I Live in Your Basement Read Online Free PDF Page B

remember,” I said, rolling my eyes.
    “It was really stupid,” Gwynnie continued. “I don’t know why I said it. So I
wanted to say I’m sorry.”
    “Gwynnie, you chased me after school—” I protested. “You came after me with a
baseball bat and—”
    “No!” she cried, jumping up from the chair. “I was running after you to
apologize.”
    “Then why were you carrying the bat?” I demanded.
    “I was up next,” she explained. “That’s all.” Her expression changed. “Did
you really think I was going to hit you on the head again?”
    “Well…” I didn’t want to tell her that was exactly what I thought.
She’d tell everyone in school that I was afraid of her. Everyone would have a
really good laugh about what a ’fraidy cat Marco is. How I ran away from someone
who only wanted to apologize.
    Gwynnie locked her green eyes on me. “You know, I feel bad about everything,
Marco,” she said softly. “I keep picturing you the other afternoon when I swung
the bat and hit you. I keep picturing the way you dropped to your knees,
screaming.”
    She sighed. “I—I was so scared. You just lay there on the grass. You didn’t move. I—I thought…” She glanced away.
    “I’m okay,” I told her. “I’m fine now. Really.”
    “Well, I never got a chance to say I’m sorry,” Gwynnie replied. “So here I
am.” She raised her eyes to me. “You’re really okay?”
    I nodded. Then I remembered Keith.
    “I have one big problem,” I told Gwynnie. “This boy. He keeps following me.
Calling me. Showing up in my room.”
    Her green eyes grew wide with surprise. “A boy? In your room?”
    I nodded. “Look. His face—it’s on the computer screen!” I pointed. “I was
working on the writing assignment. I answered the phone. And when I came back,
my writing was gone. And his face stared out at me on the screen. Look!”
    Gwynnie gazed at the monitor. When she turned back to me, her expression was
confused.
    “Marco,” she said, staring hard at me. “Your computer isn’t turned on!”

 
 
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    “No way!” I cried.
    I turned to the monitor. Black. The screen was black.
    No face. No words.
    Gwynnie walked across the room and leaned against the window ledge. She
crossed her arms in front of her. “That was a joke—right?” she demanded.
    I couldn’t take my eyes from the screen. Had I imagined the face? No! I saw it there.
    I’m not crazy! I told myself.
    “He did it!” I told Gwynnie, my voice shaking. “Keith. His name is Keith. He—he’s playing tricks on me. He’s haunting me!”
    Gwynnie eyed me suspiciously. “Marco, when did you see him for the first
time? After the hit on the head—right?”
    “I don’t care!” I cried. “He’s here, Gwynnie. I saw him. He sat right there.
Right on my bed. He says he lives in my basement.”
    Gwynnie shook her head. Her dark hair tumbled over her face again. “Calm
down, Marco. Stop and think about it.”
    “I can describe him,” I insisted breathlessly. “He has black hair. Same color
as yours. And dark circles around his eyes. And a real serious expression.”
    Gwynnie tsk-tsked. “Just think about it,” she repeated. “Why would he
be here? Why would he be in your basement?”
    “He told me I have to take care of him,” I replied heatedly. “He said I have
to take care of him for the rest of my life!”
    Gwynnie narrowed her eyes at me. She didn’t say anything. I could see her
studying me.
    And I could almost read her thoughts:
    Poor Marco.
    He’s totally lost it.
    An idea flashed into my mind.
    “Gwynnie, he’s down there,” I said softly. “Keith is down in the basement. I
know he is.”
    She still didn’t reply.
    “Come down with me?” I asked. “Please?”
    She bit her bottom lip.
    Gwynnie is a lot braver than I am, I told myself. She’s bigger than I am. And
she’s meaner and stronger.
    If we find Keith down in the basement, I’ll feel a lot safer if Gwynnie is
around.
    “This is dumb,” she