A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano

Author:Anna Meriano
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2017-11-03T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

FRIENDS AND FAMILY

After some debate, Leo and Caroline decided to leave three cookies in Brent’s locker. They didn’t want to risk him sharing with anyone, but they were afraid that one tiny cookie wouldn’t be enough.

Leo wrapped up the cookies using the clear plastic bags and golden twist ties that Mamá kept at home, even though they were really for bakery products. Caroline wrote a mysterious note (“Hope you have a sweet day!”) in curly cursive that didn’t look anything like her normal handwriting. The rest of the cookies Leo hid in a big Ziploc bag under her bed until she could ask Alma and Belén’s advice on what to do with them. She didn’t want to toss them—Mamá hated wasted food—but she wasn’t sure they were safe to leave lying around. If Alma and Belén didn’t know, maybe Abuela would.

At lunch on Wednesday, Caroline asked for permission to go to the library to check out a book for a made-up project. Leo ripped crumbs off the fresh fluffy bread of her sandwich, barely able to sit still knowing that Caroline was sneaking down the sixth-grade hall to tape the cookies to Brent’s locker door. Leo tapped her foot under the long gray lunch table and shifted on the attached plastic stool. What would happen if Caroline got caught? What was taking so long?

“Is everything okay?”

Leo jumped. Mai Nguyen frowned at her, head tilted like Señor Gato when he caught Leo staring at him.

“Oh, yeah, everything’s fine,” Leo said after a pause.

“Where’s Caroline?” Tricia tilted her head at the empty seat beside Leo.

“She’s . . .” Leo had planned to say “at the library,” but she didn’t have to, because at that moment, Caroline pulled open the cafeteria door and flashed Leo a thumbs-up from behind Tricia’s and Mai’s backs. “She’s right there.”

The girls turned, and Leo sighed and dropped her handful of crumbs so that she could take her first real bite out of her ham sandwich. Caroline grinned as she sat down and pulled her lunch bag out of her backpack. “Mission accomplished,” she whispered to Leo.

“Oh, good.” Tricia flashed a smile at Caroline. “We were afraid you were going to miss lunch because of those gross boys again.”

Mai nodded. “We wanted to tell you that we think what they did was horrible. Boys are jerks.”

“Oh.” Caroline blushed deep red. “Thanks.” She shifted on her cafeteria stool.

“We also wanted to say welcome back.” Mai smiled. “How are you doing?”

“I’m okay. I’m good. I’ve been hanging out with Leo. She’s teaching me how to bake.”

“Wow!” Tricia took a big bite out of her tuna sandwich and scattered crumbs as she talked. “That is so cool. Leo’s family makes the best bread in the whole state, probably. You must be an expert baker, right, Leo?”

Leo ducked her head and smiled into her lunch box. She didn’t know Tricia was so into the bakery. Leo liked Mai and Tricia, but she never knew what to say to them. The two

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