The Birthday Party of No Return! by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page A

was getting used to the pain. But each step on the broken toe reminded me about my bad luck.
    I knew I had to change my luck — right away. I didn’t want to get hurt again. I didn’t want to see claws everywhere I looked.
    I knew what I had to do.
    I had to get rid of the vulture claw.
    I grabbed the rope pendant and tugged it off my neck. I held it up and studied the ugly thing.
    It had changed from good luck to bad. And I just realized why.
    I tugged at the torn talon. Arfy did this. It was all that big dumb dog’s fault.
    He took it from me and chewed on it. He got dog saliva all over it. That’s when it changed. Arfy ruined it.
    I wrapped the rope around it and stuffed the claw into my T-shirt drawer. I pushed it down under all the T-shirts. I didn’t want to see it again. I didn’t want to think about it.
    I’ll make my own good luck from now on.
    That’s what I was thinking when Mom stepped into my room. She was carrying a stack of neatly folded socks and underwear. “These are clean,” she said. “You can put them away.”
    â€œNo problem,” I said.
    She dumped them on my bed. “How was the bowling thing?” she said.
    â€œDon’t ask,” I replied.
    â€œThat bad?”
    â€œWorse,” I said. “I dropped the ball on my foot.”
    She squinted at me. “You’re supposed to throw it, not drop it.”
    â€œHa-ha,” I said. “You’re funny, Mom.”
    â€œDid Cory win?” she asked.
    I shook my head. “No. Laura. But Cory got a free ice-cream sundae.”
    â€œLucky,” Mom said.
    The magic word.
    â€œThat reminds me,” Mom said. “We need a birthday gift for Cory. His party is next Saturday. What do you think we should get him?”
    I shrugged. “I don’t know. He thinks he’s getting a Wii from his parents. Maybe we could buy him a game.”
    â€œWell … you think about it,” Mom said. She turned and headed downstairs.
    I didn’t think about it at all. I had homework to do and other things to think about.
    Cory was a hard person to buy presents for. Because his parents always bought him everything he wanted. Lucky, right?
    Later that night, it was time to change into my pajamas and go to sleep. I pulled pajamas from the dresser drawer. I guess I wasn’t paying attention because I slammed the drawer on my hand.
    â€œYEOOWWWWWW.”
    I shook my hand frantically. The pain just wouldn’t quit!
    Were my fingers broken? Did I crack my wrist?
    â€œThat stupid claw!” I cried out loud. “It has to go. I’m going to have bad luck until I get rid of it.”
    I grabbed the claw. I pulled it out from beneath the T-shirts.
    Squeezing it in my fist, I held it in front of me and strode to the open bedroom window.
    â€œGood-bye, claw,” I muttered. “Good-bye and good riddance.”
    I raised it high. Pulled back my arm. And prepared to toss it out the window, toss it as far as I could.
    But I stopped with my arm raised high.
    I stopped, suddenly frozen like a statue. My mind was spinning.
    I lowered my arm. My heart thudded. I took a deep breath.
    I gazed at the black, feathery claw.
    â€œPerfect,” I murmured. “It’s perfect. The perfect birthday gift for Cory.”
    I laughed. What a totally sweet idea.
    â€œHere you go, Cory. I brought you a really nifty good-luck charm.”
    Ha-ha.
    â€œHappy birthday, Lucky Duck.”
    I kissed the claw good-bye. Then I found a small box, tucked the claw inside, and wrapped a red ribbon around it.

On Saturday, Dad dropped me off at Cory’s house for the birthday party. As I carried the claw to Cory’s house, I felt a little bad. I knew it was a dirty trick to give him the bad-luck charm.
    But Cory had all the good luck for too long. Why couldn’t it be my turn for a while?
    I knew that giving Cory a little bad luck was the only way I could win that Sports Camp