Fortune Cookie Fiasco (Krystal Ball) Read online

  Table of Contents

  My Future Awaits

  Chapter 1  Mean Team

  Chapter 2  Bake-Off!

  Chapter 3  Good Fortune

  Chapter 4  Sweet Dreams

  Chapter 5  Great Gumdrops!

  Chapter 6  Recipe for Disaster

  Chapter 7  Sticky Situation

  Chapter 8  The Cookie Crumbles

  Chapter 9  The Dragon Returns

  Chapter 10  The Sweetest Treat

  My Future Awaits

  Hi there! My name is Krystal Ball. I’m from Queens, which is a part of New York City. Some people call this place the Big Apple. But I live in a tiny, two-bedroom apartment with my mom and dad, so it seems pretty small to me.

  Don’t get me wrong . . . I love my parents. My mom works as a hair stylist on the first floor of our building. My dad’s a high school history teacher. He’s always saying things like, “History repeats itself, sweetie.” Whatever that means.

  I’m not that interested in the past, though. I’m much more excited about . . . the future.

  I like astrology, palm reading, and stargazing. Why? Well, let me tell you a little secret. I’m not exactly normal. I may look small, you see, but I’m really a medium. That means I have a special ability, kind of like a sixth sense. My grandma calls this my “gift.” It helps me see what the future holds, but it’s never quite clear. I can learn things about a person or an object by touching them, and sometimes my dreams show little glimpses of events that haven’t happened yet.

  I usually have trouble understanding these visions, or premonitions, but I’m working on improving my skills. I also go to Nikola Tesla Elementary School, and being a fourth-grade fortune-teller while juggling science projects, math tests, and homework isn’t easy.

  What else can I tell you about me? Ah! My best friend, Billy, lives in the apartment above ours. I’ve known him my whole life, and that’s a really long time. Almost ten years . . . Whoa! My other best friend, Claire, is the new girl at school. Both Billy and Claire know about my amazing gift, but they have pinky-sworn to secrecy.

  Together, we zip around the neighborhood on our scooters, seeking out adventure. But with my abilities, adventure usually finds us first!

  Okay, so you got all that? Good.

  Now take a deep breath, relax your eyes, and clear your mind. My future awaits . . .

  Chapter 1

  Mean Team

  RECESS! My favorite time of day at Nikola Tesla Elementary School. And this recess was like most others. The sun was shining, and my friends and I were running around the playground.

  Only this time . . . I was running for my life!

  “Slow down, so that I may eat your brains!” cried my best friend, Billy Katsikis.

  “Please, no!” I shouted back. “Anything but my sweet, delicious brains.”

  I ran faster across a stretch of field, but Billy was gaining on me. “BRAINS!” he screamed.

  “Stop, brain breath!” commanded a voice.

  I whirled around to see my other best friend, Claire Voyance. She stood firmly in place with her hands on her hips.

  Billy licked his lips and rubbed his hands. “Mmm . . . More delicious brains for me to eat!”

  “I don’t think so,” answered Claire. She pointed a ruler at Billy and said, “ZAP!”

  Billy froze in place. Then he started to shake as if shocking energy were coursing through his body.

  “Blast you!” he cried.

  “No,” I corrected. “Blast you! Back to the Nether Region.”

  “Aaaaaarrrgh!” Billy shouted, and he crumpled to the ground in a heap.

  Claire and I high-fived and laughed.

  You see, I wasn’t really in danger. My friends and I were playing a game called Paranormal Investigators. We pretend to be a team of detectives that hunt down ghosts, goblins, and other spooks. We find them and zap them back to their original dimension.

  Cool, huh?

  As we helped Billy off the ground, I started to get a vision. I shut my eyes and tilted my head. I felt as if cold, icy fingers were tapping my spine.

  “Do you see something?” added Billy.

  I shivered and opened my eyes. “I didn’t see anything,” I said, “but I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen.”

  TWEET! At that moment, the recess monitor blew her whistle. It was time to go back inside.

  “See, that’s all it was,” said Claire. “You foresaw the end of recess. A very bad thing.”

  I smiled, but deep down I knew that the results of my powers were never that simple.

  “Ugh,” Billy said, pointing behind us. “Don’t look now, but something wicked is coming.”

  Sashaying our way were Kate, Susan, and Emily. Or, as we called them, the Mean Team. These girls turned their noses up at you if you didn’t wear the latest fashions, have the latest hairstyle, or carry the latest designer bag.

  I didn’t register on their radar at all.

  “Hi, Krystal,” Kate said sweetly.

  She was definitely up to something.

  “Did you enjoy recess?” she asked, batting her fake pageant-queen eyelashes.

  The question seemed simple enough, but I was starting to sweat. A crowd gathered around us. My throat was dry and scratchy.

  “Um . . . yes,” I managed to say.

  “Oh, good.” Kate responded. “The girls and I were worried you were going to get your brains eaten by the Hungry Hippo over here.”

  She pointed to Billy and erupted into laughter. Susan and Emily cackled with her.

  “The whole class saw you running around like crazy people,” Kate continued.

  Now my face was red. If I were a cartoon, steam would have been shooting out of my ears.

  “Listen here!” Claire snapped.

  A hushed silence fell over the crowd.

  “If Billy really did eat brains,” said Claire, “you would have nothing to worry about!”

  Somebody gasped with shock.

  I turned to look at Claire. She was furious, and I was dumbstruck. Claire is usually really quiet and shy, but right now she was Wonder Woman.

  “Excuse me?” Kate shrilled.

  Claire took a step forward. “You heard me.”

  Kate took a step back.

  This time Billy spoke up. “Of course you don’t understand us,” he said. “We don’t speak lame brain fluently like you do.”

  Some of the other kids started to chuckle. The recess monitor was making her way over to us.

  I grabbed Billy and Claire and dragged them into the school. We ran until we got to our classroom and sat in our desks.

  “Did that just happen?” I asked, panting. “You were amazing. I can’t believe you actually stood up to Kate.”

  “Believe it, sister,” Claire said. She was flushed. “Grr! Those brats get right under my skin.”

  At that moment, Kate, Susan, and Emily walked into the room.

  They glared at us, flipped their hair in unison, and stomped to their desks in a huff.

  “Settle down class,” Miss Callisto said. “I’ve got a special announcement to make.”

  Suddenly, my body started to tingle. I shut my eyes and tilted my head.

  Billy and Claire looked over at me.

  A fuzzy feeling washed over me that made me forget all about Kate and the Mean Team. Being a medium certainly had its advantages.

  I opened my eyes and said, “Outlook good!”

  Chapter 2

&nb
sp; Bake-Off!

  Miss Callisto clapped her hands together to get our attention. “The annual Nikola Tesla Elementary School Bake-Off is upon us,” she exclaimed. “It’s a fund-raiser for the school, and our class is going to participate!”

  “Mmm . . . bake-off,” Billy said. His family owned a bakery called the House of Sweets, so Billy knew a little about baking. But he knew a lot about eating.

  “I’ll divide the class into groups,” Miss Callisto said. “Each group will be responsible for one baked good to sell on the day of the event.

  “Aaaaaaand,” she added, building suspense, “the group with the best dessert will win a trip to the Bronx Zoo!”

  The class buzzed with excitement.

  Billy had a dreamy look on his face, and I was certain he had visions of sugarplums dancing in his head.

  “Mmm . . . baked goods.” He drooled.

  Miss Callisto went around the room assigning groups. She said that Claire, Billy, and I were in a group together. Yay!

  “What should we make?” Claire asked us both.

  “So many choices . . .” Billy began. “Cupcakes, cookies, marshmallow squares, fruit turnovers, chocolate croissants, and tea biscuits with fillings and icings and toppings galore!”

  I was just as giddy. I’d always dreamed of going to the Bronx Zoo!

  “Together we’ll come up with something,” I said. “Or maybe the universe will tell me.”

  I closed my eyes and put my index fingers to my temples.

  “And what disgusting treats are you dreaming up, Krystal,” said a voice. “Baked brains?”

  I opened my eyes and spotted the Mean Team.

  “Baked brains!” Susan repeated, pinching her nose. “Ewwww!”

  “Good one,” Emily said with a laugh.

  I hoped that if I ignored them, they would just go away. Claire had other plans.

  “I see you’re back for round two,” she said, folding her arms. “Bring it, blondie!”

  At that moment, the bell rang.

  “Class dismissed,” called Miss Callisto. “See you tomorrow.”

  Claire smirked and said, “Saved by the bell.”

  Kate stuck out her tongue and walked away. Susan and Emily followed.

  I breathed a sigh of relief. The worst was over. “You’re much braver than I am,” I said. “Whenever Hurricane Kate blows through, I just want to run for cover.”

  “Ha!” Billy bellowed. “Hurricane Kate! Now that’s a good one.”

  Claire and I chuckled.

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, I was sitting in the kitchen with my mother doing homework. The hair salon was closed for the day, and Dad was still at his school grading papers.

  Mom was helping me memorize the fifty US states and their capitals. It felt like we’d been studying for hours!

  “Can I please take a break now, Mom?” I pleaded. “My brain is fried!”

  I tugged on a handful of my curls and pulled them up high over my head.

  “Look at the smoke coming out of it!” I said.

  Mom smiled, trying not to laugh.

  “Honey, you’re doing great,” she said. “We’re almost done!”

  “I’m already done,” I said. “Stick a fork in me!”

  This time, Mom laughed out loud.

  Just then, the door opened and Dad walked in.

  “Daddy, you’re home!” I jumped out of my seat and ran to hug him.

  “Hmm,” Dad said, looking me in the eyes. “I don’t have to be psychic to see that something is bothering you.”

  I nodded, and I told my parents about Kate and the Mean Team and what happened at recess.

  “Oh, honey,” my mother said. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

  “No,” I moaned. “It’s all hopeless!”

  Dad rubbed his chin. He always did this when he was thinking.

  “I have an idea,” he said. “Put on your coats. I’m taking you out for dinner tonight.”

  “Ooh!” I exclaimed. My spirits suddenly lifted. “Where? Tell me.”

  “Better not tell you now,” Dad said, teasing me. “It’s a surprise.”

  “I love surprises!” I cheered.

  Chapter 3

  Good Fortune

  “Marvelous moonbeams!” I exclaimed, running into my bedroom. “A surprise! I must put on something more fashionable.”

  In an instant, I became a whirlwind of wardrobe changes. Scarves and skirts and shirts and shawls came flying out of my closet. Nothing I tried on looked right.

  Suddenly, I got a buzzing feeling inside my brain. I closed my eyes and tilted my head.

  Then an image appeared. It was Grandma, and she was standing on the Great Wall of China.

  “Eureka!” I cried aloud. I knew exactly what I was going to wear.

  You see, Grandma had recently gone on a trip to China and visited many temples and ruins and wonders, like the Great Wall.

  When she came back, she brought me this wonderful silver vest made of silk. On it was an ornamental gardenia pattern. (FYI: Gardenias are my favorite flower. They’re Grandma’s too!)

  Once I found the vest in my closet, I held it up and watched the light shimmer off the fabric.

  I put the vest on over a black button-down blouse and black slacks.

  Hmm . . . needs a splash of color, I thought.

  I chose a pair of bright red slippers and tied my hair up in a matching silk scarf.

  Twirling around the room, I modeled in front of the mirror.

  “What do you think, Stanley?” I asked.

  Stanley is my stuffed stegosaurus. He has a long neck and an even longer tail. He also has a great eye for fashion.

  Stanley agreed with my choice of outfit and gave me a flattering compliment.

  “Why, thank you!” I said, kissing his nose

  Then I met my parents at the front door.

  As we walked out of our building, Dad took my hand. Mom walked next to me, stroking my hair.

  “You know,” my dad began, “bullies want attention. They pick on you to make themselves feel better. Have you tried ignoring them?”

  “Yes,” I said. “They won’t stop!”

  “Another option,” Mom added, “would be to stand up to them. Show them you’re not afraid.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” I whispered back.

  I thought about how brave Claire and Billy were. I didn’t think I’d ever be that bold.

  I must have been lost in thought because we had walked a couple of blocks before I looked up and noticed my surroundings.

  Instantly, I realized where we were going. We were going to the Happy Lucky Golden Dragon, my favorite Chinese restaurant!

  “YAY!” I shouted. I ran ahead of my parents and pulled open the door. “What a stupendous surprise! Now, let’s eat!”

  * * *

  During dinner, Mom and Dad used chopsticks to eat their noodles and fried rice. My chopsticks kept slipping through my fingers.

  To be honest, I didn’t have the patience to master the art of eating with chopsticks. My food was getting cold! So I picked up my fork and went to town on my vegetable lo mein.

  Yes, I’m in fourth grade and love vegetables. This shouldn’t come as a shock to you. I can also sometimes see the future, remember?

  As we ate, I told my parents about the big bake-off at school. I was super excited to work with Claire and Billy, but we still didn’t know what we were making.

  After we finished our meals, the waiter brought three fortune cookies. That’s when Dad started one of his history lectures.

  “Did you know that fortune cookies aren’t really Chinese?” he said.

  Mom and I looked at each other and smiled. We were thinking the same thing . . . here he goes again!

 
; “The exact origin of fortune cookies is unclear,” Dad said, “but their recipe is said to be based on a traditional Japanese cracker.”

  I couldn’t wait to break mine open and find the fortune within.

  Slipping the small white paper out of the crunchy shell, I smoothed it out and read aloud:

  “That which you seek has been in front of you all along.”

  “That’s it!” I shouted, startling my parents. “That’s what we’ll make for the bake-off!”

  “What?” my parents asked.

  “Fortune cookies!” I said with a smile.

  * * *

  The next day was Friday. I waited until lunchtime to make my big announcement.

  “What’s with all the mystery?” Billy asked.

  “Yeah, Krystal,” Claire added. “You said you had a surprise for us.”

  “I do,” I said. “Open your palms and close your eyes.”

  Billy and Claire did as they were told.

  I dropped a fortune cookie into each of their hands.

  “Ta-da!” I said. “This is what we’re going to make for the bake-off. Our very own fortune cookies, filled with our very own fortunes!”

  “Ohmygosh, Krystal!” Claire said. “Great idea!”

  “I love it too,” Billy said.

  Suddenly, I felt a shiver up and down my spine. I turned around to find Kate and her entourage standing behind us.

  “Oh, Krystal,” she said in her fake-nice voice. “The girls and I overheard your idea for the bake-off. Sounds a little stale, don’t you think?”

  Kate continued to tease us, saying, “My mom is a gourmet chef. She has a blog where she posts pictures of all her fabulous food. She’s going to help us make fancy French pastries called crepes.”

  “Much better than your crusty old fortune cookies,” Susan added.

  I heard enough. My mother’s words were in my head telling me to stand up to Kate. I was inspired to say something clever.