class.
âHeâs scared of germs,â a kid tells you again. âTerrified of them.â
You donât see the big guy for the rest of the day, but a boy tells you that heâs spent all the time in the bathroom, scrubbing himself with Dettol. Next morning you find heâs swapped lockers with another kid so that heâs now on the other side of the school to you. You laugh.
You canât believe that you fooled him so easily. But later that day you start to feel funny. You feel all hot and dizzy. By the time you get home you can hardly stand up. When your mother gets in you stagger across the room to her. âErr, I donât feel so good,â you tell her.
She takes a close look at you. âLetâs see your chest,â she says. You unbutton your shirt and to your shock thereâs a big red rash there.
âOh no!â you groan. You donât need your mother to tell you. Yes, youâve got German measles!
ouâre lying,â he says.
âThatâs not very nice,â you say, trying desperately to think of something else to scare him with. Heâs taken another step towards you, and his hands are reaching for your throat.
âAll right, Iâll tell you the truth,â you shout.
He hesitates, and you just have time to think of something to say.
âIâve got hypoimaginoliosis,â you say.
âYou do?â he growls. But thereâs just the faintest trace of uncertainty in his eyes.
âYes!â you cry. âI didnât want to tell anyone, but Iâve got an extreme case of it. The doctors have given me . . .â you try to squeeze a tear out of your eye . . . âtheyâve given me three months. If Iâm lucky.â
âOh gee.â The big guy stands there looking embarrassed. âIâm sorry. I didnât know.â
âWell,â you say heroically. âI donât like to talk about it. I donât want any fuss.â
For the rest of the day the big guy carries your bag around the school for you. Next day he gives you a box of chocolates. Next day he beats up a kid who doesnât hold a door open for you. You enjoy being looked after like this, so you donât complain. Thereâs only one problem. What are you going to tell him in three monthâs time?
o your amazement he actually stops. As youâd have trouble spelling kung-fu, let alone doing it, youâre very amazed. You stand there on your one leg, still balanced but not sure what to do next. Then a slight breeze comes blowing through the door. You feel yourself swaying. âOh no!â you think. âNot that!â But yes, it is that. Before you have time to consider a plan of action you fall straight over. How stupid do you feel? One minute youâre a martial arts warrior, the next minute youâre on the floor. Through dazed eyes you see the towering figure of the Incredible Hulk standing above you. You close your eyes in terror.
Youâre about to cop severe punishment!
onât be such a wimp. Take the risk and go to 53. I mean, after all, itâs only a story.
ell, youâve talked Sam into it, though you half wish you hadnât. Still, itâs time you used your electronics knowledge for something.
You give Sam the easy job of getting information, and by the next morning itâs done. Itâs all there: Ms Janzenâs desk is third from the door in staff room two. âPretty impressive, Sam,â you say, after studying the info. Then you proceed to eat the note. âCanât be too careful,â you say. âWe should have eaten the last one.â
Later that morning you ask permission to leave class. âTouch of gastro,â you say, making glugging noises deep in your throat, just to show youâre serious. Once youâre out in the corridor you race to staff room two. You knock on the door and wait. Thereâs no answer. Thatâs cool. If there had
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