cleaning supplies and headed for the empty trailer. But halfway there, Milo realized heâd left his spelling homework behind. He dropped his mop and bucket and ran back. Emily S. knelt on the floor next to a pile of stuff spilling out of her backpack. Brooke stood over her. âCome on. What could be so major? Weâre going to miss open-skate time at the rink.â She sniffed. âMaybe I should have done something with Emily B. instead.â Milo picked up some stray papers and handed them over to Emily S. Pink-faced, she stuffed them in her backpack and followed Brooke out. Yikes, Milo thought. Even Brookeâs friends were scared of her. He found his spelling sheet and stuffed it in his pocket. When he got back to the learning cottage, Jazz called him over. âThe big black bag by Carlos is for trash. Spencerâs got the recycling box. And thisââ She lifted a white plastic bag. âThis is the lost and found. Itâs for whatever weâre not sure we should throw out.â âHow about the things we want to keep for the haunted house?â Milo asked. She pointed. âIn that corner.â He went over to take a look. Wow, what a pile! He pulled out a poster and unrolled it. A pair of kittens reading The Cat in the Hat ? For a haunted house? And how in the world were they going to use a jigsaw puzzle of the rainforest?
Haunted houses needed scary stuff. Skeletons. Axes dripping with fake blood. Pictures with eyes that followed you around and creepy things likeâ Suddenly a hand shot out and clamped around his ankle. Milo screamed.
The pile fell over, and Gordy climbed out laughing. âOh, man. That was great. You should have seen your face.â Milo stomped away. Shoving the puzzle in the lost-and-found bag, he grumbled, âGordy and his stupid jokes.â Jazz nodded sympathetically as she tossed in a DVD. âTell me about it. Remember the time he tried to tie my sneaker to my chair?â For the next half hour everyone worked steadily, even Gordy. Carlos found some yellow streamers they could use to make a mummy. Spencer swept the floor, and Jazz and Pria carried out the trash. Milo took the lost-and-found bag to the front office, but the door was locked, so he dropped it in the back of their classroom closet.
âThis is going to be the best Spring Thing booth ever,â he told Jazz as they walked home together. âWait till Chris hears. Heâll be sorry he ever made that bet.â âI hope he doesnât hear too soon,â Jazz said. âChris hates to lose.â Milo shrugged. It wasnât as if her brother could do anything about it. How could Dunk the Teacher compete with a haunted house? The next morning when Milo got to school, he saw a crowd of kids staring and pointing at the learning cottage. âWhatâs going on?â he asked a kindergartner. She looked up at him with wide eyes. âThey say itâs haunted.â Milo laughed. âIt isnât really haunted. Weâre just making it into a haunted house for the Spring Thing.â The girl looked doubtful. âAre you sure?â âSure Iâm sure.â He spotted Jazz and pointed. âIt was her idea.â Jazz walked up to them. âSome kid just told me thereâs a ghost inside the learning cottage.â A third grader turned around. âI heard that it groans and rattles chains.â He let out a long, eerie groan. The kindergartner burst into tears. Jazz took her hand. âDonât cry. There isnât any ghost. Come on. Iâll take you in and show you.â âNo!â The girl snatched her hand away and ran off. âThis is ridiculous,â Jazz fumed. Milo shrugged. âI donât know. It could be good. Like advertising for our haunted house, right?â âNot if kids are scared to go inside,â she pointed out.