Mollie Cinnamon Is Not a Cupcake Read Online Free PDF Page B

bigger than the other girls, but she’s certainly not fat.
    “She’s just trying to save you from yourself, babes,” Lauren says. “You know that.”
    Bonny nods, but doesn’t say anything. Then Lauren turns her attention to me. “Hey, Mollie, if Nan is your great-granny, how come you’ve never been to the island before?”
    I shrug. “Flora, that’s my mum, she loves the sun. We always go to hot places for our holidays, like Italy or the Caribbean.” Flora is great at picking up these amazing last-minute holiday deals on the Internet. We never know where we’re going till the day before we leave.
    Bonny’s eyes widen. “You’ve been to the Caribbean?”
    “Yes, twice,” I say. “We’re going to Paris in three weeks too.”
    Bonny gasps. “I’ve always wanted to go to Paris. Lauren’s mad about Paris, aren’t you, Lauren?”
    “No, I’m not,” Lauren says.
    “But you have that poster of the Eiffel Tower on the wall in your—” Bonny stops mid-sentence as Lauren glares at her.
    “I used to like Paris,” Lauren says. “But Paris is so over. The shops in Manhattan are way cooler.”
    “Have you been to New York?” I ask Lauren.
    “No,” she says. “But my mum says she’ll take me next year.”
    “I thought you said you were going for your sixteenth,” Chloe says.
    Lauren gives her an icy look. “I’ve changed my mind.”
    “You’re so lucky,” Bonny says wistfully. “I’ve never been anywhere cool. Not even Dublin city.”
    I stare at her. “You’ve never been to Dublin? It’s only a few hours away.”
    “I know!” Bonny says. “I keep telling my mum that, but she won’t listen.”
    “I go into town every weekend with Flora,” I say. “We practically live there. We go shopping and then catch a movie and eat in a restaurant.” Every weekend is a bit of an exaggeration, but Lauren is starting to annoy me with her “Paris is so over” stuff.
    “It sounds amazing,” Bonny says.
    “It
is
amazing,” I say. “That’s why I’m finding Little Bird so weird, I think. It’s really quiet here, and what on earth do you do during the holidays? Birdwatching? Tractor spotting?”
    Bonny’s still smiling, but Lauren and Chloe’s faces are stony.
    “I mean, Little Bird’s nice too,” I add quickly. “All the lovely, um, nature and stuff.” It sounds feeble even to my ears.
    I’m insanely grateful when Nan reappears with Alanna just behind her carrying a tray.
    “Two skinny cappuccinos and two hot chocolates, both with extra marshmallows,” Alanna says, placing the Songbird Cafe mugs on the coffee table in front of us.
    Nan is holding a cake stand with three tiers. She sets it carefully in the middle of the table.
    “And a selection of my finest cupcakes,” Alanna says, pointing at each delicious-looking layer. “Lemon drizzle, red velvet and the Songbird.” The Songbird cakes look the best. Each one is covered in delicate pale blue icing with two tiny white wings rising out of the top. They’re stunning.
    Bonny is almost jumping up and down in her seat. Like me, she’s clearly a cupcake fan. “Thanks, Alanna,” she says. “I’ll go back on my diet tomorrow.”
    Alanna laughs. “Diet, schmiet. You don’t need to diet, Bonny. You’re perfect the way you are. Nothing wrong with a treat now and then. Enjoy, girls. I’m just going to borrow Nan’s brain for a few minutes, but I’ll see you in a little while.”
    I’m not sure I want to be alone with Lauren and Chloe any longer, especially after what I’ve just said about their precious island.
    Nan squeezes my shoulder as if reading my mind. “I’m popping into the kitchen to help Alanna with her accounts. I won’t be long, pet.”
    When she’s gone, Lauren says, “I’ve just remembered, we all have to work on our school project. Isn’t that right, girls?”
    Bonny looks confused, but Chloe adds, “Yeah, an English project on our favourite writer. As if we actually have one.” She gives a