Gotcha! Gotcha Back! Read Free

for Jeremy. Becky was always saying things like that to him. And Jeremy hated it when she did.
    “All right!” George exclaimed happily. “Louie just put our pie in the oven. Half extra cheese and half mushroom!”

    A few minutes later, Louie placed the steaming hot pizza on the table, and handed everyone a dish.
    “Mmm ... extra cheesy!” George exclaimed as he grabbed for a slice.
    “Here, George,” Suzanne said sweetly as she handed him the saltshaker. “I know how much you love salt on your pizza.”
    Katie didn’t know how anyone could put salt on pizza. But George did. He loved salty foods.
    “Gee, thanks, Suzanne,” George replied. He took the saltshaker from her. He started to turn it over onto his pizza, but stopped suddenly. Then he shook his head. “Unfortunately, I don’t like sugar on my pizza!”
    “What?” Suzanne asked him.
    “This saltshaker is filled with sugar,” George said, putting a little on his finger and tasting it. “Nice try, Suzanne, but that’s the oldest practical joke in the world. I would never fall for it.”
    Suzanne sighed. “You’re pretty good, George.”
    George shook his head. “No I’m not,” he disagreed. “I’m the best.”
    “Okay,” Suzanne admitted. “You’re the best. And you know what? I’m not even mad at you anymore.” She held out her hand. “Let’s be friends again.”
    “We’re not friends,” George told her. “Besides, you have a buzzer on your hand. And I’m not falling for that either.”
    Suzanne frowned. She’d been caught ... again.
    “Go, George!” Kevin exclaimed. “No one can pull a practical joke on you!”
    George grinned and took a huge bite of his pizza.
    “This cheese is getting all over my hands,” Miriam Chan said. “I’m going to get some more napkins.”
    As Miriam walked over to the counter, Katie noticed George reaching across the table. But from where she was sitting she couldn’t see exactly what he was doing.
    A moment later, Miriam came back to the table. She put the napkins in the center and sat down. Then she started to take a sip of her drink ...
    “Oh, yuck!” she exclaimed. “There’s a fly in my water!” Miriam jumped up to get away from the bug. As she stood, she hit the edge of the table. The water spilled all over her jeans.
    Kevin and George started laughing.
    “Check it out,” Kevin exclaimed. “Miriam wet her pants!” He laughed even harder.

    Mandy looked over at the ice and water that had spilled on the table. She picked up one of the cubes and examined it.
    “This isn’t an ice cube,” she told Miriam. “It’s a piece of clear plastic with a fake bug in it. Somebody put it in your water to scare you.”
    “And I know who,” Suzanne said. She stared right at George.
    “Who, me?” George asked. “I was just sitting here, eating my pizza.” He gobbled down the last bite. “And I’m finished now. So I’m leaving.”
    “Me too,” Kevin added. He stood up and followed behind his best friend.
    “I know it was George who did that,” Suzanne said as the boys left. “I’m sure of it.
    “I wish we could get him back for his dumb practical jokes,” Miriam said with a frown.
    Mandy smiled. “Oh, I think we can,” she said mysteriously.
    Katie gulped. She didn’t like the sound of that at all.

Chapter 6
    “Can you believe Mr. Kane?” Suzanne exclaimed angrily as she and Katie stood on the school steps on Monday afternoon. “Why should we all have to miss recess just because George played another of his practical jokes on everyone?”
    “Suzanne, you don’t know for sure it was George,” Katie said.
    “Come on, Katie,” Suzanne argued. “Who else would put a piece of plastic throw-up in the salad bar at school?”
    Katie frowned. The fake throw-up was actually hers. She was just lucky Suzanne hadn’t remembered that Katie had gotten it from her Secret Santa.
    “Lots of people could have done it,” Katie said. “Anyone could buy plastic throw-up at the toy