double-wrapped the soup so it doesn’t spill all over the place,” Freddie said.
“Thanks so much, everybody! This is totally amazing!” Peichi said sincerely.
“Oh, you’re welcome!” Carmen said. “This was great. And thanks to Omar, Connor, and Justin, too. We never could have done it without them.”
The boys clasped their hands over their heads and shook them, as if they’d just won a prizefight. “The new cooking champs are...us!” Omar cheered.
Everyone laughed. “Aren’t you getting a little carried away?” Molly’s voice rang out over the intercom.
“No way!” Connor spoke to Molly over the intercom. The boys began singing, “We are the champions...”
“And modest, too,” Molly commented, her voice filled with laughter.
“We are the champions...” the boys kept on.
“What is this, a new boy band, U Stink?” Freddie teased them.
“Aw, man!” they complained.
“Come on, let’s take these boxes to the car,” Freddie said.
Everyone loaded the trunk of Mrs. Moore’s big old gold Cadillac. The kids piled in, with Mrs. Moore at the wheel and Freddie and Carmen following behind in Freddie’s car. They arrived at the Kramers’ house, a brown-stone on a quiet street. Omar and Justin began unloading the trunk as Freddie pulled up behind them. Carmen and Peichi ran up the steps and rang the bell.
A tall man opened the door. His hair stood up wildly and behind him kids yelled, laughed, threw things, and seemed to be having a great, totally wild time. From somewhere in the house, a dog barked.
“Mr. Kramer, we’re Dish! Here’s your food,” Peichi said.
“Oh,” he said. “I was hoping you were my wife and you’d decided to come back early! But this is almost as good. Come on in.” He held open the door as Omar, Connor, Justin, Freddie, and Mrs. Moore came in, holding boxes of their prepared food.
Point the way to the kitchen, Freddie replied.
“It’s down the hall,” Mr. Kramer told them. “Thanks so much.”
“All the boxes are marked with the day of the week and each item is marked at to what goes with what. The chicken parmigiana and the lasagna are the two dishes for day one and the Italian bread and green salad are marked with a one, so you know that they all go together,” Carmen explained.
“Thanks,” Mr. Kramer said. “You guys are lifesavers! It’s usually a zoo around here, but with my wife gone it’s like a war zone. Whoa, settle down!” he called to four boys who were playing football in the hallway. “Take it outside!” Mr. Kramer pulled out a large envelope. “Here’s your payment,” he said. “But hang on a minute. I want to give you all a big tip!”
He handed the envelopes to Carmen, but she passed them over to Peichi. “She’s one of the owners of the company—we just work for her,” Carmen explained.
Peichi felt herself start to blush. Still, she appreciated Carmen’s words. “Thanks, Mr. Kramer,” she said. “We hope you enjoy your food and Dish appreciates you business. Here are some of our cards so you can pass them on to your friends!”
Everyone piled back into the cars and drove back to the Moores’ house. In the car, Peichi opened the envelopes. “Wow!” she said.
“Good news?” Carmen asked from the front seat.
“Yeah. Even after we pay back Mr. Moore for the ingredients and split this up, I think everyone will be very happy!”
“Don’t forget that Freddie and I did this as a favor. We don’t want any money,” Carmen told Peichi.
“That’s not fair,” Peichi argued.
“Sure it is,” Carmen said. “Someday, make a great lunch for Freddie and me, and we’ll call it even.” Carmen and Freddie headed up the stairs. “But first, we have to finish cleaning up the kitchen.”
“We’ll do that,” Peichi said. “You two have done more than enough. I don’t know how we can ever thank you.”
“Lunch,” Carmen reminded her. “Freddie and I are always available for a great
“Thanks so much, everybody! This is totally amazing!” Peichi said sincerely.
“Oh, you’re welcome!” Carmen said. “This was great. And thanks to Omar, Connor, and Justin, too. We never could have done it without them.”
The boys clasped their hands over their heads and shook them, as if they’d just won a prizefight. “The new cooking champs are...us!” Omar cheered.
Everyone laughed. “Aren’t you getting a little carried away?” Molly’s voice rang out over the intercom.
“No way!” Connor spoke to Molly over the intercom. The boys began singing, “We are the champions...”
“And modest, too,” Molly commented, her voice filled with laughter.
“We are the champions...” the boys kept on.
“What is this, a new boy band, U Stink?” Freddie teased them.
“Aw, man!” they complained.
“Come on, let’s take these boxes to the car,” Freddie said.
Everyone loaded the trunk of Mrs. Moore’s big old gold Cadillac. The kids piled in, with Mrs. Moore at the wheel and Freddie and Carmen following behind in Freddie’s car. They arrived at the Kramers’ house, a brown-stone on a quiet street. Omar and Justin began unloading the trunk as Freddie pulled up behind them. Carmen and Peichi ran up the steps and rang the bell.
A tall man opened the door. His hair stood up wildly and behind him kids yelled, laughed, threw things, and seemed to be having a great, totally wild time. From somewhere in the house, a dog barked.
“Mr. Kramer, we’re Dish! Here’s your food,” Peichi said.
“Oh,” he said. “I was hoping you were my wife and you’d decided to come back early! But this is almost as good. Come on in.” He held open the door as Omar, Connor, Justin, Freddie, and Mrs. Moore came in, holding boxes of their prepared food.
Point the way to the kitchen, Freddie replied.
“It’s down the hall,” Mr. Kramer told them. “Thanks so much.”
“All the boxes are marked with the day of the week and each item is marked at to what goes with what. The chicken parmigiana and the lasagna are the two dishes for day one and the Italian bread and green salad are marked with a one, so you know that they all go together,” Carmen explained.
“Thanks,” Mr. Kramer said. “You guys are lifesavers! It’s usually a zoo around here, but with my wife gone it’s like a war zone. Whoa, settle down!” he called to four boys who were playing football in the hallway. “Take it outside!” Mr. Kramer pulled out a large envelope. “Here’s your payment,” he said. “But hang on a minute. I want to give you all a big tip!”
He handed the envelopes to Carmen, but she passed them over to Peichi. “She’s one of the owners of the company—we just work for her,” Carmen explained.
Peichi felt herself start to blush. Still, she appreciated Carmen’s words. “Thanks, Mr. Kramer,” she said. “We hope you enjoy your food and Dish appreciates you business. Here are some of our cards so you can pass them on to your friends!”
Everyone piled back into the cars and drove back to the Moores’ house. In the car, Peichi opened the envelopes. “Wow!” she said.
“Good news?” Carmen asked from the front seat.
“Yeah. Even after we pay back Mr. Moore for the ingredients and split this up, I think everyone will be very happy!”
“Don’t forget that Freddie and I did this as a favor. We don’t want any money,” Carmen told Peichi.
“That’s not fair,” Peichi argued.
“Sure it is,” Carmen said. “Someday, make a great lunch for Freddie and me, and we’ll call it even.” Carmen and Freddie headed up the stairs. “But first, we have to finish cleaning up the kitchen.”
“We’ll do that,” Peichi said. “You two have done more than enough. I don’t know how we can ever thank you.”
“Lunch,” Carmen reminded her. “Freddie and I are always available for a great
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