Don't Go to Sleep Read online

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  About the Author

  Also Available

  Copyright

  Klonk! “Ow! The Klingon got me!”

  I rubbed my head and kicked my life-sized photo of a Klingon—one of those warlike aliens on Star Trek—out of the way. I’d been reaching for one of my favorite books, Ant Attack on Pluto, when the big hunk of cardboard fell off the top shelf and klonked me on the head.

  I kicked the Klingon again. “Take that, you evil piece of cardboard!”

  I was fed up. My stuff kept attacking me.

  My room was packed with junk. Things were always leaping off the walls and whacking me on the head. This wasn’t the first time.

  “Uhn!” I gave the Klingon another kick for good measure.

  “Matthew Amsterdam, twelve-year-old geek.” My older brother, Greg, stood in my bedroom doorway, recording himself.

  “Get out of my room!” I grumbled.

  Greg totally ignored me. He always does.

  “Matt is skinny, small for his age, with a round, piglike baby face,” he said. He was still recording.

  “Matt’s hair is so blond that, from a distance, he almost looks bald.” Greg spoke in a deep, fake voice. He was trying to sound like the guy who describes animals on those nature shows.

  “At least I don’t have a Brillo pad sitting on my head,” I cracked.

  Greg and my sister, Pam, both have wiry brown hair. Mine is white-blond and really thin. Mom says my dad had the same hair as me. But I don’t remember him. He died when I was a baby.

  Greg smirked at me and went on in that “nature show” voice. “Matt’s natural habitat is a small bedroom filled with science-fiction books, models of alien spacecraft, comic books, dirty socks, rotten pizza crusts, and other geekazoid stuff. How can Matt can stand it? Scientists are puzzled by this. Remember, geeks have always been a mystery to normal humans.”

  “I’d rather be a geek than a nerd like you,” I said.

  “You’re not smart enough to be a nerd,” he shot back in his regular voice.

  My sister, Pam, appeared beside him in the doorway. “What’s happening here in Geek World?” she asked. “Did the mother ship finally come for you, Matt?”

  I threw Ant Attack on Pluto at her.

  Pam is in tenth grade. Greg is in eleventh. They gang up on me all the time.

  Greg kept going. “When threatened, the geek will attack. However, he is about as dangerous as a bowl of mashed potatoes.”

  “Get out!” I yelled. I tried to close the door, but they blocked it.

  “I can’t leave,” Greg protested. “I have a school project. I have to watch everybody in the family and write a paper about how they act. It’s for social studies.”

  “Go watch Pam pick her nose,” I snapped.

  Pam knocked Greg aside and pushed her way into the room. She grabbed me by the neck of my Star Trek T-shirt.

  “Take that back!” she ordered.

  “Let go!” I cried. “You’re stretching out my shirt!”

  “Matthew is very touchy about his geek clothes,” Greg mumbled.

  “I said, take that back!” Pam shook me. “Or I’ll sic Biggie on you!”

  Biggie is our dog. He’s not big—he’s a dachshund. But he hates me for some reason.

  With everybody else—even total strangers—he wags his tail, licks their hands, the whole bit. With me, he growls and snaps.

  Once Biggie sneaked into my room and bit me in my sleep. I’m a heavy sleeper—it takes a lot to wake me up. But believe me, when a dog bites you, you wake up.

  “Here, Biggie!” Pam called.

  “Okay!” I cried. “I take it back.”

  “Good answer,” Pam said. “You win the noogie prize!” She started knocking me on the head.

  “Ow! Ow!” I gasped.

  “The geek’s sister gives him noogies to the head,” Greg commented. “Geek says, ‘Ow.’ ”

  Finally Pam let me go. I stumbled and collapsed on my bed. The bed knocked against the wall. A pile of books rained down on me from the shelf over my head.

  “Give me that for a second,” Pam said to Greg. She snatched it from him and yelled. “The geek is down! Thanks to me, Pamela Amsterdam, the world is safe for cool people again! Woo! Woo! Woo!”

  I hate my life.

  Pam and Greg use me as their human punching bag. Maybe if Mom were around more, she’d be able to stop them.

  But she is hardly ever around. She works two jobs. Her day job is teaching people how to use computers. And her night job is working at a law firm.

  Pam and Greg are supposed to be taking care of me. They take care of me, all right.

  They make sure I’m miserable twenty-four hours a day.

  “This room stinks,” Pam groaned. “Let’s get out of here, Greg.”

  They slammed the door behind them. My model space shuttle fell off the dresser and crashed to the floor.

  At least they left me alone. I didn’t care what mean things they said, as long as they went away.

  I settled on my bed to read Ant Attack on Pluto. I’d much rather be on the planet Pluto than in my own house—even with giant ants shooting spit rays at me.

  My bed felt lumpy. I shoved a bunch of books and clothes to the floor.

  I had the smallest bedroom in the house—of course. I always got the worst of everything. Even the guest room was bigger than my room.

  I didn’t understand it. I needed a big room more than anybody! I had so many books, posters, models, and other junk that there was barely room for me to sleep.

  I opened my book and started reading. I came to a really scary part. Justin Case, a human space traveler, was captured by the evil ant emperor. The ant emperor closed in on him, closer, closer …

  I shut my eyes for a second—just a second—but I guess I fell asleep. Suddenly I felt the ant emperor’s hot, stinking breath on my face!

  Ugh! It smelled exactly like dog food.

  Then I heard growling.

  I opened my eyes.

  It was worse than I thought. Worse than an ant emperor.

  It was Biggie—ready to spring!

  “Biggie!” I screamed. “Get off me!”

  Snap! He attacked me with his gaping dachshund jaws.

  I dodged him—he missed me. I shoved him off the bed.

  He snarled at me and tried to jump back up. He was too short. He couldn’t reach the bed without taking a running leap.

  I stood on the bed. Biggie snapped at my feet. “Help!” I yelled.

  That’s when I saw Pam and Greg in the doorway, laughing their heads off.

  Biggie backed up to take his running jump. “Help me, you guys!” I begged.

  “Yeah, right,” Pam said. Greg doubled over laughing.

  “Come on,” I whined. “I can’t get down! He’ll bite me!”

  Greg gasped for breath. “Why do you think we put him on your bed in the first place? Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

  “You shouldn’t sleep so much, Matt,” Greg said. “We thought we had to wake you up.”

  “Besides, we were bored,” Pam added. “We wanted to have some fun.”

  Biggie galloped across the room an
d leaped onto the bed. As he jumped up, I jumped down. I scurried across the floor—slipping on comic books as I ran.

  Biggie raced after me. I ducked into the hallway and slammed the door just before he got out.

  Biggie barked like crazy.

  “Let him out, Matt!” Pam scolded me. “How can you be so mean to poor, sweet Biggie?”

  “Leave me alone!” I shouted. I ran downstairs to the living room. I plopped myself on the couch and flicked on the TV. I didn’t bother to surf—I always watch the same channel. The Sci-Fi channel.

  I heard Biggie bounding down the steps. I tensed, waiting for him to attack. But he waddled into the kitchen.

  Probably going to eat some disgusting doggie treats, I thought. The fat little monster.

  The front door opened. Mom came in, balancing a couple of bags of groceries.

  “Hi, Mom!” I cried. I was glad she was home. Pam and Greg cooled it a little when she was around.

  “Hi, honey.” She carried the bags into the kitchen. “There’s my little Biggie!” she cooed. “How’s my sweet little pup?”

  Everybody loves Biggie except for me.

  “Greg!” Mom called. “It’s your turn to make dinner tonight!”

  “I can’t!” Greg yelled from upstairs. “Mom—I’ve got so much homework to do! I can’t fix dinner tonight.”

  Sure. He was so busy doing his homework, he couldn’t stop driving me crazy.

  “Make Matt do it,” Pam shouted. “He’s not doing anything. He’s just watching TV.”

  “I have homework too, you know,” I protested.

  Greg came down the steps. “Right,” he said. “Seventh-grade homework is so tough.”

  “I’ll bet you didn’t think it was easy when you were in seventh grade.”

  “Boys, please don’t fight,” Mom said. “I’ve only got a couple of hours before I have to go back to work. Matt, start dinner. I’m going to go upstairs and lie down for a few minutes.”

  I stormed into the kitchen. “Mom! It’s not my turn!”

  “Greg will cook another night,” Mom promised.

  “What about Pam?”

  “Matt—that’s enough. You’re cooking. That’s final.” She dragged herself upstairs to her bedroom.

  “Rats!” I muttered. I opened a cabinet door and slammed it shut. “I never get my way around here!”

  “What are you making for dinner, Matt?” Greg asked. “Geek burgers?”

  “Matthew Amsterdam chews with his mouth open.” Greg was recording himself again. We were all in the kitchen, eating dinner.

  “Tonight the Amsterdams have tuna casserole for dinner,” he said. “Matt defrosted it. He left it in the oven too long. The noodles on the bottom are burned.”

  “Shut up,” I muttered.

  Nobody said anything for a few minutes. The only sounds were forks clicking against plates and Biggie’s toenails on the kitchen floor.

  “How was school today, kids?” Mom asked.

  “Mrs. Amsterdam asks her children about their day,” Greg said.

  “Greg, do you have to do that at the dinner table?” Mom sighed.

  “Mrs. Amsterdam complains about her son Greg’s behavior,” Greg murmured.

  “Greg!”

  “Greg’s mother’s voice gets louder. Could she be angry?”

  “GREG!”

  “I have to do it, Mom,” Greg insisted in his normal voice. “It’s for school!”

  “It’s getting on my nerves,” Mom said.

  “Mine too,” I chimed in.

  “Who asked you, Matt?” Greg snapped.

  “So cut it out until after dinner, okay?” Mom asked.

  Greg didn’t say anything. But he stopped recording and started to eat.

  Pam said, “Mom, can I put my winter clothes in the closet in the guest room? My closet is packed.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Mom said.

  “Hey!” I cried. “She has a huge closet! Her closet is almost as big as my whole room!”

  “So?” Pam sneered.

  “My room is the smallest one in the house!” I protested. “I can hardly walk through it.”

  “That’s because you’re a slob,” Pam cracked.

  “I’m not a slob! I’m neat! But I need a bigger bedroom. Mom, can I move into the guest room?”

  Mom shook her head. “No.”

  “But why not?”

  “I want to keep that room nice for guests,” Mom explained.

  “What guests?” I cried. “We never have any guests!”

  “Your grandparents come every Christmas.”

  “That’s once a year. Grandma and Grandpa won’t mind sleeping in my little room once a year. The rest of the time they’ve got a whole house to themselves!”

  “Your room is too small to sleep two people,” Mom said. “I’m sorry, Matt. You can’t have the guest room.”

  “Mom!”

  “What do you care where you sleep, anyway?” Pam said. “You are the best sleeper in the world. You could sleep through a hurricane!”

  Greg started recording. “When Matt isn’t propped up in front of the TV, he is usually sleeping. He is asleep more than he’s awake.”

  “Mom, Greg’s doing it again,” I tattled.

  “I know,” Mom said wearily. “Greg, put it down.”

  “Mom, please let me switch rooms. I need a bigger room! I don’t just sleep in my room—I live there! I need a place to get away from Pam and Greg. Mom—you don’t know what it’s like when you’re not here! They’re so mean to me!”

  “Matt, stop it,” Mom replied. “You have a wonderful brother and sister, and they take good care of you. You should appreciate them.”

  “I hate them!”

  “Matt! I’ve had enough of this! Go to your room!”

  “There’s no room for me in there!” I cried.

  “Now!”

  As I ran upstairs to my room, I heard Greg say in his narrator voice, “Matt has been punished. His crime? Being a geek.”

  I slammed the door, stuffed my face in a pillow, and screamed.

  I spent the rest of the evening in my room.

  “It’s not fair!” I muttered to myself. “Pam and Greg get whatever they want—and I get punished!”

  Nobody is using the guest room, I thought. I don’t care what Mom says. I’m sleeping there from now on.

  Mom left for her night job. I waited until I heard Pam and Greg turn out the lights and go to their rooms. Then I slipped out of my room and into the guest room.

  I was going to sleep in that guest room. And nothing was going to stop me.

  I didn’t think it was that big a deal. What was the worst thing that could happen? Mom might get mad at me. So what?

  I had no idea that when I woke up in the morning, my life would be a complete disaster.

  My feet were cold. That was the first thing I noticed when I woke up.

  They were sticking out from under the covers. I sat up and tossed the blanket down over them.

  Then I pulled the blanket back up. Were those my feet?

  They were huge. Not monster huge, but huge for me. Way bigger than they’d been the day before.

  Man, I thought. I’d heard about growth spurts. I knew kids grew fast at my age. But this was ridiculous!

  I crept out of the guest room. I could hear Mom and Pam and Greg downstairs, eating breakfast.

  Oh, no, I thought. I slept late. I hope no one noticed that I didn’t sleep in my room last night.

  I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Everything felt a little weird.

  When I touched the bathroom doorknob, it seemed to be in the wrong place. As if someone had lowered it during the night. The ceiling felt lower too.

  I turned on the light and glanced in the mirror.

  Was that me?

  I couldn’t stop staring at myself. I looked like myself—and I didn’t.

  My face wasn’t so round. I touched my upper lip. It was covered with blond fuzz. And I was about
six inches taller than I’d been the day before!

  I—I was older. I looked about sixteen years old!

  No, no, I thought. This can’t be right. I’ve got to be imagining this.

  I’ll just close my eyes for a minute. When I open them, I’ll be twelve again.

  I squeezed my eyes shut. I counted to ten.

  I opened my eyes.

  Nothing had changed.

  I was a teenager!

  My heart began to pound. I’d read that old story about Rip Van Winkle. He goes to sleep for a hundred years. When he wakes up, everything is different.

  Did that happen to me? I wondered. Did I just sleep for four years straight?

  I hurried downstairs to find Mom. She’d tell me what was going on.

  I raced downstairs in my pajamas. I wasn’t used to having such big feet. On the third step, I tripped over my left foot.

  “Noooo!”

  THUD!

  I rolled the rest of the way down.

  I landed on my face in front of the kitchen. Greg and Pam cracked up—of course.

  “Nice one, Matt!” Greg said. “Ten points!”

  I dragged myself to my feet. I had no time for Greg’s jokes. I had to talk to Mom.

  She sat at the kitchen table, eating eggs.

  “Mom!” I cried. “Look at me!”

  She looked at me. “I see you. You’re not dressed yet. You’d better hurry or you’ll be late for school.”

  “But, Mom!” I insisted. “I’m—I’m a teenager!”

  “I’m all too aware of that,” Mom said. “Now hurry up. I’m leaving in fifteen minutes.”

  “Yeah, hurry up, Matt,” Pam piped up. “You’ll make us late for school.”

  I turned to snap back at her—but stopped. She and Greg sat at the table, munching cereal.

  Nothing weird about that, right?

  The only thing was, they looked different too. If I was sixteen, Pam and Greg should have been nineteen and twenty.

  But they weren’t. They weren’t even fifteen and sixteen.

  They looked eleven and twelve!

  They’d gotten younger!

  “This is impossible!” I screeched.

  “This is impossible!” Greg echoed, making fun of me.

  Pam started giggling.

  “Mom—listen to me!” I cried. “Something weird is going on. Yesterday I was twelve—and today I’m sixteen!”

  “You’re the weirdo!” Greg joked. He and Pam were cracking up. They were just as obnoxious now as they were when they were older.