Aliens for Dinner Read Free

didn’t like.
    Everyone was wolfing the stuff down. Richard was surprised to see that it came in Styrofoam cups, the kind nobody was supposed to use anymore. And kids were throwing the cups and plastic spoons on the ground when they were finished.
What is going on?
thought Richard.
    “The Dwilbs have reached your schoolmates,” Aric said. His voice was tense. “I do not like this. They are moving very quickly.”
    Then Richard saw Henry. His friend was making his way through the crowd to a little food cart at the end of the yard.
    Richard followed him, kicking his way through piles of empty Styrofoam cups. There were about twenty kids at the cart. They were all shoving each other and wavingdollar bills and yelling, “Get out of my way!” “I’m next!” “No, I am!”
    Above their voices came the cries of the food vendors—two pale, flabby guys wearing red plastic Jughead hats. “Frozen Sludgies!” they squawked. “Frozen Sludgies! Come and get ’em! Come and get ’em!” The smell at the stand was strong—almost overpowering. With a shock, Richard realized it was the smell of rotten eggs—the smell of the oil slick.
    He started to feel nauseous. Aliens! They were showing up everywhere! And what were frozen Sludgies? For a second Richard’s mind stopped. The thought that came to him—that the aliens were selling a frozen dessert made from the oil slick—was so disgusting that he pushed it away.
    Then he saw Henry buying a Sludgie from one of the aliens. “Don’t eat it!” gasped Richard.
    But Henry didn’t hear him. As Richard watched, he began wolfing the mess down noisily, with his mouth open. He was acting as if he was in some kind of speed-eating contest. Sludge dribbled down his chin andonto his shirt. Henry didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy eating.

    When he finished, he dropped his spoon and empty cup on the ground and headed back to the cart.
    Richard’s stomach knotted up. He felt dizzy Maybe it was the smell of the Sludgies. Maybe it was the sight of his best friend acting like a total gross pig. Either way, it was too much for him.
    “Henry!” said Richard. “Aren’t you at least going to throw the cup in the trash?” Richard couldn’t believe he was saying this. Henry was always the one who was telling Richard to eat right and clean up after himself.
    Henry looked at him without saying anything. His face, usually so friendly, looked dull and suspicious.
    “I mean, we should clean up after ourselves, right?” Richard added weakly.
    “Duh. What for?” sneered Henry. Richard took a step backward. For once, he couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

Art was the last class of the day. Usually it was Richard’s favorite. He always had a good time drawing spaceships and creatures from other galaxies. But not today. Today he caught himself sketching a flabby guy wearing a funny hat.
What am I doing?
he thought.
I hate the Dwilbs!
He threw down his pencil.
    Just then the public address system came on with a loud screech. There was a violent thump against Richard’s chest.“What was that?” boomed Aric. He was in Richard’s shirt pocket.
    “Probably Principal Felshin.” Richard sent the thought to Aric. “He likes to make announcements.”
    “Goo-oood … afternoo-ooon, girls and boys.” The principal’s voice was unhurried and dull, and he always took a really long time between words. Richard thought he sounded as if he was talking in slow motion.
    “There are … a few important points … I would like to review with you this afternoon,” said the principal. “The first … has to do with the use of the halls … as a meeting place. The halls, as you know, … are passageways designed for travel from one classroom to another. They are not … clubhouses … and they are not … living rooms. They are … conduits. And I hope you will look that word up.
    “At any rate … to get back to my original point, I would like to … discourage any and all students …