The first day of fifth grade at Blakely Elementary started off with a bang.

“You won’t believe it,” Lexi said, catching up with Kylie, Sadie, and Jenna at lunch. “Jeremy Saperstone accidentally blew up our science experiment!”

“What? How?” the girls gasped.

“It was so crazy! We were supposed to combine a little vinegar and baking soda so it would fizz. But Jeremy poured in too much and put a lid on the container so Mr. Reidy wouldn’t see. Then he shook it up and the lid blew off, and the whole table was covered with a foamy mess!”

“Did he get in trouble?” asked Jenna.

“No. He explained that he was trying to prove the powerful chemical reaction between acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate, and Mr. Reidy was very impressed. Jeremy’s really smart!” Lexi unpacked her lunch. “I’m lucky to have him as my science partner.”

Jenna raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm…is it me, or does somebody sound like she has a crush on Jeremy Saperstone?”

Sadie and Kylie giggled. “No! I mean, that’s ridiculous!” said Lexi, taking a big bite out of her cream cheese and cucumber sandwich. “I just said he’s smart, that’s all.”

“And cute. Kind of like Justin Bieber, don’t you think?” Kylie teased.

“No, I don’t think he’s cute,” Lexi insisted. “And I’m not talking about this anymore.”

“If you say so,” said Jenna, winking at Lexi. “But we can keep a secret.”

“Ugh,” groaned Lexi, ducking her head under the lid of her lunch box. “I’m sorry I mentioned it!”

• • •

Right after school, Peace, Love, and Cupcakes had its first official meeting with Juliette. “Welcome back, girls!” she said, hugging each of them. “You all got so tall—and, Jenna, I love your new ’do! And, Kylie, you got your ears pierced! Fill me in, girls! What’s new with all of you?”

“Why don’t you tell her about your crush on Jeremy?” Jenna teased Lexi.

Lexi’s cheeks turned red. “Seriously? Can you please stop? I am not crushing on him.” Lexi retreated into a corner. Juliette followed.

“‘The lady doth protest too much,’” her teacher said quietly.

“What does that mean?” asked Lexi.

“It’s a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It means if there wasn’t some truth to it, you wouldn’t get so upset with what your friends are teasing you about.”

Lexi thought for a minute. “So what? I mean, what if I do think Jeremy is a little cute? And smart. Is that such a big deal?”

“No, it’s not. And it’s your business, no one else’s. Just ignore them, Lexi. The more you get mad—”

“The more they’ll tease me, I get it.”

Juliette smiled. “Good! Let’s get down to baking business!”

The girls ran through their entire list of special orders for the next few weeks, everything from a Star Wars–themed birthday party (Jenna suggested Darth Vader Dark Chocolate Cupcakes) to a luncheon for the Horticulture Society (Lexi was excited to pipe cupcakes that looked like chrysanthemums).

“Principal Fontina asked if we could make 750 cupcakes to sell at the Back-to-School Bash in two weeks,” said Juliette. “Doable?”

“I dunno,” said Sadie, eyeing her schedule. “I have track team tryouts next Thursday and basketball practice Fridays, plus special tutoring every Monday for my dyslexia. You should see the pile of homework I have—and it’s just the first day!”

“I can make the fondant decorations ahead of time, so we’ll just have to bake and pipe,” said Lexi. “That should cut down a lot on the time we need to make them. How about this?”

She pulled out her summer sketchbook and showed the girls her drawing of a cupcake topped with a red fondant apple. “It’s very simple to make—a little ball with a stem, and I can shine it up with edible glitter.”

“Cute!” said Jenna. “We could call them ‘Appealing Cupcakes.’ Get it? Apples have a peel?”

“I was thinking an apple cinnamon cupcake with a salted caramel butter cream,” continued Lexi.

“Yum!” said Sadie. “Great idea, Lex! How did you come up with it?”

“My Aunt Dee. She dips pretzels in caramel and it’s really good.”

Kylie nodded. “I like it. And we could bake an extra 250 for Mr. Ludwig at the Golden Spoon as the week’s special.”

“I think Principal Fontina will be very happy,” said Juliette. “What other events do we have coming up?”

Kylie’s hand shot up. “Only my favorite holiday, Halloween! I am counting the days! What should we make this year? Ghostly Guava? Mummy Marshmallow? Bloody Red Velvet?”

Once again, Lexi flipped through the pages of her sketchbook. “How about this?” she said, holding up a drawing of an oozing eyeball on top of a cupcake. “I call it, ‘Eye Love Halloween!’” She giggled at her own pun.

“It’s gross—which is a good thing for Halloween,” said Jenna.

“But we could go even grosser! How about a bloody knife sticking out of a cupcake?” said Sadie.

“How about we pipe pink frosting on a cupcake and make it look like brains?” said Kylie with a devilish glint in her eye. She pulled her notebook out and produced a sketch.

“Ewww!” squealed Jenna and Sadie. “That’s awesome!”

Lexi was quiet. “What do you think, Lexi?” asked Juliette.

Lexi closed her sketchbook. “I think nobody cares what I think,” she said.

“That isn’t true, Lex!” said Kylie. “We make decisions as a club. Every idea is important!”

“Sure, as long as they’re your ideas,” Lexi replied.

“Here we go again,” sighed Jenna. “It’s going to be another fight.”

Juliette clapped her hands together to get everyone’s attention. “Will someone please tell me what’s going here? What happened to the peace in Peace, Love, and Cupcakes?”

Neither Kylie or Lexi responded. “Okay then,” said Juliette. “I’m all for drama, but when it comes to theater, not cupcakes. What can we do to compromise?”

Lexi grabbed her pink-colored pencil and sketched a cupcake with fat, pink, zigzag lines—it looked just like brains. She held it up to Kylie. “I could use a number ten round tip to pipe the frosting.”

Kylie smiled. “Love it. That’s so much better than my flat pink frosting.”

“Now that’s using your brains, Lex,” joked Jenna. The girls all groaned at the joke.

“I suggest we do both eyeballs and brains for Halloween,” added Juliette. “Since they’re both inspired ideas.” Lexi and Kylie nodded. It sounded fair.

Sadie glanced at the clock on the wall. “Uh-oh. It’s 3:25—my mom’s picking me up in five minutes!”

“Then this meeting of PLC is adjourned,” said Kylie, gathering up her notebook. She looked over at Lexi, realizing that she might have sounded too bossy. “Unless we have something more to talk about?”

Lexi shook her head. She was done talking. It only seemed to get her into more trouble, whether it was about her cupcake ideas or her secret crush on Jeremy.

“‘Parting is such sweet sorrow,’” sighed Juliette.

Lexi looked confused. “What does that mean?” Her teacher was certainly speaking in strange riddles today.

“It’s from Romeo and Juliet,” Juliette replied. “It means saying good-bye is both sad and happy. I guess I have Shakespeare on the brain.”

“Why?” asked Lexi.

Juliette smiled mischievously. “That’s for me to know and you guys to find out…tomorrow in drama class.”