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Back Salt and Sugar Save as PDF
Chapters (56)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. About the Author
  4. Dedication
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. EPILOGUE
  56. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“What do you mean ‘why not’?” She pauses, and I can tell that she can read him better than he thinks she can. “Filho, how else am I going to give you your diploma and that recommendation letter to the Gastronomic Society?”

What? Pedro wants to get into the Gastronomic Society? I had no idea. Isn’t he Sugar’s golden boy, a prodigy? Why go to culinary school when he already brags that he’s the best cook in town?

“I’m not going to apply anymore,” he says, nonchalant.

“What changed your mind? Last time we talked, you said you were going to tell your family about it.”

“I did.”

She looks surprised. “And?”

“And...” I see Pedro’s fingers drumming on the arm of the chair. “It went so well that Grandpa kicked me out,” he says in a fake cheerful voice.

I take a step back from the principal’s office, overwhelmed with a feeling like I’ve intruded too much. So that’s why he was gone. I hate Pedro, but—how could Seu Romário kick out his own grandson? What’s so wrong with wanting to join the GS?

I’m still in the hallway when Pedro storms out of the principal’s office, nearly crashing into me. For a second, he looks at a loss for words, perhaps even embarrassed. Then he pulls sunglasses out of his pants pocket and puts them on.

“Is it possible that you missed me so much that you’re spying on me now?” he says with a smirk, pushing past before I can reply, causing me to drop the club flyer Pimentel gave me.

I grumble under my breath. “Miss him...”

The recess bell rings, and students begin rushing down the hallway back to class. I crouch down to pick up the flyer. My fingertips have barely flipped it over, when I see the words:

COOKING CLUB

President: Pedro Molina

13

MONDAY, APRIL 25

I could barely concentrate during the rest of my classes. I blink and it’s suddenly the end of the day and I’m standing in the cafeteria with the cooking club flyer wrinkled in my hand.

I don’t even know why I’m doing this. It’s not like I can win Luana, Diego, and the others over with extra credit like Pedro used to do with Sugar’s cream-filled sonhos when we were kids.

Besides, I can’t join a club where Pedro is the president. I should just bail and go home. Maybe if I continue begging Pimentel this week, she’ll let me join a different club.

I’m about to leave the cafeteria when laughter travels to me from inside the kitchen. Someone turns on music. And then there’s the roaring of a blender. It’s a delightful kitchen cacophony reminding me of the way Salt sounded when Grandma was around...

I decide to poke my head in the kitchen to take a peek before I leave.