My mom stood in the doorway, frowning at me.
"We're making healthy candy," I explained.
"What you're making," said Mom, "is a big mess!"
I looked around my room.
It was sort of a mess.
Okay, it was a huge mess.
"I want you to clean up," she said.
"Right now, please!"
After Mom left, I nibbled on a chocolate-covered lima bean.
It tasted awful.
"Maybe my invention wasn't such a great idea after all," I said to Molly.
Just then my friends Josh and Jenny knocked on my bedroom door.
"Iggy, Molly," Josh said.
"I have something to tell—Whoa!
What a mess!"
"We were making healthy candy," I explained.
"But it didn't turn out so great."
Tate heard us talking and looked in too.
"Wow!" he said.
"It looks like a tornado blew through here!"
I decided to clean up the mess fast, so everyone would quit talking about it.
By this time the frozen vegetables were thawing, and the chocolate syrup was melting.
My friends helped me throw the soggy mess into the trash.
"Oh well," I sighed. "My brilliant invention was a flop."
"I have an idea," said Molly.
"My aunt Grace sent me some money for my birthday.
Why don't we all go to the Strawberry Store and get a treat?"
"Great!" I said. I love the Strawberry Store.
It sells things with strawberries like strawberry cupcakes, strawberry bubble gum, and strawberry ice cream.
We all got permission to go except for Caswell who had a soccer game.
Josh decided to bring his dog, Bunch, too.
On the way to the store, Josh finished telling us his news.
"Our dad lost his job at the Green Apple Supermarket."
"Today is his last day," added Jenny sadly.
"Then he has to look for a new job."
"If he doesn't find one soon, we'll have to live with my grandmother," said Josh.
"She lives far away, in Ohio."
"But you can't move!" said Molly.
"That would be terrible," I agreed.
Jenny and Josh had lived in our apartment building for a long time.
Josh looked worried.
"Iggy, can you invent something to help my dad find a job?"
"I don't know," I said.
"I'd have to be a real genius to do that."
I looked at my friends, hoping that one of them would say that I was a real genius.
After all, I'd invented some great things, like my incredible magic thinking box.
No one said I was a genius though.
Instead Molly stopped in front of the window of the Strawberry Store.
"Look," she said, pointing to a sign: "Strawberry Sweepstakes!
Buy Raffle Tickets for a Mountain Getaway For Six!"
"What's a mountain getaway?" asked Jenny.
"It's when you go away—to the mountains," I said.
"Oh." Jenny nodded. "That sounds like fun."
Inside Molly bought strawberry treats for everyone.
Josh and Jenny got strawberry ice cream.
Molly and I got cupcakes.
Molly also bought a strawberry lollipop for Caswell.
She said it was going to taste much better than the healthy candy.
Then she decided to buy us each a raffle ticket too.
"Ruff!" barked Bunch as Rose gave us the tickets.
She laughed and then handed another ticket to Josh.
"Here's one for your dog too."
We wrote our names on the raffle tickets.
Josh wrote Bunch's name.
Then we gave them back to Rose.
That night I slept in my new bedroom for the first time.
I lay in bed, dreaming of all the wonderful things I could invent. Who knew?
Maybe one of my ideas would even help Mr. Chen get a new job!