The Dare by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online

unhappily.
    â€œI wonder why he asked you out,” Margaret said thoughtfully.
    â€œYou have a yogurt mustache,” I told her.
    But secretly I wondered too.
    After our last period history class, Dennis had another argument with Mr. Northwood. Again I lingered in the back of the room, eavesdropping and wishing Mr. Northwood would give Dennis a break.
    â€œYou’ve
got
to give me a makeup test!” Dennis was pleading. His face was bright red, and he was sweating even though the windows were open and it was cold in the room.
    â€œI don’t
have
to do anything except pay taxes and die,” Mr. Northwood replied quietly, staring back at Dennis with a strange, tight-lipped smile on his craggy face.
    Mr. Northwood is
enjoying
making Dennis beg and squirm, I suddenly realized.
    It must be the feeling of power, I guessed. Mr. Northwood really has a cruel streak.
    â€œYou’re going to ruin my life!” Dennis was screaming. He had both hands on the front of the teacher’s desk and was leaning over so that he and Mr. Northwood were practically face-to-face.
    â€œI don’t want to ruin your life. I want to teach you a little about fairness,” Mr. Northwood replied, stilltalking softly and deliberately. “You and I have already discussed this, Dennis.”
    â€œBut if I get a failing grade, I won’t be eligible for the all-state team. And then there goes the Olympic tryouts!” Dennis cried, his voice high-pitched and shrill.
    â€œLet us hope you don’t get a failing grade,” Mr. Northwood said coldly. He began shuffling through a notebook.
    Dennis let out a frustrated groan. “You really won’t give me a makeup test?”
    Mr. Northwood shook his head. “I have to be fair to everyone.”
    â€œBut you’re being unfair to
me!”
Dennis cried, starting to lose his temper.
    â€œI don’t think so,” the teacher replied, stone-faced, shuffling through the notebook.
    â€œCan I do a project or something for extra credit?” Dennis demanded.
    Mr. Northwood shook his head. “I appreciate your situation,” he said. “But I really cannot bend the rules for one student.”
    Dennis raised both hands above his head in a gesture of futility. Then, with a loud sigh, he spun away from the teacher’s desk. Taking long, angry strides, he headed toward the door.
    I stepped away from the wall, eager to talk to Dennis, to try to say something encouraging him.
    I thought he was coming to me.
    â€œDennis—” I started to say.
    I uttered a little cry of surprise as he walked right past me.
    He didn’t say a word to me. He just kept walking.
    And then I saw Caitlin. She was waiting for him outside the door.
    He walked up to her. She leaned close to him, whispered something to him, and then they disappeared from view.
    What is going on here? I asked myself unhappily.
    I stared at the empty doorway.
    Is Dennis interested in me or not? I wondered.
    If he’s so hung up on Caitlin, why did he ask me out for Friday night?
    Friday night Dennis was supposed to pick me up at eight o’clock. I must have glanced at the clock on my dresser top a thousand times.
    I was so nervous, my hands were as cold and clammy as two wet fish. I was sure he wouldn’t show.
    All sorts of troubling thoughts flashed through my mind. Maybe his call was just a cruel joke, I thought. Maybe it was one of their dares. They were always daring each other to do weird things. Lanny or Zack probably dared him to call me. Then Dennis and his pals had a good laugh at my expense.
    Or maybe I imagined the whole thing. Maybe he never asked me out at all. Maybe it was all one of my fantasies.
    I changed my sweater three times. I don’t know why. They were all pretty much the same.
    I’d found earrings at the mall that looked like little conch shells. I put them on, studied them in the mirror, took them off, then put them on again.
    My clock read 8:03,