Who Let the Ghosts Out? by R.L. Stine Read Free Book Online

pancakes and began chewing them up. “I thought ghosts can't eat,” I whispered.
    Nicky shrugged. “No one told us that. We're new at this, you know.”
    “And we're starving,” Tara said. “As soon as we eat, Nicky and I will come to school with you and start helping you.”
    “No, please,” I said, “I don't want to be helped.
Please
don't follow me to school.”
    Mom stared hard at me. “Max, why would I follow you to school?” she asked.
    “Uh …” Think quickly, Max. Think quickly. “Uh … just in case you missed me?”
    She laughed and gave me a hug from behind. “You're a funny kid.”
    I glared sternly at Nicky and Tara. I wanted to make sure they got the message: I didn't want them to follow me to school. I'm at the top of my class. I don't need help in school.
    Think they came to school anyway?
    Three guesses.
    Think they helped me?
    Three guesses.

13
    I SAW T RACI W AYNE as I walked to school. Traci is the coolest girl at Jefferson Elementary. I mean, she's the hottest. She's the coolest and the hottest.
    Traci is blond and pretty, with olive-colored eyes and a great smile. Actually, I'm not sure about the color of her eyes because I've never stood very close to her. Only the cool kids get to stand close to Traci.
    That doesn't mean Traci isn't a nice person. She's very nice and very friendly. But she's so totally awesome and cool that she has no choice— she
has
to hang with cool kids like her.
    Traci was the first one in our sixth-grade class to wear purple lipstick. And the first girl to wear a tiny rhinestone stud on one side of her nose. She's just so totally
hot
!
    I don't know if I'm in love with Traci or have a crush on her or what. But every time I see her, my cheeks turn bright red, my mouth goes completely dry, and my tongue feels as if it's suddenly too fat to fit in my mouth.
    One day last year I tried to say hi to Traci, and all that came out was “Unnngh unnnngh.” She thought I was choking and slapped me on the back.
    I have this wild daydream that Traci is my assistant for my magic act. I picture her helping me with my Disappearing Girl trick when I perform at the Halloween party at school.
    If Traci was my assistant, my act would be the biggest thing in school history. People would see me onstage with her and they might start to think that
I
was cool too!
    Sometimes I just shut my eyes and picture what the magic act would be like if Traci was my assistant. Of course, it's a silly daydream. The other kids probably wouldn't think I'm cool, even with Traci. But it's nice to have a daydream, if you're me.
    Anyway, I was crossing Powell Avenue, almost to school, when I saw Traci on the corner. I recognized her by her blond hair first. It was fluttering around her head in the wind. She had her backpack down on the ground and was bending over it, searching for something inside it.
    I came up behind her. I took a deep breath. “Unnngh unnnngh,” I said. That was supposed to be “Yo, what's up?”
    She didn't hear me. She didn't look up. She kept searching for something in her backpack.
    “Uh … hi,” I said, but it came out in a dry whisper.
    Suddenly, I felt someone beside me. “You like that girl, don't you, Max?” Tara asked.
    “What are you doing here?” I cried.
    “Searching for my math homework,” Traci answered. “Hope I didn't leave it at home.”
    “You're blushing, Max,” Nicky said. “I think you have a crush on that girl.”
    “Leave me alone,” I snapped.
    Traci looked up at me. “I'm bothering you?”
    “N-no,” I stammered. “I just meant—”
    Tara said, “Nicky and I are here to help you, Max. Go ahead. Be brave. Bend down and help her search.”
    “No. Stop,” I said.
    “Stop
what
?” Traci asked.
    “Go ahead, Max. She needs help.”
    I tried to pull back. But Tara gave me a hard push. I stumbled—
and fell on top of Traci
!
    Traci let out a startled cry. My stomach landed on top of her head. We both toppled onto her backpack.