On top of the camera.
9
“Does this mean I’m off the paper?” I asked meekly.
Tasha scowled and turned the camera over in her hands. “The lens is cracked,” she murmured, shaking her head. “The whole camera is soaked and bent.” Her voice trembled. “It—it’s wrecked.”
“It really wasn’t my fault,” I said softly.
She angrily blew a strand of red hair off her forehead. “You’ll pay for it!” she cried. “You’ll pay for the camera, Ricky. If you don’t, my father will sue you!”
“But, Tasha—” I pleaded. “You know it wasn’t my fault!”
“Go away,” she snapped. “Just go away. Nothing is ever your fault—right?”
“Well… it wasn’t,” I insisted. “If you’d listen to me, Tasha—”
“You’re just bad news, Ricky,” she said, scowling at me again. She examined the broken camera one more time, then dropped it onto a desk.
“You don’t take anything seriously,” she accused. “You think everything is a goof.”
“But, Tasha—” I started to plead.
“Go away,” she said. “That was your last chance. You didn’t deserve it. You’re just a creep. Why do you think all the kids call you Ricky Rat? Because that’s what you are—a little rodent!”
Those words really stung.
I felt a stab of pain in my chest. I struggled to breathe.
I spun around so that Tasha couldn’t see how upset I was. And I hurried out of the room and out of the school.
As I ran across the playground, I heard kids at the car wash singing and laughing. They were soaping up cars, spraying them clean, having a great time.
As I passed by, I heard some kids start to chant, “Sicky Ricky, Sicky Ricky.” And I heard some other kids laugh.
I turned my head away and kept running. I knew that by Monday, Tasha would have told everyone about how I ruined her father’s camera.
The story would be all over school. Everyone would know how Ricky Rat had messed up again.
Running home with Tasha’s words still in my ears, I felt more angry with each step. I wanted to scream. I wanted to explode!
That’s when I decided to pay Tasha back.
That’s when I decided to play a mean joke.
Creep… creep… creep…
The word repeated and repeated in my mind.
Ricky, you’re just a creep. Just a little rodent.
You’ll pay, Ricky. If you don’t, my father will SUE you!
Rodent. Rodent. Rodent.
She had no right to call me that. It wasn’t fair.
I had been so hurt, so angry. But by the time I reached home, I was smiling. I knew what I wanted to do. I knew how I was going to take my revenge.
I had my plan all worked out in my mind.
It couldn’t fail. It couldn’t.
So, here I am.
Monday night. I sneaked into the classroom where Tasha and Ms. Richards were working.
I gleefully typed my little message on the bottom of the front page of the newspaper.
I knew I had to hurry. Tasha and Ms. Richards would return any second.
I listened tensely for any sound, for any sign that they were near.
I had never been so nervous in all my life. But I also had a smile on my face.
Ricky, they all think you’re a loser. But you’re a genius! I congratulated myself.
Only you could have dreamed up such a wonderful, nasty revenge.
Glancing up at the doorway every two seconds, I finished typing in my message for Harding Middle School newspaper readers:
Calling All Creeps. Calling All Creeps. If you’re a real Creep, call Tasha at 555-6709 after midnight.
I read it over. It made me smile again.
I felt like jumping up and down and laughing out loud.
But I knew I couldn’t make a sound.
I stood up. Turned to the window. Started to make my escape.
Halfway to the window, I heard Tasha cough and step into the room.
I was caught.
10
I froze.
So close, I thought. So close. The window stood only five steps away. Five steps—and I would have been out of there.
But the five steps seemed as far as five miles now!
I shut my eyes and waited for Tasha to cry out.
Instead, I heard Ms. Richards’ voice from out in the hall. “Tasha—would you come here for a moment?”
I opened my eyes in time to see Tasha disappear back out the door.
Had she seen me? No. No way. She would have screamed.
Whewwwwww! I let out a long sigh—and dove out the window.
I landed on my elbows and knees. Scrambled frantically to my feet. And started running.
I didn’t even bother to close the window. Too risky, I decided.
For the third time in four days, I ran all the way home.
On Friday and Saturday I ran home a disgrace, a loser, a creep.
Tonight I ran home a winner. A champion! A genius!
I let myself silently into the house. I could hear voices from the TV in the den. Mom and Dad were still watching the Weather Channel.
I listened for a moment in the front hallway, catching my breath. Bad storms in the Pacific Northwest… flood warnings…
A few weeks ago, I tried to get Mom and Dad to switch channels to MTV. But they hated MTV because it never gave the weather.
I felt so happy, so excited. I wanted to rush into the den and tell them about my great joke.
But, of course, I couldn’t do that.
Instead, I made my way silently up to my room and closed the door.
Who could I call? I had to call someone. I had to share my little secret with someone. But who?
Iris.
Yes. Iris. She would appreciate it. Iris would understand.
My heart pounding, I reached for my phone. It took me a while to remember Iris’ last name. I had only heard it once. Chandler? Candle? Candler. Yes. Iris Candler.
I got the phone number from information and called her. The phone rang once. Twice. Iris picked it up after the third ring.
We both said hello. She sounded surprised to hear from me.
“Guess where I went tonight?” I asked her. But I didn’t wait for her to guess. I blurted out the whole story. It all just burst out of me. I don’t think I took a breath!
“Is that great or what?” I demanded when I had told her every detail. I laughed. “The paper comes out tomorrow,” I said. “Tasha won’t be sleeping much tomorrow night. She’ll be getting calls all night from every kid in school!”
I waited for Iris to laugh. But I heard only a long silence on her end of the line.
“Don’t you think it’s funny?” I asked finally.
“Kind of,” she replied. “But I have a bad feeling about it, Ricky. A very bad feeling.”
“Iris, it’s just a joke,” I told her. “What could go wrong?”
11
When I arrived at school the next morning, guess who I saw first.
You’re right. Tasha.
She turned her nose up as if she smelled rotten fish. Then she hurried past me without saying a word.
I didn’t care. I thought about my little surprise for Tasha on the bottom of the Herald’s front page. I knew it would keep me smiling all day.
Believe me, I needed something to smile about.
As I turned the corner to go to my locker, Josh and Greg, two kids from my class, deliberately bumped into me. “Ricky, stop bumping into me,” Josh said.
Greg bumped me again. Then he pushed me into Josh.
“Hey—give me a break! I said stop bumping into me!” Josh cried.
“Get a life,” I muttered. I dodged away from them.
They walked off laughing, bumping each other from one side of the hall to the other.
Funny guys, huh? About as funny as a broken arm.
I pulled open my locker and starte
d unloading books from my backpack.
“Hey, Ricky—want to wash my dad’s car?” a kid named Tony shouted from across the hall.
I had my head in my locker. I didn’t look around.
I heard kids laughing at Tony’s hilarious joke.
“Hey, Ricky—want to wash something?” Tony called. “Wash your face!”
What a joker.
Everyone laughed again.
I slammed my locker door and walked past them without saying a word. This is all Tasha’s fault, I told myself. But I’m going to have the last laugh tonight.
I turned the corner and headed to class. I saw Brenda and Wart at the water fountain against the wall. I tried to run past them. But I wasn’t fast enough.
Brenda pressed her hand over the fountain—and shot a spray of cold water onto the front of my shirt.
“Have a squirt—Squirt!” Wart called.
Big laughter, up and down the hall.
“My dad is suing you for wrecking his car!”
Wart called. “He’s suing your family for every penny they’ve got!”
“Tell him to get in line,” I muttered under my breath.
“Ricky Rat! Ricky Rat!” someone chanted.
Welcome to “Pick on Ricky Day” at Harding Middle School.
Unfortunately, every day is “Pick on Ricky Day.”
But today I didn’t care. Today I knew I’d end up a winner.
Today the joke was on Tasha. The student newspaper would be handed out this afternoon. And Tasha would be up all night, answering phone calls.
Sweet, sweet revenge was mine.
That night I had to go out for dinner with my parents and my cousins who live across town. Mom and Dad didn’t bring me home until nine thirty, and I had about two hours of homework to do.
So I didn’t tuck myself into bed until nearly twelve—very late for a school night.
I just started to drift off to sleep when the phone beside my bed rang.
I squinted at my clock radio—two minutes until twelve.
“Now who would call this late?” I asked myself.
12
I fumbled for the phone in the dark. Knocked it off the bed table. It clattered loudly onto the floor.
I dove out of bed and grabbed the receiver. Then I hunched on my knees, listening for Mom and Dad. Did they hear the phone ring? I’m not allowed to get calls after ten o’clock.
I cleared my throat and raised the phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Ricky—it’s me. Iris.”
I glanced at my clock radio again. “Iris? It’s midnight. How come you’re calling so late?” I asked. “Are you okay?”
“My father was on the phone practically the whole night. Ricky—did you see the school paper?” she demanded in an urgent whisper.
“Huh? No,” I replied, climbing onto the edge of my bed. “When they started to pass out the newspapers, I got called to the library. The librarian wanted to ask me about a bunch of books I lost. When I came back to the room, all the papers were gone.”
“So you didn’t see the paper?” Iris asked shrilly.
“No,” I repeated. “I didn’t get my copy. Is it great? Can you read the message at the bottom okay?”
“Well…” Iris hesitated.
“Is it great?” I asked excitedly.
“Not exactly,” Iris replied softly. “Actually, Ricky, you’re in… major trouble.”
“I’m what?” I squeezed the phone to my ear. She was talking so softly, I could barely hear her. “Iris… I’m what?”
“In major trouble,” she repeated.
A chill swept down my back. “Major trouble? But—why, Iris? What do you m-mean?” I sputtered.
“The message—” she started.
Then she stopped. Silence on the other end.
“Iris—I can’t hear you!” I said. “Iris—?”
“Uh-oh,” she murmured. “I’ve got to get off. My dad is screaming at me.”
“But, Iris—” I insisted. “Why am I in trouble? You’ve got to tell me!”
“I’m getting off!” I heard her call to her father. “It was only a short call, Dad. I know it’s midnight!”
“Iris, please—tell me. Tell me before you hang up!” I begged.
“Got to go. Bye,” she said. I heard a click. The line went dead.
I slammed the receiver down angrily. What was her problem? Why couldn’t she tell me why I was in trouble?
I slid the phone back in place beside the clock radio and climbed into bed. I punched my pillow a few times, puffing it up. Then I pulled the blankets up to my chin.
I shut my eyes and tried to calm down enough to fall asleep.
The phone rang again.
I sat straight up with a startled gasp. This time I managed to pick up the phone without knocking it to the floor.
“Iris, thanks for calling me back,” I whispered.
“I saw your message in the school newspaper,” a voice whispered.
“Iris—?” I swallowed hard. I knew it wasn’t Iris.
“I saw your message,” the voice whispered. “I am calling as you instructed.”
“Huh? You’re calling me?” I cried.
“Yes. I’m following your instructions,” came the whispered reply.
“Hey—who is this?” I demanded.
“I’m a Creep.”
13
I slammed down the phone.
Then I settled back into my bed. I puffed up my pillows again, and pulled the blanket over my shoulders.
The wind howled outside my bedroom window. Shadows cast by the street lamp in front of our house danced over my wall.
My brain was spinning.
Who was that?
I couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like a boy. Why did he call me? The message I put in the newspaper gave Tasha’s phone number.
I didn’t have long to think about it. The phone rang again.
I grabbed up the receiver before the first ring ended. My eyes shot to the bedroom door. If Mom or Dad heard me getting these calls, I’d really be in major trouble!
“Hello? Who is it?” I demanded.
“Hi. I’m a Creep.” A different voice. A boy. Speaking softly.
“Huh?” I gasped.
“I’m a Creep. I called as soon as I saw your orders.”
“Give me a break!” I cried. I slammed down the phone.
“What is going on?” I muttered out loud. I sat staring at the phone. Watching it in the dim light. Waiting.
Was it going to ring again?
“Ricky—!” a voice boomed.
I jumped a mile.
The ceiling light clicked on. Dad stood in the doorway in his blue-and-white striped pajamas. He scratched his cheek. “Ricky—what are all those calls about?” he demanded.
I shrugged. “Calls?”
He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously. “I heard the phone ring three times,” he growled.
“Oh. You mean those calls!” I tried to sound innocent. But I knew I didn’t stand a chance.
“You know you’re not allowed to get calls after ten,” Dad said sharply. He yawned. “It is after midnight. Now who is calling so late?”
“It’s some kind of a joke,” I told him. “You know. Kids from school.”
He brushed his sandy hair off his forehead. “I don’t think it’s funny,” he said.
I lowered my head. “I know. But it isn’t my fault—”
He raised a hand to silence me. “Tell your friends to stop,” he said. “I mean it. If they keep calling so late, I’ll have to take your phone away.”
“I’ll tell them,” I promised.
I’d tell them to stop, I thought, if I knew who they were!
Dad yawned again. He has the loudest yawn in the world. It sounds more like a roar.
When he finished yawning, he clicked off the light and disappeared back to his room.
As soon as he left, the phone rang again.
“Please—” I started.
“I’m a Creep,” a whispered voice told me. A girl this time. “I saw your message. I’m ready. Ready to plant. Ready to rule. When will the Creeps meet?”
“Huh? Meet?” I didn’t wait for an answer. I hung up the phone.
Staring at the phone, I felt totally confused.
Why am I getting all these calls? I wondered.
Is there some kind of a mix-up?
And why are the calls so strange? Why did that girl say she’s ready to plant? Ready to rule?
What is going on?
The phone rang again…
14
The next morning, I dragged myself to school. The phone hadn’t stopped ringing until two in the morning. That’s when I took it off the hook. I spent the rest of the night twisting and turning, thinking about all the weird calls.
I didn’t fall asleep until seven. Which is the time my alarm goes off to wake me up!
At breakfast, my head nearly dropped into my corn flakes. I just wanted to go back to bed. But Mom and Dad didn’t feel sorry for me at all.
They were furious. The ringing phone had kept them awake too.
“You tell those kids not to call again,” Mom warned. “Or else I’ll go in to your school and tell them myself!”
“No—please!” I begged. “I’ll tell them. I’ll tell them this morning! They won’t call again. I promise!”
Can you think of anything more embarrassing than having your mom come to school, barge into your classroom, and lecture the kids in your class?
They already make fun of me every day and call me “Sicky Ricky.” Can you imagine what they would call me if my mom came to school and yelled at them all?
Whoa!
Just thinking about it gave me icy chills.
It took all my strength to pull myself to school and slump through the crowded hall to my locker.
“There you are!” Iris cried.
I saw her waiting across from my locker. She wore a loose plaid shirt over navy blue corduroy pants. Her long plastic earrings jangled softly.
She had been leaning against the tile wall. Now she pushed through a group of girls to get to me. “Here, Ricky. Take a look.”