Mean Ghouls (9 page)

It was four days before Megan had another chance to sneak into the Bs' room. During that time, she'd kept to herself and twitched with anticipation. She couldn't wait to get the vials. She'd go straight to Nurse Karen, get a shot, and be home two hours later.

Wednesday after classes, Mr. Jones announced that there was going to be an assembly near the koi pond. The students were all going to learn an “Aloha” song to greet their guests on Visitors' Day. It was just the distraction Megan needed.

She caught the first few notes from Mr. Jones's ukulele as she entered the Bs' room. She knew that song from her family trip to Hawaii. There were at
least three verses. Megan felt confident that she had plenty of time.

Moving the crate was impossible. It was too heavy. So Megan had brought an empty backpack. It would be easier to simply take all the vials and put them in the pack. She'd seen Brooke carrying them out of the research center and she wasn't hunched over, so the crate must have also stored the notebooks and research details the doctors had compiled.

Megan didn't need the notes. Not now. She'd send someone, the police maybe, to get the notes later. All she wanted was the cure.

Everyone was going to be so proud that she'd solved the mystery. She was going to be a hero. It felt good to be right. She couldn't wait to tell Sam.

Just as she'd done before, Megan used her skeleton key to enter the room. She went straight to the crate. And …

It was gone.

Where the crate had once stood, a normal table now sat.

For a long minute, Megan wondered if she'd imagined the whole thing. She'd been having so many new zombitus symptoms lately, her mind might be playing tricks on her. Then again … the
utter humiliation of having her notebook read aloud had felt all too real.

As Megan backed into the hall, her spirits dropped. She was back at the beginning of an unsolved mystery.

 

The night before Visitors' Day, Megan had a dream.

She was inside Mr. Jones's bungalow, searching for the cure. Ever since the Bs' room turned up empty, she'd been thinking that Mr. Jones might have come to claim the crate.

So there she was, tiptoeing up to the coffin in the corner, when suddenly, Mr. Jones popped out.

Megan screamed.

“I saved you,” Mr. Jones said as he climbed out. Even though the coffin was child-size, he seemed to fit just fine. Blood dripped down his chin from sharp-fanged teeth. “I saved you, and still … you suspect me.”

He reached out and grabbed Megan's hand. She struggled, but he wouldn't let go. His hand tightened around her wrist like a clamp. He circled around her, and Megan felt her heart begin to race. “When Brett was chasing you, I was the one who made him leave
you alone. I am the one who makes sure you are safe.”

Megan's feet dragged along the carpet as her legs stiffened.

She couldn't bend.

“Uhhhh-uhhhh.” She couldn't speak either. Her voice was stuck in a long groan.

“You have turned your back on your friends,” Mr. Jones told her. As he loomed over her, she backed closer and closer to the small black coffin.

“Uhhhh-uhhhh.” Megan was scared.

Mr. Jones ripped the skeleton key from around Megan's neck.

“Handy little toy. It opens all locks,” he said. “Bolts them shut, too.”

“Uhhhh-uhhhh!” Megan called for help.

“They won't come,” he told her. “They've saved you before. They won't save you again.”

Megan didn't have zombie fog head. Her memories were crystal clear.

Sam had pretended to be her boyfriend to get her away from Brett and the Bs outside the castle tower. He'd even tried to get Brett to chase him instead of her.

And Happy had no reason to step in to get Megan's private notebook back from the Bs. But she'd done it just the same.

“No one will save you this time,” Mr. Jones repeated as he shoved Megan backward. She struggled against him, but her feet slid across the bamboo rug. “You are alone.”

“Uhhhh-uhhhh,” Megan groaned.

Inches from the coffin, Mr. Jones scooped Megan up like a child in his arms and dumped her into the box.

“No one will 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.

“Alone.” Happy's voice reverberated in her ears.

“Alone,” said Sam.

“Alone,” said Zach.

“Alone,” said Rachel.

“Alone,” said Brett.

“Alone,” said the Bs.

“Uhhhh-uhhhh,” Megan cried out. She tried to
raise 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, discolored
strand of Megan's hair with her hand. The required plastic glove felt cold against Megan's skin.

“What happened?” her father asked, leaning past Mrs. Murry to examine the gash on Megan's head. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” she replied. “Don't worry.”

“All 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.

“Grrr.” Megan flashed her sharp teeth at him and snarled. “You didn't warn me to stay calm.”

“Not my job.” Zach shrugged. “Didn't the nurse tell you? She should have.”

“Oh, all right,” Megan said. “She did. I didn't listen.”

“You 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
.

“Nice,” Megan told Zach.

“Made it myself,” Zach said with pride. “And the masks, too.”

“I think you should show —” Megan started to say he should show Happy his fashion creations, but
then changed her mind. Happy wasn't her friend anymore.

“Oh, 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.

“Hi, 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.

“I have so many things to —” Megan started, when Rachel suddenly pulled back.

“Hang 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.

“Brett!” Rachel shouted. “The play's not the same without you!”

“Hey …” 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 looked over at Megan with disgust. Megan was pretty sure that the outfit Hailey was wearing was a Yeverman original. So much for no one knowing that Happy attended the school. Brett must have told Hailey, who immediately went shopping. The dress was way too showy for Visitors' Day and clashed with her white plastic protective gloves and sterile green mask.

The Bs brought their own families over to meet Brett. Hailey and Brenda seemed to hit it off immediately. Brenda looked strange and awkward in her uniform, but soon they were checking out each other's clothing and giggling like best friends. Hailey even picked up Brenda's littlest sister, who was about three years old, and swung her around playfully.

“Hey, Megan.” Rachel rushed back to Megan's side. “Brett's new friends asked if I can help them out with a project. It sounds really cool and I'd really like to do it.” She was talking very fast. “Would you mind, Megan? I promise I'll make up every minute to you later.”

It was one of those questions that was impossible to answer truthfully. Of course she minded. Megan didn't want Rachel to go anywhere with the
Bs. But the way Rachel was looking at her, grinning and excitedly bouncing on her toes — how was Megan supposed to tell her not to go?

“It's fine,” Megan said flatly.

“Thanks.” Rachel blew a kiss as she rushed back toward Brett and the Bs. “See ya in a while.”

Best friends … Megan's heart felt heavy as Rachel was swept into the Bs' circle and disappeared from sight.

“Come on, Megs.” Zach tugged at Megan's arm, bringing her attention back to her own family. “Show us around. I can't wait to meet Mr. Jones. I am sooooo excited.”

“Don't get too emotional,” Megan warned Zach with a small chuckle. “Or you'll start to transform, too.”

“I only wish,” Zach said with a pout.

As they entered the castle, Megan's parents were thrilled to see the Hawaiian-themed interior design. They stepped aside to get a better look at a painting of a volcano.

“Your hair and teeth are transformation,” Zach whispered to Megan. “But the gash is an injury. I wasn't going to tell Dad that. He'd freak. So, what happened?”

“Long story,” Megan said.

“You better tell me,” Zach prodded. He put on a monsterish accent and said, “I have vays uff making you talk.”

“Don't be such a dork,” Megan said, putting him off. “Oh, wait, you can't help it.”

Zach gave Megan a playful punch in the arm. She laughed. It was nice knowing that her brother understood about zombitus and zombie life. Still, Megan had decided not to tell Zach about the missing cure and her plans to get it back. He may have been smart, but he was still a little kid.

Dr. Shelley entered the castle on Mr. Jones's arm.

“Look who I found outside,” she said after she'd introduced the head zombie to Zach.

Megan hadn't talked to Mr. Jones since the night she'd visited his bungalow. She'd been afraid of him then and the dream she'd had last night had made it worse.

As Mr. Jones stepped toward her, Megan inched back.

Mr. Jones didn't seem to notice. “Nice to meet you, Zach,” he said. “I hear you're planning to film scenes for a zombie movie while you're here today.”

Zach took a small video camera out of his jeans pocket. “Handheld fright films are all the rage.”

“Classic,” Mr. Jones said. “I must greet our other guests, but I hope you and Dr. Shelley will join me later for drinks in my bungalow.” He turned to Megan. “Please come along. I wouldn't want you to be all
alone
.”

Megan gasped. There was no way! He couldn't have known! Dreams were private, weren't they? She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

Mr. Jones invited her parents to the gathering and then Megan took them all on a tour of the castle. All except Dr. Shelley. Mr. Jones offered to take her to the research center instead.

“Where's your room?” Zach asked.

“Do you always have to make things so difficult?” Megan replied with a snort.

“Huh?” Zach asked. “What did I say?”

Megan didn't feel like explaining why she'd been living in the library, so she decided the easiest thing would be to take her family to the dormitory to see her room. She hoped Happy wasn't there.

When they got there, Rachel was standing in the dorm hallway with Brett and the Bs. They were looking at the stars on the Bs' door.

“Why don't you have a star on your door?” Rachel asked Megan as she approached.

“I like mine plain,” Megan answered.

The Bs laughed and pulled Rachel into their room.

“I'll come next door in a sec,” Rachel called out to Megan as she disappeared from the hallway.

Megan groaned. She knew that Rachel would never come by. It wasn't worth waiting. The Bs' power was magnetic. With a deep breath, Megan pretended it didn't bother her, when it really did. It was a struggle, but she managed to keep calm.

“Here it is,” Megan said, giving her parents the fastest dorm-room tour in ZA history.

Her side of the room was incredibly neat since she hadn't been there for a week.

Zach took out his video camera and took some footage. “This is going to be the best zombie movie ever. A real zombie's bedroom!”

“Come on, dork. Let's go.” Megan grabbed a sweater. “The welcome assembly is starting in a few minutes.”

As they were all leaving, Happy and her parents were coming into the room.

Megan closed her eyes and sighed. The last time
Happy had spoken to her was in her dream. And that wasn't real.

“Hey,” Megan said, breaking the silence first.

“Hey.” Happy's voice was the same, but the Happy who was standing with her parents was not the same Happy that Megan knew. It was the Happy that Megan had seen when she got the notebook back from Brooke. This was New York City's Henrietta Yeverman.

She was wearing a green T-shirt with a long brown skirt. She had gold chains around her neck and a small printed shrug.

“My parents brought me pieces of their new line.” Happy gave Megan a threatening look that said,
Don't you dare laugh
.

“Fashion Week was a huge success,” Mrs. Yeverman told Megan's mother.

Mrs. Murry hadn't known that Megan's roommate had famous parents. “Tell me more,” Mrs. Murry prodded.

An intercom announcement interrupted the dorm-room bonding.

“Everyone, please gather in Room 601.” That was the big classroom for Zombie History. “That's 601,” the announcer repeated over and over again.

Megan's dad asked, “Why does she keep doing that? 601. Got it. We know where to go.”

“Some people have a memory problem because of the zombitus,” Megan said, trying to sound like she wasn't one of
those
people.

 

Room 601 was packed with students and their parents. There wasn't much space inside because a long black catwalk jutted down the center of the room. A curtain covered the back of the catwalk and stage lights cast a golden glow on everything. It was standing room only, which was fine because half the people in the room couldn't bend their legs to sit properly, anyway.

Megan didn't see Rachel. She was probably with Brett, Hailey, and the Bs…. Megan told herself not to feel sad. The last thing she needed was another sharp tooth or another gray streak.

Megan glanced around. The little boy who had hugged her in the hallway stood with his parents at the back of the room. Reena and her mother stood by the open window.

Where was Sam? After surveying the entire room, Megan was certain he wasn't there. She opened her
notebook to refresh her memory. He'd said no one was around to visit him. But why? She couldn't remember if he'd explained, but if he had, she hadn't written it down.

Dr. Shelley stood to the side of the stage with Mr. Jones. She waved at Megan as the Murrys found a place to stand near the side of the catwalk, where they could see the whole show. And then, the music for the student “Aloha” song began.

Since the moment she'd met her family outside the castle, Megan had acted super mellow, pretending everything was fine. She'd let Rachel run off with the Bs without saying a word about how mean the Ghouls really were. Megan had given her family a tour of the school and acted as if nothing was up between her and Happy. She'd let her family think everything was perfect at Zombie Academy.

Now she was trembling because she knew what the Bs had planned.

In a few minutes' time, they were going to get up on this very stage and destroy the zombitus cure.

But Megan Murry was going to stop them!