3 What About BOB

WHAT ABOUT B.O.B.?

At school on Tuesday, Stink tapped Sophie of the Elves on the shoulder. "Hey, So—" Sophie turned around. She had smears and smudges of green all over her face. And green streaks in her hair. "Why is your face green?" Stink asked. "Face paint," said Sophie. "I couldn't get it all off." "Why were you wearing green face paint?" "Zombie," Sophie whispered, and turned back around. Stink almost jumped out of his seat. "Zombie! You're into zombies, too?" "Of corpse," said Sophie. "Shh! Mrs. D.'s looking. Talk later."

At lunch, Stink and Webster sat across from Sophie. Stink took out his baloney sandwich. With ketchup. "Welcome to the vomiteria," said Sophie. Stink and Webster cracked up. "Wouldn't it be weird if all of a sudden the cafeteria served brains?" Suddenly Stink's pink baloney and red ketchup did not look so good. "Freaky-zeaky," said Stink. He munched on a dried apple instead. Sophie opened her lunch box. She took out one cheese sandwich, carrot sticks, a box of raisins, and a... zombie! "Meet Zombalina!" said Sophie. Stink and Webster stared at a four-inch fairy with a ghost-white face, black-rimmed eyes, and freaked-out hair. Her skirt was made of bloodstreaked Band-Aids. "What happened to Blossomina, Rider of Unicorns and Friend to All Elves, who rids the world of evil sprites?"

"Sprites, schmites," said Sophie. "Blossomina is Zombalina now!" "Since when?" "Since I read Nightmare on Zombie Street Books One and Two this weekend."

"Do you know about the Midnight Zombie Walk at the Blue Frog Bookstore this Saturday?" asked Webster. "Why do you think I have green paint on my face? I've been trying to figure out a zombie costume to wear." Riley Rottenberger butted in. "I'm going as a prom queen zombie." "Do you even know what a zombie is?" Stink asked. "It's like a princess," said Riley, "only she wears black instead of pink." "A dead princess," said Sophie. "Do we have enough money for the books yet?" Webster asked Stink. "Let's see." Stink ticked it off on his fingers. "We have four dollars from Missy, ten dollars from your birthday money, my five-dollar-off coupon..." "That's not enough for two books," said Sophie. "Plus the two dollars we got in quarters if we don't pay Judy back, plus the one dollar we put in the dish. If you count in my allowance, that's more than twenty-five dollars and ninety-eight cents."

"Yesss! We are so there!" said Webster. Just then, the principal came into the lunchroom. "Boys and girls," said Ms. Tuxedo. "I have some exciting news. We just reached nine hundred seventy-six thousand four hundred thirty-three minutes of reading!" The cafeteria exploded with clapping and cheering. "Only twenty-three thousand five hundred sixty- seven more minutes to go. Now, I know many of you have been reading the Zombie series, and there's a new one coming out on Saturday, so I would like to declare this Friday Read to a Zombie Day."