Free Love Stinks! by Nancy Krulik

Chapter 1
    “So are you playing goalie at your soccer game today?” Katie Carew asked her best friend Jeremy Fox. They were walking home from school together after band practice on Monday afternoon.
    Jeremy didn’t answer Katie. Instead he dropped his head and ducked behind her. “Hide me!” he whispered.
    “From what?” Katie asked him.
    “From Becky. She’s coming this way.”
    Everyone in the fourth grade knew that Becky Stern had a crush on Jeremy. Jeremy didn’t like Becky at all. But this was the first time he’d ever actually hidden from her.
    Katie giggled. “Oh, come on. She’s not that bad.”
    “You want to bet?” Jeremy said. “She’s been following me for two weeks! She keeps talking to me about Valentine’s Day.” He ducked down even farther.
    Now Katie understood. Valentine’s Day was this Saturday. Becky was probably hoping that Jeremy would be her valentine. Considering Jeremy was hiding from Becky, Katie doubted that would ever happen.
    Unfortunately, Becky spotted Jeremy behind Katie. “There you are,” she called out to him in her soft Southern accent. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
    “Why?” Jeremy asked her.
    “To give you these.” Becky held out a clear plastic bag filled with chocolate kisses. “I saw them at Cinnamon’s Candy Shop and thought of you.”
    Jeremy frowned. “No, thanks. I don’t eat candy. I’m in training.”
    Katie tried hard not to laugh. That hadn’t stopped him before. Just yesterday he’d eaten a whole bag of gumdrops!

    But Becky wasn’t insulted that Jeremy wouldn’t take her gift. In fact, she seemed impressed. “Oh, Jeremy, you’ve got such willpower,” she cooed. “I should be in training for my gymnastics classes, too. We’re working on backflips. Look what I learned this week.” Becky turned around to make sure no one was coming and flipped in the air, right in the middle of the sidewalk!
    “That was really good!” Katie said.
    Becky smiled. “Thanks. What did you think, Jeremy?”
    “It was okay,” Jeremy mumbled. His face was redder than Katie’s hair! “I ... um ... I gotta get going. I’ve got a soccer game.”
    “Oh, okay,” Becky said. “Well, see ya later ... Happy almost Valentine’s Day!”
    Jeremy rolled his eyes and walked off. Katie hurried to catch up to him.
    “You see what I mean?” Jeremy asked her.
    “I’d say she definitely flipped for you!” Katie joked.
    Jeremy groaned.
    “Don’t worry. Valentine’s Day will be over soon,” Katie told him. “She won’t bug you so much after that.”
    “I hope not,” Jeremy said.
    “I can’t believe you gave up a whole bag of chocolate kisses. They looked delicious.”
    “It wasn’t hard,” Jeremy assured her. “I’m still full from yesterday. Can you believe how much candy we ate?”
    “I didn’t eat that much.”
    “Only three licorice sticks, a bunch of sour lemon drops, and a rainbow-colored lollipop,” Jeremy reminded her.
    “Oh, yeah. I forgot about the lollipop,” Katie said. She licked her lips. “Cinnamon’s Candy Shop has the best lollipops.”
    Jeremy nodded. “I’m so glad Cinnamon decided to open a candy store in the mall.”
    Katie knew exactly what he meant. Cinnamon’s Candy Shop was located right across from the Book Nook, the store Katie’s mom managed. It was a fun place to hang out while Katie waited for her mom to finish with work. Sometimes Katie brought her friends, like Jeremy and Suzanne Lock, to hang out there with her.
    Cinnamon was really nice. She let Katie dip strawberries into dark chocolate or fill the penny candy drawers with bubble gum, hard candies, and tiny chocolate bars. Best of all, she always gave Katie free lemon drops.
    “You’d better hope Becky doesn’t visit Cinnamon’s Candy Shop this week,” Katie told Jeremy.
    “Why not?”
    “Cinnamon is selling giant candy hearts,” she explained. “She’ll put any message you want right on the heart. Cinnamon guarantees to have the