Never Swim in Applesauce (3 page)

Abe led us to a wide, long building.

An apple tree was painted on its front door.

Emma and Gus carried our almost-but-not-quite-full basket.

I carried our picking poles.

Wyatt carried the Amazing Apple.

The building smelled yummy inside.

Like cinnamon applesauce and taffy apples.

We set our baskets by the door. Abe gathered up our poles.

“This is where we clean our apples,” he said. “We sort them here too. Some of the apples are too little to sell. We use those to make applesauce.”

“Do we get to eat some free applesauce?” I asked.

“You sure do,” said Abe. “We make applesauce in the room next to this one.”

Abe waved for us to follow him. He paused in front of a big glass window.

On the other side we could see giant pots of gooey appley-looking stuff.

“That's the applesauce mixture after it's
been cooked. It's cooled off, and sugar and cinnamon have been added. Next it will go into containers to be sold,” Abe explained.

He led us to a huge tub of bubbly water.

It was as big as a wading pool. And as high as my belly button. Apples floated in the water like little boats.

It looked like we were going to have a giant dunking-for-apples Halloween party.

Next to the tub was another one filled with plain water.

After that came a long moving belt.

It looked just like the conveyor belts at the grocery store checkout line.

This one was covered with apples, though, instead of milk cartons and dog food and toilet paper.

I felt in my pocket. The magic fortune-telling ball was still there, safe and sound.

So far, it had been right about whether this would be a good field trip.

I was
definitely
having fun.

“This tub is where the apples get washed,” Abe explained. “Think of it as a big apple bathtub.”

“Can I wash my Amazing Apple, Abe?”
Wyatt asked.

“
Our
Amazing Apple,” I corrected.

Wyatt held up the apple so Abe could see it.

“Whoa, that
is
a big fella,” said Abe.

Ms. Diz said, “Boys, every child will take home a bag of apples. Your moms and dads can wash them when you get home, and then you can eat them.”

“Here's an idea,” Abe said. “Why don't we run this big ol' apple through the wash? It's so huge, the kids might be able to keep track of it. Go ahead, young man. Throw it in the vat with all the bubbles.”

Wyatt tossed the apple into the bubbly tub.

Plop!

It disappeared, then floated to the surface.

“Boys and girls,” Abe said, “keep your eye on the apple. First it will be washed in this tub. Then it will move on to be rinsed.”

The apple disappeared into a metal tube.

Abe led us to the second huge tub. This one didn't have any bubbles.

“There it is!” Gus cried. “I see it!”

Everyone cheered for the Amazing Apple as it bobbed in the water.

It looked extra shiny after its bath.

“Next it will go to the conveyor belt to be sorted,” said Abe. “Follow me!”

The conveyor belt was loaded with wet apples.

Workers with white hats and coats stood by the belt.

They grabbed and tossed and grabbed and tossed.

“If they see a bad apple, they remove it,” Abe explained.

That would be a tough job, I decided.

They all just looked like nice, happy apples to me.

“All these apples are making me hungry!” Coco said. “Can we eat soon, Ms. Diz?”

“We're almost done with our tour, Coco,” said Ms. Diz.

Suddenly the Amazing Apple appeared on the conveyor belt.

“There it is again!” I yelled.

Abe pointed to the Amazing Apple and asked a worker to grab it.

The worker tossed it to Abe. Abe tossed it to Wyatt.

Wyatt looked at the apple. He didn't seem that thrilled about having it back.

“It's all yours,” Abe said to Wyatt.
“Ready to eat.”

Wyatt looked over at Coco. “Hey, Coco,” he said, “you're so hungry. Why don't you eat it?”

It was nice, seeing Wyatt be nice.

Unusual too.

Wyatt tossed the apple to Coco.

“Thank you, Wyatt,” she said.

She took a great big, mouth-open-as-wide-as-possible bite of that beautiful Amazing Apple.

She chewed.

And chewed.

“Good, huh?” said Abe. “Isn't that the best apple you ever tasted?”

Coco made a face. “It tastes like…macaroni!”

She looked at the apple and gasped.

“EWWWWWWWWW!” she screeched.
The apple dropped to the floor. “I ATE A WORM, MS. DIZ! I'M GOING TO DIE!”

“I think I'm going to faint,” said Coco's mom.

If anybody had the right to faint, I figured it should be Coco.

“You'll be okay, young lady,” Abe said. “It's just a little protein. Nothing to worry about.”

“Wyatt,” Ms. Diz said, “did you
know
that apple had a worm in it?”

“YOU POISONED ME!” Coco yelled at Wyatt.

“How could I know if it had a worm in it?” Wyatt asked.

He made an innocent don't-blame-me face.

I know that face. I've used it before.

Wyatt picked the apple up off the floor. “Besides, it's not like Coco ate the whole worm. Half of him's still in the apple.”

“I don't feel so good,” Coco moaned.

Everyone was looking at her. And you could tell they were all thinking,
I'M SO GLAD I'M NOT YOU RIGHT NOW.

Even though Coco can be annoying sometimes, she didn't deserve to eat a worm.

Or even half a worm.

I pulled Hazel's magic ball out of my pocket.

“Magic ball,” I said, “did Wyatt know there was a worm in that apple?”

I turned the ball over.

“‘ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY YES!'” I read.

“Let me see that stupid ball!” Wyatt cried.

But before he could say anything else, someone fainted.

And it wasn't Coco's mom.

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.

“WE HAVE A CODE RED IN THE APPLESAUCE ROOM! THERE ARE CHILDREN IN THE APPLESAUCE!” said the loudspeaker voice. “REPEAT: THERE ARE CHILDREN IN THE APPLESAUCE!”

We both looked for the ball.

I stuck my head all the way under the applesauce.

I couldn't see anything. But I could reach a little farther.

I felt something roundish and slippery-smooth.

There it was at last! The magic ball.

Safe and sound, but sticky.

When I came up for air, everyone was there.

Ms. Diz. The moms. The dads. Abe. The white-coated workers.

Even Coco.

Their mouths were open.

They stared and stared, but nobody said a word.

I guess we looked a little slimy.

“Do we still get our free applesauce?” I asked.