Mia a Matter of Taste by Coco Simon Page A

the letters in all different colors, and all around the sign I had drawn some of the designs from our cupcakes: rainbows, hearts, stars, smiley faces, sad faces—everything I could think of. It looked really cool when we hung it up.
    Then we arranged our one hundred cupcakes in a spiral.
    â€œAwesome!” Alexis said.
    â€œIt looks like a crazy kaleidoscope,” Katie added.
    I took out my phone and then snapped a picture. “We totally did it!”
    Alexis began to set up the cash box and calculator, and then Callie, Maggie, Bella, and Olivia walked up to the BFC table. Callie had on her funky glasses, and she looked totally cute.
    â€œHey,” I said. “What are you guys doing?”
    Callie put a big plastic tub on the table and then opened the lid. “Friendship bracelets,” she said, and I looked inside. The tub was filled with braided friendship bracelets in all different colors and patterns.
    â€œOh my gosh, that’s so cool!” I said. “It must have taken forever to make those.”
    â€œHours and hours,” Maggie piped up. “But we’re the Best Friends Club, so friendship bracelets are perfect, right?”
    Katie walked over. “These are really sweet. You know, our booths kind of go together. You’ve got all different kinds of friendship bracelets, and we’ve got all different kinds of cupcakes!”
    Olivia rolled her eyes. “That is sooo corny.”
    I ignored her. “We would look really good wearing friendship bracelets at our booth. How about a trade? Bracelets for cupcakes?”
    â€œWhat?” Alexis asked, alarmed, looking up from her cash box.
    â€œCome on, Alexis,” I said. “We’ll still make plenty of money with our other cupcakes. And it’s good to support fellow entrepreneurs, right?”
    My strategy worked. “All right,” Alexis agreed. “Let’s trade.”
    So we looked through the bracelets, and the BFC looked through our cupcakes. Since we were all wearing our Cupcake Club T-shirts, which are mostly pink and yellow, we found bracelets to match.
    At our table, Maggie took one of Katie’s rainbow cupcakes. Bella found one that Alexis had made with purple icing and black jelly beans. Olivia and Callie picked out ones with edible glitter on top.
    â€œMmm,” Maggie said, biting into her cupcake right away. “Your cupcakes are so good!”
    â€œAnd these bracelets are awesome,” I replied. “Thanks!”
    And then people started pouring into the carnival. A lot of people came up to our table and had fun picking out cupcakes. I was busy helping a cute little kid pick out a cupcake when I heard a familiar voice.
    â€œHey, Mia.”
    I looked up. It was Chris!
    â€œThese cupcakes look good,” he said, and as he talked, I could see the metal braces on his teeth. And you know what? He looked just as cute as ever.
    â€œOh my gosh, you got them!” I exclaimed. “How do you feel?”
    â€œReally sore,” he admitted. “I would love a cupcake, but I don’t know if I could eat it.”
    â€œI have just the one,” I said, and I searched the kaleidoscope until I found the almost-naked cupcake I had made. “This one’s got no toppings. It’s nice and soft and mushy. Sometimes plain vanilla is just what you need.”
    Chris smiled. “Thanks,” he said, fishing in his pocket to pay me. “You’re the best.”
    And then the thing I said next just kind of came out. “So, maybe we could hang out sometime?” Isaid. “When your braces aren’t hurting.”
    Chris smiled again. “Definitely. I’ll text you, okay?”
    â€œOkay.”
    Chris walked away, and I felt like I was floating on a cloud. It wasn’t just because of what happened with Chris. It was because I felt like me again. I looked at the “Come as You Are” cupcakes and smiled. Because from now on I knew I