empty classroom. "I guess it's time to break some eggs." So while Mrs. Overton met with the principal to try to figure out what to do about the canceled assembly, Jessie walked out to the hallway and retrieved the bag of newspapers from her locker. Then she put on her hat, scarf, mittens, coat, and boots and headed out to the playground.
I'll be like one of those old-fashioned newsboys,
she thought, and imagined standing in the middle of the playground, shouting, "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!"
As she approached the picnic tables, Jessie surveyed the scene. Almost half the class was playing a sloppy game of soccer on the far end of the playground. There didn't seem to be real teams; it looked like everyone was running over the packed-down snow, chasing after the ball just to keep warm. About ten kids were swarming over the Green Machine, which was the large painted metal climbing structure in the middle of the playground. The last four or five kids were on the swings, hanging on to the cold metal chains as if their mittens were frozen on solid. Except for David Kirkorian. He was walking around the perimeter of the playground by himself, which is what he usually did during recess.
Jessie watched as Megan jumped off her swing and ran over to her.
"Jessie!" said Megan. "What did you mean when you said a mystery was going to be solved? What mystery?" Jessie looked at Megan's face and could tell that she was worried. Worry was an easy feeling to spot.
"The mystery of the candy hearts," said Jessie. "I know who sent them."
Megan stared back blankly, her mouth slightly open. After a minute, she asked, "Who?"
"You! I finally figured it out. All the clues were there. But first I had to figure out that
you
were the one who wrote the message in the bathroom. As soon as I figured that out, then I knew that you were the one who gave the candy hearts."
Megan shook her head. "How?"
"Easy. The Mystery Candy-Giver wrote
true
messages on everyone's hearts. Evan's hearts said I LOVE YOU . They had to be from you because you love Evan." Jessie crossed her arms, the mystery solved. "Plus, you wrote GOOD IDEAS on my hearts, and that's what you wrote on my comment card at the end of last summer. Remember?"
Jessie reached into her pocket and pulled out the comment card that she had saved so carefully for all these months.
Â
Â
"And"âshe raised her index finger like a wise philosopherâ"your uncle owns a candy factory." Then Jessie smiled and held up a copy of the newspaper and showed Megan the front-page story.
"It's all in there?" asked Megan, looking miserable.
"Yep," said Jessie proudly. "Everyone's going to knowâyou're the one who gave them the candy! They're going to love you!"
"Jessie! Don't you see? Everyone's going to
know!"
Megan's face went wobbly, and Jessie noticed tears pooling in her eyes. Was Megan crying? Why would she cry?
But before she could ask, Evan came barreling over. "Jessie, I need to talk to you. Alone."
He grabbed Jessie's arm and started to pull her away, but stopped when Jessie said, "Megan's crying."
Evan turned to look at Megan. "Why is
she
crying?"
"Because she's the one who gave everyone the candy hearts and..." Jessie shrugged her shoulders.
There was just no way to make sense out of any of this love stuff.
"You?" said Evan, his voice rising in anger. "You're the one who wrote those messages?"
Megan nodded weakly.
Chapter 19
Megan Moriarty
alliteration (n) when the same letter or sound occurs at the beginning of words that are next to each other or nearby
Â
Evan took a step back from Jessie and Megan and drove his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Well, that was just not nice. I mean, I don't
care,
but if you're going to write personal messages to everyone in the class, then you shouldn't leave one person out."
Megan shook her head in disgust. "I didn't, you dumb jerk."
"Yes, you did!" Evan was really angry now. His hearts were just store bought while everyone
I'll be like one of those old-fashioned newsboys,
she thought, and imagined standing in the middle of the playground, shouting, "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!"
As she approached the picnic tables, Jessie surveyed the scene. Almost half the class was playing a sloppy game of soccer on the far end of the playground. There didn't seem to be real teams; it looked like everyone was running over the packed-down snow, chasing after the ball just to keep warm. About ten kids were swarming over the Green Machine, which was the large painted metal climbing structure in the middle of the playground. The last four or five kids were on the swings, hanging on to the cold metal chains as if their mittens were frozen on solid. Except for David Kirkorian. He was walking around the perimeter of the playground by himself, which is what he usually did during recess.
Jessie watched as Megan jumped off her swing and ran over to her.
"Jessie!" said Megan. "What did you mean when you said a mystery was going to be solved? What mystery?" Jessie looked at Megan's face and could tell that she was worried. Worry was an easy feeling to spot.
"The mystery of the candy hearts," said Jessie. "I know who sent them."
Megan stared back blankly, her mouth slightly open. After a minute, she asked, "Who?"
"You! I finally figured it out. All the clues were there. But first I had to figure out that
you
were the one who wrote the message in the bathroom. As soon as I figured that out, then I knew that you were the one who gave the candy hearts."
Megan shook her head. "How?"
"Easy. The Mystery Candy-Giver wrote
true
messages on everyone's hearts. Evan's hearts said I LOVE YOU . They had to be from you because you love Evan." Jessie crossed her arms, the mystery solved. "Plus, you wrote GOOD IDEAS on my hearts, and that's what you wrote on my comment card at the end of last summer. Remember?"
Jessie reached into her pocket and pulled out the comment card that she had saved so carefully for all these months.
Â
Â
"And"âshe raised her index finger like a wise philosopherâ"your uncle owns a candy factory." Then Jessie smiled and held up a copy of the newspaper and showed Megan the front-page story.
"It's all in there?" asked Megan, looking miserable.
"Yep," said Jessie proudly. "Everyone's going to knowâyou're the one who gave them the candy! They're going to love you!"
"Jessie! Don't you see? Everyone's going to
know!"
Megan's face went wobbly, and Jessie noticed tears pooling in her eyes. Was Megan crying? Why would she cry?
But before she could ask, Evan came barreling over. "Jessie, I need to talk to you. Alone."
He grabbed Jessie's arm and started to pull her away, but stopped when Jessie said, "Megan's crying."
Evan turned to look at Megan. "Why is
she
crying?"
"Because she's the one who gave everyone the candy hearts and..." Jessie shrugged her shoulders.
There was just no way to make sense out of any of this love stuff.
"You?" said Evan, his voice rising in anger. "You're the one who wrote those messages?"
Megan nodded weakly.
Chapter 19
Megan Moriarty
alliteration (n) when the same letter or sound occurs at the beginning of words that are next to each other or nearby
Â
Evan took a step back from Jessie and Megan and drove his hands into the pockets of his coat. "Well, that was just not nice. I mean, I don't
care,
but if you're going to write personal messages to everyone in the class, then you shouldn't leave one person out."
Megan shook her head in disgust. "I didn't, you dumb jerk."
"Yes, you did!" Evan was really angry now. His hearts were just store bought while everyone
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