Free R. L. Stine_Mostly Ghostly 07 by Freaks, Shrieks Page A

wall, making calls on her cell phone to all her cool friends. I hung in another corner, trying not to act like a chimp and give myself away.
    Finally, I couldn't help it. I opened my flashlight, pulled out a battery, and started sucking on it, making loud, disgusting sucking noises.
    Do you have to ask why? Because I was part chimpanzee!
    Stella stopped the game. Her mouth dropped open. “Max? What are you doing?” She started shouting for her mom.
    Her mom came running into the room. She looked just like Stella, only maybe a few inches taller. She pulled the battery from my mouth. “Young man, are you trying to be funny?” she asked. “Do you know how dangerous this is?”
    I saw Traci staring at me. She was blushing bright red.
    I had totally embarrassed her.
    Something inside me snapped. I wanted to be nice, well-mannered, quiet Max Doyle.
    But I had a monkey problem. And there was nothing I could do about it.
    The monkey took over. I wobbled to the foodtable. I grabbed up a big hunk of potato salad and flung it at Stella's mom.
    It hit her on the forehead with a wet smack and dripped down her face.
    I heaved another pile of potato salad and hit the wall above the fireplace.
    “Max! Stop it! Are you
crazy?
Stop it!”
    That was Traci screaming at me.
    Could I stop it? No way.
    I climbed up on the food table. Raised a big bowl of pretzels above my head—and heaved it at a group of shocked kids across the room. Kids screamed as pretzels flew everywhere.
    Then I dug both hands into the chocolate icing of the birthday cake, rubbed some of it in my hair, and flung a big hunk at Stella.
    It hit her in the chin and dripped down her neck.
    I was chattering like a chimp. I couldn't stop myself. I reached for two more handfuls of cake and saw Stella and her mom and Traci storm toward me.
    Stella and her mom grabbed my arms and jerked me down to the floor. I struggled to climb back onto the table. But they held me tightly.
    “Traci, take your friend home,” Stella's mom commanded angrily. “He is acting like a wild animal. Take him home at once.”
    Traci's face was bright red. She was shakingwith anger and embarrassment. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered, lowering her head. “I'm really so sorry.”
    She grabbed me and pulled me to the front door. “Max, what is your
problem?”
she asked through gritted teeth.
    “Hoo hoo,” I said.
    I still had hunks of chocolate cake in my hands. I rubbed them in Traci's hair. Then I started grooming her with both hands.
    Would she ever speak to me again?
    Three guesses.

“H OW WAS THE BIRTHDAY party?” Mom asked.
    “Great,” I said.
    “Did you make a lot of new friends?”
    “Oh, sure,” I said.
    I hurried up to my room before I could start chimping it up again. “Nicky? Tara? Are you here?” I called, searching for them. “Where are you? Did you find Dr. Smollet?”
    Silence. No sign of them.
    I let out a long sigh. My life was ruined. Ruined forever.
    I hopped onto my bed and began jumping up and down, making chattering noises.
    Wait. Suddenly, I had a hunch. I just
knew
where I'd find Nicky and Tara.
    Back at Dr. Smollet's lab. Don't ask me why. I had the strongest feeling that they were back there.
    I had to go. I had to see if my hunch was right.
    Mom was busy in the kitchen. I sneaked past her and let myself out the front door. The moonwas already high in the sky. The night breeze felt cold against my face.
    Wobbling like a chimp, I hurried to the bus stop.
    I leaped onto a low tree limb and ate some leaves as I waited for the bus. It didn't come for nearly half an hour. Finally, I climbed inside and walked to the back.
    “Hoo hoo.” I wanted to swing on the poles, but I forced myself to stay in my seat.
    The bus bumped along Miller Street, then turned when it got to town. There were two other kids on the bus, but they didn't go to my school.
    I got off half a block from the lab. Seeing it again, my heart began to thump. My legs felt as if they weighed a thousand