Mommy makes me and Judy stay with the shopping cart when we’re at the A&P. We can’t go down the candy aisle by ourselves. That means I have to fish around the shelves for loose m&ms when she’s not looking. Once when I was on my hands and knees, I saw a mouse. We stared right at each other.

I never eat anything that’s wet or has dirt on it. Only clean, dry candy. Not the kind that has paper on it either, like Tootsie Rolls. They’re too big for me to take without feeling like I’m doing something wrong. Besides, too much chewing. It hurts my face.

Judy always gets nervous about the candy. She thinks it’s stealing.

“It’s free if it’s not in the package anymore,” I tell her.

“You’re gonna get in trouble,” she says.

I guess I feel a little guilty, but I still keep on doing it. I love candy.

Yesterday when we were at the A&P, there was no loose candy anywhere. I checked every aisle, even where they keep the cake mixes. Sometimes, there’ll be little chocolate chips laying around. But this time, nothing.

When Mommy stopped to talk with Mrs. Troccoli, I snuck back to the candy aisle. I slid a bag of m&ms to the back of the shelf and tore it open using both hands. I shook a few out so it looked like what’s usually there. I filled both pockets of my coat. Some for me, and some for Judy.

As soon as we got home, I told my sister I had a surprise. And when I showed heer, she got mad.

“I don’t want that candy,’ she said. “You stole it.”

“I found it.”

All weekend long, I’ve been scared she’ gonna tell, but she hasn’t. Not yet, anyway. If she does, I’m just gonna say she’s lying. Plus, I don’t have the candy anymore. I ate it all.