Free 21 - Go Eat Worms! by R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead)

bat and came down to investigate.”
    “It’s just me, Dad,” Todd said. “I had to find out how my worms are getting
into my stuff. So I decided to watch them all night and see if—”
    “I’ve had it with those worms!” Mr. Barstow exclaimed angrily.
    “But, Dad—” Todd protested.
    “What’s going on down there? Are you okay?” Mrs. Barstow called from
the top of the stairs.
    “Everything is okay, dear!” Todd’s father called. “It’s just more worm
trouble.”
    “Those disgusting worms again? Come up here and get back to bed,” Mrs.
Barstow ordered. Todd could hear her padding back to her room.
    “Those worms are out of here tomorrow,” Mr. Barstow said sternly, tightening
the belt of the yellow robe.
    “What?” Todd cried. “Dad, please—”
    “Enough is enough, Todd. I don’t understand what’s been going on with your
worms,” his father said, frowning, resting his hands on his waist. “But I can’t
have you scaring everyone in the house, sneaking around in the middle of the night, sitting in the dark,
staring at a tank of worms instead of getting your sleep.”
    “But—but—” Todd sputtered.
    Mr. Barstow shook his head. “My mind is made up. No discussion. The worms go.
Tomorrow afternoon, take them outside and dump them all in the garden.”
    “But, Dad—”
    Mr. Barstow raised a hand for silence. “I mean it. In the garden. Tomorrow
afternoon. I’m sure you can find something better to collect than worms.”
    He placed both hands on Todd’s shoulders and marched him toward the stairs.
    Todd sighed unhappily, but didn’t say any more. He knew better than to argue
with his father. When his dad made up his mind about something, he could be very
stubborn.
    Todd climbed the rest of the way to his room in silence, feeling angry and
disappointed.
    As he dropped onto his bed and jerked up the covers, he grumbled to himself
about the most disappointing thing of all—he hadn’t solved the mystery.
    All that planning. All that sneaking around.
    He’d had such high hopes for getting to the bottom of it once and for all.
    But, no.
    Not only was he about to lose all of his worms, but now he would never know how the worms got into his things.
    I don’t care about those stupid worms! he told himself. I don’t care that I have to throw them all away!
    All I really care about is solving the mystery!
    Angry and frustrated, Todd turned and started to punch his pillow. Hard. With
both fists. Again. Again.
    He didn’t realize that the whole mystery would be solved—accidentally—just a few hours later.

 
 
25
     
     
    It rained the next morning. Todd didn’t even notice as he walked slowly to
school. His thoughts were darker than the storm clouds over his head.
    He dropped his jacket in his locker and pulled out his Trapper-Keeper.
Stuffing it into his rain-drenched backpack, he spotted Danny.
    As planned, Danny was waiting outside the classroom door. Waiting to hear how
Todd had solved the worm mystery.
    Well, I guess Danny will just have to be disappointed, too, Todd thought
glumly. He straightened his Raiders cap and, hoisting his wet backpack onto his
shoulders, made his way across the hall to his friend.
    Danny’s red hair was soaked and matted down on his head. It looked more like
a helmet than hair.
    Todd pushed his way through a group of laughing, shouting kids, all shaking rainwater off themselves, puddles on the hall
floor at their feet.
    “So? How’d it go?” Danny asked eagerly as Todd stepped up to him.
    Todd started to tell his friend the bad news—but he stopped when he heard a
voice he instantly recognized.
    Regina!
    Around the corner, out of view of the two boys, Regina and Beth were sharing
a good laugh.
    “So he has to dump out all those gross worms today!” Regina was gleefully
telling Beth. “Isn’t that awesome?”
    “Awesome!” Beth declared.
    Both girls laughed.
    “Todd is such a jerk!” Beth exclaimed. “Did he really think the worms