Ready for a Scare? by P.J. Night Page B

gave her a gentle nudge from behind.
    She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a questioning look. She still was too scared and confused to speak.
    â€œIt’s a surprise party,” he explained. “For your birthday.”
    â€œReally?” Her voice came out as a squeak. “Seriously?”
    Gavin smiled widely. “Seriously.” She noticed that it was the first time she’d seen him smile. His face looked different now. Warmer. Friendlier.
    â€œGet down here!” June commanded good-naturedly. She hurried up the stairs and grabbed Kelly’s hand. Kelly let June lead her. She stood surrounded by her friends.
    â€œI had no idea . . .” Her voice trailed off, still amazed.
    â€œOf course, silly,” Paige teased. “That’s why it’s called a surprise party.”
    â€œWe have cupcakes.” Charlie, wearing his truck-printed pajamas, tugged at Kelly’s pant leg. “And they’re chocolate!”
    She looked down at him and rumpled his staticky brown hair. “Really? I love cupcakes.”
    â€œSit down, birthday girl,” Mrs. Stone, Spencer’s mom, said. She led the group to the sofa. Kelly sank into the cushions, letting her body relax for the first time in hours. She took in the display of cupcakes, chips and dip, and hot chocolate on the table in front of them.
    â€œThis is amazing.” She looked at all her friends, no longer in pajamas but in warm winter clothes, gathered around. Then her eyes stopped at Chrissie, all happy and bubbly. “Wait. I don’t get it. You were outside. And then you weren’t. And you were acting all strange and wouldn’t answer when I called you. . . . ” Her gaze moved to Ryan, smirking as he shoved a cupcake into his mouth. “Hey, and you! Why wouldn’t you answer me? I was so scared.”
    â€œGotcha!” everyone shrieked at once.
    â€œHuh?” Kelly said.
    â€œWe totally scared you,” Spencer explained. “You’re nolonger the Master of Scares, are you? You were terrified .”
    â€œWe got you good!” Paige sang out, bouncing from foot to foot gleefully.
    A joke. It was all a joke, Kelly now realized.
    She nodded slowly. “Oh, wow. I was so freaked out.” She thought back over the events of the night. “So it was all fake?”
    â€œYep,” June said, sitting next to her. “And you fell for it all.”
    â€œI’m a good actor, aren’t I?” Chrissie beamed proudly.
    â€œNot as good as I am!” Ryan countered.
    â€œHey, I taught you everything you know. Who showed you how to do the zombie stare? I’m so good, I should open an acting school,” Chrissie bragged.
    â€œBut I don’t understand. . . . ” Kelly tried to quickly tie all the pieces together but couldn’t.
    â€œWhen we saw how bummed you were at not having a party tonight, we came up with the idea of a surprise party. I told Chrissie, and she was cool with it,” Paige explained. “She clued in Ryan.”
    â€œThen we decided that it was time to scare the Master of Scares,” Spencer continued. “But it was Ryan who came up with the most genius idea.”
    Kelly stared at her little brother. He gloated and reached for his second cupcake. “How?” she asked.
    â€œHe showed me the article you were reading earlier about Mary Owens,” Chrissie said. “Before the sleepover even started, we came up with a plan.”
    â€œWe pretended that the summoning of Miss Mary worked,” June added.
    â€œWait, so you didn’t see anyone behind me?” Kelly asked.
    â€œOf course not,” June scoffed. “And then we started disappearing. Me first. Spencer found this program that made our screens turn that wacky red. Scared you, right?”
    â€œYeah,” she admitted. “But who was Chrissie talking to on the phone?” She turned to the older girl.