Page 29 of Alice & Meg, Girls Trip

I emerged from the camper holding a tray loaded with graham crackers, marshmallows, and a few special additions. The girls’ eyes lit up as I approached the fire pit.

“Do I want to know why you have that smirk on your face?” Cyn asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

I set down the usual graham crackers and marshmallows, letting them catch a glimpse of the familiar comforts, but then I held up three packs of candy bars with a triumphant flourish.

“Uh, those don’t look like chocolate bars,” Wendy pointed out, eyeing the candy with curiosity.

“We’re doing s’mores with a bit of a twist,” I explained, savoring the suspense before revealing the goods. I held up the first pack. “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.” There were a few appreciative nods. I dropped those onto the table and picked up the next pack. “Cookies ‘n’ Creme bars.” The interest was definitely growing. And then, with a grin, I grabbed the last pack. “And the one I am really excited for—Kit Kats.”

“Oh,” Lennox gasped, her eyes widening with delight. “Can I just have a Cookies ‘n’ Creme bar? I don’t need the marshmallow or graham crackers.” She made grabby hands, and I couldn’t resist tossing her a candy bar.

“You don’t know what you’re missing by not making it a s’more,” I teased, but Lennox was already ripping open the candy bar.

She tossed a piece into her mouth with a satisfied hum. “I can always make a s’more when I’m done with this,” she said between bites.

“Well, I guess I’m up for trying something new,” Meg said as she approached the table, eyeing the assortment of candy bars. She grabbed a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. “I’m going to try each of them, but we’ll start here.”

With the new candy choices laid out, the girls all gathered around the fire pit, ready to roast their marshmallows. Theflames crackled and popped, casting a warm, golden glow over us as we skewered the marshmallows onto sticks.

Meg carefully rotated her marshmallow over the fire, ensuring it turned a perfect golden brown. “This is the kind of science I can get behind,” she said, grinning as she watched it puff up.

Wendy was already opening up the graham crackers, lining them up on a napkin for easy access. “I’ve never had s’mores with anything other than milk chocolate bars,” she mused. “This is going to be interesting.”

As the marshmallows roasted to gooey perfection, the girls began assembling their s’mores. Cyn went for the Kit Kats, carefully breaking them into sticks and laying them across her graham cracker. “Okay, I have high hopes for this,” she said, her tone half-serious, half-amused.

Meg squished a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup between her marshmallow and graham crackers, the chocolate edges starting to melt. “This is going to be so good,” she murmured, her mouth practically watering.

I watched them all with a smile, feeling proud of my little twist on the classic treat. As each of them bit into their s’mores, a chorus of “ohs” and “ahs” filled the air.

“Wow, the peanut butter with the marshmallow is amazing,” Meg said, savoring her bite. “I think I might have a new favorite.”

Wendy had opted for the Cookies ‘n’ Creme bar, her eyes widening as she tasted the combination. “This is so sweet, but in the best way,” she said, licking a bit of melted marshmallow from her fingers. “Why didn’t we think of this sooner?”

Cyn nodded enthusiastically, her Kit Kat s’more already half gone. “This is so good! The crunch from the Kit Kat with the gooey marshmallow is perfect.”

Lennox finally caved and made herself a proper s’more with the Cookies ‘n’ Creme bar. “Okay, I get it now,” she said, biting into her creation. “This is seriously next level.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little smug as I watched everyone enjoying the twist on the classic s’mores. There was something incredibly satisfying about seeing my friends delighted by something so simple yet so indulgent.

As we continued to roast marshmallows and experiment with the different candy bars, the conversation flowed easily, filled with laughter and playful teasing. The night was cool, but the fire kept us warm, and the s’mores added that perfect touch of sweetness.

“Yup, mixing sugar and booze is not a good idea,” Greta groaned as she finished her second s’more. “I might be crawling to bed real soon.”

I laughed and shook my head. “At least it was delicious going down.”

The conversation around the campfire had been lively all evening, but when Greta mentioned a cleanse, I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. The thought of our group embracing anything remotely resembling a cleanse was borderline ridiculous.

“I think we need to have a cleanse tomorrow. Did you pack a salad or something?” Greta asked Meg, her tone half-serious, half-hopeful.

Meg tipped her head to the side, considering the request. “Uh, well, does macaroni salad count?”

Greta’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Your famous macaroni salad?” she asked, practically drooling at the thought. “That’s not exactly light fare, but I’m down.”

Meg laughed, nodding. “Yeah, three cups of mayo isn’t exactly light,” she agreed, a mischievous glint in her eye.

I wrinkled my nose, unable to resist teasing her. “Please tell me there’s more in it than just mayo and macaroni.”

Meg nodded confidently. “Oh, yeah. I call it my rainbow macaroni salad. Lots of veggies.”

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