Cranky Hazel's Cake (3 page)

‘Right.' He said. ‘Yes. Absolutely. Yours does indeed look, er, unbelievable.'

While Brainbox mixed up some white icing and Cranky Hazel was admiring her cake, Ellie's face appeared at the kitchen window.

‘Ellie!' Cranky Hazel cackled, going over to open the back door. ‘You're back. Did you have a completely horrible time at your grandparent's house without me?'

‘Of course I did,' Ellie said, flinging her arms around her friend and giving her a tight squeeze. ‘It would have been MUCH better if you'd been there. Ooh, what's that funny smell?'

‘That,' Cranky Hazel growled. ‘Is what the AMAZIN' surprise I just made for you smells like.'

‘I like surprises,' Ellie said, trying to peer round Cranky Hazel. What is it, can I see?'

‘Perhaps,' Brainbox said quickly as he deftly smoothed icing all over his cake with a knife. ‘We should just explain to Ellie that we BOTH made our OWN versions of the surprise.'

‘Ooh, two surprises, even better,' Ellie laughed.

Cranky Hazel cleared her throat.

‘Brainbox and I,' she growled. ‘Have both made you Welcome Home cakes, because we missed you so much this weekend. Brainbox tried hard but mine's definitely the best.'

She stepped aside. Brainbox slid his perfectly iced cake back next to Cranky Hazel's mountainous one. Ellie's mouth fell open as she stared from one to the other. She took in the smooth, round edges, the careful icing and the flat, circular top of Brainbox's cake. Then she stared at the higgledy piggledy eruption of sausages, chips, baked beans, biscuit bits and cheese amid mountains of fluffy sponge cake that made up Cranky Hazel's cake.

‘I think,' she said, concentrating hard and not looking at either Cranky Hazel or Brainbox. ‘That they are BOTH perfect cakes in different ways.'

Brainbox grinned, then stalked off towards the cutlery drawer.

Cranky Hazel nudged Ellie.

‘Mine's really your favourite isn't it?' She growl-whispered as Brainbox pulled out a knife.

‘Yes,' Ellie whispered back. ‘Yours is amazing. No one's EVER made me a cake with ALL my favourite food in it before! Thank you very much, it was a wonderful idea.'

‘Yes it was, wasn't it,' Cranky Hazel growled, looking pleased.

‘Who's would you like a slice of first?' Brainbox said, his eyes gleaming.

‘Ooh, pick mine, pick mine,' Cranky Hazel shrieked.

‘I think,' Ellie said. ‘That yours is just TOO beautiful to eat, Cranky Hazel. Perhaps we could all have a slice of Brainbox's?'

‘Of course,' Brainbox said, holding the knife with his paw and cutting his cake up while Cranky Hazel took three black side plates out of the cupboard. ‘It would be my pleasure.' He carefully placed three big slices on the three plates.

So then Ellie, Cranky Hazel and Brainbox munched away in the black and grey kitchen while real and fake spider webs hung above their heads, discussing how brilliant the cakes were between mouthfuls.

A little bit later, Ellie's mum Claire, (who wasn't NEARLY as bossy as Cranky Hazel thought she was), came round to see how everything was going and to say that dinner was nearly ready. Ellie asked her mum to take a photo of Cranky Hazel's cake with her phone, which she did, saying she'd print the photo out when she had time so that Ellie always had a picture of the AMAZING “Welcome Home” cake her best friend had made specially for her.

Cranky Hazel got into her long, thin bed and pulled up her black and grey stripy duvet VERY HAPPILY that night, pleased that her best friend Ellie was back next door, and EXTREMELY pleased that she'd made her such an AMAZIN' welcome home cake. She was looking forwards to the fun they'd have the next day when Ellie came home from school, because after all, having fun was what Cranky Hazel and Ellie did best. Brainbox curled up on top of Cranky Hazel's feet and within minutes the pair of them were fast asleep, both dreaming of baking cakes...THE HUMAN WAY!