Body Switchers from Outer Space by R.L. Stine Page A

mind. . . .
    I screamed again.
    â€œWhat’s the matter with you?” Mom scolded. “Stop making all that noise! You’ll wake the neighbors!”
    I shut up.
    â€œChad-One? Chad-One, I am waiting for an answer.”
    What was the question?
    I was so scared I couldn’t think straight!
    Oh, yeah. What was the matter with me?
    â€œI—I had a nightmare,” I stammered. Then I panicked. Oh, no! What if aliens didn’t have nightmares? My whole body trembled. I was getting dizzy. My stomach twisted five directions at once.
    â€œWhat?” Mom was staring at me.
    â€œI had a horrible nightmare!” That was my story. I had to stick to it. Okay, make this good! “I dreamed that slimy humans found out about us and they were coming to kill us! I had to get away. Then I woke up and I was walking down the side of the house! It scared me! I managed to get to the ground. Then you startled me. I’m sorry I screamed.”
    Did it work? Did she believe me?
    â€œIt’s all right.” She patted my shoulder like a good sitcom mom. “Don’t worry, Chad-One. Those nasty old humans won’t come after us. And if they ever do, we’ll just shink them, or evaporate them, or something. No human can ever hurt you.”
    She bought it! I was so relieved, I almost kissed her.
    Almost.
    â€œCome inside. You need some tickeree, Chad-One,” Mom said soothingly. “That’ll help you sleep.”
    Luckily she didn’t notice the sneakers. If she had seen them she might have realized I had plannedahead on my sleepwalk. I left them on the lawn. I would worry about them later.
    We went into the house and into the kitchen, where she heated water and mixed it with these worms with gigantic eyes.
    I drank it. It tasted like hot Tang. And it did make me sleepy.
    *   *   *
    When I finally woke up, it was noon on Sunday. That tickeree stuff had really knocked me out. I breathed a sigh of relief. I made it through another night. Even if I hadn’t escaped, at least no one suspected that I was a human!
    I wanted to call Chad and make sure we both knew the plan for tonight. I was counting the seconds until switch-time!
    I had seen a phone downstairs in the kitchen. I hadn’t noticed anything resembling a phone up here, or anywhere else in the house.
    I flipped out of my chamber to check on Chad-Two. He was already out of bed. I crept over to the workroom. Bingo! There he was, playing with his Slinkies.
    I crept down the stairs, hoping not to attract attention.
    Mom sat by the front door, playing with some weird machine that spun stuff out into the air like spiderwebs. She smiled at me. “Hi, sleepyhead,” she said in her best sitcom tone.
    â€œHi, Mom,” I answered and headed for the kitchen.
    Dad was by the back door, studying something with a glowing screen. He glanced up and smiled at me, too.
    I approached the phone. It was sitting on a counter near me. Okay, I told myself. Be calm.
    I waved to Dad, turned my back to him, and picked up the cordless phone. My body covered my move as I slipped the phone into my shirt. Yes! I thought. I did it!
    I bounded up the stairs and ducked into my sleep chamber.
    I dialed my home number.
    â€œKennedy residence,” a voice answered.
    Just my luck. Pepper.
    â€œHi, Pepper. It’s me.”
    â€œMe who?”
    â€œMe. Will.”
    â€œWho is this? What kind of game are you trying to play? Will’s right in the other room, watching cartoons! You don’t even sound like Will!”
    Suddenly I really wanted her to know it was me. Maybe if she believed me she would help me. I really wanted someone to help me.
    â€œListen, Pep. You remember that episode of the Judo-Jabbing Coyotes called ‘The Imposter Syndrome,’ where the High Muckety sent in a fake Newton that looked just like the real Newton, and hereally messed everybody up? Copernicus, Galileo, and Einstein