Mean Ghouls by Stacia Deutsch Page A

greeted. “Mom there?”
    â€œDuh!” he said. “It’s only afternoon. She’s still at work.”
    Megan checked the clock. Dad was probably at work, too.
    â€œDon’t you want to talk to me?” Zach asked, sounding hurt. “I want to hear all about the school and the zombies and the brains and the —”
    â€œYou can check all that stuff out for yourself,” she told her brother. “Come a week from Sunday. It’s Visitors’ Day.”
    â€œOOOOHHHHH. Zombie Academy! Do we have to wear protective gloves and masks?”
    Megan could hear the excitement rising in Zach’s voice. “Probably,” she said.
    Zach paused. “I don’t mind. It’s worth it. Can I meet Mr. Jones?”
    â€œHow do you know about him?” Megan asked.
    â€œI’ve been reading about your disease and the school,” Zach told her. “Did you know Mr. Jones opened the California Castle in 1908?”
    â€œI had no idea it was that old,” Megan admitted. She started to do the math to figure out how old Mr. Jones must be, but Zach’s mind was leaping at rocket speed. “Dr. Shelley might want to come to visit, too. I mean, she diagnosed your disease and wrote a book about monsters. Can I bring her? Can I? Can I?” He interrupted her thoughts.
    â€œSure,” Megan agreed, just to get him to stop. Dr. Shelley was very old and had long gray hair.“We can pretend she’s our grandmother if anyone asks.”
    â€œAwesome!” Zach told her he was going to write a scene for his movie that took place at the school and bring his video camera. “What time should we be there?” Zach asked.
    Megan checked her notebook. Maybe she should have gone to Mr. Jones after all…. She didn’t know. “Just come in the morning and stay all day.”
    â€œCool!” Zach said. He rattled off an itinerary for his day on campus, and plans for shots he wanted to get on video. Megan wasn’t sure who was more excited about Visitors’ Day, her or her brother. She was about to hang up when Zach asked, “Have you met any kids who like being zombies?”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” Megan replied. “Who’d want to be a zombie?”
    â€œWhen I was reading about the school, it said that some people like having zombitus and don’t want to be cured. I just wondered if you met anyone like that.”
    â€œOf course not,” Megan said. “That would be crazy.” Zach really was monster obsessed. She didn’t feel like talking to him anymore. “Tell Mom and Dad to come next Sunday.”
    â€œSave me some brain soup,” Zach said as he hung up.
    Megan called Rachel next.
    She’d just told her about Visitors’ Day when Rachel asked, “Did you hear about Brett?”
    â€œHear what?” Megan didn’t know what Rachel was talking about.
    â€œYou’ll see,” Rachel said, then fell silent.
    â€œSee what?”
    Rachel didn’t answer.
    â€œDoes everything have to be a mystery?” Megan asked. “Come on. Tell me the news.”
    â€œTo-mor-row,” Rachel said, stressing each syllable.
    â€œOh, fine.” Megan gave up. “I’ll wait, but you have to come to Visitors’ Day next Sunday.”
    Megan could hear Rachel’s smile through the phone. “You couldn’t keep me away,” Rachel said.
    Â 
    â€œMegan Murry, please come to the nurse’s office.”
    Megan hadn’t even known the school had an intercom system. Her name rang out and echoed down the hall.
    â€œYou’d better get going,” Happy said. “It’s irritating. They’ll keep calling you over and over untilyou answer. Just in case you’ve forgotten your own name.”
    â€œGot it.” Megan rushed to the elevator.
    It was Wednesday. Rachel had said something would happen today. Something about Brett Hansen. Maybe there