15. Tickle Fight!

TICKLE FIGHT! 15 There was a loud CRUNCH as the wrecking ball smashed into the swing set and ripped it from the ground. Sam, Antonio, and Lucy dove behind the monkey bars. They could hear the wrecking ball slicing through the air. Suddenly, Antonio started laughing. "What's so funny?" Lucy exclaimed. "This is no time for laughing! Orson is trying to bash us!"

"I— I— I don't mean to!" Antonio said. He was laughing so hard that he could barely speak. "It's Squeakers! She crawled up my shirt! Her feet tickle!" Squeakers darted out through Antonio's collar. She scampered into his lap. Antonio scooped her up and caught his breath. "Wait a second," Sam said. "Didn't we read that Lucy finished Sam's thought. "Orson was terribly ticklish! Maybe Squeakers can help us again!" she said. In a flash, Antonio was racing toward the truck. The wrecking ball swung over his head as he set Squeakers down in the grass. Squeakers scrambled atop the truck.

Antonio stepped back. Squeakers was darting in and out of the truck, around the crane, and scampering along the roof. The engine let out a howling, high-pitched squeal. Sam realized it sounded like laughter. The truck is giggling! "It's working!" Lucy said. "Squeakers is tickling Orson Eerie— and I bet she doesn't even know it!" Sam exclaimed. The wrecking ball swung wildly. The engine let out more loud, terrifying, crazed laughter. And then—

CLINK. CLINK. CLINK. The wrecking ball was lifted high into the air. The crane swung, and the ball was directly above the truck. "Orson is going to use the wrecking ball on Squeakers!" Lucy shouted. "No!" Antonio cried. "My little buddy will be smashed!" "This truck has done enough damage to the school," Sam said. "It's time for it to damage itself! But first, I'll save Squeakers!"

"It's too dangerous!" Lucy exclaimed. Sam raced forward. He leapt past the broken playground equipment. He bounded onto the truck. The cold metal chilled him to his core. "Get down from there!" Antonio called out. But Sam knew this was their one chance to defeat the wrecking ball. "Squeakers! Come here!" Sam said. He reached across the roof for the speeding hamster.

"The ball is about to drop!" Antonio cried. Sam looked up. He saw the huge metal ball above him. Suddenly, Sam began giggling. Squeakers had darted up his jacket sleeve. An instant later, the tiny hamster's face poked out. Sam grabbed her. And just in time. "Gotcha!" Sam said. Sam tucked his hands over his chest and dove onto the damp grass.