Read Online Mean Ghouls by Stacia Deutsch - Free Book Online Page A

Megan took the last fingerful of the spoiled fruity dessertand stuffed it in her mouth. “Yum.” She wiped her face on her sleeve.
    â€œNever thought rotten fruit would taste so good, did you?” Happy asked.
    â€œNever,” Megan admitted. “About Friday …”
    â€œI’m in,” Sam said. “We can snoop around and see what they’re up to.”
    Happy sighed. “I guess if you’re both going, I’ll go, too. Not like I have anything better to do that night.”
    Megan was encouraged. Whatever she’d heard at the research center was wrong. She could cross Happy’s name out of her notebook. Happy wasn’t going to be plotting with the Bs in the castle tower. She’d be spying on them instead.
    The pie was gone, so Megan picked up the dish and licked the plate clean. Grinning, she said, “We’re going to sneak around, so we should all wear black.” There was a bit of strawberry mush on Megan’s nose.
    Sam reached forward to wipe it off with a napkin. Megan flinched but didn’t back away.
    â€œClean,” he reported when he was done. Then Sam turned to Happy. “Got anything thieving black I can borrow?”
    â€œNo,” Happy told him.
    She didn’t seem to be joking, but honestly Megan couldn’t tell.
    Without saying bye, Happy got up and left the cafeteria.
    When she was gone, Sam reached into his backpack. “I got you a present.”
    Megan raised her eyebrows. “For me?”
    â€œYou don’t know for sure if the Bs are thieves, but now you know that I’m one!” He pulled another strawberry pie out of his bag. “Mr. Franko doesn’t have zombitus, and yet he still always forgets to lock the home ec room when he leaves.”
    Megan drooled at the sight of the slightly moldy, oddly colored dessert.
    â€œDive in,” he told her.
    And Megan did.
    Â 
    The week passed by in a rush. On Friday night, Megan met Sam in the darkened passageway that ran beneath the tower room.
    â€œYou really do know your way around the castle,” Megan whispered, impressed that they were in aplace they could hear everything going on, but not be seen.
    â€œSometimes being somewhere a long time has its benefits,” Sam replied. He touched Megan’s shoulder and pointed out the best spot for eavesdropping.
    â€œHow long have you been —?” Megan began to ask, but voices in the tower room interrupted her.
    â€œWhere’s Yeverman?” Brenda asked.
    Megan closed her eyes to picture the scene. Brenda was undoubtedly wearing one of her many tire-track dresses. The others were less predictable, but Megan imagined whatever Betsy had on was probably spotlessly clean.
    â€œI don’t know,” Brooke replied. “I told her to be here.”
    â€œShe told us she’d be here ,” Megan whispered to Sam.
    â€œWho told you what?” Sam asked. “Where’s Happy?”
    â€œExactly,” Megan said.
    â€œShe’s going to help us, right?” Betsy asked.
    â€œFor sure she’s helping,” Brooke said with a bitter chuckle. “She knows that I know who she is. She doesn’t want her secret revealed. She’ll do what I tell her to do.”
    Under the tower, Sam gave Megan a sideways look.
    â€œShe’s Yeverman,” Megan revealed, realizing that Sam was completely baffled.
    â€œHappy Yeverman?” Sam had no clue.
    Megan couldn’t remember Happy’s whole name. “It’s Henrietta something something,” she told Sam. “Yeverman’s her last name.”
    â€œThat makes sense,” Sam said softly. “I thought her parents gave her the wrong first name.”
    â€œThey kind of did.” Happy was happier not being a Yeverman. With Happy’s permission, she’d explain everything to Sam later. He clearly didn’t know anything about the fashion industry.
    â€œAs long as she’s got the stuff