3:10 a.m.
Outside.
I pushed through students outside, frantically searching for Dexter and Vic over the ringing bell of the fire alarm.
Everyone was angry about getting woken up, but I didn’t care, because I was about to save the school again. What would this place do without me?
As the new headmaster shouted orders across the yard, the old headmaster finally made his first appearance.
Donald Kepler burst through the doors and scurried down the steps wearing nothing but his boxers and slippers, along with some kind of crazy lightbulb contraption on top of his head.
It was like something a mad scientist would wear to keep people from reading his thoughts.
I ran up to him. ‘Headmaster Kepler, I saw two worm-eaters out here, like, ten minutes ago! It was Dexter and Vic! They came outta the forest like this!’
I did my best worm-eater impression.
Kepler’s eyes twitched. ‘We must keep from making ripples,’ he said, panicked. And then he pulled me closer. ‘What year is this? Has he escaped? He must be kept outside!’
‘What’re you talking about? Did you hear what I said?’
The old man stepped backwards slowly, studying me. ‘… Who are you?’
Headmaster Archer came to Kepler’s rescue, guiding him away from me and back towards the school.
Uh … What just happened?
Did Kepler forget who I was?
‘Ha!’ Vic laughed from behind me. ‘Nobody remembers losers!’
I spun around and bolted for the worm-eater. He freaked, putting his hands up to use his power, but I body-slammed him before he could.
Everyone was like, ‘Ohhhhh!’ and then they started chanting, ‘Fight! Fight! Fight!’
I was a boy on a mission. If Vic was a worm-eater, his breath would smell like worms. All I needed was that bit of proof for everyone to have my back.
An army of Kepler students against two worm-eaters? Cake.
Vic and I scuffled as more students gathered around. My friends were right up the front.
Vic stopped struggling. He pulled me closer and sloppily licked my face all over. ‘Is this what you want?’
I flinched, disgusted. ‘Ah, gross, dude!’
The spit on my face didn’t smell like worms.
More like … lollies?
The worm-eater crawled out from under me. I tried pulling him back by grabbing his hoodie, but he wriggled out of it, and I fell back onto the grass.
Coach Lindsay pushed through the crowd. ‘Knock it off, you two!’
I jumped up, pointing at Vic. ‘Smell that boy’s breath! I saw him walk out of the forest with Dexter! I bet his breath smells like worms!’
Coach Lindsay was mortified, but not at Vic.
At me.
‘That boy is a worm-eater!’ I said again in case he didn’t understand.
Vic’s voice sliced through the air. ‘Why are you calling me a boy?’
I looked back at him, confused. ‘Because you’re … you’re a … wait, what?’
Penny gasped. ‘Oh, Ben, you beautiful idiot.’
That was the first time I’d seen Vic without half his face hidden by hair and a hoodie – or, should I say, half her face hidden by hair and a hoodie.
Vic was a girl.
It was way more obvious without the hood.
Hushed whispers came from the crowd.
My world was rocked. ‘But … your name is Vic. Short for Victor.’
‘Short for Victoria, you trash bag!’
‘But the guyliner …’
‘It’s just eyeliner when it’s on a girl!’
‘Time! Out!’ Dexter said, making a T with his hands. ‘Did you think Victoria was a dude all last year?’
Everyone laughed.
Everyone except me and Vic.
She was holding back tears.
Not my best moment.
Everyone shuffled back to the dorms after the fire alarm was switched off. I stood next to Brock, wondering if running away to Mexico was easier than it sounded.
Penny, Noah and Jordan sat next to me.
‘I made a mistake,’ I said.
‘Vic’ll get over it,’ Penny said. ‘Someday. Careful, though, cuz she’s super into Korean revenge movies. She’ll become your closest friend for the next fifteen years, and then BAM! She cuts your brakes and watches you drive off a cliff.’
‘I swear I saw them, though. I saw Dexter and Vic out here,’ I said. ‘You guys believe me, right?’
They shrugged.
Noah spoke first. ‘I mean, it’s three in the morning, and you have weird dreams anyway …’
‘And Dexter and Vic weren’t really acting like worm-eaters …’ Penny added.
‘And there’s some half-eaten gummy worms in the grass over there …’ Jordan said, pointing.
Jordan was right. Chewed-up gummy worms were lying exactly where I saw Dexter and Vic standing from my window. They may not have been worm-eaters, but they were definitely outside after curfew, which brought back a sudden sense of panic in me.
Penny could tell. ‘Hey, relax, dude.’
‘I can’t,’ I said, choking up. ‘I’m scared that something really, really bad is gonna happen this year. Like, worse than last year. That’s how sequels work.’
‘Okay, so this isn’t a movie,’ Penny said. ‘And you’re not in a sequel.’
‘Nothing bad’s gonna happen,’ Noah said. ‘You’re just freaked out from last year.’
I nodded reluctantly.
‘But even if it does, we’re all together now, side by side,’ Penny said. ‘We’ve got your back.’
That was all I needed to hear.