Liar Liar Read Free Page A

swear!”
    â€œHe’s lying.” Jake walked into the room.
    â€œShut up!” I screamed at him. I turned back to Mom and Dad. “Really. I promise. I’ll never tell another lie as long as I live.”
    â€œThat’s no good, Ross,” Dad said firmly. “You have to prove yourself.”
    â€œI’ll prove myself after Max’s party,” I said. “Please—?”
    Mom and Dad both shook their heads. “No more arguing. You’re grounded.”
    â€œDon’t ground him. Cut off his hand!” Jake insisted.
    Dad turned to Jake. “Jake, they cut off a hand for stealing—not for lying,” Dad said.
    â€œOh,” Jake replied. “Then cut off his lips!”
    Mom and Dad burst out laughing.
    I didn’t think it was funny. With a growl I stomped up the stairs.
    I deliberately bumped Jake into the wall. Swinging my fists, I raged into my room.
    I was so furious, I thought I’d explode. “I hate my parents!” I screamed. And I kicked the wall with all my strength.
    â€œOh, wow.”
    My sneaker went right through the wall! Plaster crumbled to the floor. I had kicked a big hole in the wall!
    â€œRoss? What was that?” Dad shouted.
    â€œUh … nothing,” I called. “Nothing.”
    Friday night. Party night. And where was I?
    In my brother’s room, playing a stupid Nintendo wrestling game with Jake the Jerk.
    Jake loves this game because it gives him a chance to beat me up. On the screen, he pounds me and knocks me to the canvas. Then he jumps up and down on me for half an hour. Then he lifts me over his head and heaves me to the canvas a hundred times.
    He goes nuts, furiously pushing the controller, beating me to a pulp.
    It’s a thrill for him.
    But I wasn’t thrilled. Stuck at home watching Jake while all my friends were partying. And Cindy and Sharma were there waiting for me, getting angrier and angrier.
    Maybe I should have called them and told them I’d been grounded.
    But I couldn’t. It was too embarrassing.
    Dad was thousands of miles away, in the Philippines, shooting a kung fu movie. Mom was visiting the Lamberts, friends of ours in Malibu.
    The game ended. Jake pumped his fists above his head and did a victory dance.
    Loud music floated in through the open window. Max’s house was just down the block.
    I leaned on the windowsill and peered out. I could see the lights from Max’s pool. I heard kids shouting and laughing.
    â€œI should be there,” I muttered.
    I turned to my brother. “Here’s the deal,” I said.
    He shoved a game controller at me. “Come on. Let’s go. Round Twelve.”
    â€œHere’s the deal,” I repeated. “I’m going to let you watch a DVD in my room.”
    That’s usually a big deal to Jake. Because he doesn’t have a DVD player in his room. And I have all the best movies.
    But he frowned at me. “And where are you going?”
    â€œOut,” I said. “Just for a short while. Just for an hour. Then I’ll be right back.”
    â€œI’ll tell,” Jake said.
    I made a fist. “No, you won’t.”
    â€œYou’re grounded, Ross,” he said. “You’re not allowed to go out. I’ll tell.”
    â€œYou can watch any movie you want,” I said. “And you can eat a whole bag of M&M’s. You don’t have to share or save any for later.”
    A few minutes later I crept out of the house. I’d changed into a baggy, black swimsuit and a cool black-and-red Hawaiian shirt, my party shirt. And I packed a towel and a spare swimsuit into a plastic bag.
    â€œRoss—!” Jake called from my bedroom window. “Ross—you’ll be sorry!”
    I just laughed.

“Party time!” I declared, taking my usual shortcut through the tall hedges, onto the terrace in Max’s backyard. It was bright as day, and the teardrop-shaped pool sparkled.