They Call Me Creature Read Free Page A

away….
    And now something was trailing me. Something was creeping up behind me.
    â€œDad?” I called.
    No answer.
    I listened hard. I heard the excited chitter of birds in a high tree limb. The whisper of wind. The creak of a branch.
    Holding my breath, I took another step. Another.
    I was listening for the footsteps. And I heard them. The heavy thud of shoes or hooves.
    With a gasp, I spun around quickly.
    â€œWh-who’s there?” I cried.

 

    A boy stepped out from the trees. He gazed at me shyly, then lowered his dark eyes. He was short and kind of chubby. He had long, black tangles of hair, very shiny, nearly as long as Ellen’s.
    â€œJoe—hi!” I called. I breathed a sigh of relief.
    â€œHey, it’s you!” he said, trotting up to me.
    I smiled at him. “I heard something following me. I—I didn’t know what to think.”
    Pink circles appeared on his cheeks. “It’s only me,” he said softly.
    He’s so shy, I realized. And really cute.
    He wore baggy denim cutoffs and a black T-shirt. A long silver chain dangled around his neck. In his right hand he carried a fishing pole.
    He pointed to my camera. “Snap anything today?”
    â€œNo, I … ” I glanced down and suddenly realized I was holding the disgusting finger. If Joe sees it, he’ll think I’m totally weird, I decided.
    â€œI heard a woodpecker in that tree over there,” I said, pointing.
    When Joe turned to the tree, I let the finger fall from my hand. He turned back—and I stamped my shoe down over it.
    â€œI’m desperate,” I said. “Where are the animals? Are they all on strike?”
    â€œMaybe we could drag some over,” Joe said. “You know. Go to a pet store or something. Get some hamsters or turtles and bring them to the pond.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” I said, laughing. “But keep thinking.”
    We stepped up to the pond. Joe kicked a stone into the water. His long hair fluttered in the wind.
    â€œCatch anything today?” I asked. The last time I met Joe in the woods, I found him sitting on a flat rock, fishing in a stream. He told me he loved to fish, but he never ate what he caught. He always threw the fish back. That made me like him even more.
    â€œNo. No luck today,” he said. “I’ll try again tomorrow.”
    â€œSo how are things at Wilberne Academy?” I asked. I admit it. I had a little bit of a sneer on my face.
    He turned to me. “You’re making fun of me because I go to a private school, aren’t you!”
    â€œNo way!” I insisted. “It’s just … well … the guys I know from Wilberne are such snobs. And you don’t seem like that.”
    He snickered. “Hey, thanks. I think.”
    I decided I’d invite Joe to Ellen’s birthday party. The idea made my heart start to pound. I realized I was suddenly nervous.
    Go ahead, Laura. Just invite him, I told myself. Don’t make a big deal about it. Be bold—like Ellen.
    I took a deep breath. “Uh … Joe?”
    Two chattering birds interrupted. They were so loud, right above our heads. I turned in time to see them take off, chirping together as they flew.
    They were joined by three or four other chattering birds. What a racket! They formed a ragged V and flew out of sight.
    Joe shook his head. “What’s their problem?”
    We laughed together. I liked the way Joe’s eyes narrowed into little moon slivers when he laughed. He reminded me of a bear—a little, friendly bear you see in cartoons.
    I decided to try again. “Uh … I’m giving a party for my friend … ” I started.
    I didn’t have a chance to finish.
    Everything seemed to explode at once. Trees shook. Animals cried out. Birds cawed and squawked.
    The sky blackened as birds took off, flapping their wings wildly. The grass bent as field mice stampeded past our