Mia's Recipe for Disaster by Coco Simon Read Free Book Online Page A

running toward me as the ball bounced out-of-bounds.
    â€œIt’s not your fault,” I told her. “All I can think about is my dress. I’m not concentrating on anything!”
    â€œWell, all I can think about is Halloween,” Katie said. “The basketball reminded me of a pumpkin, and I kept thinking about the jack-o’-lanterns Mom and I are going to carve tonight. I should have been more careful with my throw.”
    â€œI’m fine, I swear!” I told her. “Maybe it will clear my head.”
    But it didn’t. In fact, right after gym is when I did those two really not-so-smart things.
    You see, we’re not supposed to text in school, but nobody bothers you if you do it during lunch. So as soon as I sat down, I took out my phone and started texting Millicent.
    It’s Mia from class. Having so much trouble with the side slit on my dress. Help!
    Millicent texted me right back.
    Walk me through it. What’s happening?
    I was so grateful for Millicent’s help that I once again tuned out everything that was going on around me. Katie, Emma, and Alexis were talking about George’s party, but that was the last thing on my mind.
    Then a voice cut through the chatter.
    â€œHey, Mia.”
    I kept one eye on the phone, still texting, and looked up with the other eye. Chris was standing there.
    â€œHi,” I said, my fingers still tapping on the screen.
    â€œSo, um, I sent you a text last night. Did you get it?”
    â€œOh. A text? Last night? I’m not sure.” Actually, Ihad heard a few texts come in last night, but I didn’t check them. I didn’t want to stop working on the dress.
    â€œWell, see, I wanted to ask you something,” Chris said.
    Now, if I could go back in time, I would march right up to myself at this moment and say, Mia, put down the phone! Chris is about to ask you something important! And he’s wearing that cute striped shirt that brings out the green in his eyes! If you don’t put down that phone right now, you will totally regret it!
    But obviously time travel does not exist, because no future Mia showed up to save me from what happened next.
    â€œChris, could I talk to you later?” I asked, looking at the screen. “I’m right in the middle of something.”
    â€œUm, yeah, sure,” Chris said, and if I had been looking at him, I probably would have seen how hurt he looked as he walked away.
    When I finally put down the phone, I saw that Katie, Emma, and Alexis were all staring at me.
    â€œWhat?” I asked.
    â€œUm, did you just totally blow off Chris on purpose?” Katie asked.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” I protested. “I didn’tblow him off. I was polite and said I would talk to him later.”
    â€œThat’s not exactly how it came across,” Alexis said.
    I sighed. “Listen, I can’t worry about every little word that comes out of my mouth right now. I have got to finish this dress!” I said. “Which reminds me, Emma—could we do a dress fitting on Sunday night? I should be done by then. That would give me just enough time to make alterations before we photograph you in it.”
    Emma shook her head. “Sorry. Sunday night we’re going to my aunt’s for my cousin’s birthday. Maybe Saturday?”
    I bit my lower lip. No way would I be done by Saturday.
    â€œUmmmmm . . . I don’t know. Let me think. I was planning on sewing all Saturday afternoon, after we finish the cupcakes for Angelo Ricco’s party.”
    Then Emma got an excited look on her face. “I know! We’re really good friends with the Riccos. I bet Mrs. Ricco would let us do it there.”
    â€œAt the party?” I asked.
    â€œAfter we set up. We could go into one of the bedrooms or something,” Emma said. “I’ll ask her.”
    Once again, if I had a time machine, I mighthave interrupted myself and stopped Emma here.
    Hey,