If the Shoe Fits (Whatever After #2) by Sarah Mlynowski

carefully. Mmm. Those cookies smell good. I wonder if I could trade a brownie sample for a chocolate chip cookie?
    I look across the counter. Kayla is staring right at me.
    “Hi, Abby,” she says.
    It’s over. Kayla is going to tell her mother. They’ll drag us home and lock Cinderella and Jonah and me in the attic, and Cinderella’s Crownies will be over before it ever really began.
    “What are you doing here?” Kayla demands. “What are Cinderella’s Crownies?”
    “They’re … they’re …” I try to come up with some sort of lie, but instead I shove the plate under her nose. “Try one.”
    She shrugs. Takes a bite. Chews. “Wow,” she says. “These are great! Crownies, they’re called?”
    “Excuse me,” says the cookie lady. “Would you mind going to the other side of the counter? We’re selling cookies here, not cookie imitations. Please remove yourself from the premises.”
    These are crownies, not cookie imitations, thank you very much. I walk around the counter to Kayla.
    “Yup,” I say to Kayla. “Crownies.”
    “And Cinderella made them?”
    I nod.
    “I’m impressed! And she’s selling them at the market?”
    I hesitate but nod again.
    “What for? Oh, I know. I bet she’s trying to make money so she can move out.”
    My mouth drops open. “How did you know?”
    She shakes her head. “It’s not easy living with my mom. And my sister’s no picnic, either. I should know.”
    I can’t help but be surprised. “What do you mean? Don’t you like living with them?”
    “I don’t have a choice. I can’t leave my mother and sister. But Cinderella can. She should. They treat her like a slave!”
    “Um, she does your laundry, too. And makes your meals. And your bed. You kind of treat her like a slave, too.”
    Her cheeks turn red. “I guess you’re right. I shouldn’t. I don’t mean to.” She sighs. “But you’re right. I do. Correction. I did .”
    “I don’t understand. How have you only realized this now? It’s been going on for years!”
    She sighs again. “This is going to sound strange, but somethingunfair happened to me recently and it made me think about all the other unfair stuff that happens all the time.”
    I wonder what she’s talking about. I guess she means what happened with the prince. “Unfair stuff happens all the time,” I say, “but what’s happening to Cinderella is super unfair.”
    “I know.” She bites her lower lip. “How can I help?”
    “You really want to help?” I want to believe her. I really do. But what if she’s setting us up?
    “I really, really do,” she says, eyes wide.
    “What about your mom and sister? Are they here?”
    “No, it’s just me. They dropped me off. Told me I was moping too much. Told me to buy something to make me feel better. I picked up a new pair of shoes.” She motions to her satchel. “I’m taking the parriage back home later.”
    I give her a long, hard stare. She seems earnest. I want to believe her, really I do. But I don’t want to be gullible. “Okay,” I say, finally. “You can help.”
    I’ll give her a chance, but I’m still going to keep an extra-special eye on her.
    Maybe I need one of those creepy green eye necklaces after all.
     
    “Step right up, step right up!” Kayla hollers. “Cinderella’s crownies for sale!”
    I can’t believe it — Kayla is selling Cinderella’s crownies. And she’s selling a lot of them. She’s a natural. She even bought a few for herself — for a dollar each! It was her idea to jack up the price back to a dollar.
    Jonah and Cinderella almost had heart attacks when I brought Kayla over, but I vouched for her and so far so good.
    It seems she really has changed. I do feel bad that she’s still pining for the prince. But Cinderella and the prince are meant-to-be. You can’t get in the way of meant-to-be.
    I’m sad she’s sad, but I’m also happy she’s becoming a nicer person. Sometimes tough experiences change you for the better, I