50 - Calling All Creeps! (9 page)

The laughter rose up until I couldn’t hear myself.

“Get away from that mike!” Tasha screamed. She tried to grab the microphone
from my hands.

Two teachers rushed up to pull me away.

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!” Tasha started to chant. And then the rest of the
huge crowd of kids joined in.

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!” The gym rang with their chanting and wild
laughter.

I could feel my heart sink to my stomach.

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!” The chanting made me feel as if my head was about
to burst.

I wanted to cover my ears. I wanted to run. I wanted to disappear.

How can I save them if they’re just going to laugh at me? I wondered. What
can I do if they refuse to listen to me?

And then I had another idea. An even more desperate plan than grabbing the
microphone and begging them.

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!” Tasha led the chanting.

I tried to ignore the laughing, shouting voices. I knew I had only a few
seconds to act.

Would my plan work?

Probably not. But it was the only thing my panicked brain could come up with.

I’ll gobble down all the cookies myself, I decided.

I’ll grab the trays and eat all the cookies—and save everyone in the
school.

With a wild leap, I pushed past a bunch of chanting kids. I grabbed the tray
of cookies from Wart’s hands. And I opened my mouth to start swallowing them
down.

“Ow!”

I cried out when something smacked me in the forehead.

I wasn’t hurt. Just startled.

I reached a hand up and felt something wet and gooey. Someone had thrown a
piece of chocolate pie.

Kids laughed. Tasha ran up and flashed my picture.

“Hey—!” I cried out angrily.

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!” some kids chanted.

“Ricky Rat! Ricky Rat!” I heard other kids sing.

Someone threw a brownie. I ducked and it sailed over my shoulder. I nearly
dropped the tray of cookies. Laughing, Tasha snapped another photo.

“What’s
wrong
with you?” I shouted. “I’m trying to save you!”

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!”

“Ricky Rat! Ricky Rat!”

Don’t they realize what danger they’re in? I asked myself. Why are they
making fun of me? Why do they
always
make fun of me? I’m only trying to
save them!

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!”

Someone hit me in the chest with a gooey slice of cheesecake.

I raised the cookie tray. I’ve got to save them, I told myself. I have to
ignore all the teasing and chanting and laughing. I’ve got to save them all!

Wart and Brenda closed in on me. “Commander, what are you waiting for?” Wart
asked. “Pass out the cookies.”

“Ignore their chanting,” Brenda said. “Once they eat the cookies, they will
all be Creeps. You will be their leader. They will all be your slaves!”

I’ve got to save them, I repeated to myself. Got to save them. Got to save
them…

I turned to Brenda. “Huh? What did you say?”

“I
said
they will all be your slaves!” Brenda shouted over the
chanting and laughter.

My slaves?

My
slaves
?

My
slaves???

I ducked as someone tossed another slice of cheesecake at me.

“Sicky Ricky! Sicky Ricky!” they chanted.

“Here—Tasha—have a cookie!” I cried. I held the tray out to her and
watched her take it.

“Have a cookie! Free cookies!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.

Hands grabbed eagerly for the cookies. I moved quickly, happily around the
gym, handing out cookies to every kid.

“Plenty for everyone!” I shouted. “That’s right—they’re free! And they’re
the
best
! Free cookies! Free cookies! That’s it, everyone! Gobble them
up! One for everyone! Free cookies!”

I flashed my four friends a thumbs-up. And I took a cookie for myself.

Not bad. A little chewy, but very sweet.

I gazed around the gym. Watched everyone chewing up the free cookies.

From now on,
I told myself,
things are going to be very different
around here.

And I can’t wait!

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