Okay, so the next chapter is too short to do on its own, so this will be the next three chapters together. So, we left off with the light...oh, and thanks for reviewing, meangirl8 and Lord Candycane (she was just called Roxanne only in the text – Sammy is the only one who's genderbended...kind of confusing, since I wrote an OC called Roxanne in a different Goosebumps fic).

"Is it a..." Roxanne whispered.

"Ghost?" I finished.

And then a figure stepped into the room.

"Dad?! What the?'

Dad laughed, switching the bright light off. "That's the most real ghost you could probably find anywhere!"

Brutus yowled from outside the room, just as Mom came in. "You said you brought that light home to improve it, not to scare these kids." she scolded.

"Oh, come on, honey, it was only a joke." Dad wheedled. "You two thought it was funny, didn't you, girls?"

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, Dad, burning our eyeballs is really funny."

"I knew what it was." Roxanne claimed. "I was just playing along." She giggled. "Sam, you looked so scared! It was an awesome trick, Mr Jacobs."

See what I mean? Sometimes I'm not sure why I hang around with her.

Simon came in, carrying Brutus. "The cat ruined my tracing for my science project!" he whined. "Now I have to start over!" He put Brutus down, and the cat promptly ran out again.

Dad explained that it was a Molecule Detector light. It would work in a way to make things that we couldn't see normally, visible. "Like microscopic instects."

Simon took the light. "I know what we can use it for." He turned it, full beam, on me. "We should start by looking for Sammy's brain!"

Everyone laughed. Yeah, what a great family. And what lovely friends I have.

"That's a good one!" Roxanne exclaimed. "Simon, I think that's the first joke you've ever told!"

"It wasn't a joke." Simon deadpanned, making everyone laugh again.

"Oh, get lost, all of you!" I snapped. At least my family left.

"What about our math homework, Sam?" Roxanne asked. "I thought we were going to do it together."

"Apparently I don't have a brain to do it with!" I quipped. "If you're staying, do both of ours."

"Oh, forget it." Roxanne snapped. "Where's your sense of humour, Sam? Even Simon has one now. Anyway, I have to do it. I'll go, okay? I just hope you're in a better mood tomorrow. Bye!"

I couldn't concentrate on my homework that night, so I didn't bother to do it. But that evening, as I crossed the room to my bed, I tripped.

"Ow! What the heck?"

I had tripped over...nothing.

Was it any wonder I didn't sleep well that night? I kept having dreams. Mostly about Roxanne teasing me for tripping. Or threatening me at the school Olympics. And as if that wasn't enough, I woke up to find my window open.

Okay, maybe I dreamed that part because I was super sleepy, and it was closed when I woke up. But if it wasn't...who opened it?

I woke up a little late that morning, mainly because Brutus didn't wake me up. He usually slept on my bed, but he was still spooked and wouldn't go into my room.

I got dressed as usual, went down and got my Coco Pops.

"Sammy, are you all right?" Mom asked. "You look awfully tired."

I shrugged. "I'm all right. Just got a bit cold last night. I didn't sleep that well."

Dad looked up. "Sammy, were you reading ghost stories again? That factors into your dreams. You'd probably sleep better if you were reading less science fiction and more science."

"Like the sun burning out." I muttered under my breath. "At least science fiction has some happy endings."

I'd only eaten a spoonful of cereal before I heard Simon yelling for me.

"SAMMY! I need your help!" I ignored him. "SAM-MY!"

"Sammy, go help your brother." Mom ordered.

"Yes, sir." I muttered, trudging back upstairs to my brother's yells. "What's your problem? I was trying to have breakfast. I'm running late."

"Can you get Brutus off my bed?" Simon asked. Oh, so that's where he was.

"Leave him there." I advised.

"But I can't make my bed if he's there!"

I never bothered to make my bed. It just never occurred to me. "You really are abnormally organized." I said out loud.

"Sammy," whined Simon. "Don't call me that. I have to make my bed. Mom says."

I sighed. "If you can't move Brutus, I can't either. Make the bed over him or something."
"But Sammy-"

"Save it!" I called over my shoulder as I went downstairs. Mom was giving me a weird look.

"Sammy, how did you finish your breakfast so fast?"

"Huh?" I stared at my bowl. All that was left was brown milk, the cocoa colouring it. But the cereal was gone!

"I had a spoonful before Simon called me!" I protested. "Mom, you saw me! Did someone throw it away? Dad? Mom?"

"Of course not!" Mom said. "I saw you take a spoonful, but I didn't see anything else."

"I haven't moved, either." Dad declared. "Are you sure a ghost didn't eat it?" They both started laughing.

"Well, I didn't eat it!" I insisted. "And now I don't have time! I'm going to be late for school!" What had really happened? Someone must've thrown it out. But why would either of my parents do that?

And I couldn't concentrate that day, either. Ms Starkling kept calling me back to attention. And then, something else weird happened.

"Sammy, please come up to the whiteboard and solve this equation." Ms Starkling said. I frowned. It wasn't my turn today, and besides, I didn't know the answer. I hadn't done my math homework. I would've done it this morning, except I had no time for anything but a shower, getting dressed, and breakfast (which I didn't get since Simon interrupted me and someone else took).

I glanced at Roxanne, whose turn it was. She shrugged.

"Sammy, I'm losing patience with you." Ms Starkling warned. "Please. Now."

I reluctantly left my place and took the whiteboard marker. I stared blankly at the equation, the feeling of despair starting to overcome my body, squeezing my throat.

I uncapped the marker, lifted it...and that was when it happened. I couldn't help the gasp.

Something held my hand – the hand that held the marker. It moved down, making me write the numbers. Solving the equation.

But in a second, the equation was done. Correct. And the moment was over.

"Sammy, are you feeling all right?" Ms Starkling questioned. "You look worried."

"I...I'm fine." I said weakly. I solved the equation myself. I thought. That feeling that something was solving it for me was just my overactive imagination.

Right?

I can't wait to get to the good stuff, when the story will become different! Please review now.