Chapter Two
Ahem. So, while Dash was getting acquainted with my family, I was starving.
I rummaged around the room. Empty snack boxes. Stale potato chips. Wait, here's a pack of twinkies and a Snicker's bar. Score!
I gotta admit this is one of my better breakfasts. I love my mom but in all honesty, cooking is not one of her talents.
As I swallowed down a Twinkie, I reflected on the past depressing hours. After discovering I had suddenly been transplanted into Dash's body, I had gone from hysterical, to cursing this town to calmly figuring out it had something to do with Friday the 13th in Eerie. Guess Simon and I didn't have enough protection, after all.
Initially, I was going to storm out of here to my house. But man, what would I say? To everyone, I am Dash. I also figure that if I'm in Dash's body he must be in mine. I had a feeling the sneaky jerk would be curious in being me. I decided I'd let the jerk go in my place to school. Hehe, he'd be in for a surprise. I'll get in touch with Dash and Simon at lunch.
Anyways, it was so quiet out here in the woods. On the one hand, it's perfect solitude. But on the other, it's gotta be lonely. In a way, I was completely free. No parents. No big sister. No authority. The sky's the limit.
I mean, the things I could do...
But, I'm not Dash. I'm me. And I needed to figure out why this happened and how to fix it.
Besides, freedom comes with a price. Am I willing to pay it?
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While I was pondering my new role in life, Dash was experiencing something quite different...
I am in hell, Dash concluded. Instead of fire and torture, there was endless lecture and aggravation.
He had been brought to this place by a curiosity to check out Marshall's life. Also sappy feelings of being in a family had crept into his usually selfish heart.
They had all sat down for breakfast together. It was like breakfast out of a 50s sitcom. Father at the head of the table eating and reading a newspaper, mother pouring orange juice for everyone, and a sister chattering about the latest gossip. He usually puked at scenes like those..
Yet, today...it kinda felt okay. Weird, but okay. Anyways, he made a bad decision out of a moment of sappiness and here he was sitting in a seventh grade math class. He had no idea if this was the grade he'd been in his previous unknown life.
He usually figured he was thirteen or fourteen. He preferred to say fourteen because that made him a year older than Marshall.
"Mr. Teller!"
A man's voice had crashed into Dash's thoughts.
"What?" Dash growled back.
"Don't you get an attitude with me, Teller. I've been calling you a few times now. Are you working on your test?" said the teacher. He was a tall, skinny man with thick black bifocals.
Dash took a quick glance around the classroom. The other students were still busy scribbling. Some concentrating so hard they were about to explode. Others just looked sick.
"Yeah, I'm done," Dash answered. He had found the test pretty easy. It was a surprise to him. Maybe he was a genius and didn't know it...
"Nonsense, it's only been ten minutes. No one finishes my exams in ten minutes." said the teacher haughtily.
Dash' s eyes narrowed angrily. This guy's ego is through the roof, he thought.
The teacher walked over to Dash's desk and looked over his test. Dash watched with glee as the man's face paled.
"You got all of them right! In-Inconceivable!" the teacher gasped.
"Oh, no sir. It must be conceivable if there are indeed right," Dash remarked relaxing back into his chair.
At this point all the students were watching the confrontation. Many marveled at Marshall's sudden boldness. The guys thought it was badass. The girls thought it was hot and whether Teller was 'available'.
"Teller, you got an 'A' on Santini's test! Awesome!" hissed the guy sitting next to Dash.
Dash smirked.
Mr. Santini had snapped out his shock and calmly turned around to go back to his desk. He barked at the class to hurry and finish their test.
After ten minutes Mr. Santini collected everyone else's tests and the bell rang.
"Time to go?" Dash voiced hopefully.
The guy beside him laughed. "What's with you, Mars? It's just lunch man."
Dash's spirits went tremendously low. He was starting to consider skipping the rest of the day when Mr. Santini called him over to his desk.
Mr. Santini's face was a picture of barely contained anger, while Dash kept his face innocent and passive.
"I'm going to have to call your parents about this, Teller," Mr. Santini said curtly.
"About what, sir?" Dash answered.
"About what? Cheating, that's what. You a "C" minus student does not make a leap to "A" student with a single test," Mr. Santini said harshly.
Dash slowly walked around the desk till he got into Mr. Santini's face.
"Who knows? Maybe I have a hidden talent for mathematics. And you know, to me it seems like someone might be threatened by this fact," Dash responded with mock seriousness.
Mr. Santini stood up and looked around. They were the only ones left in class.
"You little bastard!" Mr. Santini grabbed Dash at the collar.
Dash decided to use his favorite bluff for such occasions.
"You touch me and I'll make sure everyone in this school...no, town knows what the hell you've been up to!"
Mr. Santini laughed nervously. He let Dash go abruptly. "W-What are you talking about?"
Dash stared him down.
"I know," Dash answered with a lot of conviction in Marshall's best "believe me" voice.
Mr. Santini paled.
Everyone has a skeleton in their closet, Dash thought gleefully. All you gotta do is act like you know it. And then it's time to exploit.
"Let's talk Mr. Santini..."
