6 DISCONNECT THE DOTS

CHAPTER 6 DISCONNECT THE DOTS Ugh!" Rip groaned. "It feels like I'm wearing cactus earmuffs!" "Just keep moving!" said Alexander. He herded Rip toward the broken cooler. Alexander did a double take. "What is it?" said Rip. "Are my ears blue-er?" He looked at his reflection in a spoon. Now his face was covered in blue spots!

"What is happening to me?!" Rip yelled. "And where is Hoarsely?!" Mr. Hoarsely popped up, holding his smelly sponge. "Here I am!" He saw Rip's polka-dotted face and yelped, squeezing stinky water onto the floor. "Come with me!" he said. The three of them rushed to the nurse's office. Mr. Hoarsely tossed the sponge in a corner, washed his hands, and put on a stethoscope. "Okay," said Mr. Hoarsely at last. "I'm no doctor, but—" He paused. He and Alexander were both staring at Rip, wide-eyed.

"What now?!" said Rip. "Uh," said Mr. Hoarsely. "Those blue spots are gone." "And your ears are both back to normal," said Alexander. "Hello, handsome!" said Rip, smiling at himself in the mirror. "But— what happened?" Mr. Hoarsely frowned. "I'm not sure. Are you allergic to anything?" "No," said Rip. Mr. Hoarsely pulled out a medical book. "Let's see... Blue spots? Aquamarine bumps? Navy freckles?" He closed the book. "Nothing!" HOO-RONNNNNK!!!

BLAM! The door slammed shut. "Eep!" Mr. Hoarsely dove under the cot. He looked toward the door. "Wh-wh-where did my sponge go?" Alexander ran to the door. The stinky sponge was gone. "Yechh!" said Rip. "Who would steal a grody old sponge?" Then the bell rang.