Only Fools

Chapter Seventeen

Ivy: Hey you wanna hang out today?

I can't help but grimace as I look at the message.

Me: I wish I could, but I told Naomi that we could practice for cupcake wars today.

Ivy: Oh.

Ivy: I didn't know you were doing cupcake wars.

Me: Yeah....

Ivy: Well, I'm doing it too, so I guess you're my competition now ;)

Me: *your biggest competition. ;)

Ivy: So you're seriously doing cupcake wars?

Me: Yeah.... is that so unbelievable or something?

Five minutes later, no response. Letting out a sigh, I tuck my phone away, figuring that she probably got busy with something, but still feeling rather sad that she did.

It's then that I glance at the time and nearly jump off of my bed in surprise. Margot and Naomi are going to be here in any minute. I fly downstairs to the kitchen and quickly pull out the ingredients and utensils that look like they could be used for baking. It's not even five minutes afterwards that I hear a knock on my door.

"Hello, fellow baker," I say with a smile as soon as I see Margot standing on my porch, but almost instantly wince at my words.

"That.... should've just stuck with a basic hi," I confess as I scratch the back of my neck and look away from the girl.

"You wanna try that again?" she asks me, rather clearly amused. I nod sheepishly as she backs up and I close the door and wait for her to knock again. Once she knocks, I count to four before opening the door with a smile on my face.

"Hey, Margot,"

"Hey, Aspen," she says in response with a wider smile than when I first opened the door. Her dark curls are pulled up into a messy bun with a few strands hanging loose in front of her face. She's dressed in a sweatshirt that's clearly too big for her as only the tips of her fingers peak out of the sleeves. It depicts the logo of what I assume to be a rock band that I just haven't heard of before, though I'm sure that I'll learn about them in no time because of her.

"Um. Can I come in?" she asks with a small laugh.

"Hmm," I stop for a second, blocking the doorway as I pretend to think about her question. Margot just rolls her eyes at me, smile still on her lips as she physically pushes me out of the way and walks into my house.

"Alright. Just act like you own the place then," I say dramatically as I close the door behind me and hurry in front of her so that I can lead her to the kitchen.

Margot just winks at me in response, and so I over-exaggerate an eye roll right back at her.

As we enter the kitchen, I can practically feel her judgement over the ingredients I decided to set out which are most definitely not the right ones. But she nonetheless begins to move around the kitchen, whispering quietly to herself as she puts some of the "ingredients" I took out to the side to make room for the new items she's grabbing. It's then that I feel my phone buzz in my pocket and whip it out to see Ivy has finally responded to me.

Ivy: Well.... last time I checked you couldn't bake.

I let out a gasp at Ivy's words, slightly playing it up to get Margot's attention.

Me: You won't be saying that when I win.

"What?" Margot asks me, rather unamused with my antics as I set my phone down on the counter.