Read Online The Dare by R.L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B

tube glistened in the light.
    â€œIt’s nitroglycerin!” Lanny declared, jumping to his feet. “He’s going to blow us all up!”
    Zack let out an evil, mad-scientist laugh and held the slender glass tube above his head.
    â€œGive us a break,” Caitlin pleaded. “What
is
it, Zack?”
    â€œSkunk juice,” Zack revealed.
    â€œHuh?” We all let out cries of surprise.
    â€œIt’s skunk scent,” Zack repeated, stepping toward us, stretching the test tube toward us. “Here. Want a sniff?” He reached to remove the cork cap.
    â€œYuck!”
    â€œNo way!”
    â€œGet
out
of here!”
    â€œIs it really skunk scent?” I asked, staring hard at the yellow liquid.
    Zack nodded. “Yeah. My brother got it for me. From a science lab at the university.”
    â€œThat’s really gross,” Caitlin murmured, making a face.
    â€œWant a sip?” Zack held it out to her.
    â€œGet away!” Caitlin screamed. She buried her face in Dennis’s sweatshirt.
    I felt a pang of jealousy. I wanted to be sitting where Caitlin was—next to Dennis.
    But I didn’t have time to think about that. Suddenly everyone was standing, following Zack to the front door.
    â€œWhat are you going to do?” Caitlin demanded, pulling on her parka.
    â€œHe’s going to drink it and then go breathe on Northwood,” Dennis suggested.
    Everyone laughed.
    â€œWay to go, man!” Lanny slapped Zack hard on the back, nearly making him drop the test tube.
    â€œWhoa!” I cried. I had a nightmare vision of my entire house smoldering with skunk scent.
    â€œCome on, Zack, what’s your plan? Where are we going?” Melody asked, turning at the front door and blocking the way. “I’m not going with you guys till I know what you’re doing.”
    Zack grinned at her beneath his blue glasses. “Simple,” he said, holding the test tube waist-high. “One of us will pour this stuff on Northwood’s front stoop. That’s all. My brother said it’ll take months for the stink to go away.”
    â€œOne of us?” Dennis demanded. “What do you mean,
one
of us?”
    â€œWell, I got the skunk juice,” Zack replied. “So someone else should drop it. Here, Dennis. I dare you.”
    He tried to hand the test tube to Dennis, but Dennis raised his hands and backed away. “No way, man!” he cried. “I’m in enough trouble with Northwood!”
    â€œIt’s revenge, Dennis!” Zack insisted, holding out the glass tube. “Revenge! You
know
you want to do it. Come on. I’m daring you!”
    â€œNo way,” Dennis repeated. He rested a hand on Caitlin’s shoulder.
    â€œIt’s your skunk juice.
You
pour it,” Melody told Zack.
    â€œI’m too big. Northwood will see me—” Zack started to say.
    â€˜I’ll
do it!” I exclaimed.
    Don’t ask me why I volunteered. The words just popped out of my mouth.
    I think it had something to do with seeing Caitlin rest her hand on Dennis’s shoulder. I think I really wanted to impress Dennis. I wanted to show everyone that I was one of them, one of the group. And I wanted to show Dennis that I was more fun than Caitlin.
    I didn’t think of those reasons until later. I didn’t have any reasons in my head when I just blurted out that I’d do it.
    â€œWay to go, Johanna!” Lanny cried.
    Zack slipped the test tube into my hand. It felt warm from the tight grip he had had on it. “Johanna’s a shrimp,” Zack explained to the others. “She can sneak up there, do the job, and then sneak away without being seen.”
    â€œYou’re just a wimp,” Dennis accused Zack.
    Zack playfully shoved a big fist into Dennis’s face. “Say that again. I’ll mess you up, man.”
    Dennis made a disgusted face. “Hey, Zack, that skunk juice came off on your hand.