Ari and Val were best friends who grew up in St. Vincent near the seaside at Edinboro. They went to the same school and did everything together. On weekends, they spent their free time pitching marble and playing football on the beach.

One Saturday morning, the sun was ripe, the coconut trees dancing in the wind, and Val had an idea. 

He met Ari on her porch, drinking passion fruit juice.

“Let’s make the world’s best banana bread ever!” Val exclaimed, with his eyes filled with excitement. 

“Hmmm, I like that idea.” Ari agreed, running into the kitchen with Val. 

Val picked up a red recipe book off the table. 

“This book says it has the best banana bread recipe!” he said, looking through the pages.

“Yes. So let’s bake now”, said Ari as she grabbed a big blue bowl

Val quickly scooped some flour into the big blue bowl, filling the air with white clouds. 

Ari added sugar, laughing as some fell on the table.

“I think we need plenty of eggs and butter now,” Val said, cracking 8 eggs into the bowl. 

Ari dumped 4 packs of butter into the bowl.

“Let me mix it now,” Ari said as she turned the spoon around faster and faster in the bowl, splashing batter everywhere. 

“Can you get the milk for me, please? Asked Ari. Val brought over a box of coconut milk.

“We don’t need to measure, that is for grownups," said Val. Ari agreed and poured the entire box into the bowl, making the batter very messy. 

It was Val’s turn to mix, so Ari went to get ripe bananas from the refrigerator. She then returned, dropped three hands of bananas onto the table, and started peeling them.

"Ohhh nooo,” Val whispered. “I think I made a big mess.”

Ari's eyes widened when she looked up from the bananas and saw the great big mess.

 “We better clean up before Tanty Kay comes in”, Ari said. 

Just then, Tanty Kay walked into the kitchen, shocked at the way it looked.