There's Something Out There Read Free

started to laugh. “Lou?” she called to Maggie’s dad. “The Jacobsons’ dog got out again.”
    â€œOh, for Pete’s sake.” Mr. Marcuzzi’s voice came from the hallway. “I’ll take him home.”
    â€œHere, Dad,” Maggie spoke up. “You want my flashlight?”
    â€œRocko’s a big dog, but he’s nothing to be afraid of,” Mrs. Marcuzzi said to the girls. “You know that, Maggie.”
    â€œMom, have you
seen
Rocko’s teeth?” Maggie argued. “They’re huge. And he’s all slobbery. Besides, we didn’t
know
it was only Rocko.”
    â€œYeah,” added Laurel. “What if it was the—the Marked Monster?”
    As Mrs. Marcuzzi laughed again, Brittany shot Laurel a dirty look. This time, Jenna was with Brittany. Laurel should’ve known better than to say that. Now Mrs. Marcuzzi was going to go all
Mom
on them.
    â€œThe Marked Monster! Are those stories still going around?” Mrs. Marcuzzi said, shaking her head. “I haven’t thought about the Marked Monster in ages.”
    â€œIt’s just a stupid story Jenna told,” Brittany said.
    â€œWhat do you know about the Marked Monster, Mrs. M.?” Jenna asked.
    â€œMaybe I’ll tell you girls over breakfast,” Mrs. Marcuzzi replied. “But I don’t see any reason to scare you more than you already are.”
    Suddenly everyone heard a loud
thud
from outside, and the sound of Mr. Marcuzzi shouting. With a look of alarm, Mrs. Marcuzzi ran over to the window, with the girls following right behind her.
    Mr. Marcuzzi had fallen backward in the mud, and Rocko had jumped up on him and was covering his face with slobbery dog kisses!
    â€œOh no. This is not good,” Mrs. Marcuzzi said, but even she had to laugh. Maggie and her mom had the same loud, infectious laugh—just like they had the same dark, curly hair—and the sound always made Jenna laugh even harder. “Maggie, I’m going to go outside and help your dad. I think this calls for some hot chocolate—what do you think, girls? Sound good?”
    â€œI’m on it,” Maggie said through her giggles. “Come on—we have marshmallows
and
whipped cream!”
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Maggie’s little sister, Sarah, asked from the hallway as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.
    â€œNothing. Go back to bed,” Maggie said rudely as she walked right past Sarah.
    â€œRocko got out and scared your sister and her friends,” Mrs. Marcuzzi explained, “so Daddy’s trying to put him on a leash and take him home. But Maggie is right. You need to go back to bed, sweetie.”
    â€œWell, I
was
in bed, but they woke me up,” Sarah complained. “Now I can’t sleep.”
    Mrs. Marcuzzi sighed. “Go to the kitchen,” she said. “The girls are going to make some hot chocolate. A cup of warm milk will help you get back to sleep.”
    Sarah flashed Maggie a smug grin as she joined the rest of the girls in the hallway.
    â€œMom. No,” Maggie said firmly. “You
promised
. This is
my
sleepover. Sarah is
not
allowed to crash it!”
    â€œIt’s just five minutes,” Mrs. Marcuzzi said. “I’ve got to go out to help your father with that dog. Go. And don’t fight.”
    Maggie sighed heavily as she stormed off to the kitchen. Jenna followed behind her, smiling a little at Sarah as she passed her. As usual, Jenna felt torn when Maggie and Sarah started fighting. On the one hand, Maggie was Jenna’s best friend, so of course she was always going to take her side—no matter what.
    But on the other hand, Jenna was a little sistertoo—so she knew where Sarah was coming from. Jenna’s big brother, Jason, was always ordering Jenna to go to her room or stop bugging him, even if she was minding her own business, like reading a magazine in the living room while he played video