Alpha Dog by Jennifer Ziegler

Author:Jennifer Ziegler
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780307433084
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2009-04-15T21:00:00+00:00

7

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Scooby?

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

“Arf! Arf! Arf!”

“Shhh! Seamus, be quiet.” I rolled over and looked at my Scooby clock. It was eight-fifteen in the morning, and someone was pounding a giant bass drum. I was going to strangle Lyle. I would shish-kebob him with his own drumsticks. I’d play “Wipeout” on his cranium. What did it take to get some quality sleep in this place?

Bam! Bam! Bam!

I sat up, suddenly realizing the pounding was someone knocking on our front door. What the hell?

Thinking it might be Matt, I leaped out of bed and scurried about my room, throwing on a pair of shorts beneath my oversized T-shirt and running a brush through my wild tumbleweed, post-party hairdo.

“Stay here,” I ordered Seamus, shutting the door in his face.

I headed through the living room, where Kinky lay asleep on the carpet, his arms thrown over a chair pillow like a shipwreck victim clutching a piece of flotsam. Robot was sprawled spread-eagle only a couple of feet away. His shirt was off and someone had written BUZZ BOY across his chest in something yellow—mustard, probably. And somewhere in the vicinity of the sheet-draped furniture, I could hear Lyle snoring.

More knocking rattled the door. Kinky writhed slightly and let out a small moan, but Robot made no reaction at all.

“Hello? Hello-o? Is anyone home?”

The warbly voice stopped me in my tracks. Mrs. Krantz! She’s back early!

“Uh . . . just a second!” I called out.

With a superhuman surge of adrenaline that only sheer terror can produce, I raced over to Kinky, clamped my hand over his drool-glazed mouth (eeuw!), and shook him till his eyes were wide and spooked-looking.

“My landlady is here,” I whispered into his ear, my words crackling with extreme urgency. “You and Robot and Lyle need to stay out of sight and keep quiet. Okay?”

He nodded solemnly and I let go of his mouth, wiping my hand on my shorts. Kinky crawled over to Robot and performed a similar procedure on him. Robot mumbled, “Bloody hell!” and the two of them crawled off under the sheets. I could hear some loud, sizzling whispers and the snapping and creaking of furniture. Finally the sheets fell motionless and everything became silent.

Bam! Bam! “Hello? Katie?”

Okay. You can do this, I told myself as I kicked several plastic cups out of the way. Just don’t let her in. And if she asks about the furniture . . . say we’re getting the carpet cleaned.

Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door and opened it just wide enough for my face.

“Mrs. Krantz!” I exclaimed, trying to sound surprised. “You’re back.”

“Yes, we are!” she sang out. She grinned and nuzzled Mrs. B with her chin. The cat stared at me with her usual sharp expression. I gulped in spite of myself.

“Well, uh . . . welcome back,” I said nervously, trying to avoid Mrs. B’s laser-eyed gaze.

“Thank you.” Mrs. Krantz grinned at me. “May we come in?” She started to move forward.

Instinctively, I shoved my shoulder into the opening, blocking her entrance.

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