Fudge Balls
by Norman Fagan
Martha’s School of Ballet was hosting a rehearsal for her eighth grade students. Mary Prize stood off to one side, alone; she didn’t have a partner for the ballet. Jason Peel peered through the glass; he could see Mary practicing by herself. He pushed his face up against the window.
Blowing wind through his mouth Jason’s face puckered out like a blow fish. He glared in at Mary. She leaned on one leg, crossed her arms and stared right back at him.
Peeling his face off the window he wrote his name in the wet area, but as he did he noticed Mary motioning for him to come in. He shook his head in a negative manner. Jason watched as she flashed a brilliant smile and continued to insist with hand expressions for him to come to her.
“She probably wants me to dance with her, me in tights, no way, there’s nothing on this earth that could convince me to put on those!” Jason bolted away from the School of Ballet. For half a block he ran, before slowing his pace. He walked down the main boulevard until he came upon his favorite place, Bubba’s Candy Emporium.
Jason’s mouth watered at the display of vanilla filled fudge balls inside the window, just out of reach of his fingers. He laid his hands and face upon the glass, drool slid down the window as he dreamed about devouring the entire mountain of fudge. Taking a step back Jason wrestled with his tiny pockets looking for change, but the only thing he pulled out was lint. He glanced around at the ground hoping to find some spare change that might have fallen from someone else’s pocket. His search for treasure turned up nothing.
Then he noticed Mary Prize approaching from up the street. She was skipping along quite merrily, she was definitely happy about something. Jason locked his attention upon her as she stopped directly in front of the Candy store window.
“You know Jason; I still need a dance partner for the ballet?” An evil grin crossed her face.
“Why are you looking at me?” Jason watched in horror as she entered into the store and purchased the entire bowl of vanilla filled fudge balls.
He squeezed his eyes into a beady stare as she exited the building carrying a bag full of his favorite treat.
“If you agree to be my partner, you may have the whole bag,” a devilish grin sneaked across her face. Jason glared at her, as she tempted him by dangling the bag of fudge balls in front of his nose.
He could smell the chocolate even through the paper. Jason began to quiver, sweat poured down from his brow, feelings of betrayal cast upon him. He swore he would never put on a pair of tights. Maneuvering his head from side to side, away from the bag of chocolate, he tried not to think about the contents. But in the end, he gave in, snatching the bag from her hands.
“Fine!” he grumbled.
He saw her eyes sparkle as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Jason pushed two fudge balls into his mouth as Mary slid her arm around his and escorted
him down the street.
“Where are we going?” Jason asked as he shoved five more fudge ballsinto his mouth.
Mary looked deep into his eyes, and giggled. “Where else silly?”
“No!” He realized that he’d traded his soul for the fudge balls as Mary propelled him towards the school.
Norman Fagan: Born 1964 in Brampton, Ontario, parents are John and Catharine have supported my continuous efforts to break into the publishing world. Through my writings of Flash Fiction, short stories, novella’s, novelettes and just recently my first novel. Most of what I write is either science fiction or horror, my goal is to share my imagination with others who enjoy this kind of fiction.
