Chirp by Kate Messner

Author:Kate Messner
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

CHAPTER 15

Monster Donuts and Impossible Plans

A lot happened over the next three weeks. Mia talked with Gram about security cameras, but Gram said there was no way they could afford them. Not unless they found new investors, and even though she was still scheduling meetings, she seemed less hopeful. One day, Mia tried to buy some cricket powder so Aidan could try a new recipe for Cookies for a Cause, and Gram wouldn’t let her pay for it. When Mia tried again, Gram let out a snort of a laugh and told her when you’re $40,000 in debt, you don’t worry about a twenty-dollar bag of cricket powder.

Mia had been hoping the businesses she and Clover visited would order more crickets. That wouldn’t solve Gram’s problems, but it might help. Mia made herself a note to follow up with the pizza place and Chocolate Shoppe. She didn’t dread talking to business owners anymore and had actually come to enjoy making sales calls with Clover.

Mia would never admit it to Mom, but she was loving both of her camps, too. She liked the way her body felt after she pushed herself at Warrior Camp—sore and tired but also strong. She hadn’t tried the warped wall or the rings yet, but she could almost get through the quad steps now, and she was getting better at the climbing wall.

Mia loved the chaos of Launch Camp, too—the way everybody showed up full of ideas and cheered one another on. She and Clover and Anna worked together almost every day now. Anna had them helping to solder wires for the cricket robot. Zoya called the girls her Three Entrepreneurial Musketeers.

“Team meeting!” Zoya called out on the Monday morning before the Vermont Launch Junior competition. “I have some updates before you get to work.”

“Can’t I listen from here?” Eli was already at his computer.

“Sure, if you don’t want breakfast.” Zoya opened a big green-and-white-striped box.

“You brought Vermonstrosities!” Eli slammed his laptop shut, raced to the table, and lifted an enormous coconut-sprinkled chocolate donut to his mouth.

“Whoa!” It was twice as big as any donut Mia had ever seen.

“Vermonstrosities is the new donut shop that opened on Cherry Street last year,” Clover explained, picking out a maple-glazed donut the size of her face. “Their slogan is ‘Donut be afraid.’ ”

“Ha!” Mia chose a custard cream donut, which must have been dusted with half a bag of confectioners’ sugar, and settled in next to Clover with her notebook. She hoped Zoya’s meeting would be fast. Mia wasn’t scrambling to get ready for the competition like everyone else, but she had a lot to do. Gram’s open house was only a week away, so she wanted to work on plans, and she also wanted to update her list of businesses to visit. Maybe Vermonstrosities would try a cricket donut. Mia opened her notebook while Zoya started talking.

“First, a calendar note. Tomorrow we’ll be walking up to UVM to hear a talk from the owner of Five Dogs Apparel.”

“What’s his name, and what’s he talking about?” Eli asked.

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