Mean Ghouls by Stacia Deutsch Page B

believe you. No matter what you say.” He slammed the lid and then used Megan’s own key to lock her in. “You are alone,” he repeated.
    Alone . The word echoed through the blackness. She could smell the stink of her own flesh decaying. Megan gasped for fresh air.
    â€œAlone.” Happy’s voice reverberated in her ears.
    â€œAlone,” said Sam.
    â€œAlone,” said Zach.
    â€œAlone,” said Rachel.
    â€œAlone,” said Brett.
    â€œAlone,” said the Bs.
    â€œUhhhh-uhhhh,” Megan cried out. She tried toraise her arms but they were pinned to her sides. Her legs were stuck straight. Her breath felt hot and shallow. The bottom of the coffin opened and the next thing Megan knew, she was falling into an endless darkness.
    With a start, she woke up. And she realized something very important. If she didn’t find the cure, she’d be alone forever.

On Sunday morning, Megan met her family on the front steps of the school. They wore masks with monster faces painted on them, thanks to Zach.
    Megan rushed to give them all a hug. She was even happy to see Zach.
    For this special occasion, Mr. Jones had ordered school uniforms. The girls were required to wear a dark pink skirt with a white blouse. The boys had on dark pants with their dress shirts, and pink, plaid ties that matched. Megan pulled back her hair, hoping that her parent’s wouldn’t notice the zombitus gray streaks.
    Her parent’s noticed. The first thing Mrs. Murry did was reach out and touch a thick, discoloredstrand of Megan’s hair with her hand. The required plastic glove felt cold against Megan’s skin.
    â€œWhat happened?” her father asked, leaning past Mrs. Murry to examine the gash on Megan’s head. “Are you okay?”
    â€œI’m fine,” she replied. “Don’t worry.”
    â€œAll part of zombie transformation,” Zach told their dad, as if head wounds were to be expected.
    Mr. Murry didn’t seem to believe Zach, so Zach explained about how getting emotional sped the transformation.
    â€œGrrr.” Megan flashed her sharp teeth at him and snarled. “You didn’t warn me to stay calm.”
    â€œNot my job.” Zach shrugged. “Didn’t the nurse tell you? She should have.”
    â€œOh, all right,” Megan said. “She did. I didn’t listen.”
    â€œYou wouldn’t have listened if I said it either,” Zach told Megan with a laugh. He was wearing a new T-shirt that said MY SISTER’S A ZOMBIE .
    â€œNice,” Megan told Zach.
    â€œMade it myself,” Zach said with pride. “And the masks, too.”
    â€œI think you should show —” Megan started to say he should show Happy his fashion creations, butthen changed her mind. Happy wasn’t her friend anymore.
    â€œOh, there they are. Dr. Shelley gave Rachel a lift,” Mrs. Murry said as a small sedan drove up to the gate. Rachel hopped out while Dr. Shelley went to park.
    â€œHi, you!” Rachel said, rushing up to Megan.
    The two girls hugged for a long time. Megan felt like crying. She knew she’d missed her best friend, but until that moment, she hadn’t realized how much.
    â€œI have so many things to —” Megan started, when Rachel suddenly pulled back.
    â€œHang on one little second,” she told Megan as she rushed to where Brett’s family was getting out of their own car a few feet away.
    â€œBrett!” Rachel shouted. “The play’s not the same without you!”
    â€œHey …” It took him a second to come up with the name. “Rachel.” His eyes lit up and Brett gave Rachel a high five, then tugged her in for a hug.
    Megan squinted at them. There was something about the way Brett was holding Rachel. Like he wasn’t going to let her go. He glanced over Rachel’s shoulder and gave Megan a wink.
    Brett’s sister, Hailey, got out of the family car and