Alexis and the Perfect Recipe by Coco Simon

Author:Coco Simon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon Spotlight

CHAPTER 9

The Beckers Try Harder

Mom!” I skidded in my sock feet into the kitchen, breathless. “The Taylors can come! All of them!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful, honey. Write it down in the RSVP notebook by the phone, then grab a plate,” Mom said without looking at me. She seemed extra focused on tossing the salad. “We have a lot to discuss.”

I frowned at what she’d said. Her tone told me someone was in trouble, and I knew it was not me.

But Dad did look up and did a double take when he saw the new me. “Whoa, tiger!” he said, laughing.

I wrote the first RSVP on the list and turned to face him. “Hello, Father,” I said casually—just as Dylan walked in and immediately screamed.

“Alexis! What on Earth did you do to yourself?”

At that, Mom finally looked up. “Oh, Alexis!” she exclaimed.

Suddenly I wasn’t so sure about my new look. “What? Don’t you like it?” I asked (fake) confidently.

Mom came over and lifted a curl. She let it go, and it sprang back against my head. “I love the curls!” she said. “I’m not wild about the makeup, though.”

“I’m trying to play up my eyes,” I said.

“Well, sister, they are played up, that’s for sure,” Dylan said with a snicker. Then she peered over my shoulder to look at the RSVP book. “Who called? The Taylors? Already? And they’re all coming? Ugh! What’s that smell? Are we having apple crisp for dessert?”

“It’s my perfume,” I said stiffly.

“All right, before any of this goes any further, I’d like you to get your food and sit down at the table. We are having a family meeting.” My mother was using her firm voice (parenting class), sounding the way she does when I talk to her on the phone while she’s at work.

Dylan huffed, but didn’t say another word as she sat down. I had to admit I was looking forward to seeing her in the hot seat.

“Girls,” my mother began, “we are not acting as a fully functioning family unit. There is discord, agitation, unhappiness, malice, greed, envy, you name it.” She looked at both of us until we returned her level gaze. As I was pretty guilt-free, I just sat there, but Dylan did squirm a little.

“Your father and I are disappointed in the turn things have taken. In our family, we do not condone speaking rudely to one another, nor treating one another dismissively or high-handedly, nor do we humiliate one another in public. The Beckers are loyal, supportive, and kind. The Beckers . . .”

“Try harder,” I finished. It was our family tagline. Ever since my mom had read The Seven Secrets of Successful Families, we had to have a motto as well as other “guiding principles.” Never mind that our tagline was the same tagline as some international car rental company.

“Exactly right,” Dad said, nodding.

“And there hasn’t been enough trying lately,” Mom added, looking at me.

I was surprised. Why me? “I have been trying!” I protested. “I made the cupcakes, I went to that smelly clothing store—”

“Okay, Alexis.

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