Free The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney Page B

the whole point of the trip was for me to impress Dad with my camping skills, and now we were just gonna stay in some stupid hotel room.
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    Dad found a place and got a room with two beds and a pullout couch. We watched TV for a while and then started getting ready for bed.
    First, Dad went downstairs to the front desk to complain that the heater was too loud, so I was alone in the room with Rodrick.
    I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, and when I came out, Rodrick was looking out the peephole. Then he said something that made me freeze in my tracks.
    He said that Holly Hills and her family were out in the hallway, and they were staying in the room right ACROSS from us.
    [Image: A boy tries to listen from the door as the other stands.]
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    I had to see this for myself. So I moved him out of the way and looked out the peephole.
    The hallway was completely empty. And before I realized it was a trick, Rodrick gave me a big shove, and I fell out the door.
    [Image: A boy pushes the other in the door.] The caption reads: "PUSH"
    Then it got WORSE. Rodrick locked the door behind me, and I was stuck in the hallway wearing nothing but my tighty whities.
    [Image: A boy sits on the floor.] The caption reads: "CLICK"
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    I pounded on the door, but Rodrick wouldn't let me back in the room.
    I was making a big racket, and I realized people in the nearby rooms were gonna start opening their doors to find out what was going on. So I ran around the corner to save myself the embarrassment of anyone seeing me. I spent about fifteen minutes sneaking through the hallways, hiding every time I heard voices.
    [Image: A boy looks scared as he enters.]
    I was gonna go back to our room and beg Rodrick to let me in, but then I realized I didn't even know our ROOM number. And all the doors looked exactly the same to me.
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    I couldn't exactly go down to the front desk, either. The only option I really had was to try and find Dad.
    Then I remembered: Dad is a junk-food addict. I knew he'd eventually turn up at the vending machines, so that's where I camped out.
    I wedged myself in between the soda machine and the candy machine and waited. I had to wait a really long time, but Dad finally did show up.
    [Image: A boy hides behind a soda vending machine and a man is in front of it.] The caption reads: "HI."
    You know what, though? After seeing the look on Dad's face, I kind of wished I'd just sucked it up and gone to the front desk instead.
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    Sunday

    Well, after our camping trip, I'm pretty sure there's no chance I can convince Dad to change his mind about Spag Union. So at this point, I'm not even gonna bother trying.
    I realized there are only about three more weeks before I get shipped out, so I figure this is my last chance to make a play for Holly Hills. If I'm lucky, maybe I can take some good memories with me to military academy, and my summer won't be so bad.
    [Image: A man scolding the three boys.] The caption reads: "WHAT ARE YOU SMILING ABOUT, PRIVATE?
    SMOOCH
    HEH HEH."
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    I've been working up the nerve to talk to Holly for a long time, and I decided it was now or never.
    When we went to church today, I tried to make sure we sat right near the Hills family. But we ended up two rows in front of them, which I guess was close enough. And during the part where everybody shakes hands with one another, I made my move.
    [Image: Two children playing as they sit in the church .] The caption reads: "PEACE BE WITH YOU, HOLLY ELIZABETH HILLS.
    SHAKE SHAKE"
    The hand-shaking thing was actually just step one in a two-part plan, and the second part would come tonight. My next step was to call Holly on the phone and use the hand-shaking thing to get the conversation started.
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    [Image: Two talking on the phone.] The caption reads: "HI, HOLLY, THIS IS GREG HEFFLEY. YOU MIGHT REMEMBER ME FROM A VERY SPECIAL "PEACE BE WITH YOU."
    (BLUSH)"
    At dinner tonight, I told everyone that I needed to make a very important call, so everyone should