28 - The Cuckoo Clock of Doom Read Online Free PDF Page B

“Even though it’s supposed to be Michael’s job.”
    “Thanks, Tara,” Mom said. “Let’s hit the road, everybody.”
    I grabbed a muffin as Mom hustled us out the door.
    They’re too busy to understand right now, I reasoned as I hurried to school.
Tonight, at dinner, when I have more time to explain…
    I had lots of time to think about my problem during school. I’d lived through
this day before, too. I’d already done all the work, heard all the lessons,
eaten the lousy lunch.
    When my math teacher, Mr. Parker, turned his back to the class, I knew what
would happen next. I predicted it to the second. Kevin Flowers threw an eraser
at him and hit him smack on the back of his black pants.
    Now Mr. Parker is going to turn around… I thought, watching Mr. Parker.
    He turned around.
    …now he’ll yell at Kevin…
    Mr. Parker shouted, “Kevin Flowers—to the principal’s office, now!”
    …now Kevin will start yelling his head off.
    “How do you know it was me!” Kevin yelled. “You didn’t see me do anything!”
    The rest of the scene happened as I remembered it. Mr. Parker cowered a bit—Kevin is pretty big—but told Kevin to go to the principal’s office again.
Kevin kicked over an empty chair and threw his books across the room.
    It was all so boring.
    After school, I found Tara in the den, teasing Bubba. She lifted his hind
legs and made him walk on his front paws.
    “Tara, stop it!” I cried. I tried to take Bubba away from her. She let the
cat go. Bubba meowed and scratched me across the arm.
    “Ow!” I dropped Bubba. He ran away.
    It felt very familiar. And painful.
    “Michael, what were you doing to that cat?” Mom demanded.
    “Nothing! He scratched me!”
    “Stop teasing him, and he won’t scratch you,” Mom scolded.
    The doorbell rang.
    Oh, no.
    Mona, Ceecee, and Rosie. The Frog Prince.
    The underwear.
    I can’t let it happen.
    But my feet started taking me upstairs. I was walking like a robot to my
room.
    Why am I doing this? I asked myself.
    I’ll get out my frog costume. The zipper will be stuck.
    Tara will open the door, and I’ll be standing there in my underpants.
    Mona will laugh her head off. I’ll want to sink through the floor.
    I know all this will happen.
    So why am I doing it?
    Can’t I stop myself?

 
 
11
     
     
    Don’t go upstairs, I begged myself. Don’t go to your room.
    You don’t have to do this.
    There must be a way to stop it, to control it.
    I forced myself to turn around. I walked back down the steps. I sat down on
the third step.
    Tara answered the door, and soon the girls stood before me in the foyer.
    Okay, I thought. I’m controlling it. Already things are happening differently
from before.
    “Michael, where’s your costume?” Mona asked. “I really want to see what your
costume looks like.”
    “Uh, no you don’t,” I said, shrinking a little. “It’s really ugly, and I
don’t want to scare you girls—”
    “Don’t be a jerk, Michael,” Ceecee said. “Why would we be scared by a stupid
frog costume?”
    “And, anyway, I want to rehearse with it,” Mona added. “I don’t want to see the costume for the first time onstage. I’ll
need to be prepared for it. I need to practice with the costume—and you in
it.”
    “Come on, Michael,” Tara put in. “Show them the costume. I want to see it,
too.”
    I flashed her a dirty look. I knew what she had in mind.
    “No,” I insisted. “I can’t do that.”
    “Why not?” Mona demanded.
    “I just can’t.”
    “He’s shy!” Rosie exclaimed.
    “He’s embarrassed,” Tara added.
    “No, it’s not that,” I said. “It’s just that… it’s awfully hot in that
costume, and—”
    Mona leaned close to me. I smelled something sweet, like strawberries. It
must’ve been the shampoo she used. “Come on, Michael,” she said. “For me?”
    “No.”
    She stamped her foot. “I won’t rehearse our scenes unless you put on that
costume!”
    I sighed. I didn’t see any