50 - Calling All Creeps! by R.L. Stine - (ebook by Undead) Page B

squirrel! He’s a
Creep!”
    This wasn’t going over well. I could see that by the deepening furrows in Ms.
Crawford’s forehead. It wasn’t the way I’d planned to tell the story. But it was
too late now. I had to get it all out.
    “I’m their Commander,” I told the principal. “At least, they think I’m
their Commander. But I’m not really. And they—”
    Ms. Crawford jumped to her feet. “Ricky—are you okay?” she asked.
    “They want to plant seeds and turn the whole school into Creeps,” I continued
frantically. “They want…”
    She stepped around her desk and placed a hand on my forehead. “Do you have a
temperature? You feel a little warm.”
    She moved back and studied my face. “Would you like to see the nurse? She
usually comes in early.”
    “No. Not the nurse!” I cried. “You don’t understand. We can’t let anyone eat
the lunchroom food! Because they’re monsters!”
    Ms. Crawford scratched the top of her head. “Should I send you home?” she
asked. “Do you feel sick? I could have someone take you home.” She reached for
the phone. “Are your parents still home? I could call them.”
    “No—please!” I jumped to my feet. “I’m okay. Really.”
    She wasn’t going to believe me. No way I could get her to listen to me.
    “Just a joke,” I said, backing to the door. “Just a joke. Really. I’m sorry
about Mr. Wartman’s car. It was an accident. The hose just slipped.”
    I fumbled for the door. Pushed it open. Backed out.
    “Ricky, wait,” Ms. Crawford called. “I really think you should see the nurse.
Just talk to her. You seem very excited. Perhaps if you talk to her…”
    “I’m fine. Really,” I insisted.
    I turned and ran through the front office and out the door.
    Into the long, empty hallway.
    My heart flip-flopping in my chest, I turned the corner—and bumped into
Wart and his three friends.
    “Ohh!” I let out a startled cry. “What are you doing here?”
    “Glad you joined us, Commander,” Wart said in a whisper. His eyes glanced up
and down the hall. “Let’s go.”
    “Go? Go where?” I demanded.
    “To the lunchroom,” he replied.

 
 
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    I turned and looked for Ms. Crawford. But she had stayed in her office. The
long hall stood empty.
    Wart and David moved to my sides. Brenda led the way to the stairs that went
down to the lunchroom and the kitchen. Jared walked close behind me.
    They had me surrounded. I had no choice. I had to go with them.
    When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I could see the open doors to the
kitchen. Bright white light poured out to the hall.
    I took a deep breath.
    What was that smell? Tuna casserole?
    I could hear women’s voices, the cooks working away at the stoves.
    With Brenda leading the way, the five of us moved silently to the kitchen
doorway. Now I could hear the clatter of pots and the hiss of something cooking on the stove. A woman coughed. Another one laughed.
    Brenda turned suddenly, and I nearly walked into her. She shoved something
into my hand.
    The plastic bag of seeds.
    “You may have the honor, Commander,” she whispered solemnly. “You may hide
the seeds in the food.”
    “Uh… well…” I pressed my back against the tile wall. I didn’t want to go
in there. I didn’t want the honor of planting the seeds.
    “Maybe we should come back later,” I suggested. “Remember I suggested that we
wait? I told you to wait until—”
    “We have no choice,” Jared whispered. “We know you want the mission to
succeed.”
    “Good luck,” Brenda said softly.
    David and Jared gave me a hard push into the kitchen.
    Squeezing the bag of seeds between my hands, I blinked in the bright light. I
could see three women in white uniforms and white aprons. They stood across the
big room at the stoves against the wall.
    They had their backs to me. Tall soup pots bubbled and steamed on the stoves.
    I swallowed hard. If one of them turned around, she’d see me instantly.
    I slid beside a