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"I haven't thought about that disgusting flavor since I was like... 5," Penelope replied in a burst of laughter, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "It always looked so good, sobright, until one day I just had to try it. So, so gross!"

On the best days, Penelope was eager to please other people, to do something to make someone else happy. Oh, she'd protest if she thought it wasn't a good idea or the right thing to do, but if it was harmless and seemed to matter to the person she was with, she would often bow out, certain that her companion knew something she didn't. Now that she was completely exhausted from making cupcakes and had already agreed to make the avocado frosting, she wasn't just in the agreeing stage. She was in the "Harper's ideas sound pretty good' stage. Especially since she still needed to bake one more dozen cupcakes.

"You finish up the icing. I'll go get the peppers out of the fridge and see if we've got enough to make a batter."

Penelope was in the same awestruck state of mind as Harper. She had used the baking time to clean up the kitchen (and herself) a little bit, and the longer she waited for the pepperlaced cupcakes to rise... the longer she had to reconsider whether this had truly been a good idea or not. She trusted Harper, of course; she was a good friend. But... sweet pepper cupcakes? With avocado icing? The more she thought about, the more worried she was.

Now, at the most critical moment... she pushed the cupcake towards her friend. Penelope might have gone along with the idea... but that didn't mean that she was brave enough to risk tastiing the results. "You eat it first. This is your baby, so to speak."

Penelope watched the knife as it slid through the cupcake and divided it forever into two fairly equal halves. She wanted to protest, but hesitated to do so. Harper's reasoning was fair. She might have been behind the reins of this concoction, but it was Penelope's fault that she was involved at all. So, even though she really, really didn't want to try this pastry, she lifted the half nearest her gingerly. Slowly, but surely, she brought it to her mouth, staring at its green icing and its faintly orange base. It didn't look bad; if she didn't know what was in it, she might even be curious to try it from the color scheme. Then, she closed her eyes... and took a bite.

Penelope chewed slowly, still reluctant even with the bite of cake in her mouth. She could only avoid her tongue for so long, though, and eventually she had to swallow. A moment passed. Then another.

Finally, she spoke, and surprise was evident in her voice, "It's... it's honestly not that bad! I mean, it's not a traditional flavor and I'd never pick it out of a cupcake display but... it's not [i[bad!"

Penelope couldn't help but laugh too whenever Harper started. It had been a lot of work, and she was still a mess of flour and dough, and the kitchen still had to be clean, but... the tension that had begun this whole encounter was disappating with ever throaty chuckle.

The teenager was half-startled to hear the nickname fall so easily from her friend's lips, and she quickly turned towards the fridge to hide the deep blush on her face. She wasn't used to be called that by anyone but her parents... and she didn'tmind that Harper called her that, not at all! But... it meant that their friendship had grown so much, and she had never had a friend that close and... and she had to make sure she didn't mess it up! To save face, she pulled open the refrigerator door and pulled out the milk, explaining, "I... I found that the peppers had a little spice, so I thought some milk would help wash it down."

She reached for two clean cups from the dishwasher, placing them on the counter before beginning to pour a little milk for both of them. Her voice became soft, "Um... thanks for helping, Harper. I really owe you one, so... if you ever need help with something you can call me. If you want to, I mean."

Penelope took several quick sips of milk as she listened to Harper, draining her glass fairly quickly. She set the empty cup onto the table and persisted, "No, not even close! I'd never have finished if not for your help But, we can talk about it later."

Yes, later... after this night of frantic cupcake baking was behind them. The teenager frowned slightly as she examined her arms, her shirt, all covered with bits of batter and icing. She didn't even want to think about how much flour and other white, baking powders were probably showing in her dark hair. What she needed was a shower, and from the looks of it, Harper did too.

Sliding out of her chair, Penelope reached over and took her friend's hand, a small smile on her face, "Come on... I'll show you where you can get cleaned up. And I'm sure I have something clean you can wear while we wash your clothes... something you can sleep in..." Yes, getting cleaned up and in bed seemed like the appropriate way to end this crazy night.