Truth Without the Trimmings Read online

  “What upsets you about being adopted?” Molly asked.

  “I don’t know…it’s not being adopted that upsets me. But not knowing for so many years…it seems like my parents lied to me for my entire life,” she replied. “That’s one of the reasons I was so mean to you guys last year. I was so jealous. Your lives seemed so easy and your families are so great.”

  “But we all have problems. My mom died. And I miss her every day,” Shawn said quietly. Molly reached out and put her arm around her.

  “Besides, Natasha, your family is great, too,” Amanda said.

  “I guess. But I felt like I didn’t have a clue who I even was, who my birth family is, what my birth parents even look like. I’ve felt awful about it. I just have so many questions now. And my adoption is called a closed adoption. That means that the records are sealed so the birth parents can have privacy. So I may never know the answers to all the questions I have.” Natasha’s eyes brimmed with tears. “And when we met Peichi’s neighbors and their little baby, I totally lost it. I’m so sorry I took it all out on you. I’ve felt awful about it.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. Shawn, Peichi, Molly, and

  Amanda covered her in hugs.

  “Hey! Look at the TV!” Peichi exclaimed. They all let go and stared at the screen. The countdown to the new year had begun. Together, they joined in the count: “Five, four, three, two, one…Happy New Year!” Everyone screamed and laughed. Then a light clicked on at the top of the stairs.

  “Girls, please keep it down…I don’t want Matthew to wake up!” said Mom’s quiet voice. Everyone dissolved into giggles. Quiet giggles.

  “These are too cute!” Shawn said the next day—New Year’s Day. They had taken tortillas, moistened them with melted butter, then formed them into baskets. They cut strips of extra tortillas for handles. Then they baked them until they were crispy and filled the baskets with scrambled eggs and bacon.

  “They’re great, but this is what everyone will want,” Amanda insisted. She’d made a quiche. First she had made dough that was like a pie crust, but not sweet. She’d pressed it carefully into a pie pan as though she were making a regular pie. Then she had mixed up eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. She had poured the egg mixture into the pie shell and sprinkled cooked crumbled bacon and grated cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Finally, Amanda had baked the quiche in the oven for about thirty minutes.

  “This waffle maker is the best,” said Molly. She poured the batter into it and listened to it sizzle.

  Peichi carefully opened the oven door. “Wow!” she exclaimed. “This coffee cake looks so amazing! And it smells delicious!”

  Natasha was busy setting up the table. She carried orange juice, maple syrup, boysenberry syrup, powdered sugar, salt and pepper, and a basket of warm cinnamon rolls into the dining room.

  Amanda ran upstairs and put on her short skirt with the new boots she’d finally gotten for Christmas. Knowing Justin would be there, she gave her hair a few waves with the curling iron. Maybe she could erase his memory of the way she’d looked at the gingerbread house class.

  By eleven o’clock their guests began to arrive. Omar and Connor showed up first. “We’re starving,” Omar said. “Look at all that food! Let me at it!”

  “His New Year’s resolution is to gain a hundred pounds this year!” Connor teased as he came in behind Omar.

  Justin and Athena were the next to come. Then Tessa arrived, followed by Angie. The Moores’ dining room was soon full of delicious smells and lots of laughter.

  “Matthew, stay away from the pastries!” Molly scolded her brother. He was attempting to eat his fourth cinnamon roll. With an impish grin, he grabbed it and darted out of the room.

  “Who made this freaky egg pie?” Angie asked.

  “Amanda did,” Shawn told her. “It’s called quiche. And, actually, I think it’s cool. I’m going to try some.” She took a slice and ate a bite. “Wow! It’s great.”

  “If you say so,” Angie said. “It’s too weird-looking for me.”

  Amanda smiled at Shawn. They exchanged a happy thumbs-up.

  “Hey, Amanda.” She turned and faced Justin. “This food is so good! You guys did a great job.”

  She smiled at him. “I’m glad you came.”

  “It’s funny,” he said. “Did you know that I always felt a little odd around you?”

  “You did? Why?” Amanda asked.

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “You always looked so neat and perfect. But when I saw you in your old clothes at the gingerbread class, I realized you were just a regular person, like me.”

  “Yup, just a regular person,” Amanda said. Wow! He liked her as she really was. She had always gone to so much trouble to look good for him—and he liked her best when she looked her worst.

  “Excuse me,” she said to him. “We’re out of orange juice. I need to run downstairs and get some more.”

  Molly watched her sister leave Justin and pick up the empty punch bowl. She’d actually left her major crush to pitch in and do her share of the work.

  What a change!

  Molly smiled. She had a feeling that the coming year would bring lots of changes—good, exciting changes. And it really would be a happy New Year.

  It will look really pretty!

  Cooking Tips From The Chef Girls!

  The Chef Girls are looking out for you!

  Here are some things you should know if you want to cook.

  (Remember to ask your parents if you can use knives and the stove!)

  1. Tie back long hair so that it won’t get into the food or in the way as you work.

  2. Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing that could drag in the food or on the stove burners.

  3. Never cook in bare feet or open-toed shoes. Something sharp or hot could drop on your feet.

  4. Always wash your hands before you handle food.

  5. Read through the recipe before you start. Gather your ingredients together and measure them before you begin.

  6. Turn pot handles in so that they won’t get knocked off the stove.

  7. Use wooden spoons to stir hot liquids. Metal spoons can become very hot.

  8. When cutting or peeling food, cut away from your hands.

  9. Cut food on a cutting board, not the countertop.

  10. Hand someone a knife with the knifepoint pointing to the floor.

  11. Clean up as you go. It’s safer and neater.

  12. Always use a dry pot holder to remove something hot from the oven. You could get burned with a wet one, since wet ones retain heat.

  13. Make sure that any spills on the floor are cleaned up right away, so that you don’t slip and fall.

  14. Don’t put knives in clean-up water. You could reach into the water and cut yourself.

  15. Use a wire rack to cool hot baking dishes to avoid scorch marks on the countertop.

  An Important Message from the Chef Girls!

  Some foods can carry bacteria, such as salmonella, that can make you sick.

  To avoid salmonella, always cook poultry, ground beef, and eggs thoroughly before eating.

  Don’t eat or drink foods containing raw eggs.

  And wash hands, kitchen work surfaces, and utensils with soap and water immediately after they have been in contact with raw meat or poultry.

  mooretimes2: Molly and Amanda

  qtpie490: Shawn

  happyface : Peichi

  BrooklynNatasha : Natasha

  JustMac : Justin

  Wuzzup : What’s up?

  Mwa smooching sound

  G2G : Got To Go

  deets : details

  b-b : Bye-Bye

  brb : be right back

  <3 hearts

  L8R : Later, as in “See ya later!”

  LOL : Laughing Out Loud

  GMTA : Great Minds Think Alike

  j/k : Just kidding

  B/C : because

  W8 : Wait

  W8 4 me @: Wait for me at

  thanx : thanks

/>   BK : Big kiss

  MAY : Mad about you

  RUF2T? : Are you free to talk?

  TTUL : Type to you later

  E-ya : will e-mail you

  LMK : Let me know

  GR8 : Great

  WFM : Works for me

  2 : to, too, two

  C : see

  u : you

  2morrow: tomorrow

  VH : virtual hug

  BFFL : Best Friends For Life

  : - @ shock

  : -P sticking out tongue

  % - ) confused

  : -o surprised

  ;-) winking or teasing