Royal Icing (3 page)

Kylie's mom knocked gently on her bedroom door.

“You okay, honey? Wanna talk about it?”

Kylie buried her head in her cupcake pillow—the one Lexi had given her for her last birthday. “No.”

“Sometimes it makes you feel better if you talk about what's bothering you. Maybe I can help.” Mrs. Carson pushed the door open a crack. “Can I try?”

“Fine!” Kylie said, rolling over. “But I don't think you can.”

“What's up?” her mom said, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Does it have to do with school? Boys? Friends?”

“It's just that everything is changing, Mom. The girls. The cupcake club.”

“How?” her mom asked. “You guys haven't stopped baking cupcakes, right? It's not Peace, Love, and Pancakes now, is it?”

“No. It's just that they don't need me anymore.”

“Aha,” her mother said. “You mean everyone has become really smart, mature, and independent. They can think for themselves and do things without any help.”

“Exactly! It's so annoying!” Kylie said, yanking the pillow over her head.

“Interesting. I know just what that feels like.”

Kylie peeked out. “You do?”

“Absolutely. It was only a few short years ago that a girl I knew couldn't braid her own hair, tie her shoes, make her bed…”

“Mom,” Kylie groaned. “It's not the same as me growing up and doing those things.”

“Isn't it?” her mom insisted. “It makes me sad and a little scared that you don't need me as much as you used to. But it also makes me proud. It tells me I'm doing something right because you're learning to stand on your own two feet.”

Kylie sat up. “Really? You feel that way sometimes?”

“All the time. More and more every day. Especially the proud part.”

“So you think I should just roll with it. Not get upset if my friends leave me in the dust?”

“Honey,” her mom said, stroking her hair. “They're not leaving you in the dust. You're right there with them. You just need to understand that people grow and things change. It's part of life. That doesn't mean that the girls love you any less.” She planted a kiss on Kylie's forehead and got up and walked to the door.

“Mommy?” Kylie called after her. “Thanks.”

• • •

On Saturday morning, Kylie got up early and biked to the New Fairfield Amateur Art Show. Her friends were already there when she arrived, unloading the cupcakes and Lexi's painting from Sadie's dad's contracting truck.

Lexi's face lit up when she saw her. “Kylie! You came!”

“Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it for the world,” Kylie said. “And I'm sorry I bailed on you guys the other day. I shouldn't have left you to bake all those cupcakes.”

“That was not cool,
chica
.” Jenna pouted. “We were up to our elbows in rainbow-colored batter.”

“I'm really sorry,” Kylie pleaded with her. “It won't happen again, I promise.”

“Okay, we forgive you,” Jenna said, hugging her. “As long as you mean that. We stick together, remember?”

“Like Delaney's marshmallow buttercream frosting.” Sadie chuckled. “It was so gooey, my fingers were glued together!”

“That was just the first batch,” Delaney pointed out. “I overdid it on the Marshmallow Fluff. It happens…”

“Where should we put this masterpiece?” Sadie's dad asked, lifting out Lexi's huge cupcake canvas. It was so detailed—with mountains of whipped pink frosting and glittery sprinkles—that it looked good enough to eat.

“Over there.” Lexi pointed to an open easel in the center of the showroom. The gallery was filled with artwork, everything from paintings and charcoal drawings to a giant sculpture made out of old soda cans and license plates.

“What is that?” Sadie asked. “It looks like a pile of junk.”

Lexi shook her head. “That's not junk. It's someone's entry. Art is in the eye of the beholder.”

“I get that,” Sadie answered. “But I could probably make something like that out of the garbage we have in our garage.”

“Hey!” her dad protested. “Are you calling my record collection garbage?”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Dad, no one listens to Spyro Gyra anymore!”

“I've never even heard of him—or her—or them before,” Delaney said.

“What? ‘Morning Dance' is a classic!” Mr. Harris replied. “You girls don't know what you're missing.”

“Speaking of art, where do we put our cupcakes?” Jenna asked. “Do you see anybody in charge around here?” They scanned the room, but everyone was busy unpacking and setting up.

Lexi pointed to a corner where there was an open table draped with a white cloth. “I think the cupcakes are supposed to go there,” she said.

Kylie helped carry them in and set them out on display. It was Lexi's idea to place them on a blank canvas. “They are so beautiful, guys,” she said. “And Jenna you were totally right. That Hawaiian vanilla smells amazing.”

“
Por
supuesto!
Of course it does!”

“Ladies and gentleman…” A voice suddenly boomed over a loudspeaker. “If we can have all of our artists please stand by their work, the judging is about to start.”

Kylie gave Lexi a gentle push. “Go get 'em, Lex. We'll be right here if you need us.” She, Jenna, Sadie, and Delaney took their places behind the cupcake table.

It took the panel of three judges more than an hour to make their way around the crowded room. There were artists of all ages—from kids to grandparents. One older lady in a wheelchair proudly showed off her papier-mâché sculpture.

“It's my Peekapoo puppy, Scooty,” she said. “Isn't it lifelike?”

The judges looked closely, admiring how she had etched tiny lines to represent fur in the plaster. “Quite detailed,” said one of the judges, a gray-haired gentleman with a mustache. “I can see how much work you put into it.” The woman beamed.

When they arrived at Lexi's painting, the judges stared long and hard for several minutes.

“What do you call it?” one judge asked her.

“Sweet Sensation,” Lexi replied proudly.

“I see,” he answered.

Lexi gulped. He wasn't smiling. None of the judges were. In fact, the one with short black hair and an earring in her nose looked bored.

“I've seen so many still lifes today.” She yawned. “You've seen one, you've seen them all.”

“It's a cupcake—it's very different from a bowl of apples,” Lexi tried to explain. “And if you look over there, my friends and I did all the cupcakes for the art show with a mini painting on them. Because cupcakes are truly art.”

The other female judge with bright red hair turned to see where Lexi was pointing. “Oh, my! Isn't that interesting!”

All three judges made their way to the cupcake table. “Have one? Or two or three!” Kylie said, offering them each a treat. “This was all Lexi's idea. Amazing, huh?”

The redheaded judge took a bite. “Heavens! So many colors!”

“I know! Cool, isn't it?” Kylie said, offering her a second. “It's a rainbow tie-dye cupcake.”

“Spectacular use of primary shades,” the gentleman added, licking frosting off his upper lip.

“It's rad,” the third judge decreed.

“Is rad bad…or good?” Delaney whispered to Kylie.

“I don't know. But I think we're about to find out.” The judges huddled and began to debate the entries.

“They hated it.” Lexi sighed, joining her fellow PLCers. “I think I put one of them to sleep.”

“Come on, Lex. Don't give up yet!” Kylie said, squeezing her friend's hand. “You did an amazing job. Let's wait and see what they say.”

After much deliberation, the judges handed an envelope to a woman in a pink suit at the back of the room. The lady smiled and stepped up to the microphone.

“Hello, everyone,” she said cheerfully. “My name is Meghan Wilkie, and I am the president of the New Fairfield Amateur Art Society. Welcome to our fifth annual spring show.” The crowd applauded—all except for Lexi, who was biting her nails.

“I am so pleased to see such a wonderful turnout this morning, and such a wide array of artwork. Everything from paintings, sculptures, and videos to art of the edible variety.” She motioned to the cupcake table.

“Did she just call our cupcakes art?” Jenna whispered.

“So now, without any further ado, I would like to announce third place. It goes to Neal Dutta for his amazing recyclable art installation entitled ‘Scrap Heap!'”

The crowd cheered as Sadie watched the artist come up and claim his white ribbon. “That junk won? That is nuts!” she said.

“Shhh!” Lexi hushed her. She was now pacing the floor. “I can't take the suspense!”

“In second place, we have ‘Pears on a Platter' by Charity Jackson. Congratulations!” A teenage girl with wavy brown hair stepped up to receive her red ribbon.

“Oh, no! Another still life won? I'll never win now!” Lexi said, burying her head in Kylie's shoulder.

“And finally, I'm proud to bestow first place on a most unusual artistic display,” Mrs. Wilkie continued. “The judges were unanimous that this one deserved the top prize today.”

“Just say it already!” Jenna exclaimed. “
Quien
ganó?
Who won?”

Mrs. Wilkie smiled. “Very well. Congratulations, Lexi Poole and Peace, Love, and Cupcakes, for your Rainbow Tie-Dye Cupcakes!”

Kylie grabbed Lexi and shook her. “You won! You won!”

“We won!” Lexi shouted, jumping up and down. She pulled Kylie up to the podium with her to receive the award.

“When I ordered cupcakes for our party, I never expected you to create a work of art that would take first prize,” Mrs. Wilkie told them. “Great job, ladies.”

The girls celebrated as everyone at the art show gobbled up every last rainbow-colored crumb.

“I feel bad. I don't deserve this. You all do,” Kylie told her club mates. “I bailed on you.”

“Are you kidding? You were the one who came up with the tie-dye recipe,” Lexi insisted. “You were the one who encouraged me to do mini paintings on the cupcakes.”

“It was a team effort,” Sadie chimed in. “Kylie, we could never have won without you.”

For the first time in the past few days, Kylie actually felt needed. Maybe her mom was right. Change wasn't always a bad thing.

With the art show behind them, it was time to focus on the cupcakes for
Pygmalion
's opening night. Since the club had decided on a flowery flavor, Kylie combed the Internet and her collection of cookbooks for recipes. She settled on two, then asked her mom to drive her to the baking store for the ingredients.

When PLC met at her house the next night, she produced a bottle with a pretty pink label. She cracked open the cap and waved it under Jenna's nose.

“It definitely smells rosy,” Jenna said, then took a tiny taste of the clear liquid on her tongue.

“Well?” Kylie asked anxiously.

“It kind of reminds me of my
abuela
's bath soap,” Jenna replied. She wrinkled her nose. “I just don't think I'd wanna eat a whole cupcake that tastes like this.”

Delaney sampled a tiny drop as well. “Eww. Now you've gotten me picturing my mouth being washed out with soap!”

Kylie was frustrated but not ready to give up. “Okay, here's Option 2.” She produced a small plastic bag filled with tiny dried purple leaves.

“What is that?” Sadie asked, “Potpourri? I think my mom keeps some of that stuff in her sock drawer.”

“It's dried lavender. I got it in the spice store. I thought we could sprinkle it into the batter and frosting.”

Jenna sampled a few flakes. “Maybe with honey. Something sweet to play down the floweriness?”

Sadie scratched her head. “Is ‘floweriness' even a word?”

Jenna shrugged. “
No
lo
sé.
Beats me. But I think it might work.”

“There's only one way to find out,” Kylie said, handing her an apron. “Let's get baking.”

Jenna decided that the first batch they took out of the oven was “too blah,” while the second was so lavender scented that it made her eyes water. The third was soggy; the fourth was burnt; the fifth was chewy; and the sixth had so much lavender it stuck in Jenna's teeth. It was Lexi's idea to add food coloring to the seventh batch so the cupcakes were a lavender hue.

“You call that purple?” Sadie said, examining the gray-brown color as it came out of the oven. “It looks like mud.”

“Maybe we need a few more drops of pink…or blue?” Lexi considered. “Let's do another round.”

“I never thought I'd say this, but I can't taste another cupcake,” Jenna announced. “
Tener
compasión!
My taste buds are exhausted.”

“Jenna, focus,” Kylie pleaded with her. “We have to find a lavender-to-cupcake ratio that works.”

“Yeah, like Goldilocks,” Sadie teased. “One's not enough, one's too much, and the next one with be
just
right
.”

Jenna waited patiently to sample the eighth batch. She nibbled the cupcake first, then the honey cream cheese frosting, then a bite of both together. Her eyes lit up.

“Well?” Kylie asked anxiously. “Is it good?”

“
Asombroso
!
” Jenna said.

Delaney elbowed Kylie. “Is that good or bad?”

“It means it's amazing,” Jenna said, licking her fingers. “One of the best cupcakes we've ever made.”

Kylie grabbed another cupcake off the platter and took a big bite. “It's light and delicate with just a hint of lavender. The frosting is creamy, the color of the cake is beautiful, and we sprinkled just the right amount of dried lavender on top for garnish. OMG, guys! This is perfect. We did it!”

“Do you think the actors will like it?” Sadie asked. “I hear theater people can be kinda picky.”

“They'll love it when they see our amazing display,” Lexi insisted. She unrolled a large sheet of paper containing her sketches. “I thought we'd get a bunch of flower baskets and fill them with cupcakes piped to look like different flowers—roses, daisies, carnations, chrysanthemums. We could dress like flower peddlers and hand them out to everyone.”

“Just like Eliza Doolittle,” Delaney added. “But our flowers will be a lot tastier.”

“I love that idea!” Kylie exclaimed. “There's only one more thing for us to do.”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “Oh, no. What's that?”

“Start packing for London!”

• • •

Kylie felt like her head was swimming! There were so many details to organize. She made a long list of all the ingredients they would need and emailed it to Mr. Higgins. He'd arranged for them to use a kitchen in the culinary school that was just steps away from the theater.

“I feel like I'm forgetting something important,” Kylie told her mom. “We have all the equipment and ingredients set up. What else will I need in London?”

Mrs. Carson peered into Kylie's suitcase filled with cookbooks, cupcake liners, and several of her favorite spatulas and whisks. “Are you planning on attending opening night in your PLC apron?” She chuckled. “I don't see any clothes in here.”

“Oh, yeah! That!” Kylie said. She quickly rummaged through her closet and tossed several outfits in the bag. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Any time.” Her mom winked and handed her a pair of socks out of her drawer. “That's what moms are for.”

Kylie had to admit she was actually getting excited about the trip. It was her first time in Europe. The farthest her family had ever traveled out of the United States on vacation was a long road trip to Montreal when she was eight years old. This was better because so many of her favorite monster flicks took place on the streets of London.

“Do you think I'll get to see the streets that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde walked?” she asked. “And do you know they say the London Tube is haunted by a screaming specter?”

“I certainly hope you're not going to go ghost-hunting or wandering down any dark alleys looking for mad scientists with split personalities!” her mom teased. She made sure Kylie had her passport tucked away in her backpack and gave her some last-minute instructions.

“Make sure you stay with Juliette at all times,” she cautioned Kylie. “Look both ways when crossing the street, and don't talk to strangers. Oh, and wear your retainer every night!”

“I'll be fine,” Kylie assured her. It was pretty much the same speech she'd gotten when she went to Las Vegas last year for Jenna's mom's wedding. “I promise.”

She saw there were tears in her mom's eyes. “Is this one of those scary, sad moments when you're also proud I'm growing up?” Kylie asked, hugging her.

“Yup,” her mom replied. “I told you: I have them too.”

“You'll be fine,” she told her mother. “We both will.”