store. Kids always come when there’s candy around.” She paused for a moment. “At least they did until now.”
“Do you have any idea what might have changed?” Mrs. Carew asked.
Cinnamon shook her head. “That’s the strange thing.”
Katie knew what was wrong. She also knew it was all her fault.
Just then, Katie got one of her great ideas. “You should have a party!” she blurted out.
“A party?” Cinnamon asked.
Katie nodded. “A great big Valentine’s Day party. With balloons and music. I’ll bet the kids would come to that. I could call all the fourth-graders and invite them.”
Cinnamon thought for a moment. “I could give out little bags of candy hearts as favors.”
Katie flinched. “I think the kids have had enough of those,” she said quickly. “Maybe you could just give out regular candies.”
Cinnamon shrugged. “Okay. I’ll do it. I hope this brings the kids back to the store.”
So do I, Katie thought to herself.
“But you have to come, Suzanne,” Katie begged her best friend. The girls were talking to one another on the phone later that evening. “If you don‘t, nobody will.”
“Well, I do set the trends in our grade,” Suzanne agreed.
Katie sighed. Suzanne was such a show-off. But she wasn’t wrong. Most of the girls did copy whatever Suzanne did.
“Still, Cinnamon really messed things up,” Suzanne continued.
“Not for you,” Katie told her. “Your heart came to your house Wednesday night. It said exactly what it was supposed to.”
“I guess,” Suzanne agreed. “But ...”
“Cinnamon probably only made the mistakes since she was rushing. You guys did have a last-minute order, after all. Cinnamon is a really nice person,” Katie said. “She keeps secrets really well.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Suzanne asked.
“She didn’t tell anyone about your secret admirer,” Katie told her.
“She said she couldn’t.”
“I know,” Katie agreed. “But I can tell if I want to.”
“Tell what?” Suzanne sounded nervous.
“Who your secret admirer is. I figured it out. But I kept your secret. And so did Cinnamon. You owe us.”
Suzanne was quiet for a minute. Katie crossed her fingers. She would never really tell Suzanne’s secret, but this was the only plan she had. Katie hoped it would work!
“All right,” Suzanne agreed. “I’ll come.”
Katie was relieved. “And you’ll get some of the other girls to come, too?”
“I’ll try,” Suzanne said slowly.
Katie smiled as she hung up the phone. That took care of the girls. Now she had to deal with the boys.
Quickly, she dialed Jeremy’s phone number. When he answered the phone, she told him all about the party.
“I’m not going anywhere near there,” he told Katie. “I’m staying as far from Becky as I can.”
“I don’t think that’s too smart,” Katie replied.
“Why ? ”
“Well, look what happened the last time Becky went to Cinnamon’s. She got you a heart. At least if you’re there, you can make sure she doesn’t do anything like that again.”
Jeremy was quiet for a moment. Finally, he said, “I guess you’re right.”
“I know I am,” Katie assured him. “We’ll go to the party right after our cooking club meeting. It’ll be fun, I promise.”
Chapter 12
Katie spent the whole evening calling her friends. Her phone calls really worked. Almost everyone in the fourth grade agreed to come to Cinnamon’s Valentine’s Day party.
The next day, the kids arrived at Cinnamon’s Candy Shop. But they didn’t look like they were in the mood to party. Instead, they all looked angry. The girls still hadn’t forgiven Cinnamon for what was written on their hearts. And the boys hadn’t forgiven the girls for sending the hearts in the first place.
Cinnamon wasn’t about to let the kids have a bad time. She just kept smiling and handing out candy. Her smiles—and her sweets—were too much to ignore.
“Wow! Free candy!” Jeremy exclaimed.
“Do you have any idea what might have changed?” Mrs. Carew asked.
Cinnamon shook her head. “That’s the strange thing.”
Katie knew what was wrong. She also knew it was all her fault.
Just then, Katie got one of her great ideas. “You should have a party!” she blurted out.
“A party?” Cinnamon asked.
Katie nodded. “A great big Valentine’s Day party. With balloons and music. I’ll bet the kids would come to that. I could call all the fourth-graders and invite them.”
Cinnamon thought for a moment. “I could give out little bags of candy hearts as favors.”
Katie flinched. “I think the kids have had enough of those,” she said quickly. “Maybe you could just give out regular candies.”
Cinnamon shrugged. “Okay. I’ll do it. I hope this brings the kids back to the store.”
So do I, Katie thought to herself.
“But you have to come, Suzanne,” Katie begged her best friend. The girls were talking to one another on the phone later that evening. “If you don‘t, nobody will.”
“Well, I do set the trends in our grade,” Suzanne agreed.
Katie sighed. Suzanne was such a show-off. But she wasn’t wrong. Most of the girls did copy whatever Suzanne did.
“Still, Cinnamon really messed things up,” Suzanne continued.
“Not for you,” Katie told her. “Your heart came to your house Wednesday night. It said exactly what it was supposed to.”
“I guess,” Suzanne agreed. “But ...”
“Cinnamon probably only made the mistakes since she was rushing. You guys did have a last-minute order, after all. Cinnamon is a really nice person,” Katie said. “She keeps secrets really well.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Suzanne asked.
“She didn’t tell anyone about your secret admirer,” Katie told her.
“She said she couldn’t.”
“I know,” Katie agreed. “But I can tell if I want to.”
“Tell what?” Suzanne sounded nervous.
“Who your secret admirer is. I figured it out. But I kept your secret. And so did Cinnamon. You owe us.”
Suzanne was quiet for a minute. Katie crossed her fingers. She would never really tell Suzanne’s secret, but this was the only plan she had. Katie hoped it would work!
“All right,” Suzanne agreed. “I’ll come.”
Katie was relieved. “And you’ll get some of the other girls to come, too?”
“I’ll try,” Suzanne said slowly.
Katie smiled as she hung up the phone. That took care of the girls. Now she had to deal with the boys.
Quickly, she dialed Jeremy’s phone number. When he answered the phone, she told him all about the party.
“I’m not going anywhere near there,” he told Katie. “I’m staying as far from Becky as I can.”
“I don’t think that’s too smart,” Katie replied.
“Why ? ”
“Well, look what happened the last time Becky went to Cinnamon’s. She got you a heart. At least if you’re there, you can make sure she doesn’t do anything like that again.”
Jeremy was quiet for a moment. Finally, he said, “I guess you’re right.”
“I know I am,” Katie assured him. “We’ll go to the party right after our cooking club meeting. It’ll be fun, I promise.”
Chapter 12
Katie spent the whole evening calling her friends. Her phone calls really worked. Almost everyone in the fourth grade agreed to come to Cinnamon’s Valentine’s Day party.
The next day, the kids arrived at Cinnamon’s Candy Shop. But they didn’t look like they were in the mood to party. Instead, they all looked angry. The girls still hadn’t forgiven Cinnamon for what was written on their hearts. And the boys hadn’t forgiven the girls for sending the hearts in the first place.
Cinnamon wasn’t about to let the kids have a bad time. She just kept smiling and handing out candy. Her smiles—and her sweets—were too much to ignore.
“Wow! Free candy!” Jeremy exclaimed.
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