Free Alexis and the Missing Ingredient by Coco Simon Page A

averted.

CHAPTER 8
BFFs
    W e took the subway uptown and began walking up Sixth Avenue and suddenly, things began to look familiar.
    â€œHey! It’s Radio City Music Hall!” I cried. “I’ve been there!” I was thrilled to finally have a point of reference, someplace to prove I’d spent some time in New York before. “We came in to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular there once!” I looked proudly at Ava, as if to say, So there , but she was chatting with Katie and hadn’t heard me.
    â€œIsn’t it a classic?” asked Mr. Cruz. “I just love it. I should take you this year, mi amor ,” he said to Mia. “I’ll get us some tickets.”
    Katie and Ava turned to see what he was so excited about.
    â€œOh, I’d love to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with you,” said Mia.
    â€œNo way! This is a Nutcracker year!” exclaimed Ava, grabbing hold of Mia’s hand and swinging it.
    â€œOh! The Nutcracker! I’ve seen that too, a few times. At Lincoln Center,” I said. I practically felt like the mayor at this point!
    â€œWe always go,” said Ava. “I haven’t missed a year since I was three.”
    â€œWow,” I said.
    â€œI’d love to go to both,” said Mia diplomatically.
    â€œWhat’s The Nutcracker again?” asked Katie.
    Ava’s face lit up. “It is a great ballet about a Christmas party, where a girl gets a magical nutcracker as a gift, and then she and her little boyfriend go on a ride to a magical land of sweets. The dancing is amazing, and the costumes are so, so beautiful, and the music!” Ava began singing and dancing along the sidewalk. She was actually pretty good. I noticed she didn’t make fun of Katie for not knowing what The Nutcracker was. Still, I was trying to be the peacemaker. Celebrity Ballroom, I thought.
    â€œHey, that’s right! You’re a ballerina!” I said.
    â€œWell, I study ballet,” Ava admitted modestly.
    â€œOh, you should see her. She’s amazing!” Mia said proudly.
    â€œGosh, I love dance. Of all kinds. Have you ever danced in The Nutcracker ?” I asked.
    â€œWell,” said Ava, looking down shyly. “I might this year. I’ll know soon!”
    â€œWhaaat? Oh, Avy! You didn’t tell me you’d tried out!” squealed Mia.
    Ava blushed. “I didn’t want to say anything until I heard.”
    â€œSo when do you hear?” asked Mia.
    â€œNext week!” cried Ava.
    â€œOoohh!” She and Mia held hands and jumped up and down.
    â€œI tell you, walking down the street with this gaggle is pretty wild!” said Mr. Cruz.
    â€œOh, Papi, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!” said Mia with a laugh.
    I noticed Mia hadn’t given Ava a hard time about not telling her what she was up to. I wondered if it was harder to be the one who leaves or the one who is left. I guess it’s hard both ways.

    At the MOMA, which turned out to stand for the Museum of Modern Art (I figured it out on my own!), Katie and Mia were obsessed with seeing paintings by this artist, Wayne Thiebaud, who was having a big show there. It turns out he’s known forpainting pictures of stuff in bakeries, like cases full of pies or slices of cake lined up on plates, and the paint’s so thick, it looks like real frosting and real filling. The paintings were actually all delicious-looking, so it turned out to be a really fun show to see.
    I wasn’t that into the rest of the art, and luckily, neither was Katie. She and I kind of hung back while the New Yorkers, Mia and Ava, raced from room to room, visiting sculptures and paintings, like they were old friends. Mia’s dad was into it too, which made sense, I guess, since he is an architect.
    â€œI guess it would be pretty cool to grow up here,” admitted Katie as we sat on a leather bench and watched Mia and Ava fearlessly go up to a tour