Don't Stay Up Late

Don't Stay Up Late by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online

Book: Don't Stay Up Late by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online
Authors: R. L. Stine
Vampire Weekend T-shirt. Behind him in the garage, the two other guys had water bottles tilted to their mouths.
    â€œI know we suck,” Isaac said in a hushed voice, glancing back at the two players. “You don’t have to pretend.”
    â€œYou only have three guys in your band?” I asked.
    He wiped sweat off his forehead with a T-shirt sleeve. “No. Derek Palmer plays saxophone. But his parents grounded him for a week because he got wasted at Kerry Reacher’s party last Friday and threw up on the living room couch after he got home.”
    â€œNot cool,” I said.
    â€œNot cool. And that kid—” Isaac pointed. “He’s not the real drummer. He lives across the street. He’s totally clueless. Jamie Weiner says he’s quitting because we’re hopeless.”
    â€œBad attitude,” I said.
    He smiled. “Hey, not a bad name for a band.”
    I heard a car rumble by and thought it was Nate. “Nate’s picking me up for my job interview,” I said, glancing to the street.
    â€œYeah, I know. On Fear Street,” Isaac said. “You’ll see. It looks like a normal street. Normal houses. Normal people. But it’s not normal … not at all.”
    â€œPlease—” I started, raising a hand to silence him.
    â€œListen to me, Lisa. There’s a real curse on the street. It’s not a joke. It’s not made up. They teach us about Fear Street and the Fear family in school. Seriously.”
    I shook my head. “Every town has its legends,” I said. “Every town has its spooky stories. Even Shaker Heights had houses people said were haunted. And—”
    â€œThere were two families who hated each other,” Isaac continued. “The Goodes and the Fears. They put curses on each other. They practiced dark magic and sorcery. They teach us all this in history class in sixth grade.”
    He placed his hands on my shoulders. “I can see you don’t believe me. But there have been horrible murders on Fear Street, Lisa. People with their heads missing and their blood drained and—”
    â€œStop!” I cried. “I really don’t believe this horror-movie stuff, Isaac. Stop trying to scare me.”
    He held onto my shoulders. To my surprise, his expression changed. His eyes went wide. He pulled me close, lowered his face to mine, and kissed me. It was a fierce, needy kiss. His lips felt dry and rough.
    I was so startled, I didn’t pull back. I just stood there and let him kiss me. His hold on my shoulders kept me in place. I couldn’t breathe.
    I was just so surprised.
    But then I turned my face away and stumbled out of his grasp. “No, Isaac,” I managed to choke out. “Please. You know that Nate and I—”
    I gasped as I realized I was staring at Nate. He stood a few feet down the driveway.
    Did he see us kiss?
    The red afternoon sun beamed down on him, like catching him in a spotlight of fire. He had the strangest expression on his face, his eyes locked coldly on Isaac.

 
    14.
    â€œHow’s band practice?” Nate finally said to Isaac.
    Isaac’s face was bright red. He shrugged. “You know.”
    I could still feel Isaac’s rough lips on mine.
    Nate turned to me. “We’d better get going.” He turned and strode down the driveway, kicking up gravel as he walked.
    â€œCatch you later,” Isaac said. “I’ve got to whip these guys into shape.” He flashed me a strange smile. “Good luck on Fear Street, Lisa.”
    I gave him a quick wave, then turned to follow Nate. My mind was spinning. Isaac and Nate had been good friends for a long time. Isaac knew he shouldn’t have kissed me.
    It wasn’t like a friendly kiss, either. It was too intense for that.
    I knew Nate had seen us. What was he going to say about it?
    Actually, Nate didn’t say much as we made our way to Fear Street. He kept his eyes

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