Author's Note: So, this is my first story here. And I was really inspired by our toad [yep, TOAD] dissecting earlier, I don't know why. Saying hello to my friend bluestring! :)
Toad Dissection
It was toad dissecting day and the only one who seemed excited about it was Logan. Carlos didn't know how he felt. Kendall was…normal and James was definitely not happy.
"I mean, how can I not touch my hair for three periods?" he said. The class was required to wear a lab gown and, for some reason, a hairnet. They also needed gloves since they were handling toads. And the part James was complaining about was because they would be handling toads for three periods which means he couldn't fix his hair for three periods.
"No ones asking you to not touch your hair for three periods, James," Carlos said. "You can fix your hair…If you want it drenched in toad blood!" Carlos started laughing, and so did Logan and Kendall.
The teacher called for the whole class and started a demo on how to dissect. Afterwards, they were sent to the back of the lab to get their toads. Logan didn't care what he got. He just grabbed a jar and went back to their table.
"Now that's what you call excitement," Kendall said as he examined a jar filled with a toad that kept thumping the lid cover. He put the jar down and observed a few more toads before going back to the table where Logan was.
James turned to Carlos. "You're not really going to get a toad right?"
Carlos shrugged and grabbed a jar. "Beats me." And fled off to Kendall and Logan.
James looked at the remaining toads. Honestly, he was never really willing to dissect toads. He took a jar reluctantly and trudged off to the table.
At the table, the three boys were opening their jars. Logan was the first to pull his toad out. He stuck a cotton ball filled with chloroform in front of the toad's nose. The toad struggled but Logan only pushed it harder. After a minute, the toad was asleep. Kendall and Carlos were impressed.
Not letting go of the toad, Logan pinned it on the dissecting pan and left the chloroform cotton ball in front of the toad's nose.
Carlos was the next to get his toad out. "This is so cool! It feels like the toad's peeing!" he said and stuck a chloroform cotton ball in front of its nose.
"Seriously?" Kendall said, suddenly interested. He got his toad out and it almost jumped out of his grasp.
"Hold it like this," Logan said and repositioned Kendall's hands.
"It does feel like it's peeing. Good call, Carlos," Kendall said as Logan helped him with the chloroform and the pinning down. Carlos pinned his frog as well.
Afterwards, Kendall looked at James. "Ready?"
"Not really."
"Come on. The sooner you finish dissecting that thing, the sooner you get to fix your hair."
That perked him up. "Ready, then."
James put on his gloves and stared at the toad. It seemed tame. He opened the jar and put covered the opening with his hand. When no one was looking, he put on the lid again.
But Logan caught him. "Come on," he said reassuringly." You can do it."
Carlos laughed. "James? Dissecting? Logan, are you alright?"
Kendall turned Carlos' head to face the frog. "Logan's not talking to you."
James sighed. "Carlos is right. I can't do it."
"We're here to help." Logan unscrewed the lid. "Ready?"
"Guess so." James positioned his hand on top of the jar.
After five minutes…James still didn't have his toad in hand.
"Any time now," Carlos said.
"Wait. I can do this," James said.
Kendall, who was already impatient, stuck James' hand in the jar, surprising Carlos, Logan, James and the toad.
Instinctively, James pulled his hand back out which earned the toad its freedom. It started hopping about.
"Kendall!" James demanded. "What was that?"
"What's taking you so long in getting that toad?"
"You two might want to help us catch that toad?" Carlos called out. He was searching for the toad, together with Logan.
"Got it!" Logan returned from the sink. "It tried to hop out. James, get the cotton filled with chloroform."
James stuck it in front of its nose. It struggled and Logan told him to push it harder. After minutes passed, it was limp in Logan's hand. Kendall helped James pin his toad on the dissecting board. Then everyone's activities were back to normal.
"Well," Carlos said as he cut through the toad's loose skin," tell me again: Why are we dissecting toads instead of frogs?"
"Frogs are slippery and moist, which makes it harder to handle. And toads are more abundant," Logan said.
"Can someone tell me how to cut through this?" Kendall was already cutting through connective tissues.
"Just do it the same way you cut through the skin," Logan said as he wiped blood off his toad. Kendall pierced through the muscle and it began bleeding. He tried wiping it with cotton but it just kept pouring.
"Logan? It won't stop bleeding. Did I piece the heart?" Kendall asked.
"No, no, no. It's normal. Just…keep wiping. When it stops, cut through it again."
Then, a few minutes of silence…Until James pulled back.
"Why is it moving? Is it supposed to move?" he asked.
"No. No, I don't think so. Try sticking the cotton harder," Logan advised. James did, but it still struggled. "Logan! It's not sleeping!"
"Aren't you done yet?" Kendall peeked at James' frog.
"I still need to cut the ribs, but it started moving before I cut through it!"
The toad continued struggling and James pushed the cotton harder. Finally, it slept…hopefully.
"Hey, James, what's the name of your toad?" Carlos asked.
James, who was already stressed out on his morning toad fiasco, ignored the question.
Carlos started poking James with his elbow. "What? What? What? What? What? Come on, James, what's the name of your toad?"
"Nothing!" James said.
"Ooooh. That's a nice name."
Kendall and Logan chuckled at Carlos' being unmindful.
The bell rang for their final period and the teacher started checking.
James started to cut through the ribs. When he tried pinning it, the toad started moving again. In surprise, James stepped back and splashed Kendall with drops of toad blood. Kendall spit out a few drops and Carlos and Logan stifled a laugh.
"Help me pin it down!" James said. Logan, who was done with his dissection and got his toad for exhibit, helped pin it down. It struggled and the ribs moved.
"That's…gross," Kendall said.
"Which one? The part where you got to taste toad blood or the fact that Nothing's ribs are moving?" Carlos said.
"Both…And who's Nothing?"
"James' toad."
"Of course." Kendall quickly finished his female toad and called the teacher for his test.
Afterwards, he helped Logan with Nothing's ribs while James was holding the cotton to the toad's nose. "What did you do to your toad, James?" Carlos said.
"I didn't do anything." James was already a bit teary-eyed. "I just want this over, okay?"
"Aw. Who needs a hug?"
"I don't think he'd want a hug, Carlitos," Logan said. "Your lab gown's bloodstained."
Carlos shrugged and continued with his toad.
"A bit more and…done." Logan pinned the ribs down, which exposed it's joints. "But it's gross."
"I don't care," James said and, surprisingly, hugged the three of them. "Thanks for helping me, guys."
"James!" Kendall said. "Your lab gown! It's splattered with blood!"
At that, Carlos and Logan pulled away. There were specks of blood on their lab gowns.
"Thanks guys," James said again. "Now what?"
"Call the teacher and you're done," Carlos said. "After me, if it's alright."
Carlos named the parts correctly and got a three out of three. James got one part wrong and got a messy dissection. Kendall and Logan got perfect scores and had their toads for exhibit.
Carlos disposed his frog easily. But James…
"Guys, could you help me again?" The pins on the toad's arms were gone, and it was struggling again.
"That is one annoyingly-hyperactive toad you have there, James," Logan said.
"Tell me about it."
They unpinned the toad and it tried jumping away. Carlos caught and finally disposed it.
"Thanks again," James said.
"No problem," Kendall said. "But it would be really gross if it hopped away after dissection, right?"
"It would," Carlos said. Then he looked up.
"You okay?" Logan asked.
Carlos sighed. "They were good frogs."
"Toads."
"Toads. May they be in toad heaven."
Kendall smiled and put a hand on Carlos' shoulder. He looked up to where Carlos was looking and said," They were. And they are in frog heaven."
"Wait. I never got to get the toad's heart!" Carlos complained.
"Find another toad, dissect it, then get the heart," James suggested.
"It wouldn't be the same!...Eh, who cares?"
It was only the first three periods of the day but it the four were already tired. After all, it had been a hectic morning with James' toad fiasco.
Author's Note: Um, there's my first story. Honestly, I didn't know how to end it. Just as what I do with my other stories, I write the first one that pops in my head. I'd really appreciate a review because a friend always told me that the best thing an author can have is a review. :)