Sugar and Spice (2 page)

That afternoon at lunch, Lexi spotted Meredith carrying her tray to a table with Abby, Bella, and Emily. She quickly ducked behind Jenna, who was waiting in the cafeteria food line.

“
Qué pasa, chica
?” her friend asked. “What's with the disappearing act?”

“Is she gone?” Lexi asked, peeking out behind Jenna.

“Is who gone?”

“Meredith. I don't want her to see me.”

Jenna stepped aside. “Do not tell me you're scared of her and her
boca
grande
!”

“It's not her big mouth I'm scared of,” Lexi insisted. “It's just what she might say with it. Like call me ‘Loser Lexi,' for example.”

“Sticks and stones,” Jenna reminded her. “You can't let her intimidate you. Whenever she used to call me ‘Thunder Thighs' or ‘Bubble Butt,' I just laughed in her face.”

Lexi knew Jenna was right. Still, she couldn't tell her heart to stop pounding every time she caught a glimpse of Meredith anywhere at school.

“I don't know what to do,” she confided in her friends at their lunch table. “I apologized, but she didn't seem to care.”

“She's such a princess,” Sadie weighed in. “She's in my first-period English class, and she spent the whole time in the bathroom reapplying her makeup.” Sadie was a tomboy and a star athlete who didn't own a single lip gloss. “So ridiculous!”

“I think you should just forget it ever happened,” Kylie added. “Bygones. It's ancient history. Trust me, it's better that way.”

Lexi decided that was probably the best idea. It wasn't as if she had
purposely
ruined Meredith's makeup this morning. Surely Meredith had to know that!

“Can we change the topic from bullies to baking?” Kylie suggested. “We received a huge potential order over email this morning.”

“Define ‘huge,'” Sadie replied. “I have a math final next week and two basketball games.”

“And I know Delaney has her school's pep rally on Friday and is on babysitting duty for her twin brother and sister this weekend,” Jenna reminded them.

“That's okay—we have plenty of time,” Kylie said, pulling the email printout from her jean jacket pocket. “This order is for six weeks from now.”

“Someone likes to plan ahead,” Jenna said, peering over Kylie's shoulder. “What's the Miss New England Shooting Starz Pageant?”

“Some kind of talent and runway competition,” Kylie replied. “I didn't get a lot of the details. The pageant directors, Laura and Fitzy, want to meet with us and discuss it further. Kind of like an interview.”

“How many cupcakes are we talking?” Lexi asked. “A hundred? Two hundred?”

“Try a thousand.” Kylie read the letter. “Apparently, they have a huge crowd coming with contestants of all ages—and it's gonna be on TV!”

“TV? Our cupcakes are going to be on TV?” Lexi's mood suddenly brightened. “Now you're talking.”

“
If
we get the order,” Kylie pointed out. “It appears we're not the only bakers competing for the business. Connecticut Cupcakes is also in the running.”

Lexi shuddered to think of the two sisters who had beaten them on
Battle
of
the
Bakers
. “Well, then we'll just have to prove we're the best,” she said. “We'll pull out all the stops. We'll blow them away.”

“When do we meet with these pageant peeps?” Sadie asked.

“I told them we were free Sunday morning—and I made sure Delaney could come too. That gives us a few days to brainstorm and make some samples.”

Lexi nodded. “I'll sketch out a few designs tonight.”

“And I'll go through our recipe file with Jenna,” Kylie added. She took a big bite out of her pizza slice. “We've got this!”

• • •

By the end of the day, Lexi had almost forgotten about the morning's fireworks. When Meredith waltzed into last-period study hall, Lexi simply took her friends' advice and ignored her.

But Meredith wasn't about to forgive and forget so easily. She slid into an empty seat next to Lexi in the back of the classroom. “Your outfit is pretty decent for a change,” Meredith whispered to her.

Lexi smiled cautiously. “Thanks?” she replied. Maybe Meredith was trying to be nice for once. Maybe she realized she had overreacted.

“Except for that sweater. It's hideous,” Meredith continued. “But it suits you. I wouldn't change a thing.”

Emily Dutter, who was also in study hall, snickered. “Meredith, you are
too
funny!”

Ms. Rathbane, the study hall teacher, was busy at her desk grading papers. Lexi considered raising her hand and ratting them both out, but she knew that would only make things worse. So she just sat there, stone-faced, and took it.

“Do you know what I heard?” Meredith asked Emily. “I heard Jeremy Saperstone likes me and is going to ask me out.”

“No way!” Emily replied. “Doesn't he have a girlfriend?”

Lexi fumed. They both knew that Jeremy had been
her
boyfriend ever since they'd played Romeo and Juliet in the fifth-grade play.

Meredith wrinkled her nose. “I guess he's dating some loser. For now.”

That was it! Lexi couldn't take it anymore. She leaned over and whispered to Meredith, “Jeremy is my boyfriend, and you know it!”

“Why would he want to be with you when he could be with me? I mean, seriously. Just look at me…” Meredith pointed to her stylish, red-leather jacket and matching miniskirt and tossed her flowing blond curls. “And look at
you
.”

Lexi knew her ponytail was limp and her purple cardigan had orange stains on it from art class.

“Oh, Meredith, you and Jeremy will make the cutest couple,” Emily cooed.

Lexi didn't want to get in trouble with Ms. Rathbane, so she tried to ignore Meredith's and Emily's whispering and focus on her science homework. She noticed that Meredith was doodling hearts on her binder cover with the initials “J.S. + M.M.” Lexi gritted her teeth and waited for the bell to ring.

When class was over, she raced out the door to find Jeremy before his chess club meeting started. She stopped by Mr. Danenburn's science lab, but Jeremy wasn't there. Nor was he at his locker or in the library. She finally spotted him coming down the hall with Jack and waved. But before she could reach him, Meredith jumped out and stopped the boys in their tracks.

“Jeremy,” she said, flirting with him. “Can I talk to you a sec?”

Jack checked his watch. “That was a sec. You're done, Meredith.”

“Zip it,” Meredith replied, turning back to Jeremy and batting her eyelashes.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “I guess. What's up, Meredith?”

“So, I happen to have these awesome VIP tickets to the Eastern Chess Congress in Stamford this weekend.”

Jeremy's eyes grew wide. “Are you kidding me? That is like the World Series of chess tournaments! All the greats will be there playing.”

Meredith batted her eyelashes. “I know. And I'm, like,
so
into chess.”

Jeremy stared. “You are? I would think a girl like you would hate chess.”

“OMG! I love it! There's a queen in the game, isn't there?” She cut him off before he could say another word.

“So you'll come, right? It's a date.”

Jeremy shrugged. “Sure. I mean, I can't pass up the Eastern Chess Congress, can I?”

“Great! I'll pick you up at 10:00 a.m. sharp on Sunday. Can't wait!” She blew him a kiss and skipped off.

Lexi stood a few feet away, stunned. She walked up to Jeremy with tears in her eyes.

“How could you?” she asked him. “How could you dump me for the Wicked Witch of Blakely?”

“What? Lex, I'm not dumping you. She just asked me to go to a chess tournament. It's no biggie.”

“But it is,” Lexi insisted. “Meredith is trying to steal you away from me—and I guess she succeeded.”

“You're acting crazy,” Jeremy told her. “I'm not dating Meredith!”

“Now you think I'm crazy?” Lexi cried. “What else did Meredith tell you about me?”

“She didn't tell me anything. You're the one who's making a scene in the hallway.”

Lexi looked around. Many other students were staring at them and whispering.

“Great. Now everyone knows we broke up,” she said, sniffling.

“We didn't break up!” Jeremy tried to convince her. “Unless that's what you want.”

Lexi shook her head. She didn't know what she wanted at this moment. Her whole world felt like it was crashing down around her.

“I just want to be left alone,” she said, pushing through the crowd and running down the hall.

Kylie caught the end of the argument and called after her. “Lexi! Wait!” She looked at Jeremy, who was equally confused. “What happened?”

“If you figure it out, let me know,” he said, sighing.

When Kylie tried calling Lexi on her cell phone that night, it went straight to voice mail: “You've reached Lexi—leave a message!” So Kylie left several messages, but her friend never returned them. She tried texting and even direct messaging Lexi on Instagram. As Jenna would say, “Nada.”

“It isn't like her to ignore my calls,” she told Jenna and Sadie at school the next morning. “I'm worried.”

“She wasn't in English either,” Sadie added. “Maybe she's home sick.”

“Or trying to escape the evil clutches of Monster Meredith,” Kylie pointed out. “We have to do something.”

Sadie checked her basketball schedule. “We could go over to her house after school. I can let Delaney know we're moving the PLC meeting there instead of in the Blakely teachers' lounge.”

Kylie nodded. “I better let Herbie know too.” Their beloved cupcake club advisor Juliette was now off in London, married and playing the role of a maid on the British TV show
Downton
Abbey
. She'd suggested that her younger brother, Herbie, who'd just graduated from college in Canada, take over for her and help the girls out. But Herbie was no Juliette—while she taught drama, he was a nerdy robotics genius who didn't know a whisk from a spatula.

“I promise you, I am a very quick study,” he'd told them. “And I have some keen ideas on how to maximize PLC's potential as a business.”

Kylie didn't like Herbie for several reasons: (1) he was a guy; (2) he knew more about monster movies than she did; and (3) he used the word “keen” in practically every sentence. Who did that?

But they were stuck with him and had to make the best of it. Juliette wasn't coming back, and PLC needed an advisor to stay in business. So Herbie would have to do.

Kylie found him in the Blakely robotics lab working on what looked like a deflated beach ball with a long hose attached. Jeremy and Jack had him for their robotics elective and said he was pretty amazing with computers and machines. But Kylie just thought he was weird.

“What is that thing?” she asked.

Herbie pulled off his safety goggles and placed them on top of his shaggy red hair.

“I'm so glad you asked, Kylie,” he replied. “This is my idea for speeding up our PLC cleanup.”

“We don't bake in the sand or a swimming pool,” Kylie corrected him. “What's with the beach ball?”

“I call this the flour-nator,” he explained. “Although it will work just as well for sugar, baking powder, salt—whatever other dry ingredients you girls manage to scatter all over the kitchen floor.” He flipped a switch and the ball filled with air. “Hand me that sack of flour over there.”

Kylie carried over a two-pound bag, and Herbie dumped the entire contents on one of the worktables.

“What are you doing?” she asked, watching a cloud of white dust rise in the air. “You're making a huge mess.”

“Exactly,” Herbie replied. “Now watch how easily I clean it up.”

He waved the hose in the air and the white cloud disappeared into the beach ball. The mountain of flour on the table did the same in seconds.

“Wow, that's pretty cool,” Kylie admitted. “That hose has a lot of power.”

Suddenly the lights in the robotics lab went off. Then the lights in the hallway. Then the lights on the entire first floor.

“Maybe a little too much power,” Herbie said, his cheeks flushing red. “I think I just blew a fuse. Again.”

Mr. Mullivan, the chief custodian, walked into the room. “Mr. Dubois, what did I tell you about maxing out the voltage?” he asked, sighing. “Every time those lights go out, I know who's responsible.” He took his tools from his belt and started poking around in the power box on the wall. In seconds, the lights came back on.

“Thank you,” Herbie replied. “I'll make some adjustments.”

“Please do,” Mr. Mullivan said sternly. “Every time I see you with those safety goggles on, I get nervous.”

“Were you looking for me for a reason?” Herbie asked Kylie as he tinkered with the flour-nator motor.

“Oh yeah. I almost forgot. We're having our meeting at Lexi's house today after school—although she doesn't know it.”

Herbie wrinkled his brow. “And why doesn't she know it? Are we surprising her with a PLC meeting?”

“Sorta,” Kylie answered. “She's not answering my calls.”

“So you believe that ambushing her is the best strategy,” Herbie said. “I'm not sure I'm keen on that.”

There was that “keen” word again! “You might not be keen on it, but I know my BFF,” Kylie insisted. “Sometimes Lex just needs a little push.”

“You know, when I was a young, my sister thought she could push me around.” Herbie continued twisting wires with a pair of pliers. “I was shy and quiet, and Juliette was bossy.”

Kylie sighed. “I don't see what this has to do with Lexi.”

“I'm just saying sometimes people don't like to be pushed. They need time to figure things out for themselves.”

Kylie gathered up her backpack, ignoring his advice. “So three forty-five at 11 Candlewood Lane, right off Frisbee Street,” she said. “See ya.”

• • •

When they arrived at Lexi's, she was curled up on the couch in her pj's. Her mom let them in as Lexi hid under a throw blanket.

“I like the little rainbow unicorns on your jammies,” Delaney teased her, noting the flannel pant legs that were poking out.

“Go ahead. Make fun of my clothes. Meredith already did that,” Lexi said, still buried under the throw.

“Let's not say the
M
word, shall we?” Kylie suggested, pushing her way into the living room with a bag of groceries and the PLC recipe binder.

Herbie waved his finger in her face. “Uh, uh, uh. Remember what I said about being pushy.”

“I feel sick,” Lexi said. “Please go. I don't feel like meeting today. Maybe you guys can go to Kylie's instead.”

“Nope! We're all here and I officially call this meeting to order,” Kylie insisted, yanking the blanket off Lexi and tossing a few pillows on the floor. “Everyone take a seat.”

“So I won't mention M.M., but what did I miss?” Delaney asked the group. “I don't go to Blakely, remember—I'm at Weber Day. You gotta fill me in on the drama.”

“Me too,” Herbie added. “Why are you in a funk, Lexi?”

“A funk? I'm not in a funk,” Lexi insisted. “I am destroyed. My life is ruined.”

“Ah, I see,” Herbie said, taking notes on his iPad. “Is that all?”

Lexi sat up. “Meredith Mitchell hates my guts—and she stole my Jeremy.”

Delaney shook her head. “And you let her? Lex, have you learned nothing from being a member of PLC?”

“That's right,” Jenna pointed out. “We thought you were done being shy Lexi.”

“I was. I mean, I am,” Lexi said. “It's just that around Meredith, I forget. With all of you, I'm confident. But Meredith makes me feel—”

“Wonky,” Herbie suggested.

“Well, I wouldn't quite put it that way,” Lexi replied.

“I would. When my robot is acting wonky, he's out of sorts. He's teetering about and he's not himself. Sometimes he'll even topple over.”

Lexi mulled it over. “Okay, so let's say Meredith makes me feel
wonky
. How do I fix it?”

“The same way I fix my robot. I reinforce him so he's not wobbling or off balance anymore.” He motioned to Sadie, Jenna, Kylie, and Delaney. “I'd say this crew is your reinforcement.”

“We told you we have your back,” Kylie reminded her. “We can stand up to Meredith.”

“And I can keep an eye on Jeremy,” Jenna pointed out. “He's in three of my classes. If Meredith tries to get too close to him, I'll sit on her and squash her like a bug.”

Lexi laughed at the image. “Okay, I guess I could try. I don't think my mom was going to let me stay home from school another day anyway.”

Dr. Poole called in from the kitchen. “You bet I wasn't! I have real sick pets in the veterinary clinic to tend to.”

Kylie held up her binder. “Can we get back to business?”

Lexi smiled. “I'm feeling less wonky already.”