Moonlight Secrets by R.L. Stine Page A

Frankenstein movie on the TV above the bar.
    What a long day! When I got out of Gonzalez’s office, I was drenched with sweat and shaking all over. I knew I should be home asleep. But I was too wired to sleep. As soon as I knew my mom was tucked in bed, I slipped out of my bedroom window and hurried to Nights.
    I gave Jamie and Lewis a wave and started back to Shark’s table. Nikki was holding her wrist up to Galen, showing off a gold bracelet. I guessed it was the bracelet she’d found at the Fear Mansion.
    It suddenly got noisy in the bar. Ryland’s TV was blaring, and Shark and Galen and Nikki burst out laughing about something. I didn’t hear Candy come into the bar.
    But when I started to drop into the booth next to Galen, I saw her kiss the plaque on the wall, then come storming toward us, black hair bobbing on her head, fists swinging at her sides.
    â€œNate!” She shouted my name as if it was a dirty word.
    My heart stopped beating for a moment. I realized I was holding my breath.
    I crossed my arms in front of me andwatched Candy approach. She wore a bright red turtleneck pulled down over low-riding gray slacks. The silver pendant on a chain over her sweater caught the light, the blue jewels glowing brightly.
    She strode up to the table, her eyes narrowed at me. She bumped the table hard and opened her mouth as if to speak. But she didn’t say anything. Just glared at me. Too angry to speak, I guess.
    â€œHey, Candy. How’s it going?” Shark broke the silence.
    But Candy ignored him and kept her eyes on me.
    Finally I found my voice. “Uh . . . sorry. You know. You accept my apology, right?” I tried to keep a straight face. She knew I wasn’t too sincere.
    Candy didn’t answer. She stood there breathing hard, holding her fists at her sides. I think she wanted me to know that she was still furious at me. Finally she turned and started to walk away.
    I expected her to leave the bar. But instead she dropped into a booth against the wall, propped her elbows on the table, rested herhead in her hands, and called for Ryland to bring her a Coors Light.
    The four of us tried to talk and hang out as usual. But it was hard with Candy sitting so close, glaring at us the whole time.
    Shark called for another round of beers for everyone. Lewis waved good night and headed out of the bar. Jamie joined us in the back booth. She started talking about a college she’d visited in Ohio.
    I kept glancing over Jamie’s shoulder. Candy didn’t move. Even when she sipped her beer, she had her eyes locked on me. And she was muttering, moving her lips. Like she was putting a hex on me or something.
    Ryland brought the beers and a couple of bowls of beer nuts. I grabbed a handful and tossed them into my mouth. Shark started talking about the trouble he’s been having with Ms. Harvey, our government teacher.
    But I uttered a loud gasp, interrupting him. “Something funny about this beer nut,” I said. I reached into my mouth and pulled it off my tongue.
    â€œWhoa!” I watched it wriggle between my fingers.
    A cockroach.
    â€œYuck.” I tossed it to the floor. I grabbed my beer bottle and took a long slug.
    I examined the bowl of beer nuts. Nothing moving in there.
    â€œThat was totally gross,” I said. “I can still feel it crawling on my tongue.”
    Galen laughed. “Dude—was it crunchy?”
    I started to answer, then stopped. My tongue prickled. I reached into my mouth again—and pulled out another cockroach.
    The insect dropped from my fingers and scrabbled across the table.
    My mouth dropped open and I started to gag. Then I felt a cockroach slither out over my lips and cling to my chin.
    I grabbed Shark’s arm. “I . . . don’t understand . . .” I choked out.
    But I couldn’t talk. I pulled another cockroach off my tongue. Then another one. I tossed them to the floor. My tongue