Sweet Victory Read Online Free Page B

flavors…Herbie’s ukulele…” Kylie jotted down a list. “Are we leaving anything out?”
    â€œHello? The big 3–0!” Lexi reminded her. “It’s a thirtieth birthday party. How do we represent that?”
    â€œWe could use thirty ingredients in each cupcake!” Delaney piped up.
    â€œAnd we could be up all night baking!” Jenna corrected her. “That’s a whole lotta ingredients to pack in one tiny cupcake.”
    â€œWhat about arranging the cupcakes so they form the numbers three and zero?” Sadie said. “I’m no math genius, but I think that’s a simple solution.”
    â€œSadie scores again!” Lexi patted her friend on the back. “That’s perfect. We could build a wooden sandbox, fill it with our cookie crumb sand, and arrange the cupcakes to form a thirty in it.”
    â€œThen it’s a plan,” Kylie said, shutting the cover to her Peace, Love, and Cupcakes club binder. “And a pretty cool one at that!”

Jenna insisted the girls meet extra-early Saturday at Kylie’s to try on their Hawaiian costumes.
    â€œThis is yours,” she said, handing a light-pink floral crop top to Lexi. Each top had a matching grass skirt. “And this…” she announced, pulling a baby-blue shirt with dolphins on it and an extra-long skirt out of a bag, “is yours, Sadie.”
    â€œWhat about me?” Delaney asked, trying to sneak a peek in the other bag Jenna had brought with her.
    â€œ Paciencia! ” Jenna said, playfully slapping Delaney’s hand. She handed Kylie a bright-green top with palm trees on it and donned her own royal-blue shirt, dotted with the Hawaiian Islands.
    â€œLast but not least,” she said, pulling a bright-red halter top covered in sequined flowers out of her bag, “this is for Delaney!”
    â€œWhoa!” Delaney said, holding it up for size. “This is so me!”
    â€œThat is so loud!” Lexi gasped, shielding her eyes. Even the grass skirt was made of red metallic fringe instead of the ordinary green.
    â€œLike I said, it’s so me!” Delaney squealed with delight. She threw her arms around Jenna. “Thank you, thank you!”
    Jenna squirmed. “ De nada! I thought you’d go loco for it.”
    â€œAre we ready to head out?” Herbie asked, inviting himself in to gather the girls and the cupcakes. “I’ve got my ukulele all tuned up.”
    â€œIn a sec,” Sadie said, placing her crutches under her arms. She watched as her friends each took a box of cupcakes. She felt useless.
    â€œIt’s okay, Sadie.” Kylie read her mind. “We got it.”
    â€œI know. I just wish I could pitch in more. I’m not used to being on the bench.”
    When they arrived at the party, the birthday girl’s bestie, Bernadette, was in the party room shushing everyone and instructing them to duck under tables and behind chairs. The girls found a large table in the center of the room and arranged the cupcakes in the sandbox to form the numbers three and zero.
    â€œOh, these are amazing—and you guys even dressed the part!” Bernadette exclaimed.
    â€œI choreographed an authentic Hawaiian hula for us to do for the birthday girl,” Delaney bragged.
    â€œWow, that’s what I call a special delivery,” Bernadette replied. “Melanie will love it.”
    â€œMelanie will be here any minute,” a guest said, waving her watch in Bernadette’s face.
    Bernadette flew into action. “Oh my gosh! Shut off the light! Hide! We don’t want to ruin the surprise!”
    The PLC girls did as they were told, scooting behind the long red velvet curtains in the party room. The room was now pitch-dark.
    â€œI love a surprise!” Delaney said, barely able to contain her excitement.
    â€œHere she comes!” another one of the friends whispered. “Everybody, on the count of three,