10. Boy-Flavored Applesauce

Chapter 10 Boy-Flavored Applesauce Coco lay on the floor. "My baby's fainted!" Coco's mom cried. Everyone crowded around to see what a fainted person looked like. "Give her air!" Abe cried. Wyatt looked at Coco. Then he looked at me. "Let me see that ball," he repeated.

"No way!" I said. "It's my sister's." Wyatt grabbed for the ball. I turned and ran. Nobody paid any attention. On account of Coco was busy fainting. I zipped into the applesauce room to get away from Wyatt. But he was right behind me. A giant, loud machine was smushing apples. Another one was stirring a huge tub of apple stuff. It smelled sweet and cinnamony. "Step away from the applesauce!" a loudspeaker voice yelled. "STEP AWAY FROM THE APPLESAUCE!" I stopped running.

Wyatt tried to stop running too. But he skidded on a slick spot. Applesauce, probably. He slid right into me. Hazel's magic fortune-telling ball went flying. Straight into the giant tub of applesauce. It sank like a little red submarine. "NO!" I screamed. "The magic ball!"

"STEP AWAY FROM THE APPLESAUCE!" the voice said again. I couldn't jump in, could I? Ms. Diz really wanted us to be on our best behavior. I was pretty sure jumping into applesauce didn't count as best behavior. On the other hand, I'd promised Hazel I would return her ball to her safe and sound. Hazel was my little sister. She trusted me. And she loved that ball. There was only one thing I could do. I leaped right into that giant tub. The applesauce came up to my waist. It was slimy. And oozy.

And tasty. I reached down with both hands and felt the bottom. But it was a very big tub. And a very little ball. I glared at Wyatt with mad eyes. "You… you… you do NOT have a very winning personality!" I yelled. I grabbed a handful of applesauce and flung it. It landed—splat!—on Wyatt's face. He scooped some off and tasted it. "Not bad," he said. "Bully breath," I muttered. "Goo swimmer," he said.

"Ball stealer," I said. "You have applesauce in your eyebrows," Wyatt said. "You have applesauce in your nose hole," I said. I smiled just a little. So did he. Just a little. "What's it like in there?" Wyatt asked. "Gooey," I said. "I can't believe you jumped in," Wyatt said in an admiring voice. "Want some help?" he asked. "Sure," I said. Wyatt hopped in.