Ghouls Gone Wild Read Online Free Page B

collect old milk bottles?” he asked.
    “No. I juggle,” I said.
    “You juggle bottles filled with milk?” Mrs. Flake asked.
    I didn't have a chance to answer. The six bottles suddenly floated up into the air. And then, with a loud
pop pop pop
, the lids flew off.
    Nicky and Tara! They
had
to be doing this!
    I knew it. They're angry—and they're trying to chase the Marvins away! They think they can stop me from moving!
    I let out a cry as gushers of milk flew up high— almost to the ceiling—then came pouring down over the Marvins.
    They both ducked, but they weren't fast enough. The milk plopped onto their heads, their shoulders, their clothes. Thick white clots clung to their hair.
    “It's
sour!”
Mrs. Marvin cried, her hands in her hair. “Oh, it smells. It
smells!”
    I held my nose. But I could still smell the putrid odor of the sour milk.
    Mrs. Flake was gagging and choking. Holdingher hands over her face, she staggered out into the hall.
    The Marvins flapped their arms and shook their bodies. They were drenched in the thick, sour glop.
    Wiping clots of milk from their eyes, moaning and choking, they staggered after Mrs. Flake.
    A few seconds later, the front door slammed. The Marvins were gone.
    Mom glared angrily at me, hands on her hips. She tapped one shoe on the floor. I could see she was too angry to speak.
    I took my fingers off my nose. “Mom,” I said, “does this mean they won't buy the house?”

11
    M OM AND I WORKED for more than an hour to clean up the mess. She kept biting her bottom lip and shaking her head. She didn't say a word to me the whole time.
    She wore a scarf over her nose and mouth to keep out the smell. We both had buckets and sponges. The milk had soaked the wall, the floor, my desk—everywhere. I pulled big clots of it from my computer keyboard.
    Mom didn't talk. But Dad had a lot to say when he got home.
    “Max, you're part of this family. You can't pull stupid stunts like this to keep us from moving.”
    Of course, Jerk Face Colin had to chime in: “There's sour milk left in one bottle. Make Max drink it, Dad. Make him drink it!”
    For once, Dad ignored Colin. “You're lucky, Max,” he said. “The Marvins called. They took very long showers, and the smell has almost come off them. They're still interested in the house.”
    Dad shook his huge fist at me. “I'm warning you—no more magic tricks or funny business.”
    I could have explained that the sour milk explosion wasn't my fault. But whenever I tried to tell Mom and Dad about Nicky and Tara, they laughed. They said I was too old to have imaginary friends.
    After dinner, I rushed to my room to have a good long talk with those two ghosts. I nearly choked when I stepped inside. How long would my room smell like puke?
    “Nicky? Tara? Where are you? Are you hiding?” I called, gazing around my bedroom. “How could you
do
that to me? You got me into
major
trouble.”
    My hands were balled into tight fists. I felt ready to explode. I wanted to let them know how angry I was.
    But…no sign of them.
    Then I felt a whoosh of cold air. And there they were, perched on the edge of my bed.
    “We're back!” Tara said. She smiled at me. “Wish we could control all this coming and going.”
    “We keep vanishing and we can't help it,” Nicky said.
    I glared angrily at them. “Give me a break. You were here the whole time.”
    Tara sniffed the air. Nicky sniffed too. “Puke!” he cried. “Did some animal
die
in here?”
    “Ohhh—sick! Your room smells
sick!”
Tara said, covering her nose.
    I stood with my hands on my waist. “Guys, don't act innocent,” I said. “I know you made the bottles explode. Now my parents are
furious
at me. And it's all your fault.”
    Tara jumped up. She grabbed my arm. “Maxie, it
can't
be our fault. We haven't been here since this morning.”
    “Oh, sure,” I said angrily. “I guess the milk bottles all popped open by themselves.”
    Nicky squinted at me. “Milk bottles?” He