In the middle of all the shouting and running around Grandma Eunice calmly turned to Malcolm and gave him a wink It’s only as bad as you make it Malcolm flopped back in his chair He gave up He’d spend his Saturday hitting little balls with a stick But he wasn’t going to like it 10
Chapter 2 Attack of the Clown This This will be the best day ever Dandy shouted for the third time in the short drive to the park He also bounced in the seat so much that Malcolm was starting to feel a little carsick Dandy’s dad laughed and put his hands over his ears I know you’re excited But this is a little car You don’t have to be so loud Sorry Dandy whispered but he grinned at Malcolm Isn’t this great 11
Malcolm forced the corners of his mouth up Super His dad gave him the stink eye in the rearview mirror What did he want Malcolm thought Besides Dandy didn’t notice Malcolm’s tone He was too busy bouncing I didn’t know you liked golf Dandy stopped bouncing My cousin used to work at the Snack Shack next to the golf course Sometimes we’d play after work He shrugged That was before he went to college He smiled so big Malcolm could almost count all his teeth Malcolm tried to think of something to distract Dandy before he started bouncing again He pointed at Dandy’s Ghoulie Golf T-shirt and hat Where did you get those An early bird prize Dandy said I was the first kid who signed up 12
Great so I don’t even get a shirt Malcolm pressed his hands to his stomach as Dandy went back to bouncing Finally they pulled into a parking space near the miniature golf course Everyone piled out Malcolm leaned on the car hoping fresh air would settle his stomach He didn’t want to hurl on the goofy clown head Wow Dandy said They changed everything For the first time Malcolm really looked at the course He had to admit it looked cool The peeling paint and broken fences he remembered from past visits were gone The goofy clown now wore a creepy grin The windmill hole had been turned into a haunted house with swirling specters flying around it It’s okay 13
