15-I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GO TO THE DENTIST

I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GO TO THE DENTIST The party continued late into the night. More dancing. More eating. Where did these rodents get all their energy? I wondered. I was so tired, I could barely stand on my paws. My head was pounding from the loud music. I stood in a corner of the room, staring at the clock. I know I sound like a party poopmouse, but I was beat! Finally, at five o'clock in the morning, the party ended. I spotted Boris and Tina strolling through the cemetery paw in paw. "What a charming backyard," Tina commented.

Boris nodded. He gazed lovingly at the many tombstones. "My clients tell me it's to die for," he snickered. The two mice burst out in peals of laughter. Then they climbed into Boris's black hearse. "Bye-bye, Geronimo!" Tina yelled out the window. "Boris and I are going on a little vacation to Transratania!" I gulped. Transratania is a very spooky place. Some believe it's crawling with vampires. Just then, Creepella appeared at my side. She batted her eyelashes at me. "Geronimo, I just had the most fabumouse idea!" she squeaked. "Why don't we go to Transratania, too? I hear it's very romantic." My fur broke out in a sweat. I did not want to go to Transratania with Creepella. I

did not want to go anywhere with Creepella. But what could I say? She was so pushy. She was so demanding. She was so creepy. I chewed my whiskers, deep in thought. Meanwhile, Creepella put her paw around my shoulder. She was grinning like a CAT who has just swallowed a mouse. I stared at her little pointy teeth. That's when I got an idea. "Cheese niblets!" I squeaked. "I just remembered I have a very important appointment. Yes, I have an emergency dentist appointment. I must leave right away," I added. Creepella patted my paw, concerned. "Oh, poor Cheesy Puff," she crooned. "Do you have a toothache?" "No," I answered without thinking. Oops. I didn't mean to say that. I think it was her calling me Cheesy Puff again that threw me.

I hate it when rodents call me nicknames. I mean, my name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton. What's so hard about that? I turned to Creepella. I told her the dentist needed to do an emergency cleaning. "At five o'clock in the morning?" Creepella asked. I nodded. After all, a mouse's health is nothing to squeak about. I gave her a quick hug. Then I jumped in a taxi and left. Back home, I triple-locked my door. I breathed a big sigh of relief. It felt so good to be home. Away from the party. Away from the cemetery. Away from Creepella. I crawled into my bed and pulled the covers up to my snout. Ah, alone at last. At that moment, the phone rang. I looked at it. What if it was her? What if

it was that creepy mouse? Oh, why couldn't she leave me alone? Ring, ring. Ring, ring! I couldn't take it anymore. "Stilton speaking, Geronimo Stilton!" I barked into the phone. But it wasn't Creepella. It was my sales manager, Shif T. Paws. "Geronimo! The book!!! It's on the list!" he shouted. I was so tired I couldn't think straight. "What list? What book?" I mumbled. Shif laughed. "Your book! Your HALLOWEEN book!" he squeaked. "It's on the top of the bestseller list! We're gonna be rich!"

Rich? I grinned. Maybe HALLOWEEN isn't such a bad holiday after all, I decided. I mean, it's not all about being SCARED out of your fur. It's also about doing things with your friends and family. Thea and I always had fun carving out pumpkins when we were young mice. And Trap used to help me with my costume. One time, I dressed up as a mummy. One time, I was a GHOST. And once, I even went as a giant book. Now, that was one good story!