Page 35 of It's in the Contract
I flush, remembering the bake sale thing she’s prepping for and how she tried to rope me into helping. “Oh, no. Not really. I like to watch the food network.”
“So do I! Do you have a favorite chef?”
I open my mouth, but before I can say, “Alex Guarnaschelli,” Zeke ambles into the kitchen and takes a cookie off of the least burnt tray.
“Callie! You’re here!” He chews and swallows. “I’m so sorry. I was finishing up a boss battle in Zelda: Breath of the Wild.”
“What’s that?” I say at the same time Caroline says, “How are they?” She gives her son an imploring look.
He polishes off the cookie and gives his mom two thumbs up. “They’re great, Mama!”
She smiles but throws a rag at him. It bounces off his chest and lands on the countertop. “You say that about everything. I can’t trust your opinion.”
Mia rushes over to Zeke to show him the misshapen blob she’s created, and he beams and praises her artistic skills.
My heart squeezes, and I don’t know why.
“Try one, will you, Callie?” Caroline says.
“Oh, no. I—I can’t.” I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but I can NOT gain weight. Not before Homecoming. I have to fit into that dress.
Caroline’s face falls.
“Okay,” I say. “Just one.” I pick up a double chocolate cookie and take a bite. Chocolate melts in my mouth and the taste mostly covers up the burned edges. “It’s really good,” I say after swallowing. “The texture is perfect—chewy but still soft. Not cakey at all, so you had the ratio of butter to flour spot on. I think if you baked them for a minute or two less they’d be perfect.”
She smiles from ear to ear. “I’ll take that.”
Before I think better of it I say, “A few months ago I made cookies like these. They were double chocolate, and I put a Rolo in them before baking, and then when they came out of the oven the caramel was all warm and gooey. It was heaven. Especially with sea salt on top.” I close my eyes. I only kept myself from devouring the whole batch by giving them to our neighbors. Mom got mad at me for torturing her with delicious smells. Caramel is her favorite flavor, and, I’m sorry, but caramel flavored protein shakes just don’t cut it.
Now I wonder if those cookies were part of what led up to Mom throwing away my baking stuff and banning me from doing it forever. Maybe it wasn’t as spur-of-the-moment as I thought.
I open my eyes, and Zeke and Caroline are staring at me. Mia makes grunting noises as she beats her play dough into submission at the table.
“What?” I say.
Caroline gives me a knowing smile. “Those cookies sound fabulous.”
I blush. I shouldn’t have said anything. But Caroline doesn’t push the fundraiser thing again, which is a relief. I hate saying no to people.
I turn to Mia to escape my discomfort. “That looks really cool, Mia. Is it a . . . dog?”
Mia swivels her head to me and glares with her deep brown eyes. “It’s a zombie. I’m practicing smashing them for the apolocalypsie.”
Zeke purses his lips together, hiding a laugh. “It’s apocalypse, Mia. Remember?”
Caroline puts her hands on her hips. “So it was you?”
“C’mon, Callie,” Zeke takes my hand and pulls me toward his room. His fingers are warm in mine. “Let’s make our plan.”
Fourteen
Filming is moving forward, but Ben Carter seems to be struggling with the role. Was he really the right choice?
Article clip by The LA Reporter magazine.
Zeke sitson the loveseat in his room, inviting me with a gesture to do the same. I sit next to him, not too close but not too far. I notice that none of the boxes that line the walls of his room have been unpacked, and the walls are still bare. Besides the mess of boxes, his room is tidy. No dust on the bookshelves, and the bed is neatly made. I approve.
“So . . .” I say. “What do you most want to see in Seattle?”
