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I made myself listen to the music I loved as I worked I would not be a coward anyed and I vowed that Sa would not make me resort to musical holocaust I was done with that nonsense! I played Grieg until ers were stiff, and I worked with the frenzy of Balakirev’s ‘Isla out of the loud speakers My dad caht back out again

On day 15, I ustingly rich and fattening, teetering several stories high, weighing , and sprinkled liberally with chocolate shavings I sat down to eat it with a big fork and no bib I dug in with a gusto seen only at those highly coirl kicks all the fat boys’ butts

"JOSIE JO JENSEN!" Louise and Tara stood at the kitchen door, shock and revulsion, and maybe just a little envy in their faces Brahcake to Brahnoring them

"Well Mom," I heard Tara say, "what should we do?!"

My Aunt Louise was a very practical woman "If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!" She quoted cheerfully

Before I knew it, Tara and Louise both had forks, too They didn’t see our tempo as the music intensified

"ENOUGH!" My dad stood in the doorway He was good and h heels

"I sent you two in for an intervention! What is this?! Eater’s Anonymous Gone Wild?"

"A, Daddy Get a fork," I replied, barely breaking rhythm

My dad strode over, took the fork froht into the wall It stuck there, e like a sword at a rabbedme out of the kitchen I tried to take one last swipe at my cake, but he let out this inhu myself well and truly sick

"Tara! Aunt Louise!" I shouted frantically "I want you gone!!! That’s my cake! You can’t have any h the front door and out onto the porch, the screen banging behind hi chocolate crumbs from my mouth My dad sto from every nook and cranny stopped abruptly I heard him tell Louise he’d call her later, and then the kitchen door banged, indicating my aunt’s and Tara’s departure Good They would have eaten that whole cake I saw the way they were shoveling it in