The Girl Who Blew Up Her Brother and Other Naughty Stories for Good Boys and Girls Read Free Page A

things,’ said Mr Lampard. ‘I read in a book that if you leave ghosts alone, they’ll leave you alone. But if you play with them, or even pretend to play with them, they’ll come to get you. So, I thought to myself, this whole thing has gone far enough. I’ll pretend to take the blame and at least that will be the end of it. As a matter of fact, last night when I was snooping around here trying to work out your nasty little trick, I saw a reflection of myself in the window. And guess what? I only had half a face.’
    â€˜You’re joking,’ said John.
    â€˜I’ve never been more serious in my life,’ said Mr Lampard. ‘Now, off home with you.’
    â€˜Yes, sir,’ said a rather frightened John.
    But that wasn’t all his teacher had planned.
    Mr Lampard had seen people jump before, but never as high as John did that scary afternoon. As John leant down to pick up his school bag, there, drawn in blood on the floor, was a picture of a man with half a face.
    As John ran out of the room, Mr Lampard smiled and licked the last of the tomato sauce from his fingers. An interesting end to the last joke that John Tait would ever play in his life.
    Boys and girls, there are no such things as ghosts. But there are lots of people who play tricks. Watch out for them.

the Worst
holidays
ever

    â€˜If you don’t get off your bottom and find something to do, I think I’m going to scream,’ said Belinda’s mother.
    â€˜Such as?’ asked a very grumpy-looking Belinda.
    â€˜Anything!’ snapped her mother. ‘You could help me with the dishes for a start!’
    Belinda secretly made a very rude sign, stood up and stomped out of the room.
    â€˜Don’t come back till you’ve wiped that sulky look off your face!’ yelled her mother.
    If Belinda’s mother could have seen the sign her daughter made this time, Belinda might not have been able to sit down for a week.
    Belinda marched into her room and slammed the door behind her.
    I guess you could say Belinda and her mum weren’t getting along too well. It was near the end of the holidays – the worst holidays ever , thought Belinda – and there was just nothing to do. Nothing!
    The weather had been terrible. ‘The wettest summer ever,’ said the lady next door. Although Belinda secretly thought the lady next door wouldn’t know if a dog bit her. When it’s wet, holidays are just so boring.
    Belinda had hung around at her friend’s house so much she thought she might throw up if she had to look at Samantha again.
    Gee, thought Belinda, Samantha is a real nerd when you get to know her.
    In fact, if Belinda really thought about it, all her friends were nerds. And she’d read every stupid magazine and every stupid book that her stupid friends had been stupid enough to buy.
    When it did stop raining, which was more often than Belinda would ever admit to, she would go up to the school netball courts.
    Belinda had practised shooting goals so many times she felt like smashing the ring with an axe. And what did Belinda think of netball now? ‘Useless! The wussiest game ever invented.’
    Belinda wasn’t a happy girl.
    What was even worse were all the lectures she had to put up with from her mother. Especially about Kevin, her boofhead brother.
    â€˜Why can’t you be more like Kevin?’
    â€˜Kevin is always so good and helpful.’
    â€˜Kevin never has to be asked!’
    Kevin is a suck, thought Belinda.
    So, Belinda lay on her bed and waited.
    She knew it was only a matter of time before her mother came in with a job for her to do. Slamming the door and being rude always meant jobs. And maybe a screaming match.
    Not that it worried her. At least a screaming match would be something different. It had been a week since the last one.
    It’s funny how ideas come to you. Why, when you’re lying on your bed, really spewing about the worst