Odd Girl In by Jo Whittemore Page A

about.”
    She might as well have slapped me.
    My eyes dropped to the concrete patio, and instantly Emily abandoned her defensive mode.
    â€œOh no, that was too mean, wasn’t it? I’m so sorry!” She squatted beside me and grabbed my hands. “Alexis!”
    â€œIt’s no big deal,” I said, shaking myself free and forcing a laugh.
    Emily didn’t look convinced. She just watched me and waited.
    Finally I blurted, “Okay, yes, it was a big deal! I just get sick of how other people have these great moms who stick around. What was so wrong with me that mine wouldn’t?”
    A knot started building in my throat and I swallowed hard. Emily got to her feet and for a second, I thought I’d scared her off. But then she leaned forward and hugged me.
    â€œThere’s nothing wrong with you,” she said. “It’s totally her loss.”
    I tried to fight back the emotions, but a few tears welled up when I returned her hug. “Thanks.”
    Before it became a Kleenex-fest, our mushy moment was interrupted by a high-pitched beeping that was coming from the kitchen. The faint smell of smoke drifted outside, and my stomach lurched.
    Emily pulled away. “Is the cake done already?”
    â€œNo. Something’s on fire,” I said.
    She gasped and shot upright. “Trevor!”
    We sprinted into the house and almost collided with him as he ran toward us.
    â€œDo you have a fire extinguisher?” he yelled to Emily over the smoke alarm.
    â€œYes, but it’s somewhere in there!” She pointed to the kitchen.
    â€œWait here!” he shouted, and ran off.
    Emily and I followed him without hesitation. She was in love, of course, and I just wanted to see the fire.
    Inside the kitchen, the alarm was earsplitting and smoke poured out of the oven in thick, gray curls. As if that wasn’t scary enough, there was a bright orange glow of fire in the oven.
    Trevor jumped when he saw us. “I can’t find the extinguisher, but it’s Alex’s cake!” He pointed at the flames.
    â€œAlexis! What did you do?” Emily yelled over the smoke alarm.
    â€œI don’t know. I’m a fire magnet!” I climbed onto the counter and fumbled with the smoke detector until it got quiet.
    Emily peered through the glass window in the oven door. “There’s shortening all over the bottom of the pan. You started a grease fire!”
    â€œ You gave me the grease!” I shot back.
    â€œIt doesn’t matter. Let’s just put the fire out,” said Trevor.
    Emily nodded and turned to me. “When I open the oven door, you throw the box of baking soda on the flames, okay?”
    â€œThe box?” I asked. “But …”
    Somewhere outside, a car door slammed. Ms. Success was home.
    Emily looked up in alarm. “Just do it!”
    â€œOkay, I’m on it!” I raced to the counter and searched among the cooking clutter for the baking soda. I couldn’t find it so I grabbed a box of flour instead. “Go!”
    Emily opened the oven door, and instantly smoke filled the room. The detector resumed its earsplitting shriek as I chucked the box of flour into the oven.
    â€œNo!” cried Emily just as the fire started licking at the cardboard. “You weren’t supposed to throw the whole thing on there! What is wrong with you?”
    â€œWell, I didn’t think it made sense either!” I yelled. “But you said throw the box and you’re the—”
    Trevor grabbed both our arms, his eyes fixed on the oven. “You used baking soda, right?”
    The way the color was draining out of his face, I was tempted to lie. “Uh, no,” I stammered. “I couldn’t find any so I used flour.”
    An expression of terror crossed Trevor’s face. “Flour acts just like gasoline! Run!”
    â€œHuh?”
    He yanked Emily and me towards the door. Before we’d even reached the