Free I So Don't Do Spooky by Barrie Summy Page A

“Definitely.”
    Amber and Dana arrive. “You’re not going to throw up in my car, are you?” Amber asks.
    That girl has about as much sympathy as a rock. I shake my head. “I’m good now.”
    Junie stands and pulls me to my feet.
    While we’re driving, Amber says to Dana, “Sherry is, like, Junie’s weirdest friend. You have no idea.”
    I don’t even have the energy to tell her to be quiet.
    Amber’s plan is to drop me off first, then Junie.
    Junie, however, has other ideas.

chapter
eleven
    W hen we get to my place, Junie jumps out with me. Over her shoulder, she shouts to Amber, “Give me a sec to check out the tires!”
    Junie and I buzz to where The Ruler’s hybrid is hanging by the curb. All four tires look the same: sad and saggy with a big cut in a semicircle by the rim. Yikes.
    Junie pokes at one of the splits. “Sure looks like you’d need a sharp knife to do this.”
    â€œPolly predicted something with a knife
and
outside
and
The Ruler,” I say with a shudder.
    â€œSeriously creepy.” Junie rubs her arms.
    Amber honks.
    â€œI wish I could stay longer,” Junie says. “But youknow Amber. Plus, my mom is actually home for dinner.”
    She takes off and I head inside.
    At the kitchen table, The Ruler’s frantically sipping a mug of calming chamomile tea. There’s a mini mountain of used tea bags on a saucer by the kettle.
    Sip, sip, sip
. “The police were already here to take photos of the tires. They said it could’ve been some teens having fun, or maybe it was the work of a disgruntled student. They were surprised that it happened in broad daylight and that none of the neighbors saw anything.”
    Sip, sip, sip
. “I’ve talked to the insurance company. A tow truck is coming in ten minutes. I’ll ride with them to Tires Tires Tires.”
    Sip, sip, sip
. “Grandma Baldwin has Sam.”
    My ears prick up. Because if Grandma is back from Sedona, then Grandpa, who followed her there, is back too. And he’ll help with the mystery.
    A few years ago, Grandpa died of a heart attack. He took on the shape of our state bird, a wren, and joined the Academy. His croaky voice is tough to understand, but he’s got a great sense of direction and good ideas too.
    Grandma, Queen of Birkenstocks, Chants and Aura Combing, hasn’t figured out Grandpa’s true identity. She thinks he’s just a hungry wren who hangs aroundher bird feeders. Which, by the way, she has about fifty of in her backyard. I’m sure Sam went over to her house to help fill the feeders after Grandma’s weekend away. Stocking those feeders is a job and a half. I avoid it.
    Sip, sip, sip
. “Grandma and Sam will pick me up at the tire place and drive back here. I’ll use your father’s car until my car’s ready.”
    Polly’s warning about The Ruler echoes in my brain:
She needs to seriously watch out
. “Yeah, well, be careful,” I say. “Maybe I should come with you.”
    She stops mid-sip, peering at me over the rim of her mug. “Sherry, I’m fine. Someone ruined my tires. They’re not planning to do something to me. I don’t want you to worry.”
Sip, sip, sip
. “Besides, the towing company will only allow one passenger.”
    She’s so Energizer Bunny. My head’s spinning with the complicatedness of all this. So upstairs I trundle for some quiet, thoughtful time with my fish.
    In my bedroom, I slide open the aquarium cover. Then I tap in some fish flakes. Cindy and Prince glintily zip to the surface, gobbling floating flakes. I’m careful not to overfeed them. And I’m careful to close the cover, because bala sharks will leap from a tank to their death.
    The Ruler calls out to let me know she’s leaving. From my window, I watch her climb into thepassenger side of the tow truck, and Polly’s warning floats into my