Don't Scream! Read Online Free PDF

radio, and read romance novels.
    â€œWell, I’m going to Volt City after dinner,” Dad said. “They’re having a sale on flat screens.”
    â€œCan I come?” Rachel asked. She had gravy all over her face.
    â€œNot tonight,” Dad said. “I need to concentrate on the TVs.”
    Rachel flashed her dimples at him. “Please?”
    â€œNext time,” Dad said.
    Mom turned to Eli and me. “You’re still not eating. What’s your problem?”
    I decided to tell them the truth. I took a deep breath and started my story.
    â€œI found a cell phone on the bus this afternoon. …”
    â€œDid you turn it in to Charlene?” Mom asked.
    â€œNo,” I said. “There was something very strange about it.”
    â€œWell, where is it?” Dad said. “Let me see it.”
    â€œI smashed it,” I said.
    Mom gasped. Dad dropped his fork onto the table.
    Rachel laughed. “You’re stupid.”
    â€œWe had to wreck it,” Eli chimed in.
    â€œYou took someone’s cell phone and smashed it?” Dad said.
    This was NOT going well.
    My heart started to pound. Mom and Dad both flashed me hard, cold stares. I felt their eyes shooting through me, like lasers.
    â€œSomeone was talking on it,” I said. “A girl. She was totally weird. I shut down the phone, but she kept talking.”
    â€œWho was she?” Mom asked.
    â€œWe don’t know,” Eli said. “A stranger.”
    â€œBut she knew my name,” I added.
    Dad rubbed his big forehead. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “A girl was talking on the phone, and she knew your name. You tried to turn the phone off, but —”
    â€œNo. I
did
turn the phone off,” I interrupted.
    â€œThen how could she keep talking?” Dad asked.
    â€œThat’s what was so freaky,” I said.
    â€œMaybe you just
thought
you turned the phone off,” Mom said. “Maybe the POWER button was broken, and the phone was still on.”
    â€œYou don’t understand,” I said.
    â€œWe understand that you smashed a phone that doesn’t belong to you,” Dad said.
    â€œThat’s stupid,” Rachel said. Big help.
    â€œThe girl melted my game-player,” Eli chimed in. “And now she’s talking out of it.”
    Mom’s and Dad’s mouths dropped open. They turned to Eli.
    â€œOh, I get it,” Dad said. “It’s a joke. You guys are putting us on.”
    Mom frowned. “Joke? How is it funny? I don’t get it.”
    â€œI don’t get it, either,” Rachel said.
    â€œLet’s talk about something else,” I mumbled.
    This was going nowhere. It was just going to get me in trouble.
    Dad waved his fork at Eli. “Go get your game-player,” he said. “I want to see it.”
    Eli pushed his chair back and started to get up.
    â€œI’ll go, too,” I said. I jumped up and followed Eli to the door.
    â€œIt shouldn’t take two people to carry a game-player,” Dad said.
    But we both trotted up to my room. The game-player had stopped sizzling and smoking. I carefully touched the melted plastic with one finger. “It cooled off,” I said.
    Eli picked it up in one hand.
    â€œWhere are you taking me?” the girl asked.
    â€œN-nowhere,” Eli stammered. “Just downstairs.”
    â€œDon’t mess with me,” the girl said. “I can hurt you. Remember?”
    â€œWe remember,” I told her. “We’re not going to try to smash you again. My dad —”
    â€œPut me down,” she ordered. “I need to talk to you.”
    â€œNot now,” I said. “My dad wants to see the game-player. Talk to him. Maybe he can help you.”
    â€œTalk to him so he knows Jack and I aren’t lying,” Eli said.
    He carried the game-player downstairs to the kitchen. I followed right behind.
    Mom finished a glass of Diet