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

tried to dribble and tripped over my feet, Judith would dribble and trip. If I threw a bad pass that was intercepted by the other team, Judith would throw a bad pass.
    When I missed an easy layup under the basket, Judith did the same thing, deliberately missing the next time she had the ball.
    It was one flub after another — doubled because of Judith copying me!
    And the whole time, she kept clapping and shouting, cheering me on. “Way to go, Sam! Nice try, Sam! You’re the
best,
Sam!”
    It was so obnoxious!
    And I could see the girls on the Edgemont team snickering at us, and laughing out loud when Judith fell headfirst into the bleachers just because I had done it a few plays before.
    Anna and the other players on my team weren’t laughing. Their expressions were glum and angry.
    “You’re deliberately messing up!” Anna accused Judith about halfway through the game.
    “I am
not!”
Judith replied shrilly.
    “Why are you copying that clumsy ox?” I heard Anna demand.
    Judith grabbed her and knocked her down, and they began wrestling angrily on the floor, screaming and tearing at each other furiously.
    It took Ellen and the referee to stop the fight. Both girls were given a harsh lecture about sportsmanship and sent to the locker room.
    Ellen made me sit down on the bench. I was glad. I really didn’t feel like playing anymore.
    As I watched the rest of the game, I couldn’t concentrate on it at all. I kept thinking about my third and final wish, and how I’d blown it again.
    To my dismay, I realized that having Judith worship me was much worse than having her hate me! At least when she hated me, she left me alone!
    I had made three wishes, and each of them had turned into a nightmare. Now I was stuck with Judith following me around, hanging on my every word, constantly praising everything I did, fawning over me like a lovesick puppy — and, mainly, being an unbelievable pest!
    I actually longed for the days when she had made fun of me in front of the whole class, when she had followed after me, calling, “Byrd, why don’t you fly away! Why don’t you fly away, Byrd!”
    But what could I do? My three wishes were up.
    Was I going to be stuck with Judith for the rest of my life?
    We lost the game by fifteen or sixteen points. I didn’t pay much attention to the score. I just wanted to get out of there.
    But when I trudged into the locker room to change, Judith was waiting for me. She handed me a towel. “Good game!” she cried, slapping me a high five.
    “Huh?” I could only gape at her.
    “Can we study together after dinner?” she asked with pleading eyes. “Please? You could help me with my algebra. You’re so much better at it than I am. You’re a real genius when it comes to algebra.”
    Luckily, I had to go with my parents to visit my aunt after dinner. That gave me a good excuse not to study with Judith.
    But what would be my excuse the next night? And the next, and the next?
    My aunt wasn’t feeling well, and the purpose of our visit was to cheer her up. I’m afraid I didn’t do a very good job. I barely said a word.
    I couldn’t stop thinking about Judith.
    What could I do about her? I could get angry and tell her to leave me alone. But I knew that wouldn’t help. I had wished for her to think I was the greatest person who ever lived. Now Judith was under an enchantment, under the power of the Crystal Woman’s spell.
    Telling her to go away wouldn’t discourage her in the least.
    Could I just ignore her? That woudn’t be easysince she was constantly in my shadow, asking me a million questions, begging to wait on me like a servant.
    What could I do?
What?
    I thought about it all the way home. Even my parents noticed I was distracted.
    “What’s the problem, Sam?” my mother demanded as we drove home.
    “Oh, nothing,” I lied. “Just thinking about schoolwork.”
    When we got home, there were four phone messages on the answering machine for me, all from Judith.
    My mother stared