Free Trolls Prequel Novel by Jen Malone Page B

worries. We’ll just go back to the pros-and-cons chart. I have a plan, and I’m sticking to it.
    “Okay, I’m putting ‘radically delicious’ in the pros column,” I tell her. “Quick, give me something for the cons side without thinking too hard on it.”
    “A con. Got it,” says Harper. “They’re too…too dependent on the weather.”
    My forehead crinkles. “Say what? They’re cupcakes and brownies and Danishes. How are those dependent on the weather? Personally speaking, I could eat them any time of year! And we’ll be inside a pod, so exactly what weather are we talking about here?”
    “Well, for instance, if too many Trolls are crammed inside for the opening, maybe it’ll get really hot, and the icing on the brownies could melt….” Harper tries, but she doesn’t sound all that convincing.
    I shrug. “If you insist.”
    I duck my head and write
not heat-resistant
in the cons column. In the pros column, I add
Everyone will leave happy, because they’ll have a full stomach,
then turn the sheet so Harper can see.
    “Right, but what if they get
too
full and leave with stomachaches?”
    I add that to the cons list then give her a big smile. “See, we’re getting somewhere!”
    Harper doesn’t look convinced. “We are? We have an even number in both columns, and I can’t think of anything else to add.”
    I check to make sure I have the pen facing the right way this time before sticking the end in my mouth and chewing. “Okay, well, we’re only on the first entry. Let’s move on and come back to Cooper later.”
    Harper’s shoulders are a bit slumpy, but she nods.
    “Okay, great! So next we had DJ Suki. How can we forget her dance party?”
    “How could
anyone
forget that dance party? It went on for half the morning, and most of Troll Village joined in!”
    I pause to scribble
brings the party
in the pros column. “Not AT ALL a bad quality in an opening exhibit. Her music will make sure everyone has a great time.”
    Harper nods slowly, but it seems to me like her thoughts are suddenly a million miles away. She snaps her fingers. “Yes, that’s it!”
    She looks at me expectantly, but all I can do is stare back. “You’re going to have to give me a little something more to go on there, Harp.”
    “Sorry, sorry. It’s just…I figured out what was bothering me about Cooper’s entry, and it’s the same thing that’s bothering me about DJ Suki’s!”
    I sit up straight and focus my eyes on hers, indicating that I’m all ears.
    “Okay. I love Cooper’s desserts, and so does everyone else, because they’ve had them before. And because they can get them from Cooper any time they want. Same with DJ Suki’s music. It’s incredible, but it’s not something the other Trolls have never experienced before. Know what I mean?”
    Hmm.
I’m sure there’s a different way of looking at this; I just have to figure out what that is.
    Harper continues, “Technically speaking, no one has seen every one of Biggie’s portraits, and definitely not all in one place, the way he displayed them, but it’s a pretty rare day in Troll Village when Biggie isn’t offering up a new Mr. Dinkles picture to anyone who will look. And Smidge!”
    “What about her?” I ask.
    “Well, she’s crazy-proud of her hair stunts—”
    I interrupt, “Yep, and who could blame her?”
    “True,” Harper agrees, “but that means she is always exhibiting them, and everyone’s already seen them before.”
    I refuse to let Harper go down this rabbit hole. “Well, I didn’t get to witness Satin and Chenille’s collection, but I’m guessing the outfits they showed you were newer than new. And judging by what they’ve done in the past, I’m positive they were incredible.”
    Harper nods and her eyes lose focus as she stares into space above my head. “You have a point there.”
    I smirk. “I
knew
we just had to keep going to find the solution. And Guy Diamond’s?
Definitely
new.”
    Okay, sure, so Guy