Free Mia a Matter of Taste by Coco Simon

my backpack and propped it up on the table in front of me. I opened it up, so that it was sort of shielding my face on all sides. Then I quickly slipped out the braces, put them in the container, and then lowered the book.
    That’s when I noticed Katie, Alexis, and Emma staring at me.
    â€œUh, hi,” I said awkwardly.
    â€œWhat was that all about?” Alexis asked.
    â€œI have to take out my braces when I eat,” I explained. “But I don’t want anybody to see me.”
    â€œWhy not?” Emma asked.
    Katie answered for me. “She doesn’t want anyone to know she has braces.”
    â€œBut they’re invisible,” Alexis pointed out.
    â€œNot entirely,” I argued. “They’re shiny and big. See?”
    I smiled, and then quickly closed my mouth. “Listen, it’s not just about the braces. It’s braces and glasses at the same time. Ugh!”
    â€œBut the braces are temporary, and besides, nobody cares what you look like,” Katie said. “And even if you care what you look like, you look great. Like the same old Mia.”
    â€œRight,” agreed Emma. “You look terrific.”
    â€œSpectacular,” Alexis added.
    â€œThanks, guys,” I said. My friends were being so nice that it was hard to stay in a bad mood. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
    â€œSo maybe you can just relax a little,” Katie suggested.
    â€œI’ll try,” I promised. “But if anybody makes fun of me, it’s on you guys!”

CHAPTER 14
We Finally Have a Theme!
    F or the next few days I mostly took my friends’ advice. I put my glasses on when I got to class, and nobody said anything. And I kept quiet about my braces, and nobody said anything about them either. I stopped hiding a book in front of me when I took them out at lunch. I just acted normal, and that seemed to work out pretty well.
    At lunch on Thursday we were talking about our Cupcake Club meeting.
    â€œSo, are we all walking to your house after school, Alexis?” I asked.
    â€œIf it’s okay with you, can we have the meeting at four?” Alexis asked. “I have to, um, do something after school.”
    That was a little bit weird, because most timeswe met right after school. Now I’d have to take the bus all the way home and then find somebody to drive me to Alexis’s house. I looked at Katie.
    â€œCan I go to your house from the bus, so we can go together?” I asked.
    Katie and Alexis exchanged a strange look, and then Katie said, “Um, no, my mom doesn’t want me to have anybody over when she’s not there.”
    That didn’t make sense. “But we’ve done that before,” I pointed out.
    Katie shrugged. “I don’t know. She must be going through a ‘strict’ phase. You know how she can get.”
    Katie’s mom did have some unusual rules, so I didn’t think too much of it. Plus, Mom is usually home in the afternoon, so I knew she could drive me.
    So at four o’clock Mom dropped me off at Alexis’s house. The outside of the house is just as neat as it is on the inside. The bushes by the front door are always trimmed into perfect globe shapes, and I swear the lawn never looks like it grows—the grass is always the same height.
    When I knocked on the door, Alexis answered from inside.
    â€œJust come in!”
    I obeyed and followed the sound of her voice to the kitchen. Alexis, Emma, and Katie were all sitting around the kitchen table, and each one of them was wearing glasses!
    I started laughing. “Oh my gosh! What did you guys do?”
    â€œWe’re supporting you!” Emma said.
    â€œIf you’re going to be Four Eyes, then we’re all Four Eyes!” Alexis added proudly.
    â€œDon’t we look great?” Katie asked. “We got reading glasses at the dollar store and took the lenses out.”
    I was really touched. And more than