Everyone’s supposed to attend a brief seminar about the Science Night Hike, but I’m not going. I can’t face anyone after this morning’s disaster. I wonder if I can just hide here in my hotel room the rest of the weekend, like an ostrich with its head in the sand.
Ostrich: Struthio camelus
But why should I? I’m no ostrich! Let them all hide their heads from me! How dare no one believe me! Let Claudius and Vlad blow up the hotel or carry out whatever scheme they’ve crafted. It would serve everyone right.
What am I thinking?
I’m thinking I’m better than everyone else.
No, I’m not.
Yes, I am.
Well, it doesn’t matter. They’ll all come groveling to me when they see I was right and they were wrong.
No, they won’t.
Yes, they will.
What’s going on? My brain feels like it’s swirling with dust clouds. A scientist must be clearheaded. A doctor must be that way too! I’ll need to concentrate harder on staying alert.
No, I won’t.
Signing off,
Wilmer Dooley
At lunchtime Wilmer finally went downstairs, his stomach murmuring with hunger, but tingling with a mix of rage and self-pity.
As he sat down in the cafeteria, he didn’t see Claudius or Vlad. Like usual, they were probably off somewhere lurking.
Wilmer grabbed a slice of pizza and soaked up some of the grease with his napkin. He missed his creamed spinach—its healthy assortment of vitamins would make him feel better.
Harriet sat next to Wilmer. She put her hands on his shoulder and leaned in, smiling. Her hair looked even more moppish than it had earlier. “After you left the workshop, I made some spectacular crystals. How are you?”
“Leave me alone,” grumbled Wilmer.
Harriet looked down, her eyes watering. “Wilmy, I’m sorry I doubted you. I don’t know what I was thinking. Something came over me. I haven’t been myself. Can you forgive me?” She clutched his arm and gazed with pleading eyes. “Please?”
Wilmer nodded. He knew exactly what she meant because he didn’t feel like himself either. It was as if a small kernel of outrage remained lodged in his brain.
Ernie sat on the other side of Wilmer. He was quiet and seemed distracted. He picked up the pizza on his plate and gnawed at the crust.
“How was your video game class?” Wilmer asked.
Ernie didn’t respond.
“Ernie? Hello?” repeated Wilmer.
“What?” said Ernie, as if emerging from a fog.
“I was asking about your class,” repeated Wilmer.
“We did thumb exercises,” said Ernie, flexing his thumb up and down and up. “I’m ready for video games and hitchhiking.” For good measure, he added, “As if you care.” He seemed on edge too.
“I do—” Care, is what Wilmer meant to say, but he was interrupted by a brief announcement from the loudspeaker. Wilmer’s brain momentarily clouded as he fumbled for his earplugs. He inserted them into his ears just before the speaker spoke. Harriet put her earplugs in too.
“Attention, dear, dear students. Enjoy your meal, and always use an umbrella—a dry day is a happy day!” That was the entire announcement.
Wilmer popped out his plugs. “I do like dry days. Rainy days make me angry!” He snarled, and then gasped at his unprovoked fury. He took a deep breath. “What do you think, Ernie? Ernie?”
Ernie stared forward without blinking. So did most of the kids in the room.
Wilmer looked at Harriet. Harriet looked back at him.
“What are you looking at?” Wilmer grumbled.
“What’s it to you?” she growled.
Then, just as suddenly as it began, the group trance ended. Kids began to eat again. Wilmer took a deep breath. Where had that anger come from?
“Sorry,” he said to Harriet, remembering his harsh words.
“I’m sorry too,” she said, with meaning.
“Look, there’s Wilmer Dooley,” muttered Lizzy, walking behind him. “Claudius Dill told me that Dooley takes credit for other people’s work because he’s so full of himself.”
“That makes me so mad,” said Tizzy. “And Claudius Dill told me . . .”
Wilmer didn’t hear the rest of their conversation as they receded into the crowd. But it wasn’t true! People are only full of themselves if they think they’re great and they aren’t. Wilmer was great, so he was just being honest about himself.
How dare they doubt me!
Wilmer shook his head, trying to clear the outrage from his brain. What was going on with him?
Roxie sat down across the table. She wasn’t wearing her earphones and didn’t have her tape recorder with her.
“Hey, Roxie,” said Wilmer. “Did you speak with Mr. Sneed or Elvira about the radio show?”
“Yes, and I’m not giving my show, okay?” she said with a grunt. “Are you happy now? Just leave me alone.”
Wilmer bit his lip. Roxie’s harsh words were more hurtful than everyone else’s comments put together. “I don’t like this,” Wilmer whispered to Harriet. “I just wish I knew Claudius and Vlad’s plan. Do you think it has something to do with the loudspeakers? Have you noticed how everyone stares blankly after each announcement? And everyone seems angry. I’m angry! And it’s getting worse.”
“That’s a dumb idea,” muttered Harriet. She gasped. “Did I just say that? Maybe you’re right. Maybe there is a connection. I just don’t see how Claudius and Vlad could possibly—”
“It’s Claudius and Vlad,” insisted Wilmer, with conviction. “They’re making these announcements.”
And they’ll be sorry they messed with me!
“But didn’t an announcement go off during the crystals workshop?” asked Harriet. “They were standing right near us.”
“I’m always right!” screamed Wilmer. He gasped at the harsh sound of his voice. “I didn’t say they weren’t clever,” he continued, taking a deep breath. “Maybe they played a prerecorded message. Or they’re ventriloquists. That’s it! Vlad is the ventriloquist and Claudius is the dummy.” He snorted. “But they can’t fool me. Science is about persistence and forcing your opinions on others.”
“But I thought science was about observation,” said Harriet. “You said—”
“Forget what I said. Claudius and Vlad are guilty. They’d do anything to win this science fair, even if it means fogging everyone’s brains and blowing things up.”
“You know best, Wilmy. As you say, Vlad and Claudius have been planning this for months. They’ve somehow rigged up an elaborate loudspeaker system and are doing something for some reason so they can win the science fair or maybe explode things.” She nodded her head. “That makes complete sense. The Amazing Wilmer Dooley has done it again.”
The loudspeaker chose that precise time to squawk. This was Wilmer’s chance to be a hero! He’d show them all just how amazing he was. He jumped out of this seat. “Quick! Everyone cover your ears!” he shouted while putting in his earplugs.
Kids looked at Wilmer like he had lost quite a few marbles and they were rolling all over the ground. Some shot him dirty looks. Many sneered and hissed at him.
No one covered his or her ears.
“Hurry!” Wilmer demanded. “The loudspeakers are making your brains fuzzy! Save yourselves!”
No one tried to save anyone.
“Attention, dear, dear students,” rang the garbled voice on the loudspeaker. “We hope you’ve enjoyed lunch. Please head to your afternoon activity. And hug a dolphin. And remember that a clean cuticle is a happy cuticle.” This was followed by a cackle—maybe a maniacal one, it was hard to tell with all the distortion—and then another loud chirp and then silence. Ernie and Roxie stared forward, drool dripping from their chins. Throughout the room many kids stared, some with their tongues hanging out.
Dr. Dill walked past. He didn’t stare or drool. In fact, he acted completely normal. Was he behind whatever was going on? He was Claudius’s father. Evil could run in the family.
Dr. Dill is guilty! He’s rotten to the core! I must stop him!
Wilmer tightened his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. He took a deep breath. He needed to get a grip. Dr. Dill couldn’t be like that. He was the World’s Greatest Doctor. Doctors swore to help others, not to hurt them. Wilmer needed to get his anger under control. “Dr. Dill!” shouted Wilmer, swallowing a growl. “Help! The loudspeakers are making kids space out and drool!”
“Drool? Why, that’s horrible!” agreed Dr. Dill. “We should do something!” The music of Beethoven trickled from his pants pocket. He quickly dug out his phone and answered it. “This is Dr. Dill, I can’t talk and . . . What? An epidemic of Borscht Belt? Are you joking . . . ?” He hurried out without another word to Wilmer.
Wilmer felt like jumping up and tackling the doctor. He needed his help.
But then Roxie blinked, as did Ernie. Slowly, all the kids began to move again. Wilmer felt relieved, and his anger died down just a bit too.
“Are you okay?” Wilmer asked Ernie.
Ernie growled at Wilmer.
Harriet leaned close to Wilmer and slipped her arm around his. “I still think you’re amazing.” Suddenly, she snarled. “And the thought of anyone thinking differently makes me so mad I just want to tear their hair out!”
Ernie held up the menu of activities and jabbed his finger at a class on building miniature rocket ships. “Class is starting,” he snapped. “Are you coming?”
Before Wilmer could respond, Harriet squeezed his hand and yanked him out of his chair. “Wilmer and I have more important things to do,” she said. “There’s a class on scientific love potions that looks perfect.”
“Love potions?” asked Wilmer with a gulp.
“Let’s go,” said Harriet, roughly pulling Wilmer behind her. “If we hurry we can get good seats.”
“But—” began Wilmer.
Harriet gnashed her teeth. “I said we’re going to love potions. Don’t mess with me!”
“I’ll see you later, Ernie, okay?” shouted Wilmer. “Ernie?”
Ernie stomped away while Harriet pushed Wilmer toward the door.