Tom Daley: Mr. Perfect

Chapter 8: Chocolate, praying mantises, and cereal

I was at home for the weekend. Still not used to the school schedule after my break.

"Mom, I'm going out with Tom again today." I told her, knowing that she'd agree.

"Zoey, how often do you see that boy?" She asked.

"Almost every day," I confessed.

"Well you're obviously to caught up in him if you didn't realize what day it is."

I thought for a minute. Then I turned around and looked at the calendar.

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe I forgot!" I said. "It's Olivia's birthday."

"Yes. And you slept in pretty late too. Her party that you were supposed to be at started half an hour ago."

I felt so guilty. A lot of our cousins, neighbors, and friends, were in the basement right now.

"So," my mom said. "Do you have a present for her? And you were going to make her cake."

"I'll start on the cake now. Then I'll run to the store. It will work out." I was sceptical, I didn't know how , but I would do it.

She looked so disappointed in me.

Okay, cake. It wouldn't have time to cool, so I couldn't frost it. I whipped out the recipe book. Finally I found "Chocolate Pudding Cake." Perfect!

It's a family recipe. A bunch of secret ingredients, add water, bake for 20 minutes. When it comes out the water has turned into a chocolate liquid, like a thin pudding. The cake is soft and moist from the water, but not soggy. You put it on top of vanilla ice cream and it's amazing. The pudding like hot fudge and the warm soft cake is perfect with the ice cream. Bet you've never heard of anything like it.

I shove the cake in the oven (gently,) grab my keys and first go to the basement.

"Olivia!" I said. She turned to me. "Happy birthday!" I hugged her.

She frowned at me. "Mom told me you forgot."

"I didn't forget I just... I just slept in. I'm so so sorry Olivia, really, I feel so bad."

She still frowned.

"I'll be right back. I just have to get ice cream for the cake,"

I didn't add that I forgot to get her a present.

"I made chocolate pudding cake, is that alright? I know it's not exactly what you wanted but..."

Finally she smiled a little. "Chocolate pudding cake is my favorite!!!" She hugged me again.

"Well good! Happy birthday! I love you!" I said, "Be right back."

"Mom, the cake's in the oven, please make sure it doesn't burn. I'm so sorry for everything!" I was talking very quickly.

"It's okay. Now go, hurry!" She patted my back.

I rushed to the car and speeded to the grocery store, which was fortunately only a few blocks away.

What would my sister want? What does she love? Movies, games, cooking, animals (especially Thor the cat.)

Animals... Animals... I passed some stuffed animals. Some animal books. Some coloring books. Some plastic animals. If only I could get her another pet. Thor makes her so happy! Then I remembered that their was a garden store next door. And they sold pets... Sort of. I could buy her a praying mantis egg sack, or a Venus fly trap! We were both fascinated when we saw that they were selling those last time we came here.

I speed-walked over to the garden store, and over to where we saw the mantises. They were selling "Grow your own butterfly" kits. I thought about getting her a couple cocoons, but I decided on mantises because they're way cooler and Olivia loves those things. The line was fortunately short as I checked out. Then ran to the car, placed the eggs and the plastic bug cage inside, and ran to get some ice cream.