“They were incredible,” Summer raved.
“We seemed to jump a lot higher than we would on the moon,” Pigeon remarked.
“Very observant,” Mrs. White approved. “The Moon Rocks reduce the effect of gravity between ten and twelve times, thus imitating an environment of considerably less than lunar gravity. Did you have fun?”
“It was awesome,” Nate said. “It felt amazing jumping so high. We grabbed onto tree branches, and hopped over the creek, and we practiced pushing off stuff to leap sideways.”
“I’m so glad it was enjoyable,” Mrs. White said, her smile creating deep dimples in her cheeks.
“I fell in the creek,” Pigeon confessed.
“We were wondering if you might let us try some more,” Trevor said.
“Or some other magic candy,” Summer added.
“What use would a sample be if there were no more candy to be had?” Mrs. White said.
“Do you have lots of different kinds?” Pigeon asked.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Mrs. White said. She lowered her voice, and her demeanor grew more serious. “I have more magic candy, but we must reach an agreement before I can share it with you. As you might imagine, magic candy is most difficult to produce, and my supplies are limited.”
“I knew it,” Nate huffed. “It’s going to cost a fortune.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions,” Mrs. White chided. “I know I’m dealing with children. I don’t expect you to pay for the candy in cash. Its monetary value far exceeds what even your parents could afford. I am willing to give you the opportunity to earn more candy by performing small services for me. And I expect you to keep the effects of the candy secret. Should you try to tell others what my candy can do, not only will I deny your story, I will never share magic candy with any of you again.” Her voice and expression softened. “I don’t mean to be stern, I just want to impress upon you how earnest I am about this. Can you keep my secret?”
The kids all nodded. “What do we have to do for more candy?” Nate asked.
“Your first task is easy,” Mrs. White said. “Since I’m starting up a new business, I recently whipped up a batch of one of my specialties—white fudge. I want you to distribute free samples to your family and friends. In return, I’ll give you a bag of Moon Rocks.”
“Can we try the fudge too?” Pigeon asked.
“There is a catch to eating the white fudge,” Mrs. White cautioned. “It tastes absolutely scrumptious. Once you taste one piece, your mouth will water for more. Which is why I give them away to drum up business. But the fudge has some side effects. It dulls the effectiveness of my magic candy. It also makes it difficult for those who eat it to notice the powers my special treats grant to others. So the fudge serves a dual purpose: It will entice your friends and family into my store, so I can remain profitable, and it will help them ignore any oddities resulting from the candy I give you.”
“Will it hurt anybody?” Trevor asked.
“The fudge is harmless,” Mrs. White assured them. “The only reason to avoid my white fudge is if you want magic candy to work on you. After you eat the fudge, sucking on a Moon Rock won’t make you a pound lighter.”
“When will we get the Moon Rocks?” Nate asked.
“Take home my fudge. Share it tonight with your parents, older relatives, and any other friends, and the bag of Moon Rocks, containing at least forty pieces, will be yours tomorrow.” She picked up a white rectangular box with “Sweet Tooth Ice Cream and Candy Shoppe” stamped in red and opened it. Inside were four large cubes of white fudge.
Pigeon leaned forward to sniff the contents. “Smells good.”
“I’ll give each of you two boxes,” Mrs. White said. “Make sure you emphasize where you got the fudge, and that our shop has many other goodies. And, just in case the temptation is too great, here is some dark fudge for each of you.” She handed each of them a dense square of brown fudge.
*****
Sitting at his desk the next day, Nate could hardly wait for school to end. The clock seemed paralyzed. That morning, he had gotten his name written on the board for cracking jokes. A name on the board was a warning—if he got a check mark after it, he would have to stay after class, so he had forced himself to keep quiet the rest of the day.
Staying after class was not an option. He was anxious to collect his reward from Mrs. White. The previous night he had shared the white fudge with his family. His dad, mom, and sister each ate a cube. They all loved it, and wondered why he didn’t eat the last piece. He explained that he had already had some. His dad ended up splitting the extra block of fudge with his mom. Everyone seemed in an unusually relaxed mood after the fudge. They all sat around watching TV together for the remainder of the evening, which was out of character for his parents.
Earlier that day at lunch, after Pigeon had lost his dessert to Denny, Eric, and Kyle, Nate learned that the others had given fudge to their families as well. Trevor had also presented a box to his neighbors. Nate still had an extra box under his bed.
Miss Doulin paced at the front of the room, droning about homework. Nate was too excited by the thought of gliding through the air again to pay attention. He doodled in his notebook, depicting a stick figure jumping from the half-court line to slam-dunk a basketball. Then he diagrammed how a stick person would leap back and forth between two skyscrapers to reach the top.
Finally, the bell rang. Pigeon went to the front of the room and presented a box of white fudge to Miss Doulin. She smiled and they chatted for a moment. Pigeon had offered a bunch of correct answers in class again today. The guy might not have much athletic ability, but he was certainly a world-class kiss up!
“I saw you giving sweets to your new girlfriend,” Nate teased as he and Pigeon walked out of the room.
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Pigeon said.
“Not yet,” Nate said. “But she’s not married, she calls you by your nickname, and you’re giving her chocolates. Give it time.”
“Lay off,” Summer said, coming up from behind. “Can’t hurt for one of us to get on Miss Doulin’s good side.”
“It isn’t just getting on her good side,” Nate said. “I bet she writes about Pigeon in her diary.”
“You’re the one who keeps talking about it, Nate,” Summer pointed out. “Maybe you’re the one with the secret crush.”