“Awww,” Ms. Holly said when Charles talked about how cute Buddy was, with his soft brown fur and the white spot on his chest that was shaped like a heart. “I love dogs, but I’m allergic. You’re so lucky.”
Charles knew he was lucky. Being a foster family was the best thing that had ever happened, and getting to keep Buddy was the icing on the cake.
Like … peppermint icing! Kendra had mixed up a bowlful of the stuff while they waited for their cupcakes to finish baking. Now, Charles poked a clean spoon into the bowl so he could taste the beautiful pink frosting. The flavor was sparkly and sweet. “Wow!” he said. “It’s delicious!”
When the cupcakes were finally done, Ms. Holly helped pull them out of the oven. Charles and Luis popped them out of the tins and set them on a rack to cool. After a few minutes, Alivia spread a thick layer of pink frosting on each one. Then Kendra sprinkled flakes of crushed peppermint candy over the tops—and their creation was ready, just in time for the judging. They cleaned up their workstation while Ms. Holly walked around the room, looking over the finished cupcakes.
When she tasted Team Yummy’s entry, Ms. Holly closed her eyes and pretended to faint. “Whoa,” she said. “You guys really outdid yourselves. The flavor combination, the beautiful pink look, the candy sprinkles, the whole concept. It’s a home run. Today’s winner is definitely Team Yummy.”
Charles and his teammates jumped up and down, giving each other high fives. “Yes!” yelled Luis. “Team Yummy rules!”
Charles knew their cupcakes were the best, but he tasted all the other teams’ cupcakes, just to be sure. The rainbow ones that Team Scrumptious made looked really cool, but the flavor wasn’t very exciting. He liked the butterscotch frosting on Team Tasty’s cupcakes, but it didn’t exactly go with the strawberry- flavored cake part. He had to agree with Ms. Holly. It was Team Yummy for the win.
Charles was buzzing as he ran out to meet Mom, who had come to pick him up. Ms. Holly followed the class outside to make sure everyone had a ride home. She waved at some other moms and called out a greeting to one of the dads. Then she peered into the Petersons’ van. “Wait a minute,” she said. “That’s not Buddy.”
Don’t miss any of these other stories by Ellen Miles!
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Bear
Bella
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Boomer
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Champ
Chewy and Chica
Cocoa
Cody
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Flash
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Goldie
Gus
Honey
Jack
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Lola
Louie
Lucy
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Molly
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Rocky
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Stella
Sugar, Gummi, and Lollipop
Sweetie
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Zipper
Copyright © 2020 by Ellen Miles
Cover art by Tim O’Brien
Original cover design by Steve Scott
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First printing 2020
e-ISBN 978-1-338-58982-5
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