The Candy Corn Contest (6 page)

He said some numbers in his head. He tried to forget 278.

He saw Matthew going into the schoolyard. He wished he could forget about Matthew too.

Matthew must feel terrible about the party.

Richard knew he'd feel terrible too.

“290,” he said in a loud voice. “280. 315. 876.” He kicked at a pile of brown leaves. “278,” he said in a little voice.

A real Pilgrim would tell Ms. Rooney about the Candy Corn, Rich-ard thought. A real Pilgrim would say that he had eaten three pieces.

The bell rang in the schoolyard. Ms. Rooney's line started for the doors.

“492,” Richard yelled. He ran to catch up.

Matthew saw him coming. “Hurry,” he yelled.

The monitor told Richard to stop running.

He had to get in line with the third-graders.

Matthew turned around. “Good news,” he called.

The monitor yelled at everyone to be quiet.

Richard wondered what Matthew's news was. Matthew looked happy.

Matthew was his friend.

Matthew should be coming to his sleep-over.

“326,” Richard whispered. He wouldn't be happy if his friend didn't want him at a sleep-over. He wouldn't be smiling.

In the classroom everyone was running around.

Ms. Rooney was late today.

Matthew met him at the door. “Guess what?” he said. “I just saved your life.”

Richard looked at Matthew's face. He looked at Mat-thew's stick-out ears.

It would be terrible if Matthew didn't come to his sleep-over party.

4'Matthew,” he said. “I want you to come.”

Matthew held out his hand. “Look,” he said.

“Please come to my sleep-over,” Richard said. He looked down. Matthew had three fat pieces of Candy Corn in his hand.

Richard looked at the Candy Corn. He wondered if it had the wet-the-bed smell.

But today Matthew smelled different.

Not a lot different. Just a little different.

“Put them in the jar,” Matthew said.

Richard opened his eyes wide. “You just saved my life, Matthew,” he said.

Ms. Rooney came rushing in the door. “Whew,” she said. “I had a flat tire. I'm sorry I'm late.”

Richard followed her to the desk.

She looked up. “Yes, Richard?”

“I ate three pieces of Candy Corn. Matthew gave me three more. He didn't want me to get in trouble. I thought I'd better tell you though.”

Ms. Rooney opened her mouth into a fat O.

Matthew opened the top of the jar. He dropped in the Candy Corn.

“A Pilgrim wouldn't have eaten three pieces of Candy Corn,” Ms. Rooney said. Then she smiled. “But you're a true Pilgrim for telling me.”

Then Ms. Rooney clapped her hands. “Please stop running around,” she told the class.

Everyone went to his seat.

Richard put his books away. “I forgot to say thank you,” he whispered to Matthew.

“It's all right,” Matthew said.

“You've got to come to my sleep-over,” Richard said.

Matthew looked out the window. “I guess I could come,” he said.

“Right,” said Richard. He thought about Mrs. Paris. He remembered what she had said.
When someone has a problem, help if you can
. “Maybe,” he told Matthew, “you could take a bath.”

“For a party I would,” Matthew said. “In fact, I've been trying to take a bath more than usual.”

“That's good,” Richard said.

“Yeah,” Matthew said. “I never liked baths much, but Mrs. Paris gave me some bubble bath.”

“Lucky,” Richard said.

Matthew nodded. “She gave it to me when I erased the board for her.” He took out his library book. “I'm up to the last sentence on page one.”

Richard listened as Matthew read.

“M-mmm-ost,” Matthew sounded out. “Most of the ttt-ime ccc-croc-o-croc-odiles live in rain for-ests.”

Matthew slammed the book shut. “One page,” he said to Richard. “One guess.”

“Good,” Richard said.

“That reminds me,” Matthew said. “I'm bringing an alarm clock to your sleep-over.”

“Really?” Richard said.

“I'll get up a couple of times,” Matthew said. “To go to the bathroom.”

“Oh,” Richard said. “That's a great idea.”

“It was my mother's idea,” Matthew said.

“All right, class,” said Ms. Rooney. “Who has guesses?”

Timothy raised his hand. “I have five.”

“I have three,” yelled Emily.

“Me too,” said Jill Simon.

“114,” said Richard under his breath. “412.” He raised his hand. “I have a guess.”

“Me too,” Matthew said. “I have a guess. A big one.”

278, Richard said in his head.

Everyone went up to Ms. Rooney's desk. Jill guessed first.

Timothy took two guesses. Then he stopped. “I'm going to think for a few minutes,” he said.

Then it was Richard's guess. He wondered what a Pilgrim would do.

“I think,” he began. He looked at Ms. Rooney. “200 and …” he said slowly. “200 and 70 …”

Ms. Rooney leaned forward a little. She was smiling.

“No,” said Richard. “300. I mean, 342.”

Ms. Rooney sat back. She shook her head. “Timothy?”

“I think it's in the 200's,” he said. “How about 241?”

Ms. Rooney shook her head.

“290?”

“How about Matthew?” Ms. Rooney asked.

Matthew squeezed his eyes together. “299,” he said. Then he opened his eyes.

“My turn,” Emily Arrow said. She took a deep breath. She looked at the jar. “I think …” she said, and stopped. “I think it's … 278.”

“That's it,” Ms. Rooney yelled.

Emily jumped up and down in her red sneakers. “I don't believe it,” she yelled.

“I don't believe it either,” Timothy said.

“Now we'll count them,” Ms. Rooney said.

Richard smiled at Matthew.

“Can we divide them up?” Emily asked. “So everyone can share?”

“You're a true Pilgrim,” Ms. Rooney said. She started to count.

When they were finished counting, Ms. Rooney
did a big dividing example on the blackboard. “Everyone gets twenty pieces,” she said.

Emily put twenty pieces on everyone's desk.

There were eighteen pieces left.

Emily gave ten to Ms. Rooney. “Mrs. Paris gets the rest,” she said.

Richard put two Candy Corn pieces in his mouth. He crunched down on them. He closed his eyes to taste the sugar better.

Delicious.

He opened his eyes and gave Matthew a little tap, “Happy Thanksgiving,” he said.