Recipe for Trouble (5 page)

“Pupcakes? Seriously?” Lexi read the order Jenna had just taken over the phone for a special rush delivery Sunday morning. They had just twenty-four hours to make them.

“This lady is crazy about dogs—she has six of them, all different breeds,” explained Jenna. “She wants us to do four dozen cupcakes for a party with different dogs on top, and she'll pay us extra if we can do it on such short notice.”

Lexi sighed and whipped out her sketchbook. “We could do a chocolate lab on a devil's food, a pink poodle on a strawberry, a white bichon frise on a vanilla, and maybe a Dalmatian on a chocolate chip?”

Kylie looked over her drawings. “Sounds good. Let's do little chocolate candies for the eyes and nose. I think we have some left in our kitchen cupboard.” She was digging past the containers of sprinkles and colored sugar when she saw something that gave her a great idea.

“Lexi, I think I got it!” Kylie exclaimed, placing a small container of red cinnamon candy hearts on the counter.

Lexi looked at it. “You want me to make the dogs' eyes out of red hearts?”

“No! Jeremy!”

“You want her to make Jeremy out of red hearts?” teased Jenna.

“No!” cried Kylie. “This is the way to get Jeremy to like you. Let's bake him cupcakes and you can give it to him with a note: Love, Your Secret Admirer, L.P.”

“So it's true? You
do
like Jeremy?” Sadie asked.

Lexi rolled her eyes. Why did Kylie have to bring that up again?

“Come on,
amiga
, your secret is safe with us!” Jenna insisted. “What's the plan for making Jeremy fall head over heels for you?”

Lexi mulled the idea over. If there was anyone she could trust, it was her PLC girls. “Okay, but it doesn't leave this room.” She flipped through her sketchbook to the page titled, “Bake Me, I'm Yours.” On it, she'd drawn a rich, gooey, dark chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and a marshmallow heart on top. “I've always wanted to try this one.”

“Wow. That is a really
sweet
cupcake,” whistled Jenna. “I don't know anyone who wouldn't love you if you baked that for them.”

“Jeremy's chess club meets in the library on Mondays, the same time I have my reading tutor,” said Sadie. “Maybe I could leave the cupcake on top of his backpack when he's not looking.”

“That's brilliant!” said Kylie. “What do you say, Lex?”

Lexi was afraid of what Jeremy would think. What if he told everyone on the chess team? What if he didn't like her and laughed in her face? What if he thought her braces were ugly—or that she was stupid because she almost never raised her hand? “I don't know, guys…”

Kylie put her arm around Lexi's shoulders. “You know how my dad got my mom to marry him, right?”

“He proposed?”

“Yeah, but he did it with Milk Duds.”

“Huh?” asked Lexi. She knew Kylie's dad had a silly sense of humor, but Milk Duds?

“They ate them on their first date when they went to see
Titanic
at the Jupiter Cinema. My dad remembered and spelled out
Marry
Me, Jackie
in Milk Duds on my mom's front porch two years later.”

“Well, it could have been worse,” chuckled Jenna. “He could have proposed on a sinking ship.”

Sadie wrinkled her nose. “I'd rather a guy ask me to marry him at a Knicks game, on the JumboTron!”

Lexi thought it over. “Did your mom say yes?”

“Well, eventually…” Kylie hesitated. “She kind of wanted a diamond ring first. But the point is, it was a sweet gesture, and it totally won her heart.”

Lexi chewed the eraser on her pencil. “I'll think about it—after we get these four dozen pupcakes done by tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, this is one
ruff
order to fill,” giggled Jenna. “You gotta admit it: even after the summer, I still got it!”

• • •

Monday morning, Kylie caught up to Lexi in the auditorium.

“Call me Cupid!” she beamed, handing her a bag of pink, heart-shaped marshmallows. “I found them at the baking supply store in Greenwich. Perfect for Jeremy's cupcake, right?”

Lexi pulled her aside and whispered, “I never said I was baking him a cupcake! And please, be quiet. I don't want anyone to hear!”

“Lex, you have to do something! Jeremy's never going to know you like him unless you make the first move.” She handed her the marshmallows. “All the girls are free next Sunday afternoon. And I found a great recipe for gooey brownie cupcakes…”

“I'll think about it,” Lexi said. What she really meant was “I won't think about it.” Because thinking about Jeremy made her palms get all sweaty and a lump form in her throat.

“You promise?” pleaded Kylie. “You sugar-sweet swear?”

Lexi nodded but crossed her fingers behind her back. It wasn't lying if she did that, right? “I sugar sweet swear with sprinkles on top.” That should convince Kylie!

Now all she had to do was convince
herself
to bake Jeremy a delectable cupcake that would speak louder than words.

After Juliette's colorful costume, Lexi was sure Mr. Higgins, the founder of Great Shakes for Kids, would show up in a cape and tights—or at the very least waving a sword. Instead, he was dressed in a dark black suit and tie and carried a briefcase.

“My name is Rodney Higgins,” he told the class. “I have a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.”

Juliette stifled a yawn. “You want us to call you Dr. Higgins….or Professor Higgins?”

“Mr. Higgins will do just fine,” he replied, sounding snippy.

Kylie leaned over and whispered in Lexi's ear, “Wouldn't they make a cute couple?”

That was it—her friend was completely nuts. First Kylie was playing matchmaker for her and Jeremy, and now Juliette and Mr. Higgins?

“I played Romeo on the West End, as well as Macbeth and Hamlet,” he added.

Juliette smiled politely. “Really? I've played Juliet, Viola, and Ophelia.”

“You don't say,” Mr. Higgins replied, completely forgetting the entire class was listening in on their conversation. “And where would that be?”

“At Stratford. I studied at the National Theatre School of Canada.”

“I see,” Mr. Higgins sniffed. “Well, I think
my
résumé speaks for itself.”

Kylie kicked Lexi under the table. “Can't you just see the sparks fly between them?”

Lexi looked at her teacher, then at Mr. Higgins who had turned his back and was now writing with perfect penmanship on the Smart Board. There were no sparks, and there was no way that Juliette would ever fall for him. She was wearing a
Wicked
Broadway show T-shirt and jeans, while Mr. Higgins looked like one of her father's stuffy partners at his law firm.

“Am I boring you?” Mr. Higgins asked, as Juliette yawned again, this time loudly.

“No not at all. I'm fascinated by Shakespeare.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Apparently, since you've played all the great roles
in
Canada
.”

Juliette's face turned almost as red as her hair. “Are you saying I am not as good an actor as
you
?”

Kylie grabbed Lexi's wrist. “This is getting good!” she squealed. “I've never seen Juliette get this mad at anyone—not even me when I accidentally piped green frosting on the teachers' lounge wall!”

Lexi watched as the two teachers had a heated discussion in the corner of the classroom. They tried to keep their voices down, but every so often she caught a word or two…

“Pompous!” “Amateur!” “Nincompoop!”

The last word was Juliette's before she marched to the door and held it open. Mr. Higgins gathered his briefcase and walked out in a huff. The fourth-period bell rang and the class lined up to go to lunch.

“I can't wait to see Jenna and Sadie and tell them about
Rodney
and
Juliette
,” giggled Kylie. “It's so romantic!”

“They hate each other!” Lexi insisted. “She threw him out of the class!”

“A minor setback,” replied Kylie. “Did you ever see
Bride
of
Frankenstein
when she meets Frankenstein? Worst first date ever!”

“I don't think Juliette would appreciate you calling her the bride of Frankenstein,” Lexi said. “Or you playing Cupid for her and Mr. Higgins.”

But Kylie wouldn't hear of it. As far as she was concerned, love was in the air at Blakely.

“I think I caught Jeremy sneaking a look at you in drama today,” she told Lexi.

Lexi sighed. “He doesn't know I'm alive.”

Kylie did her best mad scientist impression: “She's alive! She's alive!” and tried to make Lexi laugh. But it was no use. She'd gotten her braces tightened yesterday and it hurt to smile. Besides, she didn't believe Kylie. Every time she tried to make eye contact with Jeremy, he'd look away or hide behind Jack Yu. Once he asked her if he could borrow a pen for a grammar test, but that was the most they'd ever said to each other.

“I think Rodney and Juliette have a better chance than me and Jeremy,” Lexi pouted. “Why would Jeremy like me, anyway?”

“Because you're smart, pretty, and really talented,” offered Sadie, resting her lunch tray on the cafeteria table. “I wish I could do half the things you can, Lexi.”

“You're kidding, right?” asked Lexi. “I wish I could sink a hoop as easily or run as fast as you can, Sadie.”

“The point is, everyone at this table is unique and special,” Kylie said.

Jenna raised a juice box in the air. “A toast to the girls of PLC!” Then she froze. “Don't look now, but Jeremy's in line for seconds of hot lunch!” She pushed her empty plate at Lexi. “I could go for another helping. Lex, would you mind?”

Lexi gulped. Go stand next to Jeremy in line? She wasn't sure she could will her feet to stand, much less walk in that direction. But before she had a chance to hesitate, Jenna dragged her up and pushed in behind Jeremy.

“Now say something!” she whispered.

Lexi shook her head wildly. “No! I can't!”

“You can!” said Jenna, and with that, she purposely bumped into Jeremy, sending his plate flying in the air and splattering all over the cafeteria floor.

Jenna dashed back to her table, leaving a horrified Lexi staring at the mess of spaghetti and meatballs on the floor.

“I-I-I'm sorry…” she stuttered. She braced herself for Jeremy to yell at her or call her stupid.

Instead, he shrugged. “It's okay. It was an accident…I guess.”

They both bent down at the same time to wipe up the spill and smacked foreheads.

“Ow!” yelped Lexi. For a moment she thought she saw stars from the collision. Then again, it might have been because Jeremy was only inches away, looking so adorably apologetic.

“Now I'm sorry!” he said. “I'm a klutz. Are you okay?” He helped Lexi to her feet.

“Fine,” she said, picking a strand of spaghetti out of her hair.

Jeremy blotted the marinara sauce off his white T-shirt with a napkin. It reminded her of how Aunt Dee had dribbled Popsicle juice all over her shirt in Central Park and rubbed it in.

“Pretty—looks like tie dye,” she said softly.

Jeremy glanced down at the big red stain he was absentmindedly rubbing in. “Gee, I never thought of it that way…it is kind of cool.” He smiled. “Maybe I'll leave it like this—if you think it looks good. I mean, you're an artist, right?”

Lexi blushed. “Um, I guess.”

“No, you are! I saw your map of the thirteen colonies hanging in the fifth grade hallway. It's really good!”

He'd checked out her map? He'd noticed it? He'd noticed her? Lexi felt giddy…

“Thanks,” was all she could manage.

Jeremy smiled again. He had such perfect white teeth. They sparkled in the cafeteria lights. Lexi ran her tongue across her rainbow-colored braces. He must think my smile is gross! she thought.

“You sure you're okay?” he asked, handing her a clean tray.

Lexi nodded, keeping her lips locked tightly together. “Mm-hmm.”

“Okay, then I guess I'll get some more spaghetti and meatballs. It's my favorite.”

Walking back to the table, Lexi felt like she was floating on air.

“So you forgive me now?” asked Jenna. “I was waiting for you guys to share a strand of spaghetti and rub noses, like the dogs in
Lady
and
the
Tramp
.” She began to hum “Bella Notte.”

Lexi came back to her senses. “You shouldn't have done that, Jenna. What if he had gotten really mad?”

“The point is he didn't,” Kylie reminded her. “Sometimes guys need a little push. So Jenna gave him one.”

“It was actually a big push,” Jenna pointed out.

“So now what? Dump chocolate milk on his head?” Sadie chuckled.

“Now we commence with Operation Bake Me, I'm Yours,” answered Kylie.

Lexi watched Jeremy scooping more meatballs onto his plate. She noticed a few strands of spaghetti still hanging in his hair and it made her smile. Even covered in cafeteria food he was cute.

“I'm in,” she said.