Free My Hairiest Adventure by R. L. Stine Page A

smaller bags waiting to be loaded into the car.
    “Going on a trip?” I asked, struggling to catch my breath. The pain in my
side kept throbbing, refusing to go away.
    They didn’t answer. Mr. Vonn groaned as he hoisted a heavy suitcase into the
trunk.
    “Where’s Lily?” I asked. I handed him one of the smaller bags. “She wasn’t in
school today.”
    “We’re going away,” Mrs. Vonn said quietly from behind me.
    “Well, where’s Lily?” I repeated. “Is she inside?”
    Mr. Vonn frowned, but didn’t reply.
    I turned to Lily’s mom. “Can I see her?” I asked impatiently. “Is Lily
inside?”
    “You must have the wrong house,” she replied softly.
    My mouth dropped open. “Wrong house? Mrs. Vonn—what do you mean?”
    “There’s no one here named Lily,” she said.

 
 
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    For some reason, I burst out laughing.
    Startled laughter. Frightened laughter.
    Mrs. Vonn’s sad expression cut my laughter short—and sent a chill down my
back.
    “Is Lily—?” I started to say.
    Mrs. Vonn grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it. She lowered her face close to
mine. “Listen to what I’m telling you, Larry,” she said through gritted teeth.
    “But—but—” I sputtered.
    “There is no Lily,” she repeated, squeezing my shoulder hard. “Just
forget about her.” She had tears in her eyes.
    Mr. Vonn slammed the car trunk. I jumped out of Mrs. Vonn’s grasp, my heart
pounding.
    “You’d better go,” Mr. Vonn said firmly, coming over to join his wife.
    I took a step back. My legs felt weak and shaky.
    “But, Lily—” I started.
    “You’d better go,” Mr. Vonn repeated.
    At the side of the garage, I spotted the red-brown dog. She whimpered sadly,
her head hung low.
    I whirled around and ran, as fast as I could.
     
    Mom and Dad acted so strange at dinner. They refused to discuss Lily or the
dog or Lily’s parents.
    Mom and Dad kept glancing at each other, giving each other meaningful looks
that I wasn’t supposed to see.
    They think I’m crazy! I realized. That’s why they’re refusing to talk about
it. They think I’m losing my mind. They don’t want to say anything to me until
they decide how they’re going to handle me.
    “I’m not crazy!” I shouted suddenly, dropping my fork and knife onto the
table. I hadn’t touched my spaghetti and meatballs.
    How could I eat?
    “I’m not crazy! I’m not making this up!”
    “Can’t we talk about it another time?” Mom pleaded, glancing at Dad.
    “Let’s just finish our dinner,” Dad added, keeping his eyes on his plate.
    After dinner, I called Jared and Kristina over to give them the bad news. I
didn’t want them to think that I was crazy. So I simply told them that Lily had
gone away.
    “But what about tomorrow?” Jared cried.
    “Yeah. What about the Battle of the Bands?” Kristina demanded. “How could
Lily leave on the day before the contest?”
    I shrugged. We were sitting in the living room. Kristina and I sat on
opposite ends of the couch. Jared was sprawled in the chair across from me.
    Jasper brushed over my feet. I leaned down and lifted her into my lap. Her
yellow eyes stared up at me. Then she closed them and settled against me,
purring softly.
    “Where did Lily go?” Kristina asked angrily, drumming her fingers on the
couch arm. “On vacation? Why didn’t she tell us she was going to miss the
contest?”
    “Howie Hurwin will jump for joy when he hears this news,” Jared muttered
glumly, shaking his head.
    “I don’t know where Lily went,” I told them. “I saw her parents loading
suitcases into the car. Now they’re gone. That’s all I know. I’m sure Lily is
very unhappy. I know Lily wanted to be with us. I don’t think she had a choice.”
    I had a sudden urge to tell them everything that had happened. But I didn’t
want them to start laughing at me. Or worrying about me.
    I felt so mixed up. I didn’t know what I wanted to do.
    I wanted Lily back. And Manny. That I knew.
    And I