Worth the Risk

refrigerator.
    “Really?” Lexi said, but she wasn’t surprised. Black Jack’s had opened to rave reviews and become an overnight sensation.
    What Lexi didn’t understand was why the chef had chosen to demonstrate chocolate truffles. Mrs. Geffen’s class was supposed to feature healthy food.
    Many students, like Amber, had chosen culinary arts as an elective because of their previous experience in Recipe for Success back in elementary school. The program had given them an appreciation for growing and preparing food.
    “How many of you know about my restaurant Black Jack’s?” Brad asked after the students had gone back to their seats.
    Most of the group raised their hands. Lexi considered it tactful of him not to ask how many had eaten there. Fast-food places were the extent of most of their dining experiences.
    “Good,” Brad said. “We’re known for ribs and steaks, but also for fabulous desserts. I’m sponsoring a contest for middle school students organized by the Chefs’ Association. The grand prize will be a thousand dollars and a summer internship with my pastry chef for the student who creates the best new dessert.”
    “An internship is an opportunity to work alongside a professional,” Mrs. Geffen told them. “You learn by doing.”
    “You won’t get paid for your work,” Brad added.
    There were some moans from the boys, but most of the students were interested. Especially Amber. She was beaming and whispering to the students seated beside her.
    Great. Just what Lexi needed. Summer was her busiest season in the garden and her most profitable. She wanted Amber to go to summer school to boost her grades and help with City Seeds in her free time. Spending hours in the kitchen creating a new dessert would be catastrophic for her health and no help in raising the money they needed so much. Besides, as far as Lexi was concerned, the world had too many desserts.

Chapter 2
    Lexi groaned inwardly as Brad Westcott described the two rounds of the contest. Each school would have a winner; then the winners would compete in a final round for the grand prize. She could just imagine the hours Amber would spend in the kitchen.
    “Who’ll judge?” Amber wanted to know.
    “Chefs from restaurants in the area,” replied Brad. “They’ll be looking for something different…unique. A dessert that’s healthy and lower in calories.”
    “They’ll taste like…yuck,” protested one of the boys.
    Just then the timer went off, signaling the truffles were ready to come out of the refrigerator. The leader of each team went to retrieve their cookie sheet. Naturally, Amber was a leader. She proudly displayed the collection of quarter-size brown truffles to her teammates.
    “Amber’s a natural cook,” commented Mrs. Geffen. “You can teach the basics but there’s a certain flair some people have that others lack.”
    Lexi couldn’t help saying, “I just wish she was as interested in her other subjects as she is in cooking.”
    “Her grades are average,” Mrs. Geffen said quietly. “Maybe you expect too much.”
    “I want her to have the opportunity to go to college.”
    The teacher looked thoughtful for a moment. “Amber might do better to attend junior college first.”
    Lexi didn’t want to disagree with Amber’s teacher, but she believed that if her sister applied herself, she could be in advance-placement classes. Lexi was afraid that junior college might be too much like high school and Amber would become bored, drop out and take any job she could get.
    “Speaking of school,” Mrs. Geffen said, “how are you doing?”
    “Very well. I’ll complete my master’s in business administration soon, and this summer I’ll prepare to take the CPA exam in the fall. I need to get a part-time job in an accounting department. Firms hire grad students and let them work until they pass the exam. I’ll start interviewing next week.”
    “That’s fabulous,” Mrs. Geffen said. “You’ve worked really hard.”
    Lexi watched as the class devoured the chocolate truffles they’d made. Even Amber ate both of hers, knowing her blood sugar level would spike. Did she engage in such risky behavior to provoke Lexi or because she couldn’t resist sweets?
    “You rolled those truffles in cocoa powder,” Brad said, raising his voice to get their attention. “Does anyone know where cocoa powder comes from?”
    That was a great question, Lexi thought. A lot of kids believed food came from a package in