Ivy and Bean Bound to Be Bad Read Online Free Page B

bad.”
    “Great idea!” said Bean.
    Dino ran by, dragging a big branch behind him. “I’m worse than you!” he hollered over his shoulder at Bean.
    “We’re going to touch Mr. Columbi’s car!” shrieked Sophie S. and Sophie W. Mr. Columbi was always telling them not to touch his car. He washed it two times a week with special soap. The two Sophies bounded toward Mr. Columbi’s driveway.
    Liana was stuffing her mother’s welcome mat into her mailbox.
    Bean looked up and down Pancake Court. What more could she do? The strawberries were squished, her sneakers were gone, she was sick to her stomach from candy, she had spit on Mrs. Trantz’s rose, and she had said the worst word in the world. She was pooped.
    “These guys are ruining everything,” said Ivy, watching Dino scamper by with another branch.
    “Ha-ha!” he shouted. “You’re just a good little girl.”
    “Who asked you?” yelled Bean.
    “You’re not even close to bad!” he yelled. “You don’t even know how to be bad! You’re GOOD!” Off he ran.
    “You’re a stinky face!” Ivy hollered after him.
    Then she turned to Bean. “Come on, Bean,” she urged. “Show him how bad you are.”
    “I have an idea,” Bean said slowly.
    Ivy smiled. “What is it?”
    “It’s not enough to be bad myself,” Bean explained. “I think I have to do something bad to someone else.” She looked at Dino tearing around with his branch, and then she looked back at Ivy. “Where do you keep your hose?”

BEAN OVERBOARD!
    Ivy’s mom had one of those long hoses on a wheel. It was attached to the side of Ivy’s house. The two girls carefully unwound it from the wheel.
    Ivy went around and stood in front of Dino’s house. “Hey, you guys!” she called. “Bean’s about to be really bad!” Dino, the Sophies, and Liana looked up from their own badness. “You’d better come here and sit down,” Ivy said. “You’re going to want to see this one up close.”
    The kids walked toward Ivy. “What’s she going to do?” asked Dino.
    “I can’t even say it.” Ivy made her eyes big. “I’ve begged her not to do it, but she just can’t help herself,” she said, shaking her head. “You should sit down on the curb and watch.”
    Dino and the girls exchanged glances. Then they slowly sat down on the curb in front of Dino’s house.
    “Is she going to drive her dad’s car?” asked Liana.
    “You have to wait and see,” said Ivy, smiling mysteriously.
    “Aw, come on,” said Dino. “Is she going to blow something up?”
    “Sort of,” said Ivy, smiling even more mysteriously. “You guys just close your eyes for a few minutes, and then you’ll see.”
    “Why do we have to close our eyes?” Sophie W. asked.
    “It’s like before the movie begins. It has to be dark for the surprise to work,” Ivy said.
    They looked at Ivy suspiciously.
    “Come on. Just for a few minutes,” said Ivy. “If Bean’s going to get in all this trouble, you can at least close your eyes. I’ll tell you when to open them.”
    Dino looked at the girls and shrugged.
    “Okay,” said Sophie S.
    They closed their eyes. Ivy tiptoed away.

    “They’ve got their eyes closed, but we’d better be quick,” Ivy said.
    Running across lawns to keep their steps silent, Ivy and Bean carried the hose from Ivy’s driveway to Dino’s. Luckily, Dino’s faucet was in the same place as Ivy’s. They screwed the hose into it, and Bean ran tiptoe down the driveway toward the row of kids on the curb. Ivy stood at the faucet, waiting.

    With the hose in her hand, Bean walked quietly toward the curb until she was standing right behind Dino. “Hey Dino!” she said softly, holding herhand over the end of the hose, “You can open your eyes now.”
    Ivy twisted the faucet on.
    Dino opened his eyes and turned around. And Bean blasted him right in the kisser. “AAAAAH!” he screeched, jumping up. “Not so boring now, is it?” laughed Bean. The hose waggled in her hand.
    “Hey!”