June 5th was here, and our two competitors planted their shops straight across from each other. It was a stare down, between Mellisa, Julianna, and Karry-Ann. Well mostly, Julianna and Karry-Ann. Mellisa was looking around and enjoying the ambiance of the outdoors. Granny Josephine and Granny Sarah-Belle gave each other death stares from the windows of each other's houses, grumbling insults, and grinding each other's gums. It was noon, and all the kids of the cul-de-sac came out to play. Everyone who was outside bought lemonade from both sides, keeping them evenly matched with the appeal, attraction, and good persuasion. Both grandmothers cheered on their grandkids, while also making more and more lemonade.

"Wow! These customers are piling in," Julianna started, "What, have they never heard of fruit juice?"

"Juice is for saps! Lemonade's where it's at!" A kid commented. As the hot sun loomed over the day, Mellisa, Julianna, and Karry-Ann had sold over five dozen cups of lemonade, and the besties were running out of supplies. Mellisa looked on and saw that Karry-Ann was selling out four cups of lemonade all at one time and asked herself, "How is she selling so many cups of lemonade all at once?" The besties had sold to the last kid who came to their side, while the others were at Karry-Ann's stand. Karry-Ann gloated, "What happened? Run out of supplies? Why not come over and borrow some of mine?" Mellisa was about to sit up and get some, but Julianna looked through the Crimson-dressed girl's sarcasm and sat Mellisa back down. As the competition reigned on, a limousine drove into the Applegate neighborhood. The decals on the doors had lemons painted on them. A man walked out, blew his whistle, alerting the all of kids. The man put away his pipe, clicked the heels of his Oxford shoes and called, "Ok kids. I am Mr. Pine, Lemonade enthusiast. I make Lemons, and make mouths water for some tasty juice." Julianna, and a few of the older kids snickered quietly after hearing Mr. Pine say that. Mr. Pine continued, "For those who are in the lemonade contest, the rules are simple. The stand with the best-tasting lemonade shall win the GRAAAND PRIZE of: A brand new oven AAAAANNND a six-hundred-thousand dollar cash prize!" All of the kids' gasped in surprise and wonder after hearing about the prize. Julianna, on the other hand, choked on a fly that flew into her open mouth, and couldn't get it out so she had no choice to swallow it and shudder.

The kids who weren't buying any lemonade stood on the sidewalk and watched as Mr. Pine walked over to the stands. Many of the kids on the block pointed to both lemonade stands cheering Mr. Pine to pick either one. More kids were pointing for Mellisa's stand, but he chose Karry-Ann's stand first. Karry-Ann, with a smug attitude, had a cup of fresh lemonade poured out for Mr. Pine. Mr. Pine observed the lemonade and took a polite sip. The lemonade made Mr. Pine jolt in disgust with an eye twitch to go with it, and immediately spat the lemonade out.

"Blegh! This is horrible!" Mr. Pine cried, "That doesn't taste freshly squeezed!" He then saw Sarah-Belle's lemonade Van and immediately investigated. Sarah-Belle freaked out and ran out and blocked Mr. Pine from opening the van and said, "N-now-now Mr. Pine. Let's not be hasty here."

"Step back, madam," Mr. Pine stated as he moved Sarah-Belle aside. He then opened the back of the van and heard a machine under the covers of a white cloth. The judge then pulled the cloth off and exclaimed, "Ah hah! I should have known." He then points to Sarah-Belle and Karry-Ann and continued his exclamation, "THESE TWO ARE USING ARTIFICAL LEMONS TO MAKE THEIR LEMONADE SWEETER!" Everyone gasped in shock, except Julianna, who had a hint about it all along.

"Uh! Juh! Wuh! Buh! Guh!" are the noises Mellisa could make.

"I know, I know. It's shocking to me too," Julianna replied as she pats Mellisa's shoulder. The judge then disqualifies Karry-Ann and Sarah-Belle and heads over to Mellisa and Julianna's stand. The judge looked at Mellisa and Julianna and politely asked for a cup of freshly-squeezed lemonade. Mellisa heads inside to grab the last jug of freshly-made lemonade and comes back outside with it.

Julianna took the last available cup and Mellisa poured the lemonade in the cup and was about to serve it to him. Karry-Ann didn't want Mellisa to win, especially not in front of her grandmother, so she took a slingshot from under her desk, filled it with a decent-sized pebble, stood on the table, aimed it at the cup and fired, knocking the cup of lemonade out of Mellisa's hand and spilling the juice all over the ground.

"Nooo!" Josephine yelled.

"Yes! Eat that, Josey!" Sarah-Belle gloated. Mellisa looked down sad, feeling as if she failed her grandmother while Julianna could only pat her back. Mr. Pine gave a small smile and said, "Not to worry, little girl. For I always carry my own cup for emergencies." Mr. Pine took the jug and poured himself some lemonade. Mellisa and Julianna's eyes widen and a sweat drop falls from their heads. The judge too a good sip of the juice and then swallowed. Silence filled the neighborhood as they all watched Mr. Pine as he stood still. In a sudden turn, Mr. Pine twitched, spun around in circles, jumped up and down, and danced happily and jumped high into the air and yelled in happiness.

"I think we have a WIIIIIINNNEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!" Mr. Pine yelled with glee, making Mellisa, Julianna, Josephine, Karry-Ann, and Sarah-Belle gasp. He then continued, "Little girl! I have never tasted such amazing lemonade in years, not even since the great Floridian Lemon shortage of 1983. You are a true lemonade master!"

"Oh! Thank you, but the real winner isn't me," Mellisa said modestly.

"Really? Then who might be the crafter of such amazing lemonade?"

"That's simple!" Mellisa stated, "The real winner iiiiissss~" Mellisa walked to her house and opened the door and let out Josephine as she said, "Myyyy grandmama! She's the real creator of this fabulous lemonade. I just enjoy helping." Mr. Pine fixed his composure and walked up to Josephine. He congratulated her for creating such an amazing lemonade.

"But that's not fair!" Sarah-Belle yelled as she ran out of her house to confront them, "She's not even head of the stand! And the fat one doesn't even make lemonade!"

"What'd you call me?!" Julianna yelled, ready to fight, but Mellisa calmed her down with a hug.

"She may not be head, but she AND her granddaughter did create the lemonade together, and she was honest about having help," Mr. Pine retorted, "Unlike you and your granddaughter who use overly sweetened artificial lemons." Karry-Ann and Sarah-Belle backed down from the comment, and went back into their house. They then looked out the window and cursed Mellisa, Julianna, and Josephine, vowing revenge. The judge shook both Mellisa's hand and Josephine's hand, and wrote them a check for six hundred thousand dollars.

"Congratulations again, Josephine and Mellisa, for making the best lemonade Orujinshinaka has ever had! Also, your oven will be delivered to your house in three days at no cost!" The judge stated as he pulled out a clipboard, "Just put your address here so that our top men will deliver it to you." Josephine took the clipboard, signed her name and address and gave Mr. Pine his clipboard back. As he walked back into his limo and rode off, the other kids in the neighborhood congratulated the two and cheered for them.

"This is great, gran-gran! We finally can finish our baking!" Mellisa cheered, hugging her grandmother.

"Who cares about that right now? I'm rich! I'm rich! Yaaaa-Haaa-hahahahah-ha-ha-haaaahhh!!" Josephine cheered in excitement. Hearing Josephine made Mellisa and Julianna look at each other and begin to laugh, both happy at their accomplishment and laughing at Josephine's sudden excitement for winning cash.

Cut to a week later, and it was the town festival, where all of the townsfolk gathered far and wide to buy some of Josephine's famous Summer Sweets.

"You know Melly-dear, someone once told me that my sweets were so good that I should sell them," Josephine chuckled, "and you know what? They were right." Mellisa and Josephine both laughed as they sold their treats, and that was when Karry-Ann and Sarah-Belle came next in line.

"Well, well, well," Josephine said in a sarcastic, yet smug and happy tone, "if it isn't my good friend, Sarah-Belle." Mellisa waved to Karry-Ann with a polite smile, while a displeased Karry-Ann spat her tongue out at her.

"We came to...." Karry-Ann started but shudders when she tries to finish, "...to...to.... Blegh."

"We came to congratulate you on... Winning the lemonade contest," Sarah-Belle finished. Josephine took it all in with an appropriately smug smile and said, "Go on."

"Aaaannnnd...... You're... You're..." Sarah-Belle tried to admit that Josephine is better than her, but didn't wanna give up her pride, "Yoouuuu'rreeee GONNA GET IT IN THE NEXT CONTEST. Even if I have to run into your granddaughter to get you. And further more I-" Sarah-Belle's words get muffled when Josephine shoves one of her tasty treats in Sarah-Belle's mouth and replied, "Oh shut up and have some pound cake." Sarah-Belle tried to speak but all of her words is muffled by the pound cake.

"Grandmaaaa," Karry-Ann whined, "You're embarrassing meeee~!" Karry-Ann walked away, trying to cover her face so no one recognizes her after that moment of embarrassment, while her grandmother follows her, trying to scold her granddaughter but still has her mouth muffled. Mellisa and Josephine giggle as they get to enjoy the day while selling their summer treats to all of the townsfolk of Orujinshinaka. What happened to Julianna? Oh don't worry. She's hanging back near the fair's fun carnival games, winning almost every big prize in sight. It was a fantastic day indeed.

THE END