Page 8 (1/1)

I was still standing guard when Wanda ca She didn’t see s full of stuff "Whoooooo, " I said in h!" she squeaked "Don’t do that, Aras?" I said, flapping my arms like Ed, " said Wanda, which was obvi ously a lie A big lie Then she tried to change the subject "Anyhat are you doing there?" "I auard, " I told her "Why?" I was about to tell her that I was stopping our best ghost froe crash caured Sir Horace would be safe because at least now I knehere Ned and Jed were They were in the first-kitchen-on the-right-just-before-the-laundry-rooht-just-before-the laundry-room is where Aunt Tabby keeps stacks of plates--but not anyot there the door flew open with a bang and a strea out and hit the wall opposite Smash, smash, smash, smash, smash, s bags and I aetting squashed I can hear the sound of squashed cheese and onion chips from miles away We took cover until the plates had stopped, then we peered around the door Yes, you guessed it--Ned and Jed were sitting at the kitchen table, grinning, in the middle of a sea of broken plates I added the plates to the Things that Aunt Tabby Will Not Like When She Coirls, " they said of -118

A couple plates zoo saucers "Don’t you dare!" I told them Very slowly, the plates flew back into the kitchen and settled down onto the last teeter ing stack "Why don’t you go and haunt somewhere else?" said Wanda, furious "Why should we? We like it here, " said Jed--or was it Ned? "In fact we like it here so much that we have decided to stay, " said Ned--or was it Jed? "Well, in that case, you can stay in here, " I said and I sla Inside the room there was a massive crash "Oops, " said Wanda "That’s the rest of the plates " "Well, at least those two ghosts didn’t have the fun of s them, " I said, then I locked the door and left the key in the lock

"They can stay in there now, " I told Wanda "Good riddance " "But they are ghosts, Arah doors " "They wouldn’t dare, " I said

Wanda had done soummy bears, three tins of baked beans, some cheese, a packet of Choco- Drop Krackles, and a whole ton of bananas There were only two teeny bags of cheese and onion chips plus a whole bunch of stuff that for so When I asked Wanda why I couldn’t see it she said that Mathilda had told her that I mustn’t

Suddenly it seemed that now Wanda was Mathilda’s best, best friend Huh Wanda cooked lunch We had sliced bananas and baked beans, which Wanda mixed up in a saucepan It was quite nice, really Wanda stirred soummy bears into hers and sprinkled cheese on top I had s of squashed cheese and onion chips and some Choco-Drop Krackles sprinkled on top When we had finished I felt a bit sick, and Wanda said she did too, so we decided to go upstairs and read for a while We crept by the first-kitchen-on-the-right-just-before-the laundry-rooood, but Wanda pointed out that it didn’t mean that Ned and Jed were still in there And because Wanda is Miss Nosy Bucket, she tried the door--it was unlocked

But Ned and Jed were still there--and Mathilda was there too "Oops, sorry, " said Wanda "Wanda, I asked you to keep Araminta out of the way

"Sorry, Mathilda I didn’t know you were in there, " said Wanda "Why is Wanda trying to keep me out of the way?" I asked "That’s not fair "

"Of course it’s fair, " said Mathilda, who I noticed was busy trying to hide a whole flock of shopping bags "Now go away, " she said, and slammed the door Well! I was not happy Not one bit You would think withup the next day my cousin and my so-called friend Wanda Wizzard would try to be a bit nicer I spent the rest of the day in our Wednesday bedroo sick, and if any one had mentioned bananas and baked beans I probably would have been sick But Wanda didn’t care; she disappeared to do secret stuff with Mathilda So that Sir Horace had given lad that Wanda did not know I had it

If she was going to keep secrets with Mathilda, then I would keep et any other birth day presents--which I was pretty sure I wouldn’t, considering how horrible Wanda and Mathilda were being--I didn’twas special Really special