if i got three wishes, first i'd find out all about how wishes work

[self_composed]

Bella brings two blank notebooks to school the next day. Her old one is safely computerized and boxed up with its predecessors.

At lunch, she sits with Angela; Jessica and Eric and Lauren sit at the same table but mostly talk to each other, and Mike is nowhere to be seen.

Bella is just about on time to gym, thanks to an overnight icing that means she has to pick her way with extreme care across the slippery grass or the slick sidewalks. The second time she falls down, she gives up on attempting any dignity at all, and, cradling her thwacked elbow, scoots the rest of the way to the gym on her rear. This leaves her with damp jeans but no further injuries, and they were a little damp anyway from the falls.

She doesn't have time to do more than smile and wave at Alice on her way to get her mat and get out of the way of careening balls. She spends the class doing the subset of her safe activities that won't stress her elbow.

Comments

[edgeofyourseat]

"Well, one of these cake books is called Piece of Cake," says Hilary, "and the other one... is that one."

Alice closes a cupboard, turns around, and holds up a small, glossy recipe book. The cover is a high-quality photograph of a black forest cake topped with whipped cream coloured to resemble flames, on a red background, under the title Devilish Desserts.

[self_composed]

"Oooh," sighs Bella. "I probably don't even have the equipment to make some of those at home, let alone the skill."

[edgeofyourseat]

"You probably don't," Hilary agrees. "Laney, any preferences? Why am I asking you, you never want things. Bella!" She makes a gesture that causes Alice to hand Bella the recipe book. "Pick something that looks tasty and/or frightening."

[self_composed]

"Ooh." Bella take the book and flips through. "Oooh-ooh-ooh. Are we ingredient-limited at all?" She stops at a page with a towering layer cake, cut open to reveal stripes of crumb and frosting under a thick coating of white rosettes. "Maple Caramel Coconut Butter Cake," Bella reads. "Wow."

[edgeofyourseat]

"The sky's the limit," says Hilary. "We're freshly stocked."

Alice peers over Bella's shoulder at the picture. "I like that one," he announces.

[self_composed]

Bella laughs aloud. "This thing has three kinds of frosting in it! Let's do it!"

[edgeofyourseat]

"Excellent," says Hilary, clapping her hands. "Battle stations! Laney, put the book up."

Alice obligingly attaches the book to a convenient contraption on the door of the fridge and adjusts the clamps until all parts of the recipe are visible and the book isn't going to fall out anytime soon.

"Bella," Hilary continues in the meantime, "would you be so kind as to get me a large and a small mixing bowl out of that cupboard?" She points.

[self_composed]

Bella fetches mixing bowls as instructed. She bumps her head on the cupboard and does her best to be discreet in pocketing her new square.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Careful there," says Hilary. (Alice snickers.) "Thank you, just set them down over there." She drifts over to the fridge and starts calling out ingredients to be assembled, carefully specifying where each one might be found. Alice hops to it.

[self_composed]

"Sorry, I'm just really terribly clumsy," Bella says. "I don't know if that's one of the things my dad mentioned." She helps find ingredients too, humming to herself quietly.

[edgeofyourseat]

"She has to sit out of gym in case she breaks something," Alice volunteers.

...And glances over at Bella, thoughtfully.

[self_composed]

"I might try getting back in when we switch from volleyball to badminton!" Bella says brightly. "Badminton's probably pretty safe!"

Not for her, but she can probably convince Ms. Finch if she immediately fixes any bruises and scratches she collects.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Knock yourself out," says a grinning Alice.

"Less casual sadism, more butter," says Hilary, handing him a block of butter and a knife.

[self_composed]

"Knocking myself out would be an undesirable outcome," hums Bella, fetching shaved coconut from the fridge.

[edgeofyourseat]

"All right, I will make the caramel," says Hilary. "Can you two manage the first round of dry ingredients by yourselves?"

"Probably," says Alice.

[self_composed]

"I think so," Bella agrees, looking at the recipe.

[edgeofyourseat]

"Then get to it!"

"Yes ma'am," says Alice, laughing. He moves over to where things such as flour have been lined up next to the large mixing bowl.

[self_composed]

Bella starts scooping measuring cups into containers. In the presence of the cake deity, she even bothers to sift the flour.

[edgeofyourseat]

Hilary busies herself at the stove with butter, sugar, and the mysteries of the cosmos. Alice pours things and fetches other things and lends his supply of muscle power to the task of stirring. All in all, it is a very cheerful kitchen.

[self_composed]

When the cake's several layers are each in the oven, and the various frostings are in their bowls and in the piping bag ready for application, Bella leans with a happy sigh against the counter. "Well," she says. "That's that, for the next thirty to thirty-five minutes."

[edgeofyourseat]

"Job well done," Hilary agrees. "And would you look at that," she opens a drawer with one hand and picks up a pot off the stove with the other, "leftover caramel and three spoons. Dig in, kids."

[self_composed]

Bella laughs gleefully and takes a spoon - and a big scraping of caramel from the bowl, too.

[edgeofyourseat]

Alice waits until Hilary has taken her spoonful before he grabs his. Of course, that means he gets to go all the way around the bottom and end up with a glob of caramel on his spoon that looks like it is about to fall off any second.

Nom!

[self_composed]

"I don't think I ever got to the point of seeing your favorite book," Bella remarks to Alice. "I became distracted by that other book and then we wandered off."

[edgeofyourseat]

He swallows his current mouthful of caramel and says, "That is very true! Wanna go give it another shot? With less falling this time?"