Have You Met My Ghoulfriend? Read Free Page B

rope!” I whined.
    “Hel-
lo
. Of course you can,” Nicky said. “With our help.”
    “We'll get you up there. No problem,” Tara said. “Hey, isn't that what we promised you? Didn't we promise to help make you brave and impress your dad, and keep you from that awful boarding school?”
    “Come on. Get over there,” Nicky said, helping Tara shove me forward.
    “Are there any volunteers to go first?” Coach Freeley called. “Who wants to climb first?”
    Tara grabbed my arm and shot it up into the air. Then she waved it frantically.
    “Max?” Coach Freeley couldn't hide his surprise.
    Everyone turned to stare at me—and my hand waving crazily in the air.
    “Max? You changed your mind?” Coach Freeley said. “Okay, dude.” He waved me toward the thick rope. “You're up first. Show 'em how it's done!”

6
    N ICKY AND T ARA GAVE me a hard shove toward the rope. I pushed back. “I can't climb that. Are you nuts?” I cried.
    Coach Freeley stared at me. “Did you just call me nuts?”
    I glimpsed Traci staring at me. “Uh … No. I said
guts
. I'm sure I have the
guts
to climb this.”
    My hands were sweaty. My legs felt rubbery and weak. All eyes in the gym class were on me.
    “Try not to look so frightened,” Tara said.
    “How can I?” I asked, a cold sweat pouring down my forehead.
    “How can you
what
?” Coach Freeley asked.
    “How can I make this more challenging?” I replied. “It's too easy.”
    “Stop talking to the rope and
climb
it,” the coach said. Everyone laughed.
    My hands shook as I reached up and grabbed the rope. It was thick and coarse, actually several ropes twined together. It scratched my hands as I gripped it.
    “Do you have any climbing gloves?” I asked Coach Freeley.
    He glared at me. “Are you going to climb it or knit a sweater with it?”
    More laughter. I saw Traci shake her head.
    “Stop stalling, Max. We're right here with you,” Nicky said.
    “Just pretend to climb,” Tara said. “We'll hold on to you and carry you up to the top of the rope. No one else can see us. They'll think you're climbing.”
    “Make it look good,” Nicky said.
    I took a deep breath. The whole class was watching me. Coach Freeley had his hands on his hips and was tapping one foot impatiently.
    I raised my hands. And dug my sneakers into the rope.
    “Here goes,” Tara said. “Hold on, Max.”
    They grabbed me under the arms. Then they both floated off the floor, carrying me up with them.
    I scrabbled my hands over the rope, reaching one hand up over the other. And I pretended to push myself up with my feet.
    Glancing down, I saw everyone staring up at me. I hoped I was making it look good. Did they believe I was really climbing?
    “This is easy,” I told the two ghosts.
    “Easy for
you,
” Tara said, groaning. “You're heavy!”
    I moved higher, making climbing motions with my hands and feet. “This is awesome!” I exclaimed.
    Tara groaned again, tugging me up. “You owe us big-time.”
    Halfway up the rope, I had a great idea.
    I pulled my hands from the rope and held them straight out at my sides. “Hey, look, everyone!” I shouted at the top of my voice.
“No hands!”
    I could hear the gasps and cries of surprise down below as everyone watched me climb the rope without holding on.
    “Show-off,” Nicky muttered.
    “I can smell that A in phys ed,” I said.
    “Don't worry,” Tara said. “We'll find ways for you to thank us.”
    I grabbed the rope again and tucked my sneakers around the big knot. They floated higher and carried me to the top. I heard applause down below.
    Glancing down, I saw Traci grinning up at me. Excellent! She's impressed. And I bet the no-hands thing really impressed Coach Freeley, too.
    “Okay, guys,” I said. “I'm ready to climb down.”
    I turned my head from side to side. No sign of them.
    “Nicky? Tara? I'm ready for you to take me down now.”
    Silence.
    Where were they? Was this their idea of a joke?
    “Hey—not funny. Come on,