Spell of the Screaming Jokers by R.L. Stine

1

    â€œT his whole mess is Frankie Todaro’s fault and—oowww!” I howled. “That hurts, Louisa!”
    â€œSorry, Brittany. But you know—looking great isn’t easy. Just read those magazines.” Louisa pointed to a stack of my magazines piled high on the floor. “They all tell you that.”
    â€œThen I won’t look great,” I said, yanking her curling iron out of my hair.
    It was Saturday afternoon. My best friend, Louisa Wong, had come over to my house. She was always trying out ways to improve my short brown hair. So far, none of them had worked.
    â€œBesides,” I went on, “I don’t care what I look like for this dumb community-service thing.”
    â€œBad attitude, Brit,” Louisa told me, shaking her head.
    Louisa is into fashion. That day she had on a lavender baby T-shirt, a long silky skirt, and navy blue nail polish.
    I had on a pair of old jeans and a Shadyside Middle School sweatshirt. I’m into comfort.
    I flopped down on my bed. “You know,” I went on, “if Frankie hadn’t make us look at his dumb pet rat, none of this would have happened.”
    â€œI thought he was cute,” Louisa said.
    â€œWho?” I raised my eyebrows. “Frankie?”
    â€œNo!” Louisa cried. “Spike!”
    â€œSpike—cute? I guess—if you’re into albino rats. Why did Frankie bring him to school anyway?”
    â€œSomebody dared him to put Spike on Mr. Bladvig’s music stand.” Louisa shrugged. “You know how he is.”
    â€œWho?” I asked. “Spike?”
    â€œNo!” Louisa laughed. “Frankie! You know how he loves dares.”
    I shook my head. “I barely know Frankie.”
    â€œHe was in my class last year,” Louisa told me. “Trust me, he’ll do anything.”
    BANG!
    Louisa shrieked as my bedroom door flew open.
    My little brother crashed into my room.
    â€œJimmy!” I yelled. “You’re supposed to knock. Remember?”
    â€œPick a card!” Jimmy demanded. He charged over to me, waving a deck of cards. “Come on, Brit! It’s my new trick! Pick a card!”
    I groaned. I’m not crazy about cards to start with. Then Mom and Dad bought Jimmy a card-trick book for his eighth birthday. Ever since, he’s been a total pain.
    I was really, really sick of his card tricks. “Ask Louisa to pick,” I told him.
    Jimmy fanned the cards. Louisa picked one. She showed it to me. Six of clubs.
    â€œNow put your card back in the deck,” he instructed her.
    Louisa slid the card back into the pack.
    Jimmy shuffled. “Okay, pick the first four cards.”
    She did. “Hey!” she cried. “They’re all sixes!”
    â€œTah-dah!” Jimmy took a bow.
    â€œHow’d you do it?” Louisa asked, handing him back the cards.
    Jimmy grinned. “Magicians never tell,” he declared. He turned to me. “Your turn, Brit. Pick a card! Any card!”
    â€œNot now,” I said. “We have go to Max Davidson’s house.”
    â€œWho is he?” Jimmy asked. “Your new boyfriend? Are you in loooove with him?”
    â€œI’ve never even met him,” I snapped. “He moved to Shadyside last week. But he’s sick, so he can’t come to school.”
    Jimmy wrinkled his nose. “What’s he got?” he asked.
    â€œRabies, for all I know,” I said glumly.
    â€œBrit!” Louisa cried. “You’re horrible!”
    â€œWhy do you have to go see him?” Jimmy asked.
    â€œBecause Max’s mom asked the principal if some Shadyside kids could visit him. So Mr. Emerson picked us.”
    â€œOh.” Jimmy cocked his head to one side. “Why did he pick you?”
    I sighed. He wasn’t going to give up.
    â€œWe got in trouble for looking at a rat,” Louisa explained.
    â€œIt’s not fair,” I put in. “We didn’t do