``` Chapter 94
โDonโt stay up too late tonight, you two. Get some sleep early. Iโll drive you to school in the morning,โ Yannis said, handing Maisie the toiletries heโd just bought.
โGot it, Yannis,โ Maisie replied obediently.
โZinnia,โ Yannis then said to Zinnia.
โYes?โ Zinnia turned to look at him.
โHere you go,โ Yannis said, handing her a pink paper bag. She noticed it looked a lot like the one heโd given her last time. โItโs a cakeโto celebrate your gaining a new family member,โ he said with a warm smile.
โThank you,โ Zinnia said, pausing briefly when she heard it was a cake, but she didnโt refuse. She thought, โI can give it to Maisie later. Besides, today really does feel like a day worth celebratingโand Yannisโs thoughtful gift is just perfect.โ
โAlright, call me if you need anything,โ Yannis said, giving them one last look as the elevator doors began to close.
โZinnia, itโs girlsโ night!โ Maisie cheered as she pushed open the door. Her eyes lit up in the warm, cozy roomโshe was truly happy for Zinnia. Thank goodness Jackson and the others treated Zinnia so well now, or Maisie would feel so sad for her.
โOkay,โ Zinnia replied, a shy smile tugging at the corners of her lipsโsheโd never had a sleepover with a close friend before.
โZinnia, come on! Letโs try this cake from Sugar Rush. Itโs delicious, you have to order it days in advance. I canโt believe the stone-faced Yannis actually bought you one!
โJust picture that a tough guy carrying an adorable pink bag into a cute bakery. Itโs hilarious!โ
Maisie, not treating herself as an outsider at all, tugged Zinnia down beside her on the sofa, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she stared at the little cake in Zinniaโs hands.
โDo you like it? Itโs all yoursโno need to share,โ Zinnia said, as she took the cake out of the bag. It was a chocolate cake, encircled with strawberries and topped with a tiny flower.
The deep, velvety aroma of chocolate was mouthwatering. Zinnia stared at it longingly, and thought wistfully. โIt smells so good and looks so delicious. What a pity I canโt eat it.โ
โZinnia, arenโt you going to have some?โ Maisie asked, placing the cake in front of her and handing her a fork.
โI canโt eat cream,โ Zinnia said, shaking her head. โIโm allergic to it.โ
โOh no. Youโre allergic to cream? Doesnโt that mean you canโt even have a birthday cake? What a shame. Youโre missing out on so many delicious treats,โ Maisie exclaimed, genuinely surprised and a little disappointed.
โThatโs just how it is,โ Zinnia sighed, disappointed, too.
โZinnia, let me scoop out just the sponge part for youโweโll avoid the cream,โ Maisie said, her heart softening at Zinniaโs longing gaze. Maisie stared at the small cake in her hand as if she could see the fluffy sponge core inside.
โReally? Can we do that?โ Zinnia looked up at her with hopeful eyes. Sheโd never thought of eating cake this way before. โI canโt have cream, but the sponge part should be fine, right?โ
The cake looked incredibly soft and fluffy, layered with cookie crumbs and oozing with rich chocolate sauce. The more she looked, the more irresistible it became.
โIโm not sure if this will work, but letโs give it a shot,โ Maisie said. โWeโll just try a tiny bit first and see if you react. I donโt know if the cream mightโve soaked into the cake sponge.
โIf you canโt even eat the sponge, that would be awful.โ Maisie wasnโt sure if just the sponge would be safe for someone allergic to cream, but figured it should be fine as long as it didnโt touch any cream.
โOkay,โ Zinniaโs eyes lit up with hope.
Maisie couldnโt help but laugh at Zinniaโs eager look. Carefully putting aside the cream with her spoon, she scooped out the fluffy center of the cake and offered it to Zinnia.
โSo yummy!โ Zinnia exclaimed as the sweet sponge cake melted in her mouth. She couldnโt help but bob her head in delight. โSo this is what cake sponge tastes like,โ she thought, her heart brimming with happiness.
Even just eating the sponge without any cream made her feel content. Because she was allergic to cream, Zinnia had never tasted cake before.
Every time she could only watch longingly as others enjoyed their cake, wishing she could have some tooโbut never daring to touch it.
โHow are you feeling, Zinnia? Any discomfort?โ Maisie asked anxiously, her eyes fixed on Zinniaโa stark contrast to Zinniaโs excitement.
โNo,โ Zinnia shook her head. This new way to eat cake was like discovering a whole new world. This cake was really delicious.
The chocolate sauce is silky smooth with a hint of bitterness, but the aftertaste is rich and sweet. And those buttery, crispy wafers inside are fragrant and crunchy. She loved it.
โAlright, you take the sponge and Iโll have the cream!โ Maisie said cheerfully, relieved to see Zinnia wasnโt having an allergic reaction. She handed Zinnia another fork.
So thatโs how they split the cakeโMaisie happily took the cream, while Zinnia enjoyed the sponge.
After theyโd eaten their fill, Maisie leaned back against the sofa, let out a satisfied sigh, and said, โNo wonder Sugar Rush is so famous for being hard to getโthis is seriously delicious.โ
โDelicious,โ Zinnia echoed, feeling as if sheโd discovered a whole new world today. Completely satisfied, she leaned back on the sofa just like Maisie, her face still glowing with joy.
โHey, Zinnia, that two-faced Betty is such a liar,โ Maisie said indignantly. โYouโre allergic to cream, but she claimed you were mad just because she didnโt get you a cake. What a complete joke.โ
As they chatted, Maisie suddenly brought up that birthday party. On that day, Betty went around telling everyone Zinnia got mad just because of that, and that Zinnia tried to push her into the water out of spite.
Maisie exclaimed indignantly. โBut youโre allergic to cream. Youโd never even had cake beforeโwhy would you do something like that over a cake? Not a single word Betty says can be trusted.โ
โZinnia, check out our class group chat. Ethan just posted a photoโBettyโs face is all swollen and covered in rashes. Everyoneโs saying itโs karma for all the bad things sheโs done,โ Maisie laughed as she pulled out her phone and saw tons of new messages.
Everyone was mocking. Scrolling up, she found the photo that showed Bettyโs face was covered in crazy red bumps. โOh my god, that rash all over her face is terrifying,โ Maisie said, handing her phone to Zinnia.
Someone had posted a photo on the forumโno one knew who took it. Even with a mask on, the red rash covering Bettyโs face was impossible to hide. Tiny bumps clustered across her forehead, the bridge of her nose, and her eyelids.
Maybe it was itching so badly that she scratched her forehead raw, leaving it red and inflamed. It looked horrifying, and there was no way she could get rid of them anytime soon.
Zinnia looked at the photo on her phone, then at the nearly faded marks on Maisieโs face. She stayed silent, thinking, โEvildoers always get their due.โ
Chapter 95 ```