Read Online How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer by Taryn Souders - Free Book Online Page B

Ms. Jacqueline, but definitely not enough for Mrs. Peghiny to let me handle the cupcake portion of her ice cream parlor. I wasn’t worried though—once I signed up for the cake decorating elective and had Ms. Jacqueline teaching several hours a day for a whole week, I’d be ready.
    As the first week ended, our instructors took a few minutes during their sessions to tell us what we’d be doing if we chose their elective for the following week. At the science lab, Dreamy Dave, as Pogo and I secretly referred to him, got our attention by blasting music from the Beach Boys.
    â€œYo, check it!” he said. “Tomorrow is Saturday, and you will choose which awesome instructor you want to have for your elective. If you dudes and dudettes decide to stick to science, I guarantee a slammin’ time!”
    â€œI’m sticking here!” someone yelled.
    â€œThat’s awesome, bro.” Dave continued. “In the science lab, you’ll work on your own experiment throughout the week. When your parents come next Saturday night, we’ll put on a science extravaganza so they can see the craziness you’ve been up to!” He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “Peace out!”
    I summed up our choices over dinner. “The vet med people get their own animal for a week, the sports jocks will have a tournament, science does a science fair, and Ms. Jacqueline already said the cake decorating group will make the desserts for the grand finale banquet.” I turned to Nathan. “Which elective are you going to take?”
    â€œI think I’ll go for the science lab. I’ve got an idea for an experiment.”
    â€œWhat is it?” I asked.
    Nathan leaned back in his chair with his hands locked behind his head and grinned. “I’ll tell you once I know my spot in the lab is set and we’ve started. I don’t want anyone stealing my idea.”
    Sebastian chased a tomato around his plate with his fingers. “I bet your idea is not as bueno as mine.”
    Pogo turned to him. “You’re doing science lab too?”
    â€œ Si —yes. And you?”
    â€œI’m also picking science!” Pogo said. She seemed extra jittery—I guess she was thinking about the sign-ups tomorrow. Her right leg started bouncing up and down and knocked the table. We all grabbed our drinks to keep them from toppling over.
    â€œWhat experiment are you going to do?” I asked her.
    â€œDon’t know yet,” Pogo said but then scowled. “I think I want to invent something though. Maybe a new type of lock for King Arthur’s stall—that should be a piece of cake.”
    Sebastian looked puzzled. “You will be giving a goat a piece of cake?”
    Nathan laughed. “No. ‘Piece of cake’ means it will be easy.”
    I shook my head. “That animal is a whole basket of crazy.”
    â€œ But he is cute,” Pogo said. She nibbled on a fry. “He has those floppy ears and that blank expression—it’s like he always needs a hug or something.”
    â€œYou mean something like a brain?” I suggested. I was still furious with him for eating Mr. Snuffles and earning me a demerit.
    â€œOh, don’t pick on him,” she said. “He’s confused, that’s all.” She banged the underside of the table with her leg again.
    I grabbed my drink. “Well, I’m going for cake decorating. Mrs. Peghiny said if I took the class and did well, she’d pay me to decorate cupcakes at the parlor—then I can buy a new bike.” Since Nathan and Sebastian were from the same town as me, they knew how awesome Peghiny’s Ice Cream Parlor was.
    â€œMmmm…I want a piece of that pie,” Nathan said.
    â€œWhat pie?” said Sebastian.
    I shook my head. “No, Sebastian—Nathan means he wants in on the action. He probably thinks I’ll sneak him some extra dessert from class,