Monster Blood IV

5

Andy pulled the can from Evan’s reach.

And twisted it open.

“NOOOO!” Evan shrieked.

She tilted the can so that he could see inside.

Empty.

She laughed and tossed the can aside. “April Fools’!”

“But it isn’t April!” Kermit declared.

Evan gulped — and felt something pinch his ear. The tarantula! The Monster Blood can had frightened him so much, he’d forgotten about the creatures crawling over his body.

“Uh-oh. Now you’ve excited them!” Kermit warned. “I think we’re going to learn how painful a tarantula bite can be.”

Evan froze. He signaled frantically with his eyes for Andy to help him.

“Okay, okay,” she said finally. She stepped up to Evan and plucked the tarantula off his head.

“You’re ruining the experiment!” Kermit protested.

Andy pulled the other tarantula off Evan’s arm. She handed them to Kermit.

Grumbling to himself, Kermit dropped them into the glass jar. Then he scribbled some notes in a notebook.

Evan glared angrily at his cousin, clenching his hands into tight fists. The tarantulas were gone, but his skin still prickled. “Let’s get the Super-Soakers,” he growled.

He couldn’t wait to drench Kermit. He wanted to soak the little freak, to make him sputter and choke and shiver and shake until he begged for mercy.

And then Evan would really let him have it!

“It’s kind of cold out for a water fight,” Kermit said.

“I don’t care,” Evan growled. “Let’s go.”

He turned to Andy. She swung her backpack away and zipped it before he could see what was inside.

“What else have you got in there?” Evan demanded. “More dumb jokes?”

She sneered. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

“Do you have more Monster Blood in there?” His voice cracked. “Do you have real Monster Blood?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she repeated, hugging the backpack to her side.

Maybe I’ll soak her too, Evan thought. She’s asking for it. “Come on outside,” he told her. “You can just watch.”

“Like I believe you,” she replied, rolling her eyes again. “I’ll wait in here and do my homework. No way am I getting wet.”

Evan eyed the backpack intently. Did she have a real can of Monster Blood in there? Did she?

Please — let the answer be no! he prayed as he led Kermit to the backyard.

They filled their squirt-gun canisters from the garden hose behind the garage. And the chase was on.

Kermit ran. Evan fired first. The Super-Soaker sprayed a stream of water over Kermit’s head.

Evan lowered the squirt gun, and the water stream bounced off the back of Kermit’s down jacket.

Evan pumped hard and kept the water flowing, squeezing the trigger again. Again. He raised the spray and caught Kermit in the back of the neck.

Kermit let out a yipe as the cold water ran down his back.

He spun around. And shot a stream of water in Evan’s direction.

Evan dropped to his knees on the grass. The water stream flew over him.

He pulled the trigger and sent water splashing down the front of Kermit’s jacket.

“Yo! Hey—!” A booming voice made Evan spin around.

“Conan—!” Evan cried.

Kermit sent a spray of icy water into the back of Evan’s head.

Evan jumped up and staggered forward. “Kermit — stop!” He caught his balance before he bumped into Conan.

“You trying to get my new sneakers wet?” Conan snarled.

“No. No way,” Evan replied. He lowered his Super-Soaker to his side.

Kermit stepped up beside Evan. “Give us a break, Conan,” Kermit said. “Evan isn’t afraid of you!”

“Oh, yeah?” Conan replied menacingly.

“Evan says he can take you down any day,” Kermit boasted.

“I did not say that!” Evan cried. “Kermit — what is your problem?”

He turned to Conan. “I didn’t say that. Really. My cousin is a little mixed up. You know. From the fumes. All those chemicals he fools around with.”

Conan shook his beefy head. “You guys are really asking for it,” he muttered angrily. He took a step toward Evan.

Evan gulped. He felt his Super-Soaker move.

He turned — and saw that Kermit had reached behind him.

Kermit was pushing up Evan’s squirt gun.

Before Evan could jerk it away, Kermit pulled the trigger.

And a stream of water poured out over Conan’s new sneakers.