Black Lagoon Adventures #25: Friday the 13th from the Black Lagoon (Black Lagoon Adventures series) Read online

  Eric is a four-leaf clover. It’s great

  to see them, and they all have

  presents.

  Then Mrs. Green arrives.

  She’s dressed as a rainbow and

  she’s carrying a pot of gold that

  turns out to be chocolate candy

  kisses.*

  50

  *Mr. Hershey was born on

  September 13th, too.

  51

  They hand me their presents.

  I weigh them and shake them. I

  guess it would be rude to open

  them now. I’ll wait until they’re

  all in the door. Mom takes all

  the presents and puts them on a

  table. Killjoy.

  She says, “Hubie, be a good

  host.”

  CHAPTER 13

  THE HOST

  WITH THE MOST

  I say, “Won’t you all please sit

  down?”

  Everyone sits down and stares

  at me.

  I say, “Simon says, ‘Stand up.’”

  Everyone stands up.

  52

  I say, “Simon says, ‘Everyone

  open your presents.’”

  Mom says, “Simon says, ‘Be a

  good host.’”

  “But, Mom, Simon wants to

  know what presents he got.”

  “HUBIE!” insists Mom.

  “Okay, okay, Simon says,

  ‘Forget it.’”

  54

  Instead, we play lots of games,

  like hide-and-seek. Freddy tries

  to hide in my closet and we have

  to dig him out. We also play Pin

  the Tail on the Donkey. Randy

  pins it on a lampshade; Eric pins

  it on Randy.

  Then we play musical chairs.

  Eric and Penny are the only ones

  left. Penny loses because she tells

  Eric, “Ladies first”—but Eric just

  sits down.

  55

  Then Mom brings out hot dogs

  and potato salad. I don’t really like

  coleslaw. I like macaroni salad a

  little, but I love potato salad. It’s

  great to be the birthday boy.

  57

  CHAPTER 14

  MY LUCKY DAY

  After we finish eating, Mom

  turns out the lights and brings

  in the cake with all the candles lit.

  Everyone sings “Happy Birthday.”

  Then they all say, “Make a wish.”

  I close my eyes and think to

  myself, I wish I could have a

  birthday every day.

  Then I take a big breath and

  blow.

  58

  60

  “What did you wish for?” asks

  Doris.

  “He can’t tell or it won’t come

  true,” says Randy.

  The cake is chocolate with

  chocolate frosting—my favorite.

  I eat the cake fast to get to the

  frosting. Then everyone opens

  their party favors and blows their

  horns, and they sing “Happy

  Birthday” to me again.

  61

  We all run around the table and

  fall down on the floor, laughing.

  “Hey, open your presents,”

  says Eric.

  You know, I forgot all about

  the presents. We were having so

  much fun, I hated to stop.

  I finally did open them and

  they were fine. I got the new

  video game I wanted, a cool pair

  of sunglasses, and lots of other

  stuff. But you know, I learned

  something on my birthday.

  62

  I learned that the best present

  is the presence of my friends, and

  the joy that they bring every day

  to my life.

  63

  This is my best birthday party

  ever, and I even blew out all of

  the candles. That means I’ll have

  good luck for a year!

  64

  ®

  The scariest day of the year . . .

  Hubie has planned a fantastic party for his

  birthday. There’s only one problem—he didn’t

  know it was on Friday the 13th. Now that’s

  bad luck! What if nobody shows up? What if

  nobody brings presents? Hubie better wish

  for some good luck!

  DON'T BE SCARED!

  READ THESE OTHER ADVENTURES.

  Become a Lagoony: www.MikeThaler.com

  www.scholastic.com

  More leveling information for this book:

  www.scholastic.com/readinglevel

  APPEALS TO

  READING LEVEL

  GRADE 2

  1

  ST

  –3

  RD

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