Horrid Henry's Horrid Weekend

Horrid Henry's Horrid Weekend “ NOOoooOoo0! ” screamed Horrid Henry. “ I don't want to spend the weekend with Steve. ” “ Don't be horrid, Henry, ” said Mom. “ It’s very kind of Aunt Ruby to invite us down for the weekend. ” “ But I hate Aunt Ruby! ” shrieked Henry. “ And I hate Steve and I hate you! ” " I can't wait to go, ” said Perfect Peter. “ Shut up, Peter! ” howled Henry. “ Don't tell your brother to shut up, ” shouted Mom. “ Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! ” And Horrid Henry fell to the floor wailing and screaming and kicking.

Stuck-Up Steve was Horrid Henry’s hideous cousin. Steve hated Henry. Henry hated him. The last time Henry had seen Steve, Henry had tricked him into thinking there was a monster under his bed. Steve had sworn revenge. Then there was the other time at the restaurant when. . . well, Horrid Henry thought it would be a good idea to avoid Steve until his cousin was grown-up and in prison for crimes against humanity. And now his mean, horrible parents were forcing him to spend a whole precious weekend with the toadiest, wormiest, smelliest boy who ever slimed out of a swamp. Mom sighed. “ We're going and that's that. Ruby says Steve is having a lovely friend over so that should be extra fun. ” Henry stopped screaming and kicking. Maybe Steve's friend wouldn't be a stuck-up monster.

Maybe he'd been forced to waste his weekend with Steve too. After all, who'd volunteer to spend time with Steve? Maybe together they could squish Stuck-Up Steve once and for all. Ding dong. Horrid Henry, Perfect Peter, Mom, and Dad stood outside Rich Aunt Ruby’s enormous house on a gray, drizzly day. Steve opened the massive front door. “ Oh, ” he sneered. “ It's you. " Steve opened the present Mom had brought. It was a small flashlight. Steve put it down. “ I already have a much better one, " he said. “ Oh, ” said Mom. Another boy stood beside him. A boy who looked vaguely familiar. A boy. . . Horrid Henry gasped. Oh no. It was Bill. Bossy Bill. The horrible son of Dad’s boss. Henry had once tricked Bill into photocopying his bottom. Bill had sworn revenge. Horrid Henry’s insides turned to jelly. Trust Stuck-Up Steve to be friends with Bossy Bill. It was bad enough being trapped in a house with one archenemy. Now he was stuck in a house with two. . .

Stuck-Up Steve scowled at Henry. “ You're wearing that old shirt of mine, " he said. “ Don't your parents ever buy you new clothes?" Bossy Bill snorted. “ Steve, ” said Aunt Ruby. “ Don't be rude. ” “ I wasn't, ” said Steve. “ I was just asking. No harm in asking, is there?” “ No, ” said Horrid Henry. He smiled at Steve. “ So when will Aunt Ruby buy you a new face?” “ Henry, ” said Mom. “ Don't be rude. ” " I was just asking, ” said Henry. “ No harm in asking, is there?” he added, glaring at Steve. Steve glared back. Aunt Ruby beamed. “ Henry, Steve and Bill are taking you to their friend Tim’s paintballing party. " “ Won't that be fun, ” said Mom. Peter looked frightened. “ Don't worry, Peter, ” said Aunt Ruby, “ you can help me plant seedlings while the older boys are out. "

Peter beamed. “ Thank you, " he said. “ I don't like paintballing. Too messy and scary. ” Paintballing! Horrid Henry loved paintballing. The chance to splat Steve and Bill with ooey gooey globs of paint. . . hmmm, maybe the weekend was looking up. “ Great! ” said Horrid Henry. “ How nice, ” said Rich Aunt Ruby, “ you boys already know each other. Think how much fun you're all going to have sharing Steve’s bedroom together. " Uh-oh, thought Horrid Henry. “ Yeah! ” said Stuck-Up Steve. “ We're looking forward to sharing a room with Henry. ” His piggy eyes gleamed. “ Yeah! ” said Bossy Bill. “ I can't wait. ” His piggy eyes gleamed.