Free Be Careful What You Wish For by R. L. Stine

like yours, doesn’t it? Or did I cut it too short? Do you think it should be longer?” She studied my hair. “I think yours might be longer.”
    “No. No. It’s … great, Judith,” I told her, backing toward my locker.
    “Of course, it’s not as good as yours,” Judith continued, staring at my ponytail. “My hair just isn’t as pretty as yours. It isn’t as fine, and the color is too dark.”
    I don’t believe this!
I thought.
    “It looks good,” I said softly.
    I pulled my coat off and hung it in my locker. Then I bent to pick up my backpack.
    “Let me carry that,” Judith insisted. She grabbed it out of my hands. “Really. I don’t mind, Sam.”
    I started to protest, but Anna interrupted. “What are you doing?” she asked Judith, flashing me a cold glance. “Let’s get to class.”
    “You go without me,” Judith replied. “I want to carry Sam’s backpack for her.”
    “Huh?” Anna’s mouth dropped open. “Are you totally losing it, Judith?” she demanded.
    Judith ignored her question and turned back to me. “I love that T-shirt, Sam. It’s ribbed, isn’t it? Did you get it at the Gap? That’s where I got mine. Look. I’m wearing one just like yours.”
    I goggled in surprise. Sure enough, Judith was wearing the same style T-shirt, only hers was gray and mine was pale blue.
    “Judith — what’s your problem?” Anna asked, applying the twentieth layer of bright orange lipstick on her lips. “And what did you do to your hair?” she cried, suddenly noticing the new style.
    “Doesn’t it look just like Sam’s?” Judith asked her, flipping the ponytail with one hand.
    Anna rolled her eyes. “Judith, have you gone psycho or something?”
    “Give me a break, Anna,” Judith replied. “I’d like to talk to Sam — okay?”
    “Huh?” Anna knocked on Judith’s head, as if knocking on a door. “Anyone home?”
    “See you later, okay?” Judith said impatiently.
    Anna sighed, then walked away angrily.
    Judith turned back to me. “Can I ask you a favor?”
    “Yeah. Sure,” I replied. “What kind of favor?”
    She hoisted my backpack over her left shoulder. Her own backpack hung on her right shoulder. “Would you help me work on my foul shot at practice this afternoon?”
    I wasn’t sure I had heard Judith correctly. I stared at her, my mouth hanging open.
    “Would you?” she pleaded. “I’d really like to try shooting fouls your way. You know. Underhanded. I bet I’d have a lot more control shooting them underhanded, the way you do.”
    This was too much!
Too much!
    As I stared at Judith, I saw absolute
worship
in her eyes!
    She was the best foul shooter on the team. And here she was, begging me to show her how to shoot the klutzy way I did it!
    “Yeah. Okay. I’ll try to help you,” I told her.
    “Oh, thank you, Sam!” she cried gratefully. “You’re such a pal! And do you think I could borrow your social studies notes later? Mine are such a mess.”
    “Well …” I said thoughtfully. My notes were so bad, even I couldn’t make them out.
    “I’ll copy them over and get them right back to you. Promise,” Judith said breathlessly. I think the weight of two backpacks was starting to get to her.
    “Okay. You can borrow them,” I told her.
    We started walking to class. Several kids stopped to stare at Judith, lugging two backpacks on her shoulders.
    “Where did you get your Doc Martens?” she asked as we entered the room. “I want to get a pair just like yours.”
    What a laugh
! I thought, very pleased with myself.
This is an absolute riot!
    The change in Judith was simply hilarious. It was all I could do not to burst out laughing.
    Little did I know then that my laughter would quickly turn to horror.

24
    It started to get really embarrassing. Judith wouldn’t leave me alone.
    She hung around me wherever I went. When I got up to sharpen my pencil, she followed me and sharpened hers.
    My throat got dry during a spelling test, and I asked Lisa if I could