Read Confectionately Yours #1: Save the Cupcake! for Free Online

horrified.
    “It came pouring down right in my lap. Nice guy — he dashed off to get me some paper towels.”
    “That makes it worse,” I say.
    Mom sighs and takes a swig from her cup, then makes a face and spits the coffee back. “Mother! What is this?” she demands.
    “It’s coffee,” Gran replies.
    “When did you brew it?”
    Gran looks at the clock. “Eight this morning.”
    “That’s almost eight hours ago!” Mom puts the teacup on the counter. “Mother — don’t you know you need to have gourmet coffee these days?”
    “I’m English,” Gran replies. “What do I know about coffee? Besides, this is a tea shop.”
    “If you want to have customers, you need coffee. Good coffee. In mugs, not teacups.” Mom looks at me as if to say, Am I right?
    “And iced coffee, maybe,” I suggest.
    “This is why I need your help!” Gran insists.
    Just then, I hear a laugh. When I look over, I see that the two handsome college guys have pulled their table over beside Mrs. McTibble’s. She’s smiling and telling them a story that involves a lot of gesturing.
    “What’s that all about?” Mom asks.
    “Cupcakes make people happy,” I tell her.
    My grandmother raises a delicate eyebrow. “People, but not dogs,” she says, as Mrs. McTibble’s gesticulating is clearly putting Gwendolyn out of sorts.
    The door jingles again, and in walks Chloe. She is looking like her usual rumpled self — I swear that her clothes are never wrinkled when she leaves in the morning, so it’s always a little odd to see her come home with her shirt untucked, her socks covered in dirt, and one of her braids undone, as she is now. She holds the door for an African-American boy wearing small oval spectacles and a serious look. They don’t speak to each other, but they step up to the counter at the same time.
    “Can I help you?” I ask the boy.
    “I’m with her.” His voice is a whisper, and his hands are shoved deep into his pockets, so he juts his chin at Chloe.
    “Okay, so what’ll it be?” I ask Chloe.
    “We’ll have two of whatever’s good,” she says.
    I catch Mom and Gran exchanging a smile and I whip out two pieces of wax paper. I place one of Gran’s ginger-pear scones on one plate, and a Shoot the Moon cupcake on the other. “Who wants which?” I ask, holding out the plates.
    “We’ll share,” Chloe announces, reaching for both.
    Chloe’s companion chooses a table in the corner. He dusts it off with a paper napkin as she sets down the plates.
    “A new friend,” Mom whispers in my ear, and I smile.
    “Don’t stare at them,” I tell her. “Don’t make a big deal out of it.”
    “Of course not.” Mom bustles off, and I start making notes for a new cupcake. A friendship cupcake. Maybe two different flavors swirled together?
    “Hayley?” Chloe is standing before me, an empty plate in her hand. “I need another cupcake, please.”
    “You’re done already?” I ask, opening the case.
    “It’s for Horatio,” Chloe explains.
    I hesitate a moment, then give her the cupcake. “Okay.”
    She flashes a huge grin at me, then lopes off to join her real friend and her imaginary one at their table in the corner.

O h, I’m not talking about Mrs. McTibble. She’s grouchy, but I don’t think she’s mean. The only person she really makes unhappy is herself.
    No, the people I’m talking about are the kind who could be mean to a sweet eight-year-old.
    There are four elementary schools in Northampton — Branson School, Jefferson Street School, Waterville Road Elementary, and Cunningham Elementary. Chloe used to go to Cunningham. But this year, Mom switched her into Branson, even before we moved. Why?
    Chloe was getting teased.
    All last year, there were three girls who made Chloe’s life miserable. They were only in the second grade, so I can’t really call them the “popular girls.” They were just nasty for no reason. One of them even punched Chloe in the stomach, but when Chloe told the teacher,