9. The Last Laugh

Chapter 9 The Last Laugh Hypo looked at Bradley. "May I ask why you want to borrow my duck?" he said. Bradley grinned and explained his plan. "I love it!" Hypo said when Bradley had finished. "I'll even drive you home. But you have to promise that I can watch!" Brian, Nate, and Lucy loved the idea, too. Five minutes later, they were all piled in Hypo's car

with Darlene. Pal gave Darlene a doggy kiss in the backseat. Bradley gave Hypo directions to his house. "Park behind the barn so Mom and Dad won't see us," Brian told Hypo. "Then we can all sneak in the back door." The four kids, Pal, and Hypo, who was carrying Darlene, tiptoed into the house. Bradley peeked into the living room. His parents and Josh were playing cards. Bradley led the others quietly up the stairs. They crept into his bedroom and closed the door. "This is more fun than hypnotizing people!" Hypo said. "Where can I hide?" "In my closet," Brian said. "Just kick my stuff out of the way." But first, he pulled down the covers on his bed. Bradley grabbed Brian's I'M BRIAN T-shirt off the floor and put it on Darlene. She let out a soft quack. "She looks so cute in it!" Lucy said. "Yeah, much cuter than Brian when he wears it," Nate said.

Hypo settled Darlene in Brian's bed. He pulled the covers over her head. "No quacking," Hypo told Darlene. Brian hid under his bed with Pal. Hypo, Nate, and Lucy squeezed into the closet. "Okay, I'll be right back," Bradley whispered. "No giggling!" Nate giggled. Bradley ran down the stairs. He burst into the living room. "Mom! Dad!" he cried. "Something is wrong with Brian! He's in bed making awful sounds!" Bradley's parents dropped their cards and followed Bradley up the stairs. Josh was right behind them, chomping on a cookie. They ran into the twins' bedroom. "See, there he is!" Bradley said, pointing to the lump under Brian's blanket. Bradley's mother pulled the blanket back. "Brian, what are you do—" she started to say. But it wasn't Brian looking back at her.

It was Darlene, the duck. Darlene looked at Mrs. Pinto. Mrs. Pinto looked at Darlene. Under the bed, Brian let out a loud "QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!" Josh burst out laughing. "They got you back, Mom!" he yelled. Then everyone laughed. Nate, Lucy, and Hypo piled out of the closet. They were red from trying not to laugh. The only two not laughing were Darlene and Pal. They just looked at each other as if to say, "Humans are strange!"