The Bully Bug by David Lubar Page B

said.
    â€œThanks.” I looked down at my chest. My body didn’t seem all that human anymore. I tried to look into my mind, to see if it was human. As far as I could tell, it hadn’t changed. But I’d never really spent any time trying to look at my own mind.
    â€œI’ll talk to you tomorrow,” he said. He reached out his hand toward me.
    My own hand shot out.
    â€œOuch! My wrist. I just wanted to shake hands.”
    â€œSorry.” I let go. Man, these reflexes were fast. I thanked him again, put my shirt on, then headed downstairs and out of the house.
    Bud was standing on the sidewalk.

 
    Fifteen
    TROUBLE BY THE YARD
    Â 
    â€œWhat were you doing in there?” he asked, looking hurt.
    â€œThe nerd—I mean Norman—was helping me with something,” I told him.
    â€œI shouldn’t even talk to you,” he said. “Running off without me. I shouldn’t have bothered following you. I’ve been waiting out here for hours.”
    â€œSorry. But I really needed his help.”
    â€œWhat with?” he asked.
    â€œI’m turning into a bug,” I told him. “Those bugs that bit me—you know, in the cereal box. They’re mimic beetles. That means they copy other things. So, with them biting me, that must mean I’m copying them. Or maybe I’m copying all kinds of bugs. I didn’t really understand that part. But the green goo made them change.”
    â€œSo you think you’re a bug,” Bud said.
    â€œYeah. I mean, I know I am.” It felt good to share my problem with him.
    Bud laughed. “Is this part of your act for the talent show? It’s pretty good. Bugs are funny. Tell me some more.”
    â€œNo. I’m serious. I’m a bug.” I pulled up the front of my shirt. “Look. Bug hairs.”
    Bud grinned. “Man. That is a good one. You’ll be a real hit at the show.” He slapped me on the back and laughed some more.
    I gave up trying to convince him. But I had a funny feeling that sooner or later, he’d believe me. Unless Norman could figure out how to help me change back.
    We walked a bit more—then Bud said, “Just don’t go running off somewhere without me again. Okay? It doesn’t feel good to get ditched like that.”
    â€œOkay. Sorry.”
    â€œNo problem.”
    Thwack! He smacked me on the back of the head. I wondered why I didn’t grab his arm like I’d done with Norman. Maybe because he was my brother. That made sense. Like how an ant won’t attack another ant from the same hill. I’d seen that on TV.
    â€œLet’s cut over this way,” Bud said, pointing to Mr. Terranova’s house. We were a couple blocks away from home, but we could get right there by going across Mr. Terranova’s yard and then up the hill behind our house.
    â€œSure.” That wasn’t a problem. He was a friend of my dad’s and he didn’t care if we walked on his property. I just didn’t want to run into him, because he liked to talk. I mean, he liked to talk a whole lot, and he never talked about anything interesting. So I checked the porch to make sure he wasn’t there. Then I followed Bud.
    The first couple of steps, I didn’t notice anything wrong. But about halfway along the front yard, I started to feel wobbly. Then I stopped right where I was.
    â€œOh no,” I said when I noticed what was at the edge of the lawn.
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Bud asked.
    I stared at the little paper flag on the stick. I knew what it was. That’s what they put on a yard after it’s been sprayed. There was stuff on the lawn to kill the weeds. And to kill bugs.
    Wow. I felt really dizzy. I took a step backwards. I knew I had to get off the grass fast.
    â€œHey, look who’s here,” Mr. Terranova said, pushing open his screen door and stepping onto the porch. “I thought I heard voices.”
    â€œHi,” Bud