sweating, he was practically leaking.
Finally, a bit of popularity.
Colin smiled drunkenly and fell off his stool but quickly scrambled to his feet.
âWhat on earth is going on, Mr. Strauss?â snapped Mr. Winter.
Colin staggered toward the door using the tables as support and muttered something about the bathroom. He crashed out of the door and collapsed in the hallway as Mr. Winter started to shout something but was cut off as the door swung shut.
The floor felt cool on his face, but he scrambled to his feet and made his way down the hallway toward the bathroom. He couldnât seem to get his arms and legs to work properly.
Managing to turn on a tap, he splashed water on his already damp face.
As he looked up into the mirror, Colin was astonished to see the wolf creature from his morning shower standing right behind him, snarling. Colin spun around to facean empty bathroom, and he started to laugh. It sounded somewhat maniacal; the sort of laughter you might hear in a mental institution. Unexpectedly, the buzzing stopped, the blinding pain subsided, and he regained full control of his gangly limbs once again.
He looked at his reflection. Same Colin. He was double-checking the bathroom to make sure there was no large, hairy, scary-looking creature lurking in any of the stalls when Jeremy burst in. âJeremy! You scared me!â
âAre you okay? Winter sent me to check on you, but you look more like yourself now. What happened back there? And was that you laughing before I came in here?â
Colin shrugged. âI donât know. I really donât know. I couldnât hear. There was this buzzing sound. I think I might be going crazy, Jer.â
âYou were growling in class.â
âGrowling?â
âYeah, like a dog. Did you get contacts?â said Jeremy.
âWhat? No, I â¦â
Colin felt his face for his glasses.
I forgot my glasses?
âI thought you were blind without those things?â
âI ⦠geez, Jer. I have no idea whatâs going on with me. There was this whole thing last night with a car and then Becca was there, and I keep seeing thisââ
âWhat? What are you seeing?â suddenly Jeremy got excited. âAre you hallucinating? Because that would be awesome.â
Colin just looked at Jeremy, but despite the joke, he could see his friendâs worry. âIâm sure itâs nothing.â
âYou sure? Do you want me to take you to the nurse?â
âNo, Iâm feeling much better.â Colin hurriedly assured his friend. âMaybe Iâm getting the flu or something.â The Elkwood School nurse was a monster of a woman called Mrs. Turnbull who had never heard the term
bedside manner
. She also didnât like to be interrupted, ever. Only the truly sick students of Elkwood ever went to Mrs. Turnbullâs office.
âAnd the glasses?â
âIâve been eating a lot of vitamin A lately?â
Jeremy gave him one of those slow blinking low stares that clearly said
youâre kidding, right?
Mr. Winter burst into the bathroom, slamming the door hard against the wall. âBack to class, Mr. Rodson!â
âYes, sir,â said Jeremy, making a quick exit.
Mr. Winter waited until the door was closed and then grabbed Colin by the shirtfront, pushing him hard up against the wall. âJust what do you think youâre doing disrupting my class? Do you know how important biology is? Itâs everywhere! Itâs in me, itâs in you, itâs all over the place, and no one really understands it, so thatâs why we have to study it! Do you understand me, boy?â
Colin was too shocked to speak. A teacher was attacking him! Mr. Winterâs eyes looked different. Like he was on drugs or something. The muscles in his face were tense and strained.
Colin nodded.
âNow get your ugly, useless, self back to class and read the chapter! Idiot!â Mr. Winter released