What Scares You the Most? by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page B

were awesome on TV!” she exclaimed, running up and hugging April. “Totally awesome!”
    Whoa, April thought. What’s this about? Pam and I have never been close friends. Why is she suddenly hugging me and telling me how great I am?
    Pam was very tall and very blond and very pretty, with round blue eyes and a great smile. The girls’ parents were best friends. So Pam and April were thrown together often, even though they didn’t like each other very much.
    When April was selected by The Academy to go to the island, Pam erupted in jealousy. “My grades are better, and I’m better at sports!” Pam had cried. She didn’t try to hide her jealousy at all.
    But ever since April had returned, Pam had been acting like her best pal.
    Why is she doing it? April wondered. Then shescolded herself. I should be grateful that Pam has a new attitude.
    â€œYou’re the most famous person Applegate Junior High ever had!” Pam gushed. She followed April to her room. “I can’t believe you’re my friend!”
    Now she is overdoing it! April thought. Pam wants something from me. I know she does.
    But what?
    â€œWhen is your next interview? How many interviews are you doing? Are you going to say yes to that interview on MTV?” Pam bombarded April with questions.
    â€œIt’s so totally exciting!” Pam exclaimed, not giving April a chance to answer.
    â€œI know. I’m really lucky,” April agreed. She sat down at her dressing table and began fiddling with her hair.
    â€œLet me help you,” Pam said, pulling a chair up beside her. “I have some great ideas for your hair. And for some cool things you can wear to your next interviews. What if we pulled your hair up this way and then tied it back here?”
    April gazed at herself in the mirror as Pam restyled her hair. “Hey, that’s good.”
    Pam really knows a lot about style. A lot more than I do, April thought with a frown.
    â€œI saw some things at Urban Outfitters that would be totally cool,” Pam said. “Especially if you do the MTV interview.”
    Pam stopped and stared at April’s reflection. “And are you going to do the Today show?”
    â€œMaybe,” April said. “My parents still haven’t decided if they want me to go to New York.” She sighed. “The problem is, I’m missing so much school.”
    â€œWho cares about stupid school?” Pam cried. “You’re a star !”
    She brushed April’s hair back from her forehead—and then gasped. “April—I don’t believe it! You got a tattoo?”
    â€œHuh?” April gazed into the mirror. She saw Pam’s eyes on the blue crescent moon on her temple.
    A chill ran down April’s back.
    Ever since she had returned home, the blue moon had been throbbing, throbbing….
    She jumped up from the dressing table. “It…it’s not a tattoo,” she said, covering the blue crescent with her hair. “It’s a birthmark, I guess.”
    Pam narrowed her eyes at her. “Did you have it before?”
    â€œOf course,” April lied.
    â€œIt’s kind of cool,” Pam said, still studying April. “It really looks like a tattoo.”
    It isn’t cool at all, April thought bitterly.
    I don’t know what it is or how it got there.
    April sighed again. This is supposed to be the most exciting time in my life, she thought. So why do I feel so strange? Why do I feel as if I’ve forgotten something important?
    Something terrible happened on that island, April told herself. Something so terrifying, I’ve shut away the memory.
    â€œWouldn’t you love to go back to that island?” Pam asked. “Wouldn’t you love to have a few more weeks there?”
    April sighed. “It was great that my team won all that money,” she told Pam. “But I’d never go back there. Never.”
    The next day, she