Free Goosebumps Most Wanted - 02 - Son of Slappy by R.L. Stine Page B

YC?”
    “You’re a good speller,” Mrs. Haggerty joked. “Okay, guys. Have fun. Just don’t make mykitchen look like a tsunami rolled over it. I’m serious.”
    We watched her walk out of the room. Then we made our way to the kitchen.
    It took us a while to find a nice, easy cupcake recipe in Mrs. Haggerty’s collection of cookbooks. Then we scrambled around the kitchen in search of the ingredients for the cake batter.
    “Have you ever baked anything before?” I asked my two friends.
    They both shook their heads. “I made Cheerios once,” Miles said. “That’s all I ever made.”
    “It’s easy,” Stick said, pouring flour into a big mixing bowl. “You just follow the recipe step by step. You can’t mess up.”
    We poured a bunch of ingredients into the mixing bowl. Then we put the bowl under the mixer and started the blades whirring.
    “It’s like magic!” Miles exclaimed. “Like science fiction or something. Look. It’s turning into chocolate cake batter.”
    I sniffed it. “Smells like chocolate cake, too. This is totally awesome.”
    Stick pulled cupcake pans from the cabinet. Each pan held six cupcakes. “We have to make a lot,” he said. “No one will be impressed if we walk in with twelve cupcakes. We need a hundred!”
    I shook my head. “I don’t think we have enough batter.” All three of us stared into the bowl. Thethick chocolate glop looked about ready to pour into the baking trays.
    “Tell you what,” Stick said. “Miles and I will run to Garrity’s on the corner. We’ll buy cake batter mixes. It’ll take five minutes.” He pointed to the bowl. “You stay and mix, Jackson.”
    And that’s what happened. Stick got his wallet. Then he and Miles ran to the store. I stood at the mixer, watching it slowly fold the chocolate batter.
    And then, a few seconds after my friends were out the door, I heard a loud chirp .
    “Oh nooo,” I groaned.
    The room shook. The floor tilted up, then down.
    “No. Please. Please. No.”
    I struggled. I tried to fight it. But I wasn’t strong enough.
    I had to give in.
    I’m the Son of Slappy. I can’t stop myself!

I clicked off the mixer and pulled the big bowl of chocolate batter out from under it. I set the bowl down on the kitchen table.
    Then, giggling to myself, I dipped my hand into the batter. I grabbed a big, gooey hunk of the chocolate stuff. Then I crossed the room and smeared it all over the yellow-and-white wallpaper.
    I scooped out another handful of batter and smeared it on the side of the fridge. Then another big hunk of batter. And another. I spread them over the table and along the wall.
    I couldn’t stop laughing. This was so much fun!
    I grabbed a blob of batter and tossed it onto the ceiling. Then I smeared chocolate over the kitchen cabinet doors.
    “Yes! Yes! Beautiful!” A long, cruel laugh burst from deep in my throat.
    The big bowl was almost empty. I’d smeared the batter all over the room. Breathing hardfrom excitement, I stuck my head in the bowl and licked batter off the sides.
    “Yes! Delicious! Yes!”
    I made loud animal noises as I licked up the sweet batter. I knew I had chocolate all over my face, but I didn’t care.
    Finally, I took the bowl and heaved it across the room. It bounced off the sink and clattered over the floor.
    I stood there, licking chocolate off my lips and admiring my work. I whirled around when I heard a gasp behind me.
    Mrs. Haggerty stood in the kitchen doorway, her mouth open in horror. Her eyes darted around the kitchen.
    “Uh … how long have you been standing there?” I asked.
    She replied through gritted teeth. “Long enough, Jackson.” And then a sharp cry burst from her throat. “Have you gone crazy? Are you sick ?”
    “I can explain,” I said.

“Huh?” She swallowed hard. Her whole body was trembling. “Explain?”
    I nodded. “Yes. See, I was just redecorating your kitchen. I think it’s an improvement — don’t you?”
    I tossed back my head and