The Name's Mia Baritone

Chapter 5 No Cookie for Me

 I sat in Claire's room with my legs in a pretzel and a pillow in my lap. "Tell. Me. Everything!" Claire demanded. "We need a backstory," I said, avoiding the question, "Something that will make us look cooler than we actually are." Claire looked at me with a non-impressed face. "Bingo! I got caught kissing a dude in fifth grade and got grounded. Buuuut, I snuck out when mother and father weren't home," I raised my eyebrows at my sister. "Sure. Why not," she shrugged. "Oh! And I had my first kissy-wissy when I was in 3rd grade," I added. "So you're just going to lie about your life?" Claire asked pointedly. "Our real life's boooring. This will spice up my backstory a bit," I suggested. "This private school is expensive. Obviously our parents are out all the time at work. Me sneaking out is so believable," I smiled. Claire shrugged once more. "I guess so, but I don't like it," she frowned a bit. "Come on Caarliiie," I nudged her playfully. "Shutup," Claire snapped, "Those friends of yours are jerks." I flopped back into my position with the pillow in my lap. "They're not so bad once you get to know them," I shrugged. "They're complete idiots to think that they can just push me around and call me Carlie," Claire insisted. "Puh-lease!" I groaned, "They were just joking around!" Claire looked at me through slitted eyes. "Riiight," she muttered sarcastically. "Seriously," I said, "They're really fun once you get to know them." "And how would I know?" Claire challenged, "For all I know, all they've ever been are bullies around you, too. And you just decide to put up with them for popularity points!" I gave Claire a look. "Come oooon! You can not be serious! Bullies are so four years ago!" I shoved her. "Bullies aren't only in the 5th grade," Claire pointed out. "They are just kidding around!" I stood up, about to leave the room. My sister was really getting on my nerves. "Where do you think youŕe going?" Claire questioned me. "I'm going to get dinner," I leaned against her doorframe and looked at her with an eyebrow raised. I left Claire's room before she could respond and leaped delicately down each stair of our grand staircase. My mother was about to leave for a meeting and was talking to one of our new housekeepers that we hired when we moved. She was a highschool graduate looking to make money for college. I swung around the railing, towards the kitchen. "Where do you think you're going?" mother questioned, one of her sharp eyes looking towards me. "Ummm, food," I told her, not sure what was wrong with that. "Dinner isn't ready yet," my mother reminded me, "One of the housekeepers would have told you." "Okay then. I'm going in the kitchen for snacks," I walked slowly back towards the mouth-watering aroma of fresh-baked cookies wafting from behind me. "Oh no you don't back away from me. You have to keep yourself healthy and slim," my mother walked towards me and grabbed my shoulder. "But I'm only-like- 90 pounds," I made an excuse frantically. "That is no excuse to eat poorly," the tall, dark haired woman tapped a pearly white heal on the floor. "Puh-lease, mom! You are being like so unreasonable," I stomped my foot. "Micha Issabelle Baritone, you are not going to stuff your mouth with junk all day! I don't care how much you weigh, cookies are fatty and completely unhealthy. Especially before dinner," I was handed off to our new nineteen year old housekeeper as mother left the house. I grunted and looked at her. "Raina, can I have something to eat?" I groaned. "Sorry, missy, but I take orders from your mom," the girl fumbled with her fingers. I stared blankly at Raina. I could tell she didn't want to get fired on the second day on the job. I rolled my eyes and slumped my shoulders. "Whyyyyy?" I whined. Raina looked at me unsympathetically and shrugged. She had probably found out my mother's secret earlier than the others. The people who act like my parents and treat me like my parents do, get a little extra added to their paycheck. There was this list of people in one of my mother's dresser drawers that I had found a while back in the old house while playing hide and seek. The people who got the extra money added to their paycheck so far was: Mrs. Murlinger, Mr. Tarnas, and Ms. Lampostoderf. All these people treated me like my mother and father treated me when they were busy. They acted like I was a nuisance. "Mrs. Murlinger will have dinner ready in no time, kiddo," the teenager shooed me up the stairs. "Have fun with your sister," she suggested, before turning around and walking in the direction of the kitchen. I stomped up the stairs with my shoulders slouched. I heard giggling from around the hall. I turned to my right and stared at Claire. "Mother thinks you're fat," she chuckled. I rolled my eyes at her. "Not as fat as you," I flashed back. "Right," my sister looked at me with a mischievous smile in her eyes, "But you are way fatter." "You'd know a lot about fat. 'Cause you have so much of it," I snapped. Claire got up and went into my room. I followed. "You really haven't done much unpacking in here, have you?" she looked around. "Yeah, whatever, I've been busy," I said. "Anyways," I slumped down on my bed, realizing that terrible tiredness was still getting to me. "Anyways, what?" my sister wandered into my bathroom. "You're pajamas are just lying in the middle of the floor. And your straightener," she called out. "I need you to help me," I said to her, peeking my head into the bathroom. She was putting all my dirty laundry in the laundry basket. "Do you ever clean?" she questioned. I shrugged. "Help you with what," Claire looked over at me with her pale green eyes. "I want a cookie," I smiled at her simply. "Pffffft," Claire started laughing. "You still want that cookie?!?!" she gasped. "They smelled soooo gooooood," I sank to the floor. "Fine, but make sure you get-like-five. I want some, too," Claire helped me up and we nodded at each other. We always had some sort of plan figured out without even saying it. I snuck out of my room and down the stairs. I hid by the doorframe to the kitchen, scooching into the shadows. Suddenly, a loud tumbling sound came from the stairs. It sounded exactly like falling down a flight of stairs, though I knew that it was just Claire kicking her feet around with her $500 5-inch heels on while walking calmly down our grand staircase. I saw out of the corner of my eye, Claire thrusting herself off the last step and falling dramatically to the floor. Mrs. Murlinger and Raina soon rushed right past me to where Claire was lying. I crept into the kitchen where I saw the perfect cookies lying in an elegant, little pile. Chocolate chip, just as I had expected. I stuffed one in my mouth. I took one for the rode, two for Claire, six for when Claire and I get hungry during the night, and four more, just for good measure. Silently, I hauled my cookies out of the kitchen. I saw Claire taking off her heels reluctantly. The funniest part of this plan was that Claire could never trip in the highest, most uncomfortable, heels on earth. Once, at a party celebrating the end of 7th grade, Claire was wearing these 7-inch heels that were way too big for her. On accident, two boys crashed into her. Claire jumped back about a foot and landed perfectly on her feet. Fortunately, Raina didn't know how good Claire was with heels. But, Mrs. Murlinger looked suspicious. I tip-toed up the stairs and returned to Claire's room with our prize.