“Perhaps while you clean the hamster cage,” Mr. Murphy said, returning to his desk, “you can think about how to do better in science class, Evan.”
Evan jumped to his feet. “I won’t do it!” he cried.
He heard shocked gasps all around him.
“I hate Cuddles!” Evan screamed. “I hate that stupid, fat hamster!”
As everyone stared in amazed horror, Evan ran over to the cage, pulled open the door, and grabbed Cuddles up in one hand.
Then, with an easy, graceful motion, he flung the hamster across the room—and out the open window.
Evan knew he was having another daydream.
He didn’t jump up screaming and throw the hamster out the window.
He only thought about it. Everyone thinks about doing wild things once in a while.
But Evan would never do anything that wild.
Instead, he said, “Okay, Mr. Murphy.” Then he sat quietly in his seat, staring out the window at the puffy white clouds in the bright blue sky.
He could see his own reflection staring back at him in the glass. His curly, carrot-colored hair looked darker in the reflection. So did the freckles that dotted his cheeks.
His expression was mournful. He hated being made fun of in front of the entire class.
Why am I always getting myself into trouble? he wondered. Why can’t Mr. Murphy ever give me a break? Didn’t the teacher realize how hard it was to be the new kid in school? How am I supposed to make new friends if Murphy is always making me look like a total jerk in class?
Bad enough that no one believed him about the Monster Blood.
Evan had eagerly told the kids in his new school about it. How he had stayed with his great-aunt the past summer. How he and a girl he met named Andy had found the blue container of Monster Blood in a creepy, old toy store.
And how the green, yucky Monster Blood had started to grow and grow. How it had bubbled out of its container, outgrown a bucket, outgrown a bathtub! And just kept growing and growing as if it were alive!
And Evan had told kids how Trigger had eaten just a little of the Monster Blood—and had grown nearly as big as a house!
It was such a frightening, amazing story. Evan was sure his new friends would find it really cool.
But, instead, they just thought he was weird.
No one believed him. They laughed at him and told him he had a sick imagination.
Evan became known around his new school as the kid who made up stupid stories.
If only I could prove to them that the story is true, Evan often thought sadly. If only I could show them the Monster Blood.
But the mysterious green gunk had vanished from sight before Evan left his great-aunt’s house. Not a trace of it had been left. Not a trace.
The bell rang. Everyone jumped up and headed for the door, talking and laughing.
Evan knew that a lot of his classmates were laughing at him. Ignoring them, Evan picked up his backpack and started to the door.
“Hurry back, Evan,” Mr. Murphy called from behind his desk. “Cuddles is waiting!”
Evan growled under his breath and stepped out into the crowded hallway. If Murphy loves that stupid hamster so much, why doesn’t he ever clean out the cage? he wondered bitterly.
A group of kids laughed loudly as Evan passed by. Were they laughing at him? Evan couldn’t tell.
He started jogging to his locker—when something hit his leg just above the ankle. His feet flew out from under him, and he toppled facedown onto the hard tile floor.
“Hey—!” Evan cried angrily.
He stared up at a big, tough-looking kid from his class named Conan Barber. All the kids called him Conan the Barbarian. For good reason.
Conan was twelve, but he looked about twenty years older! He was taller and wider and stronger and meaner than any kid in the school.
He wasn’t a bad-looking guy, Evan grudgingly admitted. He had wavy, blond hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face. He was very athletic-looking, and played all the sports at school.
He looks like an okay guy, Evan thought wistfully. Except that he had one very bad habit. Conan loved to live up to his nickname.
He loved being Conan the Barbarian.
He loved strutting around, beating up kids who weren’t his size—which included everyone!
Evan had not hit it off with Conan.
He met Conan on the playground a few weeks after moving to Atlanta. Eager to make a good impression, Evan told him the whole Monster Blood story.
