Penny Dreadful by Laurel Snyder

Author:Laurel Snyder [Snyder, Laurel; Halpin, Abigail]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-375-89346-9
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2010-09-28T04:00:00+00:00

Luella was in charge of the list. With a pen Kay had lent her, she marked off ingredient after ingredient with a shout. “Wheat—check! Corn—check! Sugar—check! Beef—check! High fructose corn syrup—check! Cream and butter and jam—check, check, and check!”

Kay came by to oversee the goings-on now and then with a secret smile on her face. Periodically she recited a recipe, in case Luella missed an ingredient from the list. “There’s shredded carrots in the stew. Did you get that? And pineapple in the yams.” Then she’d go back to the kitchen.

Finally Luella cried out, “DONE!” and Penny set down the heavy camera with a relieved groan. According to the little red numbers on the digital display, she’d been recording for just under thirty-seven minutes—thirty-seven minutes of solid eating!

Duncan looked up, startled from his frenzied gluttony. He stared at the piece of paper in his friend’s hand. He seemed puzzled.

“You’re done!” she shouted again. “You have officially tasted every single food on your list. How do you feel?”

“Yeah, how do you feel?” Penny repeated, leaning in to peer at her new friend.

Duncan smiled. “I feel—” Then his eyes crossed as his stomach gave a terrible rumble, and his smile disappeared. “Actually, I feel—not so good.” He rubbed his belly. “I feel awful.”

As Luella and Penny watched, concerned, Duncan groaned and slumped down sideways so that he was lying flat in the booth. He let out a terrible moan and rolled onto the floor beneath the table. “I think I’m sick. I mean it. Oh, man. I’m going to die. And then my parents are going to kill me.” He closed his eyes.

“Oh no,” said Luella, sliding from the booth and kneeling beside her friend’s head. She felt his forehead. It felt clammy. “Oh no!”

Duncan groaned again, louder, and his eyelids flickered.

Luella slapped his face and he cried out.

Penny watched in horror, frozen. This was all her fault. It had been her idea. “Luella!” she said. “What can we do?”

Luella said nothing. She just stared down at Duncan, horizontal on the floor beside her.

Suddenly Penny stood up in the booth. They needed a grown-up immediately. “Kay!” she shouted. “Kay, help! HELP!”

The woman ran in from the kitchen, wiping her hands with a dish towel. “What? What? Is someone choking? What is it?”

“Quick! Where’s the nearest hospital?” cried Penny.

“Wha? Hospital? What for?” asked Kay, looking seriously worried. “What’s going on?” She looked down at Duncan.

“No time to explain,” cried Luella. “The hospital is all the way in North Junction. Too far. We just need to get him to Dr. Sanchez!” She pulled on his arm. “Here, help me get him up!”

“Hospital? Doctor? What are you kids saying?” asked Kay frantically. “Slow down. What happened? Did he slip and fall?”

“No!” said Penny. “He just lay down and began to moan. We think it’s his allergies! There’s no time to lose. We need a doctor now!”

Kay calmly crouched down and pulled Duncan to a sitting position. She put a hand to his forehead. “You going to be okay, Dunc? Tell me—where’s it hurt?” She gently helped him back up and into the booth.

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