Locker 13 by R.L. Stine Page B

Wednesday.”
    â€œWow. That’s bad news,” I murmured. Everyone looks forward to the overnight. The whole junior high goes to a campground by the lake, and everyone stays up and parties all night.
    I couldn’t take my eyes off Hannah’s bandaged ankle. Is this my fault? I suddenly wondered. Did I really take away her good luck? Hannah has had nothing but bad luck ever since I found the skull….
    I’m going to give it back to her, I silently promised. Real soon. Real soon.
    â€œYou skating or not?” Stretch called. “Or are you just going to stand there and talk with your girlfriend?”
    â€œI’m coming,” I said. I started to wrap the scarf around my eyes.
    â€œLuke, don’t,” Hannah insisted. “Don’t do it blindfolded. It—it’s crazy.”
    â€œNo problem,” I said. “I’m a superhero, Hannah. Cars will bounce right off me!”
    I skated away from her.
    â€œYou’re wrong!” she called. “Luke, listen to me. The good luck—it doesn’t last forever!”
    I laughed. What was she talking about?
    I skated up beside Darnell and grabbed his arm to steady myself. I pulled the scarf over my eyes until I saw only black.
    â€œYou’re crazy,” he muttered. “You could get killed, man.”
    â€œNo way,” I declared. “I’m going to win twenty bucks from you two!”
    I heard Stretch skate up beside me. “You’re doing this for real?” he asked. “You’re going to skate into all those cars blindfolded?”
    â€œYou going to talk or skate?” I asked him. “First one past Miller Street without stopping wins the money.”
    â€œLuke—don’t be crazy!” Hannah called.
    It was the last thing I heard before the three of us took off.
    I leaned forward, skating straight and hard. I heard Stretch and Darnell beside me, their Rollerblades scraping the pavement.
    As we picked up speed, I could hear the traffic on Miller. I heard a horn honk. Heard someone shout.
    I skated down … down … laughing through the darkness.

 

    â€œLuke—loooook out!”
    I heard Darnell’s scream. I heard the squeal of tires. Horns honked.
    I tossed back my head and laughed. I roared through Miller Street, the blade wheels whistling over the pavement.
    Then, as I turned my skates and came to a slow stop, I ripped the scarf away. And saw Darnell standing on the curb on the other side of Miller. His mouth was open. He shook his head.
    Stretch came skating around me. “You crazy jerk!” he shouted. “You were almost killed three times!”
    I calmly held out my hand. “Money, please.”
    â€œYou lucky jerk,” Stretch muttered. He slapped the ten-dollar bill into my gloved hand. “You’re crazy. Really. You’re just plain crazy.”
    I laughed. “Thanks for the compliment! And the ten bucks!”
    Grumbling to himself, Stretch skated back up to his friends.
    Darnell waited for the traffic to clear, then skated over to me. He wiped sweat off his forehead. “You were almost killed,” he said, his voice shaking. “Why did you do it, Luke?”
    I grinned at him. “Because I can.”
    The weather turned warm for our overnight camp-out. Even though the trees were bare, the woods smelled fresh and sweet, almost like spring. High, white clouds dotted the bright blue afternoon sky. Twigs and dead leaves crackled and crunched under our feet as we hiked through the tall trees to the camping grounds.
    I squeezed the small skull in one hand as I walked, weighted down by the heavy pack on my back. Some kids were singing a Beatles song. Behind me, a group of girls were telling really bad knock-knock jokes, laughing shrilly after each one.
    Coach Bendix and Ms. Raymond, another gym teacher, led the way along the twisting path through the trees. I was about halfway back in the line of kids.
    I turned and