The Chocolate Meltdown Read Online Free Page B

Trina said, coming over to investigate the commotion.
    “New chocolates my dad gave me to share,” B said. “You would have gotten some yesterday, if you hadn’t had Black Cats practice.”
    “Sorry,” Trina said, grinning. “What are they?”
    “Fabulous Fruits, dipped in three kinds of chocolate. Want some?”
    Trina peered into the box. The first layer was nearly finished and the crumpled wrappers lay scattered. She shook her head. “No thanks. Not just yet. Too early in the morning for candy.”
    Later, in English class, B sat in her usual seat next to George and near Trina. She left the chocolates on her desk and went over to greet Mozart, the classroom pet hamster, and refill his water dish. Shereturned to her desk just as Mr. Bishop arrived and began announcing the day’s assignment. It looked like several chocolates were missing. No matter — everyone was welcome to them. But when Mr. Bishop started writing on the blackboard, George slipped her a note.
    Jason swiped a handful of chocolates
, the note read.
He was acting all sneaky about it, like he was stealing them.
    B looked around to make sure Mr. Bishop didn’t see her passing notes, then took out her pencil and wrote,
That’s weird. I would have given him some. Dad wanted me to share with everyone. Did you try any today?
    George read the note and shook his head no. There were only a couple left in the box, so B put them away for George.
    When the bell rang at the end of English class, and Mr. Bishop and most of the other students had filed out of the room, B reopened the box to give George the last few candies. She was hoping the taste would be back to normal now.
    “How are they, George?” B said. “Any better than yesterday?”
    George nibbled thoughtfully, swallowed, and shook his head. “Nope. Same,” he said. “B, I really should talk to your dad. I think maybe he’s so excited about this launch that his taste buds aren’t working like they ought to. Can we stop at Enchanted Chocolates after school?”
    “That would be amazing!” Trina said. “I’ve always wanted to see inside a chocolate factory.”
    B packed her backpack and stood. “I don’t know. Dad’s sick, but he still went to work today because a bunch of his employees called in sick this morning. He’s probably super busy, and super tired.”
    “I won’t take much of his time,” George said. “Can’t we just stop by his office for a few minutes?”
    B hesitated. “Oh, all right. Just for a few minutes. I’d kind of like to check on him and see how he’s feeling anyway. C’mon, let’s go eat.”
    They each stopped at their lockers. B was just about to head to the caf when a tall girl with a scarf over her head and neck grabbed her hand.
    “Hey!” B said. She turned to peer under the girl’s scarf. “Dawn? Is that you?”
    The hooded figure nodded. “Help me, B,” shesaid, her voice weak and scratchy. “Look!” She lifted the scarf, and B gasped to see thick purple spots bubbling out all over her sister’s usually flawless complexion.
    “Jumping jinxes, Dawn, are you okay?”
    Dawn shook her head. “I’m exhausted. I’ve got to get home to bed, before anyone sees me. I was worried you were sick, too, but you look fine.” She blew her nose loudly. “All morning, every time I sneezed, my teachers got a new fashion accessory, poof!” She blew her nose again. “The styles got lamer and lamer. It was awful!”
    “C’mon, let me take you to the office. I’ll call Mom and tell her to come pick you up.”
    “Then that stopped,” Dawn said, as though she hadn’t heard B, “but these nasty boils appeared. What if my face is scarred for life? How will I get my senior portrait taken?”
    B led Dawn by the arm down the long corridor to the main office. “That’s years away,” B said. “You’ve got the same symptoms Dad had last night. The spots went away when he chewed on pages from the rhyming dictionary. But it didn’t help his magic