Does your mother know about your meat, Stanley? About the three solid pounds of meat snacks we found in your locker?”
I shake my head.
“Is your mother encouraging you to deal in meat snacks?” he asks me.
I shake my head again, my face growing warm.
He shakes his head, smiling. “No, she doesn’t like meat, does she, your mother?”
I shake my head.
“Okay, listen. You owe me a favor.”
I nod my head.
“You promise to repay the favor when you’re asked.”
Piper has let go of me and is back in his seat. The flute, strangely, is in his hands. Stranger still is the fact that I can’t remember him taking it down off the wall or putting it to his lips. And yet it seems so natural there, like a pencil in his hand.
“I’m not sure,” I say.
He plays a little tune. Just a few notes, but I find myself nodding.
“Of course. I owe you a favor. I’ll repay the favor when asked.”
His smile is as big as my confusion, but I forget everything else as he hands me the still-steaming tray.
Biting in, I taste the juices that I’ve been smelling for what seems like hours. It’s all I can do to keep myself from ripping it apart with my bare hands.
“So, Stanley. Let’s cut to the chase. Have you been taking the supplements?”
I stare at him, my mouth open. What if they’re illegal?
“Just nod or shake your head.”
I close my mouth.
“I said just nod or shake your head, Stanley.”
Why can’t I just shake my head?
“You can’t tell me, can you?”
“I don’t know. I want to talk, but—”
“How much do you know?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“Whatever anyone tells you, they’re not vitamins, Stanley. And they’re not organic or biodynamic, either.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“All I can tell you is they aren’t what they seem. They aren’t for you. They aren’t for people at all.”
Aren’t for people? Were they made for animals or what?
“Stanley, I’m going to talk to you man to man. Can you tell me what really happened in that locker room?”
I shrug. “I don’t think so. I’d like to, but—I mean, I didn’t do anything to him. I just went in there to clean up. And then...”
Mr. Piper waits for me for a moment to finish my sentence. “And then?”
I just sit there.
“Just tell me this. You’re leaving a whole lot out, aren’t you?”
I nod. “Don’t want to say anything crazy, do I?”
“Like about turning into some kind of animal?”
Mr. Piper stares at me for a while, waiting for an answer. That’s when I notice something strange about a book on his desk. When I look at it directly, I notice that it’s a yearbook from ten years ago. But when I look at it from the side, it’s a lot older. Something’s fishy here. That’s not a yearbook. Yearbooks don’t have weird gold lettering that shimmers.
I look back at Piper. “Do you think I turned into an animal?”
“The world is a strange place,” Mr. Piper says. “All I can say is that you’ve got to be careful what you wish for. Everything carries its price.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” I say.
“Good,” he says, nodding. “Now off to class with you. I’ve got other fish to fry.”
Outside his office I see Carolina, sitting in a chair, waiting. She’s in my English class, but I don’t know her very well. All I know is she’s new and she hangs out with Meredith, who I used to hang out with in elementary school. Carolina and I have never talked before, but now she looks up at me from her chair. We lock eyes for a moment, and she winks at me, like we’re sharing a secret.
But if so, what’s the secret?
I want to talk to her, but I need to get to class, and she’s already being called into Mr. Piper’s office.
Chapter 13: I’M FAMOUS
I n the halls I catch people looking at me. Old friends from cross-country start talking about me when I pass by. But they get quiet when I look at them.
In English we work in groups. Today Meredith and Carolina are working with
I shake my head.
“Is your mother encouraging you to deal in meat snacks?” he asks me.
I shake my head again, my face growing warm.
He shakes his head, smiling. “No, she doesn’t like meat, does she, your mother?”
I shake my head.
“Okay, listen. You owe me a favor.”
I nod my head.
“You promise to repay the favor when you’re asked.”
Piper has let go of me and is back in his seat. The flute, strangely, is in his hands. Stranger still is the fact that I can’t remember him taking it down off the wall or putting it to his lips. And yet it seems so natural there, like a pencil in his hand.
“I’m not sure,” I say.
He plays a little tune. Just a few notes, but I find myself nodding.
“Of course. I owe you a favor. I’ll repay the favor when asked.”
His smile is as big as my confusion, but I forget everything else as he hands me the still-steaming tray.
Biting in, I taste the juices that I’ve been smelling for what seems like hours. It’s all I can do to keep myself from ripping it apart with my bare hands.
“So, Stanley. Let’s cut to the chase. Have you been taking the supplements?”
I stare at him, my mouth open. What if they’re illegal?
“Just nod or shake your head.”
I close my mouth.
“I said just nod or shake your head, Stanley.”
Why can’t I just shake my head?
“You can’t tell me, can you?”
“I don’t know. I want to talk, but—”
“How much do you know?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“Whatever anyone tells you, they’re not vitamins, Stanley. And they’re not organic or biodynamic, either.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“All I can tell you is they aren’t what they seem. They aren’t for you. They aren’t for people at all.”
Aren’t for people? Were they made for animals or what?
“Stanley, I’m going to talk to you man to man. Can you tell me what really happened in that locker room?”
I shrug. “I don’t think so. I’d like to, but—I mean, I didn’t do anything to him. I just went in there to clean up. And then...”
Mr. Piper waits for me for a moment to finish my sentence. “And then?”
I just sit there.
“Just tell me this. You’re leaving a whole lot out, aren’t you?”
I nod. “Don’t want to say anything crazy, do I?”
“Like about turning into some kind of animal?”
Mr. Piper stares at me for a while, waiting for an answer. That’s when I notice something strange about a book on his desk. When I look at it directly, I notice that it’s a yearbook from ten years ago. But when I look at it from the side, it’s a lot older. Something’s fishy here. That’s not a yearbook. Yearbooks don’t have weird gold lettering that shimmers.
I look back at Piper. “Do you think I turned into an animal?”
“The world is a strange place,” Mr. Piper says. “All I can say is that you’ve got to be careful what you wish for. Everything carries its price.”
“I’ll keep it in mind,” I say.
“Good,” he says, nodding. “Now off to class with you. I’ve got other fish to fry.”
Outside his office I see Carolina, sitting in a chair, waiting. She’s in my English class, but I don’t know her very well. All I know is she’s new and she hangs out with Meredith, who I used to hang out with in elementary school. Carolina and I have never talked before, but now she looks up at me from her chair. We lock eyes for a moment, and she winks at me, like we’re sharing a secret.
But if so, what’s the secret?
I want to talk to her, but I need to get to class, and she’s already being called into Mr. Piper’s office.
Chapter 13: I’M FAMOUS
I n the halls I catch people looking at me. Old friends from cross-country start talking about me when I pass by. But they get quiet when I look at them.
In English we work in groups. Today Meredith and Carolina are working with
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