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Chapter One

"I can do magic," April Powers said. "Evil magic." Her friend Andy Butler snickered. "Cool," he said. "Make me disappear. I don't want to take the algebra test this afternoon."

April didn't smile. "I'm not wasting my magical powers on you. I'm saving them. For Pam."

Andy swept a hand over his short, dark hair. "Pam? What did Pam do this time?"

"What didn't she do," April muttered. "She's always on my case. She thinks she's Miss Perfect."

"Pam is perfect!" Andy teased.

"She's a perfect idiot," April said, scowling.

They were standing outside the door to the lunchroom. Down the hall, two teachers perched on ladders. They were struggling to hang a purple and gold banner across the hall: GO, APPLEGATE RED DEER!

In the crowded lunchroom, trays clattered, chairs scraped, voices rang off the yellow tile walls. And the slightly sour aroma of fish sticks and macaroni and cheese floated into the hall.

April tugged at the long red-plastic earring that always dangled from her left ear. Then she shook her head to straighten her dark bangs. She kept her eyes on the stairs, searching for Pam Largent.

"Do you believe it?" she asked Andy. "Pam told Ricky Jason that I like him and want to go to the valentine's dance with him. Isn't that gross?"

"But you do like Ricky," Andy insisted.

April rolled her brown eyes. "You don't get it. It was just her way of making me look like a jerk. Everyone knows that Ricky likes Pam. Pam said it only to make Ricky laugh."

"You're right. I don't get it," Andy said. He flashed a thumbs-up to two guys who pushed past them into the lunchroom. "Hey-save me aseat!"

"Pam loves to make me look bad," April continued, watching the stairs. "She has to compete in everything. And she always has to win. When I decided to do my term paper on magic spells through history, guess what topic Pam picked?"

"I give up," Andy said.

April groaned. "Magic spells through history," she said. "Just so she can do it better than me."

She tugged at her earring. She always did it when she was tense or angry. "I'm not a violent person. You know that. Actually, I hate violence. But Id like to rip Pam's face off and hang it from that banner up there!"

Andy laughed. "You're sick."

"I don't think that's sick," April said. I think it's only fair. But don't worry. I'm not going to get violent. I'm going to use magic instead."

"If you can't stand her, why do you spend so much time with Pam?" Andy asked.

"You know. Because our parents are all such good friends. I don't have a choice. Every time I turn around -- HEY!" She saw the blond ponytail bouncing behind Pam's head as Pam appeared on the stairs.

April gave Andy a shove. "Beat it, okay? Get lost. Time for me to do my nasty little spell."

"Can't I watch?" Andy asked.

April didn't answer. She hurried down the hall to meet Pam.

Pam was the tallest girl at Applegate Middle School. She complained about it: "I'm a freak! The boys are all scared of me!"

But April knew that Pam liked being the tallest, the prettiest, the blondest, the smartest, the funniest ... and on and on.

"Were you waiting for me?" Pam asked. Her normally creamy white cheeks were pink. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.

She had gym just before lunch on Mondays.

April couldn't keep a grin from spreading across her face. I want to show you something."

"I'm starving!" Pam declared, striding past April to the lunchroom door. "What kind of salad do they have today?"

"No, wait." April hurried to block her path. "It won't take long. I -- I learned some magic."

Pam stopped. Her blue eyes studied April. She laughed. "You want to show me card tricks now? Isn't that a little babyish?"

"I learned some spells," April said. I was doing research for my term paper. I found a dusty old book in the stacks at the library. I learned how to do some totally amazing things. I -- I have powers, Pam. I'm not kidding."

Pam pressed her hand against April's forehead. "You're running a temperature, right? Should I take you to the nurse?"

She hates this, April thought. She hates the idea that I can do something she can't. This is perfect!

April dragged Pam into the lunchroom. She could see Andy watching from a table against the wall.

"Do you pull a bunny from a hat, or what?" Pam asked impatiently. I am so not into magic tricks."

"It's not tricks," April replied. I told you, I learned spells. And these spells are going to get me an A on my term paper."

"Why are you so hung up about grades?" Pam asked.

"Just watch." April tugged Pam closer to the lunch line. "Let's pick someone, okay? Someone I can cast a spell on."

Both girls gazed around the crowded room.

"How about Merrilee Crane over there?" April said. She pointed to the short, chubby girl with curly red hair who had just carried her lunch tray to the woman at the cash register.

Pam sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine. Merrilee. just do it fast, okay?"

Merrilee paid for her lunch, then started across the room with her tray.

"Keep your eye on her," April said in a whisper. She began to mutter strange words to herself. "Amanoo ... keela . . . "

The Nightmare Room Thrillogy #1: Fear Games. Copyright © by R.L. Stine. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.