Free Boiling Point by Diane Muldrow

point? You’re cooks—?”
    The twins rolled their eyes and giggled.
    “Yeah. I get it, Dad,” said Amanda. She smiled at him. Dad could be so corny sometimes, but she knew he was just trying to make her feel better.
    “It’s not easy being a working girl, is it?” he asked Amanda.
    “No, I guess it isn’t.” She was still sniffling a little.
    “You’re not just a working girl: you’re a business owner,” stated Mom as she set down a plate of corn on the cob. “Even adults find it difficult to run their own businesses.”

    Dad poured iced tea into tall glasses for Mom and himself. “You’ve done so well today, sweetie,” he said.
    “You sure have!” exclaimed Mom. “Think about it—you took the calls and accepted the jobs. You dealt with a demanding and difficult customer who changed the dates on you. You worked out a strategy for cooking food for two jobs. You hired two cooks, bought the supplies, and then had to handle this lady who didn’t pay you.
    Plus, I had to handle Justin, thought Amanda, and Molly didn’t even want him here. And I had tohandle Peichi.
    “Wow! I rock!” she said in a perky voice, which made Mom and Dad chuckle.
    Molly squirmed. All of Amandas wonderfulness was making her look bad. She felt as if the word SLACKER were stamped on her forehead.
    She cleared her throat. “I cooked, too,” she said. “And I did all the cleanup after everybody left.”
    “And she broke something,” Matthew blurted out. He grinned wickedly. “There was glass all over the floor!”
    “What did you break?” asked Mom, looking alarmed.
    Molly’s cheeks burned.
    “A measuring cup,” she said, glaring at Matthew. “Nothing valuable. Sorry.”
    She felt the word SLACKER change to LOSER. She pretended to scratch her forehead, to make sure it wasn’t really there. Molly sighed. Why did I go to Chinatown with Peichi? she wondered for the hundredth time.

    As the twins brought the dishes into the kitchen after dinner, Amanda fold Molly, “I want to go to bed. Right now. And I want to stay there all day tomorrow.”
    “We really need to write Shawn,” Molly reminded her.
    Amanda sighed dramatically. “Oh, yeah. Okay.”
    The twins headed info the den, turned on the computer, and began to type.

chapter 11
    T he next morning, Molly and Amanda were awakened by the squeaking, scraping sounds of Matthew practicing his violin.
    “ Ugh ,” moaned Molly. She put her pillow over her head, but it was no use. “Why is he practicing so early?” she complained. “Do you think he’ll ever be any good at it?”
    “Are you still grounded?” asked Amanda.
    “Nope.”
    “Good. You can go with me to Ms. Tightwad’s house right after breakfast.”
    An hour later, Molly led the way up the steps of Brenda Barlow’s brick row house and rang the bell. The twins listened for the sound of footsteps.
    No one came to the door.
    But Molly put her ear closer to the door and looked at Amanda with big eyes.
    Amanda moved her ear closer, too.
    “Sounds like footsteps,” whispered Molly
    Annoyed, Molly rang the bell again.
    No one answered.
    “I guess she’s not home,” said Amanda. The twins turned and walked down the steps. As they walked away, Molly turned back and looked up.
    Was someone moving the drapes upstairs?
    Molly stopped walking. “I think she’s upstairs!” she whispered.
    “What’s with this lady?” said Amanda. “That’s it. I’m ringing the bell one more time!”
    But still no one came to the door.

    “What should we do?” the twins asked their parents that night.
    “Hmmm,” said Mom. “I’m not sure. I think you should give her a few more days—”
    “But do we have to keep going over there?” asked Amanda.
    “Give her a call tomorrow,” suggested Dad. “Ask Ms. Barlow what time you should drop by for the money.”
    Both Molly and Amanda wrinkled their noses.
    “Oh, I hate to call grown-ups,” whined Molly.
    “Me, too,” said Amanda. “Can’t you call, Dad? Or