s bad enough that everyone’s going to find out that I’m failing, but I don’t really get why Eddie needs to go,” I said. “My dad should go, right?”
    â€œI guess,” Katie answered. She really didn’t seem interested, but I kept talking.
    â€œPlus, I have to check in with everyone all the time,” I said. “It’s like I have three police officers watching my every move or something. I feel like a prisoner sometimes. We’re lucky Eddie’s not sitting here right now.”
    â€œShh,” Katie said. “The previews are coming on.”
    I have to admit I was a little bit hurt about that. It’s like Katie didn’t care at all, which isn’t like her. Usually she’s a great person to talk to.
    As the previews played, I tried to figure out what might be bugging her. I know Katie’s parents are divorced too, so I figured she’d understand.
    Then it hit me—Katie never talks about her dad, ever, and she doesn’t visit him the way I do. I don’t know why, but she just doesn’t. Maybe her dad lives far away or something. I’ve never really asked her.
    So maybe Katie can’t understand my problems. Maybe she has some of her own—different ones.
    I almost asked her about it but then the lights went dark, and we both got transported to the Emerald Forest.

CHAPTER 11
    Sydney’s Revenge
    K a tie was like her old self again after the movie, so I