Horrid Henry Rocks (3 page)

“What are you doing here?” said Moody Margaret, glaring.

“I'm here for the sleepover,” said Sour Susan, glaring back.

“You were uninvited, remember?” said Margaret.

“And then you invited me again, remember?” snapped Susan.

“Did not.”

“Did too. You told me last week I could come.”

“Did not.”

“Did too. You're such a meanie, Margaret,” scowled Susan. Aaaarrggghh. Why was she friends with such a moody old grouch?

Moody Margaret heaved a heavy sigh. Why was she friends with such a sour old slop bucket?

“Well, since you're here, I guess you'd better come in,” said Margaret. “But don't expect any dessert 'cause there won't be enough for you and my
real
guests.”

Sour Susan stomped inside Margaret's house. Grrrr. She wouldn't be inviting Margaret to her next sleepover party, that's for sure.

Horrid Henry couldn't sleep. He was hot. He was hungry.

“Cookies!” moaned his tummy. “Give me cookies!”

Because Mom and Dad were the meanest, most horrible parents in the world, they'd forgotten to buy more cookies and there wasn't a single solitary crumb in the house. Henry knew because he'd searched everywhere.

“Give me cookies!” growled his tummy. “What are you waiting for?”

I'm going to die of hunger up here, thought Horrid Henry. And it will be all Mom and Dad's fault. They'll come in tomorrow morning and find just a few wisps of hair and some teeth. Then they'd be sorry. Then they'd wail and gnash. But it would be too late.

“How could we have forgotten to buy chocolate cookies?” Dad would sob.

“We deserve to be locked up forever!” Mom would shriek.

“And now there's nothing left of Henry but a tooth, and it's all our fault!” they'd howl.

Humph. Serve them right.

Wait. What an idiot he was. Why should he risk death from starvation when he knew where there was a rich stash of all sorts of yummy cookies waiting just for him?

Moody Margaret's Secret Club tent was sure to be full to bursting with goodies! Horrid Henry hadn't raided it in ages. And so long as he was quick, no one would ever know he'd left the house.

“Go on, Henry,” urged his tummy. “FEED ME!”

Horrid Henry didn't need to be urged twice.

Slowly, quietly, he sneaked out of bed, crept down the stairs, and tiptoed out of the back door. Then quick over the wall, and ta-da, he was in the Secret Club tent. There was Margaret's Secret Club cookie tin, in her pathetic hiding place under a blanket. Ha!

Horrid Henry prized open the lid. Oh wow. It was filled to the brim with Chocolate Fudge Chewies! And those scrumptious Triple Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Squidgies! Henry scooped up a huge handful and stuffed them in his mouth.

Chomp. Chomp. Chomp.

Oh wow. Oh wow. Was there anything more delicious in the whole wide world than a mouthful of stolen cookies?

“More! More! More!” yelped his tummy.

Who was Horrid Henry to say no?

Henry reached in to snatch another mega handful…

BANG! SLAM! BANG!

STOMP! STOMP! STOMP!

“That's too bad, Gurinder,” snapped Margaret's voice. “It's my party so I decide. Hurry up, Susan.”

“I am hurrying,” said Susan's voice.

The footsteps were heading straight for the Secret Club tent.

Yikes. What was Margaret doing outside at this time of night? There wasn't a moment to lose.

Horrid Henry looked around wildly. Where could he hide? There was a wicker chest at the back, where Margaret kept her dress-up clothes. Horrid Henry leaped inside and pulled the lid shut. Hopefully, the girls wouldn't be long and he could escape

home before Mom and Dad discovered he'd been out.

Moody Margaret bustled into the tent, followed by her mother, Gorgeous Gurinder, Kung-Fu Kate, Lazy Linda, Vain Violet, Singing Soraya, and Sour Susan.

“Now, girls, it's late, I want you to go straight to bed, lights out, no talking,” said Margaret's mother. “My little Maggie Moo Moo needs her beauty sleep.”

Ha, thought Horrid Henry. Margaret could sleep for a thousand years and she'd still look like a frog.

“Yes, Mom,” said Margaret.

“Good night, girls,” trilled Margaret's mom. “See you in the morning.”

Phew, thought Horrid Henry, lying as still as he could. He'd be back home in no time, mission safely accomplished.

“We're sleeping out here?” said Singing Soraya. “In a tent?”

“I said it was a Secret Club sleepover,” said Margaret.

Horrid Henry's heart sank. Huh? They were planning to sleep here? Rats, rats, rats, double rats. He was going to have to hide inside this hot dusty chest until they were asleep.

Maybe they'd all fall asleep soon, thought Horrid Henry hopefully.

Because he had to get home before Mom and Dad discovered he was missing. If they realized he'd sneaked outside, he'd be in so much trouble his life wouldn't be worth living and he might as well abandon all hope of ever watching TV or eating another cookie until he was an old, shriveled bag of bones struggling to chew with his one tooth and watch TV with his magnifying glass and hearing aid. Yikes!

Horrid Henry looked grimly at the cookies clutched in his fist. Thank goodness he'd brought provisions.

He might be trapped here for a very long time.

“Where's your sleeping bag, Violet?” said Margaret.

“I didn't bring one,” said Vain Violet. “I don't like sleeping on the floor.”

“Tough,” said Margaret, “that's where we're sleeping.”

“But I need to sleep in a bed,” whined Vain Violet. “I don't want to sleep out here.”

“Well, we do,” said Margaret.

“Yeah,” said Susan.

“I can sleep anywhere,” said Lazy Linda, yawning.

“I'm calling my mom,” said Violet. “I want to go home.”

“Go ahead,” said Margaret. “We don't need you, do we?”

Silence.

“Oh come on, Violet, stay,” said Gurinder.