Vote for Cupcakes! by Sheryl Berk Read Free Book Online Page A

your attention, please,” Kylie said. All eyes turned to the center of the gym and PLC’s enormous display. “In honor of the Blakely Winter Fest, Peace, Love, and Cupcakes gives you a winter wonderland!”
    Herbie flipped a switch on the side of the globe, and the entire dome suddenly filled with swirling powdered sugar that settled delicately on the tops of the cupcakes. The students—and Principal Fontina—oohed and aahed.
    â€œHerbie, you’re a genius,” Kylie whispered to him. “The powdered sugar is brilliant! Now our cupcakes won’t be soggy!”
    â€œI have my moments,” Herbie said with a wink.
    â€œThank goodness you ditched the whole idea of it snowing indoors,” Lexi said. “That had disaster written all over it.”
    â€œAbout that,” Herbie added. “I didn’t ditch it entirely…”
    He took the mic and faced the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, if you will all turn your attention overhead…”
    â€œOh no, he didn’t…” Lexi said, squeezing Kylie’s hand. “I can’t watch!”
    Herbie hit a switch on his remote control, but nothing happened. “That’s funny,” he said. “It must be jammed.”
    â€œ Gracias a Dios ,” Jenna said. “It doesn’t work!”
    â€œYeah, what she said,” Sadie added. “Please give it up, Herbie. We don’t need another flood!”
    But Herbie didn’t want to give up. He kept flicking the switch on his remote while the students grew restless.
    â€œThe pressurizer must have gotten clogged,” he said. “This shouldn’t be happening. I tried it out, and it worked flawlessly.”
    Delaney saw how disappointed he was and took Kylie aside. “This means a lot to him. Can’t we help?”
    Kylie looked over and saw how upset their adviser was. “Guys, let’s give Herbie a chance to figure it out. He didn’t let us down, and we shouldn’t let him down.”
    â€œI have an idea,” Delaney chimed in. “We need a distraction.”
    She grabbed the mic out of Herbie’s hand. “Hi, everyone! While we wait for our amazing, one-of-a-kind, awesome display to work, my friends from Peace, Love, and Cupcakes and I would like to entertain you with a song.”
    â€œWe would?” Kylie gasped. “Laney, we don’t have a song! And I don’t sing!”
    Delaney grabbed Lexi, who she knew had a great voice. “You’re on harmony,” she whispered. “Kylie, Jenna, Sadie, you guys are our backup dancers.”
    â€œWhat do I do?” Sadie asked in a panic.
    â€œSway, shimmy, bop,” Delaney suggested. “I dunno. Look like you’re having fun and not panicking!”
    It felt good, Delaney thought, to take charge—practically presidential. She began to sing: “There’s no business like snow business like no business I know!”
    Lexi improvised the next verse: “Everything about it is so chilly…icy, slushy, slidey, and such fun!”
    Then Delaney continued: “That’s when I stay warm inside my kitchen, start baking cupcakes by the ton…”
    Suddenly, something overhead sputtered and crackled. The lights in the gym went off, and everyone was left standing in the dark.
    â€œMr. Dubois!” Principal Fontina shouted. “Fix this immediately!”
    â€œOn it!” Herbie said, shining his flashlight and climbing a ladder to check the snow machine he’d mounted on the ceiling. “Gimme a sec.”
    There was a loud bang , then a plop , then the lights came back on. A pile of snow was now sitting on top of Principal Fontina’s head and melting down her face.
    â€œOopsie,” Herbie said apologetically. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
    But before their principal could yell, small white snowflakes began delicately dancing through the air. It was beautiful…and