The Candy Man Cometh Read Online Free

never happen again if he ever had to kick all of us out of the Sidekicks again, Pete approved the Side-kicks to interview for a brand new member. That way, there’d be one leftover sidekick to do his chores. Pete suggested we name the new side-kick “Chore Boy” or “Task Lass.”
    Exact Change Kid, Boom Boy, and Boy-in-the-Plastic-Bubble Boy sat behind the Sidekick Super Fold-Out Table, or in Boy-in-the-Plastic-Bubble Boy’s case, sat in his Giant Hamster Ball of Justice behind the Sidekick Super Fold-Out Table in the middle of the Sidekick Super Additional-Parking Parking Lot of Justice. The rest of us flanked them on either side, except for Charisma Kid, who had told us to “pick whatever stupid new sidekick you want” and to try not to choose “as big a loser as the rest of you.”
    Several would-be sidekicks lined up on the opposite side of the table. Exact Change Kid pulled out a clipboard and read the first name.
    “Super Vision Lad?”
    A young boy stepped forward. He had a wild look in his eyes, and his head darted about. He had black hair and a beach towel clothespinned around his neck, like a terry cloth cape. Otherwise, he was dressed totally normal, in jeans and a T-shirt that said MOMMY’S LITTLE ANGEL. One of his shoes was untied and he had a runny nose. His mother was with him and held him firmly by the wrist.
    “So... you have super eyes, I see,” Exact Change Kid said. “How far can you see?”
    “He doesn’t have super eyes,” Super Vision Lad’s mother corrected.
    Super Vision Lad made motorboat noises with his lips, extended his arms, and spun around like a human helicopter. “I like chocwet!” he yelled.
    “Then why is he called Super Vision Lad?” Boom Boy asked.
    “Because he needs constant supervision,” the kid’s mother answered.
    “How does that power work?” Spice Girl asked.
    “Look, I’ll pay you ten dollars an hour if he can joined your little ‘club’ from three to six every day.” His mother pulled out thirty dollars and laid it on the table. “And double on holidays. I just...I just need a little break.”
    Exact Change Kid looked at the other side-kicks. “Well, we might have to fight evil during those hours . . .”
    “Does it take
all
of you to fight evil?” Super Vision Lad’s mother asked.
    “Usually,” Spelling Beatrice jumped in. “Don’t you think you’d be better off finding a babysitter?”
    “Oh, I see how it is,” Super Vision Lad’s mother said in a huff. “You can count pennies and spell words and roll around in a plastic hamster ball and suddenly you’re too good for ten dollars an hour?”
    “MAAA PA MAA PAM!” Boy-in-the-Plastic-Bubble Boy yelled.
    I turned and saw Super Vision Lad kicking Boy-in-the-Plastic-Bubble Boy’s Giant Hamster Ball of Justice around the Sidekick Super Additional-Parking Parking Lot of Justice like he was a giant plastic soccer ball with a screaming teenager inside.
    “I told you he needed constant supervision!” his mother snarled, and chased after her son.
    “Next!” Boom Boy called out.
    A boy with a large, brown cardboard box encasing his body stepped forward. There were holes cut out for his head and legs, and the box covered his body from his shoulders down to just below his hips.
    “I’m Boy-in-the-Cardboard-Box Boy!” he said eagerly.
    “And what powers do you have?” Exact Change Kid asked.
    “Cardboard powers!” Boy-in-the-Cardboard-Box Boy bragged.
    “Wow,” Spice Girl whispered to Spelling Beatrice. “He
is
powerful.”
    “Powerful?” I quietly butted in. “What makes
him
so powerful?”
    “He can stack himself,” Spice Girl explained. “And I can store my winter clothes in him.”
    “That doesn’t make him powerful,” I huffed. Spice Girl turned her back to me. “Let’s see if you’re still saying that when summer comes.”
    “Hey, hey!” Boom Boy said. “Here’s a little test for you: What would you do if the Veggie Tarian attacked you with his Cucumber