Read Online The Birthday Party of No Return! by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B

awesome!” I cried. “Second row. Wow!”
    He nodded. “We’ll have fun.”
    â€œDad, what day do they pick up the trash?” I asked.
    He squinted at me. “The trash? It’s out back? Why?”
    I shrugged. “Just wondering.”
    â€œTomorrow, I think,” Mom said. “Why on earth do you care about the trash, Lee?”
    I had to think fast. “Uh … we’re studying trash in school,” I said.
    Pretty good answer — right?
    We had chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Just as we were finishing, the doorbell rang.
    I shut my eyes. The sound sent a shiver down my back.
    Was someone bringing bad news? Was my bad luck starting up again?
    I hurried to the front door. Pulled it open — and let out a cry.
    â€œLaura!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
    She made a face at me. “Oh. Nice welcome. Thanks. Great to see you, too.”
    I could feel myself blushing. “But — But —” I sputtered. “I didn’t expect —”
    She rolled her eyes. “I texted you twice this afternoon. Don’t you read your texts? I said I was coming over to fill out the science work sheets with you.”
    â€œUh … really ?”
    I couldn’t believe it. Laura came over to do homework with me. That was definitely good news.
    Maybe … just maybe … the evil spell of the claw had ended.
    She was wearing a yellow sweater over a blue T-shirt and dark jeans with silver studs around the pockets.
    She pushed past me into the house, bumping me with her backpack. Mom and Dad greeted her from the dining room. She followed me in. Mom offered her some cookies.
    I picked up a cookie, bit off a big chunk of it — and it went down the wrong pipe. I started to choke.
    I made a horrible wheezing sound. I couldn’t breathe in or out.
    Dad slapped me hard on the back. A wet glob of cookie came flying out of my mouth and splatted the front of Laura’s sweater.
    She lifted it off with two fingers and set it down on a plate. “You’re gross,” she said.
    â€œI think Arfy taught him how to eat,” Dad said.
    It was a joke. A really lame joke. But Laura laughed like it was a riot.
    Did the claw make me choke? I asked myself. I pictured it in the trash can out back. Was it still too nearby?
    Laura and I went into the den to fill out the science sheets. We sat down beside each other on the green leather couch and rested the papers on the coffee table in front of us.
    I couldn’t relax. I couldn’t concentrate.
    I was so totally ready for disaster.
    Laura had to do most of the work.
    The vulture claw was just too close to forget about.
    â€œHey, I was hit by a car this afternoon,” I blurted out.
    Laura gazed hard at me. “Ha!” she said. “I don’t get it.”
    â€œIt’s not a joke,” I said. “I was hit by a car. Really.”
    â€œAnd you got up and walked away?” she said. “Who are you supposed to be? Superman?”
    â€œNever mind,” I muttered. I could see she was not going to believe me.
    Laura tapped her pencil on the coffee table. “You know, I’m playing in the football game tomorrow morning, too,” she said.
    â€œYeah, I know,” I replied. “So?”
    â€œSo you and Cory don’t think that I have a chance — do you?”
    â€œOf course you have a chance,” I said. I groaned. “You’re way ahead of me.”
    â€œYou and Cory are both total weirdos,” she said. She poked me in the stomach with the eraser end of her pencil.
    â€œWe are not!” I said. “Why are we weirdos?”
    â€œWalking around wearing those ugly claw things?” she said, shaking her head. “I couldn’t believe when you tried to give him one, and he already had one.”
    â€œYeah. That was a little weird,” I admitted. Then I added: “But I got rid of mine.”
    Laura’s