The House Next Door Read Online Free PDF Page B

house remained as dark and lifeless as ever. For an instant, she thought that Paul was pulling her leg, playing one of his famous practical jokes on her. She was about to call him on it when she saw a flash of alarm in his eyes. Amanda panicked, seeing that Paul was seriously freaked. What exactly did he see?
    â€œSo who are you going to kiss at midnight?” she asked, desperately trying to change the subject. She nudged his arm and handed him the unlit sparkler. Heabsentmindedly took it from her. Amanda leaned in to light it with her own sparkler, but it was too late. The one she had been holding fizzled out with a final hiss and a slowly rising wisp of smoke.
    Paul ignored her question. Amanda was about to urge him to rejoin the group when Anne walked over. He didn’t even notice her standing beside him on his other side.
    â€œI want to know what’s going on in that house,” he continued. “Someone’s in there—playing with the electricity or candlelight or something.”
    â€œThat house is spooky. We get it!” Anne cried. “It’s just your eyes playing tricks on you. It’s probably a camera flash bouncing off the windows from our parents taking pictures upstairs.”
    Paul now looked at Anne. He lifted his head and puffed his chest a little. “Yeah, of course,” he said. “I wasn’t scared or anything.”
    â€œSo, you agree?” Anne asked. “Everything people say about that house is just plain silly?”
    â€œWe totally agree!” Amanda said, answering for the both of them while shooting her little sister a secret smile. “Besides, I think Alyssa has some games planned. Let’s go back to the group.”
    The corner of Paul’s mouth lifted slightly. He flipped his hair and nodded.
    Amanda found Alyssa refilling the bowl of pretzels.
    â€œWe need a game to distract everyone. Pronto! ” Amanda told her.
    Alyssa looked at her, but she didn’t ask any questions. She disappeared inside for a minute, and came back onto the porch with a dusty, old hat filled with folded slips of papers. Earlier that day, Anne and Alyssa had spent a good hour coming up with the craziest things their friends would have to act out for a game of Charades. They thought of everything from scuba diving to some of their favorite movies. They wrote each prompt down on tiny strips of paper, and put them into the hat. They even had a prize for the winner: a plastic gold trophy they found at the dollar store.
    â€œWho’s up for a game of Charades?” Alyssa asked. A large circle of kids had gathered around her.
    â€œGreat idea!” Carrie cheered.
    Steve agreed. “I’ll go first.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Alyssa cut in. “We need to pick teams.”
    Olivia’s eyes crinkled as a mischievous smile spreadacross her face. She had an idea. “Girls against boys?”
    â€œPerfect,” Paul agreed. “Prepare to be defeated.” He pulled a quarter out of his pocket and balanced it on his thumb. “Heads or tails?”
    â€œHeads!” Carrie, Anne, and Amanda called out together.
    Paul flicked the coin into the air, and everyone took one step back as it plunked down in the center of the circle. The girls groaned. Tails.
    â€œSteve,” Paul announced. “You’re up.” He bent down to pick up the quarter and then shoved it back into his pocket.
    Alyssa lifted the hat high enough so that Steve could pick out a piece of paper without seeing what was written on it. But instead of reaching his hand into the hat, he grabbed it away from Alyssa.
    â€œHey, where’d you get this old hat?” he asked.
    â€œGive it back, Steve,” Alyssa said. “You’re ruining the game.”
    â€œIt’s really cool,” Steve replied. Alyssa tried to grab it, but Steve was too fast. They were tugging the hat back and forth until finally Steve let go and Alyssa faltered