Free Alexis and the Missing Ingredient by Coco Simon

and then pretended to cast a spell on us, so we wouldn’t want any more cupcakes.
    â€œI’m with you, Mr. Cruz. All this cupcake mania is wearing me down,” said Ava.
    â€œIt helps to have a theme,” snapped Mia.
    â€œOkay, you two!” I singsonged. Ka-ching! Ten minutes of Celebrity Ballroom for me!
    We shopped on, hitting a cool kids’ bookstorecalled Books of Wonder and some baking supply stores for Katie (Ava waited outside), and we wound up in a long but fast-moving line for burgers at the Shake Shack, which is a hamburger stand in the middle of a park. Once we got our food and sat on a bench to eat it, I could not believe how delicious it was.
    â€œOh, boy. I wish Emma was here. She’d love this!” I said.
    This time I definitely caught Mia and Katie exchanging a look.
    â€œWhat?” I asked.
    Katie took a deep breath. “It’s just . . . Why do you always talk about Emma? Aren’t we your best friends too?”
    I was taken aback. “I don’t mean it that way,” I said. “I just . . . I know she’d love all this stuff, and I feel bad she’s not here for it. Especially since we’re all here making these memories, and we won’t really be able to talk about it back home or she’ll feel left out, you know?”
    Mia looked down at her burger thoughtfully. “You know, it would have been more fun if it was the four of us,” she admitted.
    â€œIt is the four of us!” snarled Ava.
    Mia looked up, surprised. “Oh! Sorry. No, Imeant, the four of us from home. You’re always here. It’s just a given!”
    Ava was huffy. “I might not always be here. You never know.”
    â€œCome on, Avy,” said Mia, grabbing her in a sideways hug. “You’re home to me, mi amor !”
    â€œHey, I thought I was home!” Mr. Cruz protested, and we all laughed. We’d kind of forgotten he was there, which is I think the best thing you can say about a parent sometimes.
    â€œOh, boy. So many people to please,” said Mia, shaking her head. I felt sorry for her. It would be exhausting to have this ping-pong life, Mom to Dad, city to suburb, Katie to Ava. Phew.
    â€œYou don’t have to please me, anyway!” I said cheerfully. “I’m about as pleased as I can be with this ShackBurger and my black-and-white shake!” (Ten more minutes of Ballroom !)
    â€œOh no, speaking of shakes!” cried Katie. Her shake had spilled. “Anyone have a napkin?”
    â€œI do!” I yelled, and I hopped up to share the pile of napkins I’d grabbed.
    â€œAlways prepared,” said Mia, shaking her head and laughing.
    â€œYou say it like it’s a bad thing!” I said, kind of joking but a little hurt.
    â€œIt’s a good thing,” said Mr. Cruz. “Trust me.”
    â€œThat’s why we keep you around!” joked Katie. But it didn’t really come out as a joke.
    â€œHa-ha,” I said lamely, but there was an awkward silence, and I think everyone was wondering for a minute if that was why they kept me around. Or at least I know I was wondering.
    â€œWhy do you keep me around?” Ava asked lightly, but I could tell she was kind of fishing.
    â€œBecause you know me . . . You’ve known me longer than anyone, and you’re fun,” said Mia decisively.
    â€œAhem,” said Mr. Cruz.
    â€œSorry, longer than anyone except my parents!” said Mia, laughing and shaking her head again. “You see? I can’t win!”
    â€œOkay, so why do you keep me around?” asked Katie.
    â€œBecause you’re fun also, and you make me laugh,” said Mia.
    â€œAnd what about me?” said Mr. Cruz. “Why do you keep me around?”
    â€œBecause you pay for everything!” Mia giggled.
    â€œOhhhh!” said Mr. Cruz, pretending Mia had shot him in the heart, and then we all laughed. Another crisis