Read Boiling Point for Free Online Page B

you want something besides cupcakes.”
    “How much will all this cost?” Ms. Barlow asked.
    “I-I’ll have to get back to you,” Amanda told her. There was no way she was going to set a price without talking to the other girls first.
    “Okay” Ms. Barlow replied. “Well, whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be just fine! It all sounds perfecf. I live at one twenty-four Carroll Place. Please deliver the food at four o’clock on Saturday. Good-bye.”
    “Good-bye,” said Amanda, but Ms. Brenda Barlow had already hung up.

    Five minutes later, the phone rang again. It was Mrs. Jamison, telling her that her neighbor. Brenda Barlow, might call to place an order. Also, Mrs., Jamison wanted to know if the girls could cook up three days’ worth of dinners and deliver them in two days. Mrs. Jamison was going to have knee surgery and wanted to have food in the house. Amanda accepted the job, thanked Mrs. Jamison, and hung up.
    That’s when the phone rang for the third time.
    “Hello?”
    “Dear, it’s Ms. Brenda Barlow again. Listen,” said the woman breathlessly. “I know I said next weekend, but something very important has come up for next weekend, and now I need to schedule this dinner for two nights from now.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry, Ms. Barlow, but we’ll be too busy cooking for Mrs. Jamison that day.”
    There was a pause.
    “Well, I’m just desperate for you to do it. Please! You can’t back out now! That wouldn’t be right, my dear. You already made a commitment!”
    Amanda didn’t know what to say. This lady is whacked, she thought. She’s the one who changed the dates! I’m NOT going to give in to her! But Amanda’s tongue felt too big in her mouth when she tried to say no again. She’d never had to argue with an adult before—at least, not with one she didn’t know! So she finally said, “Okay,” just to get rid of Ms. Barlow. Hanging up the phone, Amanda thought, Well, Mom is just going to have to help us with all this cooking.
    That’s exactly when Mom got home from work. She taught art history at Brooklyn University.
    “Hi. sweetie, do you want some lemonade? Where’s Molly?” she asked.
    “Uh. She’s at—she’s with—I mean, she and Peichi are swimming. You know, at her house. I just wanted to—stay home.”
    “Oh,” said Mom. “Why did you want to stay home, honey? Don’t you feel well?”
    “Well, no. I mean, yes, I feel fine. I don’t know, I guess I just wanted to practice a lot today,” said Amanda lamely. She shrugged and tried to look casual. Amanda was a terrible liar. And she was also getting a sinking feeling about all the work Dish would soon have, without Shawn’s help.
    “Okay,” said Mom, but she looked concerned. “Well, I’m going to change my clothes. When you’re finished practicing, come out to the garden.”

    Later, in the garden with Mom. Amanda pretended to be deep in a book so that she wouldn’t have to say much. She felt like anything she said would give away Molly’s secret. Where is she? Amanda began to wonder, as the afternoon wore on.
    Finally, Molly’s face appeared at the screen door that led to the garden. She looked pretty gloomy—not like someone who’d just had an amazing adventure.
    “Hi, Molls!” said Mom.
    Molly didnt say anything right away. But Amanda could tell that Molly took a deep breath before she opened the screen door.
    “Hi. Mom,” Molly said, stepping outside.
    “Did you swim?”
    “Swim?”
    “Um, I told Mom you were at Peichis.” said Amanda quickly.
    “No. I wasn’t at Peichi’s.”
    Mom looked surprised. Then she smiled. “Then where were you, sweetie?”
    “Peichi and I went to Chinatown. On the subway. By ourselves. Even though we knew we weren’t supposed to. And then we ran into Mr. Cheng on the subway, on the way home.”
    “Molly! cried Mom. Then she turned to Amanda. “Amanda! You lied to me!”
    The twins looked down at the ground.
    “Well, I don’t know what to say,” began Mom. She