My knees were shaking, and my hands were sweating. I stood in front of Mrs. Murphy's big blue house trying to be brave. I had to save my little sister, Ali. She was supposed to meet me by the swings after school, but she didn't show up. Andrew, a red haired boy with glasses, told me she was at the cookie lady's house. Everybody called Mrs. Murphy the cookie lady because she made the best cookies in town. I could smell cookies baking on the other side of the playground. Ali must have smelled them, too. She was probably hoping if she went over she could eat one. That's when Andrew told me about Mrs. Murphy's secret ingredient…      "She says kids make the best cookies," he whispered.      My heart started pounding. I knew what I had to do! I ran across the street as fast as I could. That's why I was standing outside Mrs. Murphy's house. I was rescuing my sister and any other kids that might be there.      Mrs. Murphy greeted me with a big friendly smile.     "I'm looking for my sister, Ali," I said.      "She's baking," Mrs. Murphy replied.   Oh no! I was too late. I couldn't breathe. I felt like crying. I looked around the house. I saw kids in the kitchen. They were covered in flour. I saw bowls with hands in them. I even saw a bowl with a foot in it!      "You're so disgusting, Ryan!" a girl shouted. "I'm not eating those cookies!"             "Ryan, go clean up," said Mrs. Murphy. "Then come back and start a new batch of dough."      "And use your hands to mix it like the rest of us." The girl stuck her tongue out at Ryan.      "Hi, Megan!" My flour covered sister smiled when she saw me. "I could smell the cookies. I just had to come over," she said. "Mrs. Murphy said I could help."      "Oh," was all I could say. How could I even think my sister was getting baked? Andrew never actually said it. I just got mixed up. But I knew he mixed me up on purpose! Andrew was always trying to scare me. Well, I wasn't going to fall for something like that again.      "Are you all right?" Mrs. Murphy asked me.      "Yes," I said, not wanting her to know about my mistake.     "We're baking cookies for the bake sale at your school," Mrs. Murphy explained. "I think children make the best cookies. They have so much enthusiasm I enjoy baking with them."      I could feel my cheeks turning bright red. I felt really silly about my mistake now.      "Will you stay and help us?" Mrs. Murphy asked me.      "Yeah, stay." Ali grinned. "Baking cookies is fun."     "Everybody gets to take home a dozen cookies," said Mrs. Murphy.      "Well," I said quietly. "Are the cookies chocolate chip?"      "Absolutely." Mrs. Murphy smiled. "We're baking all kinds."      "Okay," I agreed. "I should call my mom first, though."      "Of course." Mrs, Murphy nodded and showed me where her phone was.      Mom said Ali and I could both stay and bake cookies. Soon I was covered in flour and my hands ended up in a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough. Ali and I both took home a dozen chocolate chip cookies, just like Mrs. Murphy promised.      As Ali and I were walking home, a girl stopped us. "I'm looking for my brother, Ryan," she said. "Is he still at Mrs. Murphy's house?"      "Yeah," I replied. "He's not done baking yet."      "Oh no!" she cried and took off running.      "No! I didn't mean-" I called after her but it was too late. "Oh well." I shrugged. "I guess she's about find out how kids make the best cookies."    

©Copyright-Elizabeth Wrobel