Who Let the Ghosts Out? Read Free Page A

boy.
    When I'm totally steamed, practicing my magic tricks is the only thing that will settle me down. It works because I have to concentrate really hard on what I'm doing. So I forget about Dad and Big Dude Colin and all my other problems.
    I'm going to perform at the Halloween party at school. So I've got to get my act together. No slipups. I want everyone to think my act is really cool.
    I mean, I'm not exactly in the cool group at school. I guess I'm not in any group at all. Aaron and I can't be a group on our own, can we?
    I'm not the best magician in the world yet. But I'm working on it.
    Mom even bought me a white pigeon to practice the disappearing trick with. I named him Joey, and I keep him in a nice big cage near the window so he can see the sunlight.
    Making Joey disappear right from my hands is my best trick. And it's the hardest to perform. Mainly because I have to make Joey slide down my jacket sleeve so fast that no one sees it.
    I pulled on my black magician's jacket with the extra-wide sleeves. Then I crossed the room to the window. “Hi, Joey.”
    Joey tilted his head at me, staring up with one eye. I lifted him carefully out of the cage with bothhands. He warbled. I could feel it come from deep in his throat.
    “We're going to practice our trick, Joey.” He warbled some more. Did he enjoy the trick? I couldn't tell. He never tried to fly away. Maybe that meant he was happy.
    “Hold very still,” I told him. “That's your whole job, holding still.”
    I cupped Joey in the palms of my hands. “And now, ladies and gentlemen,” I started in my deep, magician's voice.
    But before I could go any further, a cold rush of wind brushed past me.
    “Boo!”
a voice screamed.
    And an ice-cold hand gripped the back of my neck.

4
    “A AAAIIH !” I SCREAMED . J OEY fluttered to the floor.
    The hand let go. I spun around.
    Colin hunched over me with a disgusting happy grin on his face. “Gotcha, Freak Face.”
    I took a step back. “You are
so
not funny.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Why is your hand so cold?”
    His grin grew wider. “I kept it in the freezer for fifteen minutes.”
    My mouth dropped open. “Just to scare me?”
    He snickered. “Yeah. Did you think it was one of those ghosts you've been hearing ever since we moved in here?”
    “No,” I lied. There was no point in talking about the ghost. I know I hear something late at night in the kitchen, but he'll never believe me.
    I bent down to pick up Joey, but Colin got there first. He tightened his fingers around the pigeon and raised him high in the air so I couldn't reach him.
    “Give him back!” I shouted. I gave Colin a hard shove, but he didn't budge.
    “I need him,” Colin said.
    “What for?”
    “For dog food. I'm going to feed him to Buster.” He laughed as if that was the funniest joke in the world.
    “Give him back! He's mine!” I screamed. I jumped as high as I could, but I couldn't reach Joey.
    “I'll bet pigeon tastes just like chicken,” Colin said. “You know Buster likes chicken.” Holding the pigeon in his tight fist, Colin started for the door.
    “Give him back to me!” I screamed, chasing after Colin. I tried to tackle him, but I slid right off. What was that ripping sound? Did I tear my magician's jacket?
    “You can't do this! You can't!” I wailed.
    Colin turned at the door. “Want to save Joey's life?”
    “Yes,” I said, climbing to my feet. “If you haven't already squeezed him to death.”
    “Okay. Walk Buster for a week,” Colin said.
    “You're joking!” I cried.
    Buster is our big furry wolfhound. We adopted him from the pound a couple of years ago, and we keep him mainly in the garage and backyard. He hates me. The minute he sees me, he startsgrowling and snapping. I don't know why. Maybe he senses that I really wanted a Chihuahua.
    “That's the deal,” Colin said, holding Joey up. “Walk Buster for a week—or the bird is doggy dinner.”
    “But—but—” I sputtered. “Last