Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull Read Free Book Online

had completed the insides of the windows. Trevor and Pigeon added their rags to the window work, dragging chairs to reach the high parts, allowing Nate to concentrate on spraying. A couple of customers came and went while they wiped down the outside of the windows.
     
    By the time they finished, the four of them were tired. They returned the rags and spray bottles to Mrs. White at the counter.
     
    “Excellent work,” Mrs. White cheered. “You four make quite a team.” She placed a small glass of thick yellow fluid topped with whipped cream on the counter. Alongside it she set a tiny brownie. She cut the brownie into four bite-sized quarters and gave each of them a plastic spoon. Pigeon frowned at the miniscule portions. “Go ahead and sample my homemade eggnog and the butterscotch swirl brownie. I’ll give each of you a full-sized version of whichever you like more.”
     
    The smooth, cold eggnog was thick as a milkshake, and creamy beyond description. Nate had never tasted anything like it. The chewy brownie exploded with a harmonious mix of chocolate and butterscotch.
     
    “There’s no way to decide,” Pigeon moaned after sampling both.
     
    “Maybe I should have offered some of my secret candy instead,” Mrs. White sighed in a quiet tone, as if talking to herself.
     
    “Secret candy?” Nate asked, instantly intrigued.
     
    “My goodness,” Mrs. White said. “Forget I mentioned it. I never bring up my secret candy on a first meeting. Which will it be, eggnog or brownie?”
     
    “What kind of secret candy?” Trevor pressed.
     
    Mrs. White stared at them. “I shouldn’t allude to a secret without explaining, I suppose,” she admitted reluctantly. “But I must ask for a rain check on this one. I never discuss my secret candy on a first meeting. Perhaps if you ask me some other time. Tell you what, to make up for my slip, I’ll take away your choice. You may each have a brownie and a cup of eggnog!”
     
    “Secret?” Pigeon said cheerily. “Any of you guys hear about a secret? I’m sure I haven’t!”
     
    “Okay,” Nate consented. “But I’m asking again later.”
     
    Mrs. White began setting the treats on the counter.
     
*****
     
    Nate, Summer, Trevor, and Pigeon visited the candy shop every day after school. They worked hard, and Mrs. White rewarded them kindly. On Wednesday, the penny candy was cream puffs with chocolate icing, the chore was refilling the coin-operated gumball machines, and the prize was ice cream sundaes. Thursday they bought jawbreakers for a penny, then washed dishes to earn apple fritters.
     
    It was exactly a week after their original visit to the candy shop when Nate reopened the subject of the secret candy. The four kids were seated at the counter sipping at delicious chocolate malts through sturdy straws. They had recently finished wiping down all the shelves and dusting the wooden Indian. The store was empty except for them and Mrs. White, who was polishing the counter while the kids drank their reward.
     
    “You told us to ask about the secret candy some other time,” Nate reminded Mrs. White without warning. “Has it been long enough?”
     
    Mrs. White stopped wiping. She twisted the rag in her hands. “I was quietly hoping you had forgotten.”
     
    The kids shook their heads.
     
    Mrs. White folded her arms and shook her head. “It is hard to put curiosity back to bed once you awaken it,” she conceded. “Very well. I have a line of extra-special candy that I don’t offer to the general public. The secret candy is far superior to anything on the menu, but is certainly not for everyone.” She eyed each of them in turn. “That said, I pride myself on being a good judge of character, and my instincts tell me you four might appreciate it. But my secret candy must be earned by more than cleaning windows and shelves. Would you four be interested?”
     
    “Of course,” Nate said. The others nodded eagerly.
     
    “Dear me, where do I begin?”