Boogers from Beyond #3 Read Online Free Page A

YOU KNOW, MANY OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE HARD OF HEARING.”
    â€œTHAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE VOLUME,” my mother yelled back.
    But Director Z and I both knew that Horace had amazing hearing. Something else was going on here.
    â€œRUN UP AHEAD AND TELL HIM TO SHUT UP,” I yelled to Gordon with a panicked look that said,
Be careful.
    The closer we got to the banquet hall, the louder it got. My mother and I covered our ears. Director Z pretended not to notice. My teeth rattled in my mouth.
    Gordon opened the door . . .
    . . . and the last note from the organ echoed through a massive banquet hall.
    â€œWell,” said my mother, gasping at the beautiful banquet hall as the rest of us came through the door. “This is quite nice.”
    â€œHorace?” My squeak echoed off the high arched ceiling.
    Huge iron chandeliers hung above a beautiful wood floor, and all around the room was a balcony. In the back, above a stage, was a massive set of pipes, with a small keyboard below.
    But the organ player was nowhere to be seen. And the only way out was through the door behind us.
    My look of concern made Director Z speak before I could.
    â€œSo, Mrs. Taylor,” he said, perfectly calm. “We can arrange seating for a number of different occasions. I assume our collection of one hundred folding chairs will work for your PTA meeting?”
    â€œWow,” she gasped, clearly forgetting the fact that an organist had just pulled a disappearing act. “Yes.”
    â€œWonderful,” Director Z said, clapping his hands together. “Then we’ll make all the preparations necessary for your big day on Sunday. Chris, you and your friends should come extra early tomorrow.”

    As we were leaving Gallow Manor, I noticed Horace walking down the hallway to the West Wing. I rushed over to speak with him.
    â€œWas there a secret door?” I asked. “Is that how you got out so quick?”
    â€œPardon?” he asked, looking confused.
    â€œIn the banquet hall just now you were playing a crazy, loud song that ended right when we opened the door.”
    â€œI don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Horace. “I just woke up from a nap. The Director gave me strict instructions to lay off the playing while your mother was here.”
    â€œReally?” I asked. “That’s so strange . . .”
    â€œChrissy,” shrieked my mother from outside, “let’s get going!”
    The mystery would have to wait.

The Calm Before the Storm
    Early the next morning, Ben, Nabila, Shane, Gordon, and I arrived back at Gallow Manor to help set up the banquet hall for the PTA meeting.
    â€œI’m so excited to spend the day with the monsters,” said Nabila as she pulled a handkerchief from her fluorescent pink fanny pack. She handed it to Ben, who couldn’t stop sneezing. “I really like the idea of working
with
them, rather than
for
them.”
    â€œIt depends on the monster,” said Gordon. “Murray is always so cranky, Griselda is bossy, and Grigore is plain batty. Not to mention the zombies are . . . well . . .
zombies
.”
    â€œI’m just happy that the monsters are finally doing something other than drooling,” Shane said. “You saw how helpful they were during the move. All the monsters are getting stronger.”
    â€œYeah, but they’re still old,” said Ben. “They just went from insanely ancient to just plain old.”
    â€œBut if we do have another attack,” Shane said, “they should be strong enough to fight. I’ve been teaching them some moves.”
    â€œI don’t even want to think about another attack,” I said. “I just want to survive this PTA meeting without my mother attacking.”
    â€œI don’t know about surviving your mother,” said Director Z, who had walked up to the entrance of the banquet hall to meet us, “but