28 - The Cuckoo Clock of Doom Read Free Page A

has
long, shiny brown hair and a turned-up nose that’s kind of cute. She’s tall, and
good at basketball. There’s something sort of cool about her.
    Ceecee and Rosie are Mona’s best friends. I had to invite them if I was going
to invite Mona. They always go everywhere together.
    Ceecee, Rosie, and Mona arrived all at once. They took off their jackets.
Mona was wearing pink overalls over a white turtleneck. She looked great. I didn’t care what
the other girls were wearing.
    “Happy birthday, Michael!” they all called out at the door.
    “Thanks,” I said.
    They each handed me a gift. Mona’s was small and flat and wrapped in silver
paper. Probably a CD, I figured. But which one? What kind of CD would a girl
like Mona think a guy like me would like?
    I set the presents on top of the pile in the living room.
    “Hey, Michael—what did your parents give you?” David asked.
    “Just a bike,” I said, trying to be cool about it. “A twenty-one speed.”
    I put on a CD. Mom and Tara brought in plates of sandwiches. Mom went back to
the kitchen, but Tara stayed.
    “Your little sister is so cute,” Mona said.
    “Not once you get to know her,” I muttered.
    “Michael! That’s not very nice,” Mona said.
    “He’s a terrible big brother,” Tara told her. “He yells at me all the time.”
    “I do not! Get lost, Tara.”
    “I don’t have to.” She stuck her tongue out at me.
    “Let her stay, Michael,” Mona said. “She’s not bothering anybody.”
    “Hey, Mona,” Tara chirped. “You know, Michael really likes you.”
    Mona’s eyes widened. “He does?”
    My face got red-hot. I glared at Tara. I wanted to strangle her right then
and there. But I couldn’t—too many witnesses.
    Mona started laughing. Ceecee and Rosie laughed, too. Luckily, the guys
didn’t hear this. They were around the CD player, skipping from cut to cut.
    What could I say? I did like Mona. I couldn’t deny it—it would hurt
her feelings. But I couldn’t admit it, either.
    I wanted to die. I wanted to sink through the floor and die.
    “Michael, your face is all red!” Mona cried.
    Lars heard this and called out, “What did Webster do now?”
    Some of the guys call me by my last name.
    I grabbed Tara and dragged her into the kitchen, Mona’s laughter ringing in
my ears.
    “Thanks a lot, Tara,” I whispered. “Why did you have to tell Mona I like
her?”
    “It’s true, isn’t it?” the brat said. “I always tell the truth.”
    “Yeah, right!”
    “Michael—” Mom interrupted. “Are you being mean to Tara again?”
    I stormed out of the kitchen without answering her.
    “Hey, Webster,” Josh called when I returned to the living room. “Let’s see
your new bike.”
    Good, I thought. A way to get away from the girls.
    I led them to the garage. They all stared at the bike and nodded at each
other. They seemed really impressed. Then Henry grabbed the handlebars.
    “Hey, what’s this big scratch?” he said.
    “I know,” I explained. “My sister…”
    I stopped and shook my head. What was the use?
    “Let’s go back and open my presents,” I suggested.
    We trooped back into the living room.
    At least I’ve got more presents coming, I thought. Tara can’t ruin those.
    But Tara always finds a way.
    When I entered the living room, I found Tara sitting in the middle of a pile
of torn-up wrapping paper. Rosie, Mona, and Ceecee sat around her, watching.
    Tara had opened all my presents for me.
    Thanks so much, Tara.
    She was ripping open the last present—Mona’s.
    “Look what Mona gave you, Michael!” Tara shouted.
    It was a CD.
    “I’ve heard there are some great love songs on it,” Tara teased.
    Everybody laughed. They all thought Tara was a riot.
     
    Later, we all sat down in the dining room for cake and ice cream. I carried
the cake myself. Mom followed me, holding plates, candles, and matches.
    It was my favorite kind of cake, chocolate-chocolate.
    Balancing the cake in my hands, I stepped