Danger Guys Hit the Beach Read Free

Zeek said. “There are things I don’t like. But that’s why we’re such a great team. Between us, we can do everything.”
    Zeek smiled and slapped me on the back. “Come on, buddy, let’s go up. I’ll keep you safe.” The rope swung back and forth as we climbed. It made me kind of sick.
    Finally we reached the top platform.
    Then we saw it.
    â€œHoly cow!” I gasped. “It’s Mayville! You can see the entire coast from here!”
    The view was unbelievable. Across the wide blue water was our town. The beach, the mall, everything.
    â€œRight,” Zeek said. “And just look at this.”
    He pointed to the roof over the platform. It was a piece of ship’s sail tied to some branches with strips of vine. “A shade roof. Isn’t this neat? I mean, who made this incredible tree house?”
    We didn’t have to look far for an answer. On the floor was an old wooden chest. There were some words carved on the outside. I brushed the carving with my hand.
    â€œIt says, ‘Captain John May, 1785.’”
    â€œMay? May!” Zeek looked at me. “You mean May , as in Mayville ?”
    â€œI can’t believe it! He was shipwrecked, remember? Mr. Strunk told us that in class. He must have been marooned right here!”
    â€œCool! And he probably looked over there and said, ‘Someday they’ll call that Mayville!’”
    â€œSomething like that,” I said. I went to open the chest.
    â€œWait a second, Noodle.” Zeek put his hand on the chest. “Maybe we shouldn’t. I saw this movie once where they put a guy …”
    â€œLook, it’s a treasure chest, right? It’s probably full of gold. It’s got to be.”
    â€œOr maybe it’s full of bones. Maybe the guy who built this tree house is in there, all rotten.”
    I didn’t say anything. I just wiped away the dust and waited.
    Then Zeek leaned over my shoulder. “Well, come on. Are you going to do it, or not?”
    I smiled and opened the chest.
    But then Zeek did it again. Clutzy thing number two.
    He stuck his head right into the opening. He screamed. And he jumped back into me.
    I tumbled backward. My arms went flying. I grabbed on to the roof branches to catch my balance.
    Zeek grabbed on to me.
    The vines holding the roof snapped.
    The roof slid off.
    And we went with it.



FIVE
    â€œIt was him! It was him! I saw him, the dead guy, in the box. It was horrible!”
    Zeek didn’t get it.
    Not right away.
    It took him a second. Then he went quiet.
    And he looked down.
    â€œNoodle?” he said quietly. “We’re not in the tree house anymore, are we?”
    Bingo! He finally got it.
    But I didn’t answer him. I was too busy trying to hold on to the tree house roof. Just why I was holding on to it, I didn’t know. It made us fall even faster.
    â€œWe’re falling, and we’re going to die!” I screamed.
    Suddenly, the sail in the roof puffed up with air. Hot ocean air. We stopped falling so fast. In fact, we stopped falling at all.
    The sail caught a breeze and pulled us up. We soared around the tree and up to the left.
    â€œHey, we’re hang gliding!” I cried.
    â€œYou’re gliding, I’m hanging! Pull it up, Noodle!”
    I looked down. Zeek was hugging my knees. His feet were kicking through the treetops as we drifted over them.
    â€œHey,” I called down to him. “You think I like this? I told you I don’t like heights. We wouldn’t even be here if you hadn’t …”
    Then he started to wiggle.
    â€œDon’t do that!” I cried.
    â€œI can’t not do it! I’ll fall if I don’t do it! Help! Noodle, I’m slipping!”
    Zeek slid down to my ankles.
    â€œJust don’t grab my sneakers,” I yelled. “The laces aren’t—whoa!”
    The wind caught us again, and we sailed clear up over the