Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13 The day of the play had finally arrived and there was a buzz of anticipation outside the school, with parents, pupils and teachers all chattering excitedly. But not for Charlie, Mohsen, Wogan and Flora, who had agreed to meet outside to wish Charlie good luck. A black cloud had been hanging over the friends for days. Wogan looked up at the sky. 'I really wish that black cloud would go away. It's just been hanging over us. For days.' 'Yes,' agreed Mohsen. 'It's like it's a… metaphor for something. But I can't think what,' he said glumly.

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'My impending and certain doom?' suggested Charlie. 'Ohhhhhh yeaaahh.' Mohsen nodded, grinning widely at the new-found connection in his brain. 'That must be it. Charlie's impending and certain doom.' 'It's not certain,' muttered Flora, who was sitting on the ground, eyes closed and brow furrowed, her fingers church-steepled at her chin. Charlie, Mohsen and Wogan turned to Flora. 'What do you mean?' asked Mohsen. 'I mean it's not certain. Charlie's doom,' Flora replied, not moving a muscle. 'How can it not be certain?' Charlie asked, temper rising in his voice. 'Since this whole thing started, every time I've got stressed I've changed into an animal. Every. Single. Time.' Flora opened her eyes and looked seriously at Charlie, but waited for him to continue. 'What makes you think that this time,' Charlie said, his face beginning to turn red, 'when I have to sing a STUPID song about a sad potato in front of

the WHOLE SCHOOL, is going to be ANY different? It's going to be WORSE and I'm going to change into who knows what– probably something totally embarrassing like a gnu or a naked mole rat– and I'm going to be sent away to some science lab for the rest of my life. That's it. I'm done for. Game over.' Charlie finished his rant, and glared at Flora, daring her to reply. Flora looked back, meeting Charlie's stare. 'Those black clouds are really, really thick now,' Wogan said, peering at the sky. 'It looks like it's about to absolutely tip it down.' 'It's not going to rain. And Charlie won't necessarily change,' Flora replied simply. 'Gah! What do you know?' 'Firstly, Charlie, I know you need to stop thinking like that. If you keep convincing yourself you're going to change, then you're just going to make yourself more and more stressed and then you definitely WILL change.' 'Oh, great, thanks for telling me– that'll help. Now it's my fault.' 'I'm not saying it's your fault,' Flora said calmly. 'I'm saying you have the power to change things. Bad

things happen, Charlie. Accept them. It's not what happens to you in life– it's how you deal with it that sets out the person you are. You're the bravest person I know, Charlie McGuffin, and whatever happens you'll deal with it. You're my best friend, and if you change in front of the school and the scientists come to take you away, then me and Mohsen and Wogan will do everything we can to protect you. Whatever it takes.' Mohsen and Wogan both nodded their heads vigorously. Charlie swallowed. And blinked quickly. He wanted to reply to Flora, but found he had quite lost his voice. 'Anyway,' said Flora, 'we now know something else about your situation from what you've told us about the rhino incident.' 'If you're going to poo out of a window, check that your dad isn't pruning the roses just below?' suggested Mohsen. 'That's true,' said Flora. 'But that's not what I'm getting at. I'm talking about laughter. Once you started laughing, Charlie, you changed back immediately.' 'Oh yeah...' said Charlie.

'So,' continued Flora, business-like. 'We therefore know the following: 1. You turn into an animal when you get stressed. 2. Deep-breathing and relaxing helps to slow it down, but it doesn't stop it. 3. Happiness changes you back. 'Now, that might not be the complete answer to everything that's going on, but it's an awful lot more than we knew when you first started changing. We are close to a cure, Charlie. So close.' Mr O'Dere, the Irish caretaker, started ringing a handbell, barking at everybody to start taking their