Free You Can't Scare Me! by R. L. Stine Page A

she’s never afraid to give her opinion on
anything.
    Today, Mr. Melvin was telling us how people have always believed in monsters, since very early times. “People have a need to create monsters,” he said. “It helps us believe that the real world isn’t quite as scary. The real world isn’t as scary as the monsters we can dream up.”
    He went on like that for quite a while. I don’t think anyone was really listening. It was very early in the morning, after all.
    â€œThere are countless legends and myths, stories and movies about monsters,” Mr. Melvin was saying. “But no one has ever proven that monsters exist. Mainly because they exist only in our imaginations.”
    â€œThat’s not true,” Courtney interrupted. She always started talking without raising her hand first. She never cared if she was interrupting someone or not.
    Mr. Melvin’s bushy black eyebrows shot up on his shiny forehead. “Do
you
have proof that monsters exist, Courtney?” he asked.
    â€œCourtney’s a monster,” someone whispered behind me. I heard a few kids snicker.
    I was sitting on the window ledge. The morning sunlight through the window felt warm against my back. Molly was beside me, trying to unstick some gum from her braces.
    â€œMy uncle is a scientist,” Courtney said. “He told me that the Loch Ness Monster in Scotland really exists. It lives in this big lake, and it looks like
a
sea serpent. And people have taken pictures of it.”
    â€œThose pictures aren’t really proof —” Mr. Melvin started.
    But Courtney kept going. She never stopped until she’d said all she had to say. “My uncle saysthat Bigfoot is real, too. He’s seen photos of Bigfoot’s footprints, taken in the Himalaya mountains.”
    There were whispered comments around the room. I glanced at Hat, who was sitting on the floor in the middle of the meeting area, and he rolled his eyes at me.
    â€œPeople don’t just imagine all the monsters,” Courtney concluded. “They’re real. A lot of people are just too scared to admit that they’re real.”
    â€œThat’s a very interesting theory,” Mr. Melvin said, scratching his neck. “Does anyone agree with Courtney? How many of you believe in monsters?”
    A few kids raised their hands. I didn’t notice how many. I was lost in my own thoughts.
    Courtney believes in monsters,
I told myself.
She really believes that monsters exist.
    Slowly, an idea began to hatch in my mind.
    Monsters … monsters …
    Monsters at night. In the dark …
    Thanks to Courtney, I was beginning to get the perfect plan for scaring her. The perfect plan that
had
to work!

22
    I asked Kevin to help me, and he refused. So I brought Hat, Molly, and Charlene over to beg him.
    â€œLet me get this straight,” Kevin said, frowning at us. “You want me and two friends to get into our Mud Monster costumes and scare some girl in the woods?”
    â€œNot
some girl
,” I told him impatiently. “Courtney.”
    â€œShe deserves to be scared,” Charlene quickly added. “Really. She’s been asking for it.”
    It was Saturday afternoon. We were standing in my backyard. Kevin had the garden hose in his hand. He did a lot of lawn chores on Saturdays. He was about to water the flower beds.
    â€œThe video is all finished,” Kevin said, tightening the nozzle. “I’m glad I don’t have to get into that costume and put on all that drippy makeup again.”
    â€œPlease!” I begged.
    â€œIt’ll be fun,” Hat told Kevin. “It’ll be really funny.”
    Kevin turned the nozzle, but no water came out.
    â€œThe hose is tangled,” I said, pointing. “Let me untangle it for you.” I bent down and started to work the knot out of the hose.
    â€œCourtney and her friend Denise have this tree house in the woods by Muddy