11 SOCK IT TO 'EM

CHAPTER 11 SOCK IT TO 'EM The boss-monster dangled Alexander upside-down over her open mouth. "Noooo!" Rip and Nikki shouted. They ran toward the gloomp but were blocked by a flock of cutterflies. Alexander twisted to try and free himself from the monster's grasp. As he squirmed, he heard a crinkling noise. My gift... he thought.

Alexander unzipped his backpack. Some party invitations fluttered to the floor. He reached in and yanked out his dress socks. The gloomp used her free arm to pick up an invitation. "What have we here?" she asked. "You're having a party? Thanks for inviting me! I loooove birthday cake." While the boss-monster was going on about cake, Alexander tossed all eight socks into the sparkle glue.

GALOOORP-GLOP! The glue shimmered, casting disco-ball sparkles around the room. "Huh?" said the gloomp, with a toothy frown. A brand-new monster flopped out of the vat. A spinning, growling socktopus, the size of a carnival ride. SOCKTOPOS Woven monster made from eight mismatched socks. SNAP! FLAP! SNAP! The socktopus snapped its arms like whips. It immediately wrapped itself around the boss-monster. The gloomp tossed Alexander aside, and began wrestling the socktopus. Socks really are a useful gift! Alexander thought, quickly backing away.

"LET! GO! OF! ME!" the boss-monster bossed in her bossiest voice. The socktopus obeyed. It stretched out in eight directions and became tangled in the beams holding up the ceiling. CRACK! Ms. Vanderpants's beam bent in half. "Uh-oh," said the gloomp. Bricks fell from the ceiling, hitting monsters on their shells, wings, and tails. Alexander, Rip, and Nikki jumped out of the way. "Well done, Alexander!" said Ms. Vanderpants. She wriggled against the bent beam and transformed into a nar-madillo. The beam fell like a tree, pinning the boss-monster to the floor.

"OOF!" The gloomp dropped the notebook. Quick as a ninja. Nikki grabbed it. "You rule, Nikki!" cheered Alexander. A huge section of wall caved in. Sunlight streamed into the factory. "The whole place is falling apart!" Rip shouted. "You have the notebook for now!" the boss- monster roared. "But I will see you tonight —at your weirdo party!" The gloomp wadded up the invitation and swallowed it. "Follow me, students!" said Ms. Vanderpants. She tucked into a ball. Then she barreled through the wall. Alexander, Rip, and Nikki dove after her. A half second later, the entire glue factory collapsed.