The Chocolate Rose Read online

  Contents

  Candy Kingdom Map

  CHAPTER 1 The Seeds

  CHAPTER 2 Talent Show Talk

  CHAPTER 3 Dancing Divas

  CHAPTER 4 Chocolate Change

  CHAPTER 5 Mocha Surprise

  CHAPTER 6 Sweet Music

  CHAPTER 7 Painting Chocolate

  CHAPTER 8 Showstopper!

  CHAPTER 9 Chocolate Tracks

  CHAPTER 10 Pure Talent

  A Royal Wedding Excerpt

  About Helen Perelman

  To my mom, who loves chocolate

  The Seeds

  Cocoa the Chocolate Fairy woke up early. She stretched her golden wings and looked out her window. She was eager to get outside and check on her garden.

  Just a few weeks ago Cocoa had visited her older cousin Mocha, and her cousin had given her special chocolate flower seedlings to plant in her own garden. Every day for the last week, Cocoa woke up extra early to see if the buds were opening. Maybe today the seedlings would flower!

  Mocha had a real gift with flowers. Her garden was known far and wide for its beauty and the vivid colors of each blossom. She lived in Sugar Kingdom and had a very important job: She was the chief gardener and tended to the Royal Palace’s flowers for King Crunch and Queen Sweetie, Princess Lolli and Princess Sprinkle’s parents. Cocoa was so proud of her!

  When Cocoa reached her garden, she was happy to see little stems peeking through the brown-sugar soil.

  “Good morning,” she said to the seedlings. She bent down and watered the tiny chocolate stems with her watering can. Carefully, she sprinkled water on the center flower. This was a chocolate rose.

  “You are doing just fine,” she whispered to the tiny seedling. “I will take care of you. Mocha told me what to do.”

  Normally, chocolate roses did not bloom in Sugar Valley, but Cocoa was determined to grow one. The first thing she did when she came home from visiting Mocha was plant the seedlings. She spread chocolate sprinkles around the stems just as she had seen Mocha do.

  Cocoa sat down on a large rock candy next to the garden and admired her work. She had cleared the flower bed herself. She had turned the sugar soil and put rock candy along the edges. Cocoa dreamed of having a garden filled with flowers. The garden was not as fancy as the ones at the king and queen’s palace or at Mocha’s, but this garden was all hers.

  “Sweeeeeeet morning!” a voice called from above.

  Cocoa looked up and saw her Caramel Fairy friend. Melli’s wings were fluttering fast. Cocoa could tell that Melli was bursting with news.

  “What’s the good word?” Cocoa called.

  Melli came swooping down. Her excitement made her wings move quickly, and she floated above Cocoa.

  “Princess Lolli’s parents, King Crunch and Queen Sweetie, are coming to Candy Kingdom!” Melli exclaimed.

  “The king and queen are coming here?” Cocoa asked. She had never met the royal couple. She knew them from their large portraits in Princess Lolli’s throne room. They looked like sweet and kind fairies. A visit from them was a very big deal! “Princess Lolli must be so excited that her parents are coming,” she added.

  “She is,” Melli told her. “In honor of their visit, there is going to be a royal talent show on the shore of Chocolate River.” Melli did a flip in the air. “How sweet is that?”

  “A talent show?” Cocoa repeated.

  “Princess Lolli thought it would be a great idea,” Melli replied. “I think it is a sugar-tastic one! Don’t you?”

  Cocoa’s wings twitched.

  “All the fairies in the kingdom are being asked to help build the outdoor stage,” Melli went on.

  “An outdoor stage?” Cocoa asked.

  “Yes!” Melli cried. She did a few more flips high in the air. “The show is next week.” She landed next to Cocoa and sat down on the rock. “I am going to play my new licorice-stick clarinet!” she said, giggling.

  Cocoa smiled at her friend. Melli was too excited to stay still. Even though she was sitting, her wings were still fluttering. Melli loved playing her licorice-stick. She had been taking lessons, and she practiced all the time. A talent show was the perfect event for her to show off her new instrument. “That is great, Melli,” Cocoa said. “You are going to steal the show.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Melli said. She leaped up and stood in front of Cocoa. She studied her friend. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” Cocoa said quickly. “I . . . well . . . I don’t—”

  “What are you going to do for the show?” Melli asked, interrupting her.

  Cocoa looked down at the ground. Her wings drooped. “Oh, I don’t know,” she said.

  Melli looked at her. “How come you don’t seem excited about this? All the fairies in the kingdom are buzzing about this news.”

  Cocoa got up and walked closer to her flowers. “I am,” she said. “I am excited to see the king and the queen.”

  “What about the show?” Melli asked.

  “I don’t know,” Cocoa said softly. She sat back down on the rock.

  “I am sure you can do an act with Berry, Raina, or Dash,” Melli said quickly. “For sure, they will all want to be a part of this. Who wouldn’t want to be in the royal talent show?”

  Cocoa watched Melli twirl around. She knew someone who wouldn’t want to be center stage—herself! She didn’t have the heart to tell Melli. Melli was usually so shy and unsure. Now look at her! She was excited about performing. Cocoa sighed. Melli had real talent and loved playing her instrument. She would be a perfect act.

  “We will all be in the show together,” Melli went on. “And imagine, we’ll get to perform for King Crunch and Queen Sweetie! Princess Lolli will be so proud!”

  Cocoa lowered her head. She didn’t know how to tell her friend she was not planning on having any part in the event. Thinking about standing onstage in front of all those fairies—and the king and queen—made her heart race. If only she had a musical talent like Melli did! But Cocoa couldn’t hum a tune, let alone play an instrument. There was no way she could get onstage to be in the talent show—especially in front of the king and queen!

  Talent Show Talk

  As the sun moved toward the Frosted Mountains, Cocoa got ready for Sun Dip. The day always ended with Sun Dip. All over Sugar Valley, fairies gathered with their friends to share the news of the day. Cocoa had been having Sun Dip with Melli, Raina the Gummy Fairy, Berry the Fruit Fairy, and Dash the Mint Fairy for as long as she could remember. These fairies were her closest friends, and Sun Dip was an extra-sweet time. But today was different. Cocoa knew she would be the only fairy who was not going to be filled with excitement about the upcoming talent show.

  They all know what they will do for an act, Cocoa thought sadly. She flew slowly toward the red sands of Red Licorice Lake. For sure, the talk tonight would be all about the show.

  When Cocoa landed, Raina and Dash were already there. As Cocoa had imagined, they were giddy with excitement.

  “I can’t wait!” Dash cried. “I have a new idea for a dance routine. We can all wear sugarcoated headbands and different-colored jeweled dresses.”

  “Maybe we should come up with the steps first,” Raina said. “It is important to learn all the steps of the dance.”

  Dash pulled out a pad of paper. “I’ve been making a list of songs for the routine,” she said. “Sure as sugar, we should pick a Sugar Pops song.”

  “Yes!” Raina exclaimed. “Let’s see your list.”

  Cocoa waved to them, but both Raina and Dash were too busy making their plans.

  Melli flew in next and gave Cocoa a hug. “Have you thought more about being part of the show?” She raised her eyebrows. “I really hope you’ll do it.”
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  Dash turned to Cocoa. “Wait, you are not going to be in our act?”

  “We need you,” Raina told Cocoa. “I’ve been planning this dance for three fairies.”

  Cocoa wasn’t sure what to say. Her friends were all staring at her. Just then Berry flew down to the beach.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Berry sang out.

  “Berry, you are always late,” Dash sighed. “We’d better tell you a different start time for the show. You can’t be late for that night!”

  Berry laughed. “I wouldn’t miss my curtain time,” she said. “All stars know not to do that.”

  Dash rolled her eyes. “Well, what have you planned?”

  “I am going to sing,” Berry proudly announced. “And I am going to make a new dress.” She pulled out a small bag from her basket. “I got these amazing jelly-candy stones,” she said. She held out her hand to show off the brightly colored round stones. They were sparkling and precious in pinks and purples. “I got them when we were on Meringue Island. I knew they would come in handy one day.” She slipped them back into the bag. “I am going to sew them onto my dress. Don’t you think that will be a fantastic costume?”

  “Delicious,” Raina agreed.

  Berry was a total fashion fairy. She loved all fashion, glamour, and glitz. She was usually late to meet up because she always had to look perfect, not a hair out of place. Her sense of style was like no other fairy’s.

  “What are you going to sing?” Melli asked.

  Berry grinned. “A lullaby with Lyra,” she said. “I love her unicorn songs, and she’s taught me a new one to sing. We’ve been practicing.”

  Berry’s singing with Lyra, the unicorn of Fruit Chew Meadow, made sense to Cocoa. The two spent a lot of time together. She knew their act would be supersweet and Berry’s costume would be sweet-tacular.

  “Are you going to play your licorice-stick, Melli?” Raina asked.

  “Yes,” Melli said. “I’m playing an old Candy Cotton song. I heard that Candy Cotton is Queen Sweetie’s favorite singer.”

  Cocoa had heard of Candy Cotton. She was a famous lollipop singer. Mocha loved her music. Candy Cotton sang slow, jazzy songs that were popular when her cousin was a young fairy but were still popular around the kingdom. Melli would do a wonderful job playing one of those tunes.

  “What are you fairies going to do for the show?” Berry asked, settling down on Raina’s pink blanket.

  “We’re going to do a dance,” Dash said. She pointed to Raina and Cocoa.

  “Well, I . . . ,” Cocoa began to explain.

  “Please be in our dance, Cocoa,” Raina said.

  “Please, we need three fairies,” Dash pleaded.

  Cocoa looked over at Melli. Melli smiled and shrugged. Somehow Cocoa had a feeling that Melli might have talked to Raina and Dash before Sun Dip. It seemed a little too convenient for them to have thought of a routine for three fairies.

  Cocoa wasn’t too sure that being in a dance number for a talent show was for her. Her stomach was feeling a little too flip-floppy. “I’ll think about it,” Cocoa told her friends.

  Raina and Dash shared a look.

  Cocoa decided to change the subject. “What is Fruli designing for the scenery?”

  “Fruli was such a good choice as stage manager,” Berry said. “She is going to make that stage sparkle and shine.”

  Cocoa knew that Berry loved Fruli the Fruit Fairy. She lived in a large, castle-like home on Meringue Island. Like Berry, she had very good taste in clothes. She was also generous and kind. Cocoa agreed that Fruli was just the one to lead the talent show project.

  “She’s in charge of making all the backdrops for the acts,” Raina said. “That is a huge job.”

  Berry jumped up. “I think we should help her,” she said. “We can all make some candy and pitch in. Princess Lolli must want the show to be superspecial for her parents.”

  Cocoa nodded. She felt the same way and wondered how she would be able to help. She listened to her friends brainstorm ideas for the stage. Their excitement was contagious.

  “Are you in?” Dash asked Cocoa. Her blue eyes were wide and focused right on Cocoa.

  Looking over at Raina and Dash, Cocoa sighed. Maybe she could dance with them. She took a deep breath. “I’d love to dance with you,” she said, smiling.

  “So mint!” Dash cheered.

  “Lickin’ lollipops!” Raina exclaimed. “We’re going to have a blast.”

  Melli put her arm around Cocoa. “I knew you’d change your mind. This is going to be sugar-tastic!”

  Cocoa smiled at Melli, but she couldn’t help feeling her wings twitch when she thought about performing onstage.

  Dancing Divas

  For the next week, Cocoa awoke early each morning. She ate her breakfast quickly and headed out to check on her garden. The weather was sunny and bright, and Cocoa got right to work. She pulled the weeds around the seedlings and watered the tiny sprouts. She couldn’t wait for the flowers to bloom!

  Having patience was the hardest part about growing flowers. Time and again Mocha would tell her that waiting for flowers to bloom was like watching candy ripen on the vine. If you watched all the time, then time moved more slowly.

  As Cocoa peered down at the ground, she saw that the chocolate stems were still about the same height as last week. They had to be much taller before the tiny buds would open.

  “This is going to take a long time,” she said to herself.

  Cocoa decided to send a sugar fly message to Mocha. Now that the stems were coming up and buds were beginning to form, she wanted to share the news. Along with her note, she would send a drawing of her garden. She wanted Mocha to see the seedlings’ progress.

  During Cocoa’s last visit, Mocha had also given her a bag of colored pencils. The pencils were in a flowered bag with colorful licorice strings for straps. “This is so you can bring your pencils out to your garden,” Mocha had told her. “You can keep me posted on the seedlings’ progress.”

  Stretching out on a rock, Cocoa held her sketch pad in her lap. She loved using her new pencils and was happy with her drawing. When Cocoa finished, she called to a sugar fly. The little fly eagerly took the letter addressed to Mocha at the Royal Palace. No one carried news faster than sugar flies!

  “Thank you,” Cocoa said to the little fly. She watched the fly buzz off in the direction of the palace.

  Cocoa placed her pencils back in the purse. Then she noticed the time. She had a date to meet Raina and Dash in Gummy Forest. She wasn’t sure what to expect from their first dance rehearsal.

  When Cocoa arrived, her friends were dancing to a Sugar Pops songs. They had chosen “Chocolate Touch,” one of Cocoa’s favorites. The song had a good beat and she knew all the words.

  Their moves were timed perfectly, and not a step—or even a wing—was out of place.

  “You look great,” Cocoa said at the end of the dance. “I love that song.”

  “I’m so glad you like the song,” Dash told her. She moved closer to Cocoa. She grabbed Cocoa’s hands and pulled her. “Let’s get started.”

  “The beginning goes like this,” Raina said. She did the steps as she spoke. “First step to the left, then turn, kick, and clap.”

  Cocoa followed along with her, but she was a few steps behind.

  “Why don’t you watch first?” Raina suggested. She smiled at Cocoa.

  Cocoa sat down and watched Raina and Dash dance. They did a few steps and a couple of twirls at the same time.

  Cocoa wasn’t sure how she was going to remember all those steps! The song ended and Cocoa knew her face was showing all her doubt.

  “We’ll take it slow at first,” Dash said.

  “I never realized how long that song is,” Cocoa mumbled.

  “We’ll show you. Don’t worry,” Dash promised.

  Cocoa tried her best, but each move was difficult. She couldn’t remember the order and couldn’t keep on the beat. More than once she bumped into Dash on the
turns. She even stepped on Raina’s foot three times!

  Raina stopped the music. “Maybe we should look at the routine the way I wrote it down,” she said. “Sometimes it helps to ‘read’ the steps.”

  Cocoa sat down and read the dance steps that Raina had written out. Raina loved books and often quoted the Fairy Code Book. More than anything, Raina loved words and books. But this is different, thought Cocoa.

  “Step, step, turn around,” Raina said. She clapped her hands to the rhythm of the song.

  “Step, step, turn around,” Cocoa repeated. But just because she could say the words didn’t mean her feet would follow!

  “You need to hear the music,” Dash said, jumping up. “Cocoa needs to feel the music.” She gave Raina a sideways glance. “Reading the steps isn’t going to help her.”

  Raina shot Dash a sour look. “She needs to learn the steps,” she muttered.

  Cocoa didn’t like that her two friends were bickering. Raina was all about the steps and the written routine. Dash was more freestyle. Cocoa’s wings drooped. She had no style and, sadly, no rhythm.

  “Maybe we should take a break,” Cocoa said. She looked back and forth between her friends. She had to change the subject—fast. “What about costumes? Should we wear the same thing?”

  “We should wear something that sparkles,” Dash said. “A bright icy blue!”

  “Rainbow!” Raina exclaimed.

  Cocoa’s shoulders slumped. Costumes didn’t seem to be a safe topic either. “Maybe we should each wear a different color?” Cocoa offered.

  “The act needs to have a name,” Raina said.

  “We could be the Dancing Divas!” Dash shouted.

  A smile spread across Raina’s face. “Sweeeet!”

  As Raina and Dash kept talking about the dance, Cocoa thought, And I am more like a Dancing Disaster.

  Chocolate Change

  How’s your act coming along?” Berry called as she flew over Gummy Forest. The Fruit Fairy was happy to find that the dancing rehearsal had started. She landed next to Cocoa.