فصل 19

Monster Blood 2 - Chapter 19

Evan leaned over the hamster cage, staring at the giant-sized Cuddles, as the bell rang. He turned to see that the other kids had all taken their seats.

“Evan, I see you’re examining your victim,” Mr. Murphy said from the front of the room.

“I—uh—” Evan couldn’t think of a reply. “Victim?”

Mr. Murphy angrily narrowed his beady black eyes at Evan. “You’ve been overfeeding Cuddles, Evan. Look how fat he has become.” Almost as fat as you! Evan wanted to say.

Evan knew that Cuddles’ weight problem wasn’t his fault.

And it had nothing to do with overeating.

Cuddles had grown to triple-hamster size because of Monster Blood.

“When I find Andy, I’ll strangle her!” Evan muttered.

“What did you say, Evan?” Mr. Murphy demanded.

Evan could feel his face turning bright red. He hadn’t meant to talk out loud.

“Uh… nothing,” he replied, totally embarrassed. He slunk to his seat.

Andy has gone too far this time, he thought bitterly. She promised she’d bury the Monster Blood. She promised!

And now she’s turned Cuddles into a fat freak! And Murphy thinks it’s all my fault!

“Please stay after school,” Mr. Murphy told Evan, “so we can discuss Cuddles’ diet.” Evan heard some kids snickering. He knew they were laughing at him.

He saw Conan and Biggie at their seats in the back. Conan was twitching his nose, puffing out his cheeks, pretending to be a fat hamster. Biggie was laughing his head off.

Evan stared at the hamster all through class. Cuddles appeared to grow right before Evan’s eyes. With each breath, the hamster seemed to puff up wider and taller.

Its black eyes were as big as marbles now. They stared back at Evan, as if accusing him.

When the hamster moved to its water tube, the entire cage rattled and shook.

Please don’t grow anymore! Evan pleaded silently, staring at the shaking cage. Please stop right now, Cuddles. Okay?

The hamster breathed noisily. Wheezing gasps. Evan could hear Cuddles panting all the way across the room.

The cage shook again as Cuddles turned around. Evan watched in horror as the cage nearly toppled off its table.

I’ll kill Andy! Evan thought bitterly. How could she do this to me?

When the bell rang, the other kids all gathered up their books and headed out the door. Evan stood up and walked over to Cuddles’ cage.

Panting loudly, Cuddles stared up at him. He’s too big to fit on his wheel, Evan realized. If he grows any more, he’ll burst out of the cage!

How much Monster Blood did Andy feed him? Evan wondered. He had to find out.

He turned to Mr. Murphy, who was reading over some papers at his desk. “I’ve got to find someone,” Evan called up to him. “I’ll be right back.” “Don’t take too long,” the teacher replied without looking up.

Evan hurried from the room—and ran into Conan. “Hey, I was looking for you,” Conan said, sidestepping to the right, then the left, and stretching out both arms to keep Evan from getting away.

“No time now,” Evan said sharply. But Conan wouldn’t let him pass. “I’m kind of in a hurry,” Evan told him. “I don’t have time to be stuffed into my locker right now.” A big grin crossed Conan’s handsome face. “Hey, I’m sorry about that,” he said, his blue eyes twinkling.

“Huh? You’re sorry?” Evan’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Yeah. No hard feelings,” Conan said, lowering his eyes. “Shake.”

Evan stuck out his hand. Then remembered Conan’s crushing handshake. He tried to pull back his hand.

Too late.

Conan gripped it tightly and began to squeeze. As he squeezed Evan’s hand, his grin grew wider and wider.

Down the hall, Evan saw Andy heading out the door. He tried to call to her. But all that came out of his mouth was a squeak of pain.

Andy disappeared out the front door of the school.

The bones in Evan’s hand cracked and crunched.

When Conan finally let go, the hand looked like a sad lump of soft red clay.

“Wow! That’s some handshake you’ve got!” Conan cried, laughing. He pretended his hand hurt. He shook it hard and blew on it. “You killed me that time! You been working out or something?” Conan headed off to basketball practice, laughing and shaking his hand.

He really cracks himself up, Evan thought. An angry cry burst from his throat. He slammed his good hand into a locker. He was so furious, he thought he could feel steam pouring out his ears.

“Evan—you’re keeping me waiting!” Mr. Murphy called in a singsong from the classroom doorway.

“Coming,” Evan muttered miserably, and slunk back into the room.

He tried calling Andy for hours that night. But there was no one home.

In his sleep, he dreamed that Trigger ate a big glob of Monster Blood and grew to giant size. Evan tried to stop him. But the enormous dog took off after the mailman.

It wasn’t much of a chase. Trigger caught the mailman easily. The mailman was the size of a hamster.

Evan woke up drenched with sweat. He glanced at his bedtable clock. Only six in the morning. He normally didn’t get up until seven.

He climbed out of bed, anyway, feeling shaky and scared.

He decided he had to get to school before everyone else. He had to see if Cuddles had grown any bigger.

“Evan—where are you going?” his mother called sleepily as Evan headed out the front door.

“Uh—school,” Evan replied. He had hoped to sneak out before she woke up.

“So early?” She padded into the room, struggling with the belt to her blue cotton robe.

“Well… I have a science project I need to work on,” Evan told her. It was almost the truth.

“A science project?” She eyed him suspiciously.

“Yeah. It’s… big!” Evan replied, thinking quickly. “It’s really big! So I couldn’t bring it home.” “You’re going without any breakfast?” Mrs. Ross demanded, yawning.

“I’ll grab something at school,” he said. “Later, Mom.” He disappeared out the door before she could ask any more questions.

A red sun was just climbing over the trees in a gray sky. The air still carried the chill of the night. The lawns Evan passed shimmered wetly with morning dew.

He jogged the whole way, his backpack flopping heavily on his shoulder. There were no other kids on the playground or on the walk heading into the building.

He crept into the school and made his way down the silent, empty hall. His sneakers echoed loudly as he trotted toward the science classroom.

Maybe Cuddles didn’t grow overnight, Evan told himself.

Maybe he didn’t grow at all. Maybe he shrank. Maybe he shrank back to his old size.

It was possible.

It was possible that Andy had fed the hamster only a teeny tiny speck of Monster Blood. Just enough for Cuddles to swell up to the size of a fat rabbit—then shrink right back down to cute, cuddly hamster size.

It was possible—wasn’t it?

Yes! Yes! Evan crossed his fingers on both hands. He wished he could cross his toes.

By the time he reached the classroom, he was breathless. His heart thudded loudly in his chest.

He hesitated at the door.

Please, Cuddles—be small. Be small!

Then Evan took a deep breath, held it—and stepped inside.