Free Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? by R.L. Stine

standing in front of me, a big grin on his face. “You're our secret weapon, Max,” he said, slapping me on the back. “No one expects you to be the
monster
you are!”
    “Uh … thanks, Coach.”
    “Get out there, Max. Be aggressive. Be a
monster
!” He slapped me on the back again, then turned and trotted off to greet the visiting team.
    Be a monster.
    Great advice.
    My whole body shuddered. What if I got out on the field and the Berserker Ghoul didn't take over like the other day? The ghoul had been sleeping for days. What if it decided to keep on sleeping and left me stranded out there on my own?
    I can't play soccer. I'll get
creamed
!
    Feeling panic sweep over my body, I glanced around. “Nicky? Tara? Are you here?”
    Where were they? They promised to be here. They promised to help me during the game.
    “Nicky? Tara?”
    I couldn't believe they weren't here. How could they do this to me?
    We'd made a deal. They help me look like a good soccer player on the field. And I risk my life and go back into that terrifying tunnel and carry out Phears' cat.
    The whistle blew for us to line up. The match was about to begin.
    I turned and saw Dad shaking his fists in the air. “
Kill
'em, Max!
Break
'em!
Kill! Kill!
”

24
    T HE MATCH STARTED. I tried to stay away from the ball. But my teammates kept passing it to me. They expected me to go berserk, knock players onto their butts, charge the net, and score—the way I did in that crazy practice.
    But the Berserker Ghoul was still asleep.
    It was just me—me all by myself out there— and I totally sucked. A couple of times, I tripped over the ball and went sailing onto my stomach on the hard ground. Once, the ball bounced right through my legs. Three times, I tried to take a shot—and kicked the ball
behind
me instead of in front of me!
    Yikes.
    After a few more stumbles and missed kicks, Coach Freeley took me out of the game and sent in Robby Marx. “What's wrong, Max?” Coach asked, leading me to the bench. He slapped a water bottle into my hand. “You saving it for the end again? That's okay. Take a breather. Don't forget. You're my secret weapon.”
    Yeah. I'm the secret weapon. And so far, I was keeping it
really secret
!
    I glanced up to the top of the bleachers. Traci Wayne was cheering for the team. I sure hadn't given her anything to cheer about. She'll never talk to me now, I thought. None of the cool kids will ever talk to me.
    My dad was still standing on the sidelines, silent now, hands balled into fists at his sides. Colin had that obnoxious grin on his face. Suddenly, he turned to me and mouthed the word
loser
.
    Despite the cold weather, sweat poured down my forehead. “Nicky? Tara? Are you here?” I called.
    Where
were
they? They promised!
    Three minutes left to play. The Battling Bulldogs were losing 2 to 1. Cold raindrops started to drip down from the black sky.
    I sat shivering on the bench. A hand squeezed my shoulder. I looked up to see Coach Freeley, clipboard in one hand. “Get in there, Max,” he growled. “Go crazy.”
    “Jabbba gummma gumma,” I said.
    Yes!
    I felt the ghoul shift inside me. The field took on a yellow glow, bright as sunshine. My feet pounded the ground, but I felt as if I was floating.
    “Jabbbba hubbbba!” A battle cry roared out of my open mouth.
    I head-butted one player and sent him tumbling to the wet ground. Oh, wow. One of
our
players!
    I bumped a Tiger Cub out of the way. Kicked him hard in the leg. Stole the ball from him and moved it toward the goal.
    Another roar escaped my throat. I could see the startled faces of my teammates. And I could hear my dad over the shouts of the crowd: “Kill! Kill!
Kill!
”
    I faded away into a yellow cloud as the Berserker Ghoul totally took over my brain and my body. I felt so helpless … so
alone
inside my own body!
    I felt jolt after jolt as the ghoul banged into the other players, bumped them hard and sent them sprawling onto the grass. I heard cries all around me