Who doesn’t like a good scare on Friday the 13th? And what’s scarier than waking up as someone else? Or, as you––only different?
I love the movie BIG. There’s that scene where the little boy gets his fortune from ZOLTAR and it comes true in a very creepy/cool way. This same creepy/cool thing happens to Roxie in 13 ON HALLOWEEN. This excerpt is super-creepy/cool, but it’s not the creepiest thing that happens to Roxie, it’s just the beginning. Things are going to get a whole lot creepy/cooler for Roxie this summer in 14 ON HALLOWEEN too.
Imagine you are a somewhat invisible eighth grader who wants to be popular more than anything and you want the hottest guy at school to, you know, notice you. So you invite all the popular kids over to your birthday party AND THEY ALL COME. Only they give you a birthday gift that’s out of this world. You’ve just turned 13 and suddenly find…you’ve astral projected to PLANET POPULAR…
EXCERPT FROM 13 ON HALLOWEEN:
I’m sitting in the middle of a parking lot. In the middle of a lane with rows of cars, really nice cars, on either side of me. Hayden’s older brother gives me a hand up. We walk to the school together. He holds the door to the school open and says. “We’re late.”
The next thing I know I’m sitting in class. Hayden’s older brother sits next to me. I so don’t belong here. I’m in freaking high school. A buzzer sounds after physics class and Hayden’s older brother walks up to me.
“I’ll pick you up at eight.”
“OK,” I say because I don’t know what else to say and when I can’t think of anything to say I usually agree with everyone.
“Wait, where are we going?” I say.
“What are you kidding me?” And he holds my hand. And we walk down the hall together. And then he turns around and he holds my other hand and it happens. It just happens so fast. Not like in the movies at all, where it’s this big freaking deal or it’s during some date at a movie. Hayden’s older brother kisses me. My first kiss.
My first kiss is with a freaking doppelganger. A shadow person. But, he seems so, real. And I get over it pretty quick because he tastes like vanilla ice cream and red hots. I have no idea why he tastes like vanilla ice cream and red hots but I want to kiss him again this time so I’ll remember it. The whole second kiss. Only this time the kiss is crazier. Weirder. He opens his mouth and in the middle of the kiss his tongue rolls over mine. I laugh. Because sometimes, when I don’t know what else to do, I laugh.
“What is it?” he says.
“It tickles,” I say.
“Since when?”
“I don’t know, it just…does.”
“Roxie, you’re a riot. It’s what I love about you.” He laughs.
I’m trapped in the body of a popular girl. A way-older popular girl. And I’m doing older, popular girl things. And my knees go all wobbly. I feel my forehead, because I can’t believe this is really happening, even though I know it is, but it could be a fever-induced dream instead just because of how wobbly I feel. I look around to see if there’s any trace of my attic around, like maybe I can still see the portal that sucked me in. But there isn’t anything except couples, like us, talking in whispers and a bunch of jocks running through the hall. They slap high-fives with Hayden’s brother.
“Hayden, dude!” One of them says.
Hayden. No way.
If you’d like to read more of 13 ON HALLOWEEN you can for only 99 cents at AMAZON or BARNES & NOBLE.
I know the rest of the carnis will have toe-curling posts for you too this Friday the 13th! Go check them out for a few scares:) Thanks for stopping by!
Vanilla ice cream and red hots… I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT!
Bryna, Thanks:)
Sounds great!!
So happy you enjoyed the excerpt:)
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