Showtime! by Sheryl Berk

no way!” Scarlett said, picking through mounds of gummy eyeballs and candy corn. “Miss Toni said bright and pretty. Gummy brains are not bright and pretty.”
    â€œBut they taste good,” Gracie said, popping a few in her mouth.
    â€œHoney, don’t eat all the embellishments,” her mother said, and sighed. “I’m going to need a lot to cover these leotards. And you’ll give yourself a bellyache.”
    It took several hours of trial and error to figure out how to get the candies to stick. Scarlett’s mom decided a hot-glue gun was the answer.
    â€œIt stays on, but it also melts the candy.” Scarlett sighed. “These jelly beans are jelly goo!”
    â€œMaybe Toni won’t notice,” her mom said hopefully.
    â€œMiss Toni notices everything,” Gracie said, popping a handful of Swedish fish in her mouth. “Do we have any more of these?”
    Scarlett agreed. It was hard to pull one over on their dance coach. But desperate times calledfor desperate measures. They had only two days before the competition, and they had to make something sweet and suitable to wear onstage.
    At the studio the next afternoon, Miss Toni asked all the girls to line up in the back of the room. “I want each of you to walk, one by one, modeling your candy couture.”
    â€œI feel like I’m on
Project Runway
,” Bria said. “This is really nerve-racking!”
    Gracie rubbed her stomach. “My tummy still hurts from yesterday,” she said with a moan.
    â€œNo one told you to eat a pound of gummy brains,” Scarlett scolded her.
    Liberty rolled her eyes. “I seriously do not want to know what that means.”
    â€œBria, you’re first!” Toni called.
    â€œWork it!” Rochelle said, giving her teammate a push. Bria tried her best to stroll across the floor with confidence. But she felt pretty ridiculous in her yellow leotard covered in Sour Patch Kids.
    â€œIt’s bright,” Miss Toni said, motioning for her to turn around. “But what happened here? Whereare the candies?” She pointed to an empty patch on Bria’s shoulder.
    Bria looked embarrassed. “I ate them while I was studying in the dressing room. Sorry. Tests make me stressed!”
    Rochelle was up next. She strutted like a supermodel, swinging her hips and arms as she modeled her brown velvet unitard covered in mini chocolate bars.
    â€œWhat’s that?” Toni pointed to a strange muddy trail along the studio floor.
    â€œI think I’m melting,” Rochelle replied. “I guess when you’re as hot as I am, the chocolate gets mushy?” Miss Toni did not look at all amused.
    Scarlett raised her hand. “Um, I have a similar problem,” she began. “When these Sugar Daddy candies melt, it’s like Super Glue! I think my ballet shoe is stuck to the floor!”
    â€œAnyone have strawberries?” Liberty joked. “I love fondue!”
    â€œThat’s enough!” Toni barked. Things were not going as she had planned. “What is that on
your
costume?” she asked Liberty. Her pink leotard looked like it had been sprinkled with fairy dust.
    â€œIt’s Pucker Powder—check it out!” She spun gracefully in a
pirouette.
    â€œAchoo!”
Gracie suddenly sneezed. “The powder tickles my nose!”
    Miss Toni sunk down on her stool and shook her head. “This is a disaster!”
    â€œA fashion disaster—the worst kind,” Liberty said.
    â€œI’m afraid she’s gonna go ballistic and eat us!” Rochelle added.
    Gracie looked terrified. “Like the witch in ‘Hansel and Gretel’? What should we do, Scoot?”
    Scarlett stood perfectly still, waiting for Miss Toni’s verdict on the candy costume catastrophe. “Don’t ask me. I couldn’t run if I wanted to.” She tried to pull her ballet shoe up off the floor, but it had a sticky glob of caramel