When my ma wakes me up for school, I can barely move. I feel like I haven’t slept in a week.

“Rise and shine, love,” she says.

I moan and open my eyes. I squint. The only light is from the hallway outside, but it feels brighter than a flashlight shining in my pupils.

When I sit up, I shiver. Every part of me feels like it’s submerged in ice. I want to bury myself back inside my blankets.

I roll my legs out of bed and my belly twitches. My mouth fills with spit, and it tastes like old eggs and tuna.

My stomach hurts, too.

“I think I’m going to throw up,” I warn.

And then I do, right on the floor.

I put weight on my legs, avoiding the puddle of green and yellow by my feet, and stagger to the bathroom. I need to get dressed. Tonight is our big school play. We have to rehearse. I need to learn my new lines.

Kyle and Eric made a ton of changes yesterday. They’ve made the play a lot better, but it’s hard to remember what lines have been taken away, and what lines are new.

I can’t be late to school today. I’m George Washington. I’m the star.

For once, I’m actually glad I pulled the short straw. I think our play will be a big success. And with Lizzie playing Martha Washington, I couldn’t be luckier.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Ma asks.

“School,” I say, but it feels like someone else is talking. My voice sounds distant, as if it’s coming from another room.

“Back to bed, young man,” my ma orders.

I take a step forward, but the room spins. I nod, return to my bed, and gratefully crawl back under the covers. The school needs me, but my bed needs me more.

“You might have the stomach flu,” my ma warns.

“Or maybe it’s food poisoning,” I say with a forced smile. “From the homework, detention slip pad, and sneakers I ate in school.”

“What?” asks Ma.

“Never mind,” I mumble, trying to ignore the lingering tuna taste in my mouth.

I’m almost positive I have food poisoning, and I’m also almost positive it was Lizzie’s cupcakes that made me sick.

I wonder if anyone else feels the same way I do.