because they’ll probably be in that big stall right next to the ladder. That’s where they usually go.”
“But I have to go up in the loft,” Carson said.
“Yeah, sure,” Ari said. “I know you do. But you don’t have to go up the ladder. The way Web and I have it figured out, you won’t have to go anywhere near that big stall. Right, Web?”
Web nodded doubtfully. “Yes,” he said. “If it works.”
“It will work,” Ari said. “But the thing is, we’re going to have to be very quiet when we go in. Okay?”
“Okay,” Web and Carson whispered, and they started toward the barn again—on tiptoe. They were almost to the door when Web stopped and whispered, “Why? I mean why are Kate and Aurora going to be here?”
That was the question Ari had hoped he wouldn’t have to answer.
“Well.” Ari was trying to come up with a better way to put it, but he couldn’t think of a thing. Finally he gave up and said, “I guess they think there are going to be some ghosts in the barn tonight. But we don’t have to worry about stuff like that. I mean, you don’t believe in ghosts, do you?”
Web shook his head uncertainly.
“How about you?” Ari asked Carson. “You don’t believe in ghosts, do you?”
Carson shook his head and then nodded. “Don’t I?” he said.
Chapter 15
C ARLOS FELT DUMB IN the crummy tramp outfit. And when a little kid dressed like a bumblebee asked him when he was going to put his costume on, he felt even dumber.
“This is my costume,” he told Athena. She was wearing a mask, but you could tell it was Athena by the ponytail. “Why don’t you go put yours on?”
She glared at him. Even with a mask on you could tell that Athena was glaring. Her lower lip poked out and her chin quivered. “You’re a creep,” she said, and then she ran off to where her sister and Karate Kate were standing. It was easy to tell that it was Kate and Aurora. Nobody had hair like Aurora’s and almost nobody had muscles like Kate’s. Except, of course, Bucky. Right at that moment when Carlos was thinking about Bucky’s muscles somebody punched Carlos in the ribs so hard it almost knocked the air out of him. It was Bucky, of course. Who else?
“Look, there they are,” Bucky whispered, nodding toward the two girls. “Wooee. Are we going to give them an exciting evening.”
“Yeah, I guess we are,” Carlos said.
“Well, keep an eye on them,” Bucky said. “You too, Eddy. So we’ll know when they leave to go to the barn. We’ll wait till they go and then we’ll split right afterwards.”
Eddy said he would and so did Carlos, but it turned out to be harder than you might think. What they hadn’t counted on was running into the big gang of Beaumont Avenue kids as soon as they left the cul-de-sac. Another thing they hadn’t counted on was some typical Brockhurst behavior. They should have but they didn’t. They didn’t realize that Bucky was going to insist that everybody play Bucky Wins all the way down the avenue. Whether they wanted to or not. Bucky never played anything but Bucky Wins if he could help it.
The problem was that you-know-who had to be at the head of the line at every house they came to so he could have his pick of the goodies. Whenever he saw a bunch of kids heading toward a different front door, he had to get to the head of the line—no matter how many people were in the way and how many little kids he had to tromp on to get there. Which meant Eddy and Carlos were pretty busy just keeping track of Bucky.
It wasn’t until they’d gone almost two blocks down Beaumont Avenue that Carlos realized he hadn’t seen an ancient Greek and a muscle-bound gypsy for quite a while. Grabbing Eddy, he pulled him aside and whispered, “Hey, have you seen Kate and Aurora lately? I haven’t.”
Eddy was looking worried. “No. I haven’t. I’ll bet they’ve already split. We better tell Bucky.”
But where was he? Just then they heard a big commotion up ahead, and
“But I have to go up in the loft,” Carson said.
“Yeah, sure,” Ari said. “I know you do. But you don’t have to go up the ladder. The way Web and I have it figured out, you won’t have to go anywhere near that big stall. Right, Web?”
Web nodded doubtfully. “Yes,” he said. “If it works.”
“It will work,” Ari said. “But the thing is, we’re going to have to be very quiet when we go in. Okay?”
“Okay,” Web and Carson whispered, and they started toward the barn again—on tiptoe. They were almost to the door when Web stopped and whispered, “Why? I mean why are Kate and Aurora going to be here?”
That was the question Ari had hoped he wouldn’t have to answer.
“Well.” Ari was trying to come up with a better way to put it, but he couldn’t think of a thing. Finally he gave up and said, “I guess they think there are going to be some ghosts in the barn tonight. But we don’t have to worry about stuff like that. I mean, you don’t believe in ghosts, do you?”
Web shook his head uncertainly.
“How about you?” Ari asked Carson. “You don’t believe in ghosts, do you?”
Carson shook his head and then nodded. “Don’t I?” he said.
Chapter 15
C ARLOS FELT DUMB IN the crummy tramp outfit. And when a little kid dressed like a bumblebee asked him when he was going to put his costume on, he felt even dumber.
“This is my costume,” he told Athena. She was wearing a mask, but you could tell it was Athena by the ponytail. “Why don’t you go put yours on?”
She glared at him. Even with a mask on you could tell that Athena was glaring. Her lower lip poked out and her chin quivered. “You’re a creep,” she said, and then she ran off to where her sister and Karate Kate were standing. It was easy to tell that it was Kate and Aurora. Nobody had hair like Aurora’s and almost nobody had muscles like Kate’s. Except, of course, Bucky. Right at that moment when Carlos was thinking about Bucky’s muscles somebody punched Carlos in the ribs so hard it almost knocked the air out of him. It was Bucky, of course. Who else?
“Look, there they are,” Bucky whispered, nodding toward the two girls. “Wooee. Are we going to give them an exciting evening.”
“Yeah, I guess we are,” Carlos said.
“Well, keep an eye on them,” Bucky said. “You too, Eddy. So we’ll know when they leave to go to the barn. We’ll wait till they go and then we’ll split right afterwards.”
Eddy said he would and so did Carlos, but it turned out to be harder than you might think. What they hadn’t counted on was running into the big gang of Beaumont Avenue kids as soon as they left the cul-de-sac. Another thing they hadn’t counted on was some typical Brockhurst behavior. They should have but they didn’t. They didn’t realize that Bucky was going to insist that everybody play Bucky Wins all the way down the avenue. Whether they wanted to or not. Bucky never played anything but Bucky Wins if he could help it.
The problem was that you-know-who had to be at the head of the line at every house they came to so he could have his pick of the goodies. Whenever he saw a bunch of kids heading toward a different front door, he had to get to the head of the line—no matter how many people were in the way and how many little kids he had to tromp on to get there. Which meant Eddy and Carlos were pretty busy just keeping track of Bucky.
It wasn’t until they’d gone almost two blocks down Beaumont Avenue that Carlos realized he hadn’t seen an ancient Greek and a muscle-bound gypsy for quite a while. Grabbing Eddy, he pulled him aside and whispered, “Hey, have you seen Kate and Aurora lately? I haven’t.”
Eddy was looking worried. “No. I haven’t. I’ll bet they’ve already split. We better tell Bucky.”
But where was he? Just then they heard a big commotion up ahead, and
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