The Creature in Room #YTH-125

by Mark Young

  “Take a seat. Ha! I get it,” Newton said.

  “Newton, please help yourself to food,” Mrs. Vollington said.

  Newton gingerly placed a pancake on his plate, and Mrs. Vollington topped it with syrup.

  “Dig in, everyone,” Mr. Vollington said. “And please, Newton, eat while it’s hot.”

  Newton began to eat as Higgy’s family piled food onto their plates.

  “Newton, we want to thank you for being such a good influence on Higgy,” Mrs. Vollington said. “Higgy used to get into trouble almost every day at Franken-Sci High. But after you became his roommate, his grades improved, and he became active in school programs. There was that role in the play, and then your team’s excellent performance in the trivia tournament. It has been wonderful to see our dear boy deciding to participate.”

  “Higgy’s always been a bit of a jokester, like me,” Mr. Vollington explained. “And I know that sometimes you just need a good friend to set you straight.” He looked at his wife and smiled.

  “And we’re quite pleased that Franken-Sci High is working out for Higgy,” Mrs. Vollington continued. “He’s gotten kicked out of every other suitable school. I don’t know what we’d do if he got expelled from Franken-Sci High as well!”

  “Higgy’s the best roommate I could have asked for,” Newton said. “When I first came to school, I didn’t have many friends. And Higgy didn’t care where I came from. He was nice from the beginning.”

  “That’s my Higgy,” Mrs. Vollington said proudly. Then her eyes got wide. “Higgy?”

  Higgy had entered the kitchen without any of his clothes on.

  “Higgy, what are you doing?” his mom asked. “Newton is our guest!”

  “It’s no big deal, Mum,” Higgy replied. “I’ve made a decision at school not to hide myself anymore. I’m proud of being made of goo. Newton’s cool with it.”

  “I am,” Newton agreed.

  Mrs. Vollington gasped. “Do you mean you’ve been going around school like this?”

  Higgy nodded. “For a whole week, and nobody minds.”

  Higgy’s mom turned to her husband. “Rollie, what do you have to say about this?”

  “Well, Molly, we did the same thing when we went to Franken-Sci High, don’t you remember?” Mr. Vollington replied.

  “I know,” Mrs. Vollington said. “But that was before we knew any better. When we dress up in clothing, we look like more than just globs of goo. For better or worse, clothing gets us more respect in the mad-scientist community. Do you want to go back to the days when we were looked at as gooey experiments instead of as legitimate scientists?”

  “Why does a costume have to define who we are?” Higgy shot back. “We are goo, and we are awesome! We can do so many things that other mad scientists can’t, just by being ourselves.”

  Newton noticed that Wellington hadn’t spoken at all during the argument. His eyes moved back and forth from Higgy to his parents as he shoveled pancakes into his mouth.

  Mrs. Vollington sighed. “I need to think about this, Higgy. You can stay like this for now, but you will get dressed properly when we go out tonight.”

  “Can’t we go out earlier?” Higgy asked.

  “Come now, Higgy, you know better than that,” Mr. Vollington said. “Sunset is at seven twenty-three, so we’ll head out around eight. Mum thought you boys might want to see a movie.”

  Wellington finally spoke. “Yeah, I want to see Rocket Racers!”

  “Actually, I was hoping we could go to the Dusty Shelf bookstore,” Newton said.

  “My, you’re a studious young man,” Higgy’s mom said. “You’re our guest. If that’s what you’d like to do, we’re happy to take you.”

  Wellington groaned.

  “Until then, you boys can do some sightseeing,” Mrs. Vollington said.

  Newton looked at Higgy, confused. “But I thought we couldn’t go anywhere until tonight?”

  Higgy dumped a plateful of sausages into his mouth and burped loudly before he replied. “Come on. I’ll show you what she means.”

  “Thank you for breakfast,” Newton said to Higgy’s parents, and then he followed Higgy into the living room. Higgy pulled aside the curtains to reveal a large window—and beyond it, the city of London.

  “Wow!” Newton cried. There were so many buildings, and streets filled with cars, and in the distance was a giant wheel!

  “Does that wheel power the city?” Newton asked.

  “Nope,” Higgy replied. “It’s called a Ferris wheel, and it’s just for fun. People sit in it, the wheel turns, and then they get a great view of London.”

  “You have a pretty good view from here,” Newton remarked.

  Higgy motioned to a telescope to the right, and Newton looked through it. All of a sudden, he could see people on the Ferris wheel, too, but they looked teeny tiny.

  “This is really the only way we get to see the outside world during the day,” Higgy said. “Sorry if it’s a little boring.”

  “It’s not!” Newton assured him. Everything was fascinating to him—even Higgy’s flat. He’d never been inside a real home before, and he was fascinated with how cozy it was, compared to the big rooms that everyone shared at the school.

  “Sightsee as long as you want,” Higgy offered, and Newton stared through the telescope for hours, finding something new to watch in every corner of the city that could be seen from the window.

  Then a delivery man arrived with Chinese food and it was time to eat again, and Newton decided that he liked lo mein noodles, spring rolls, and soup dumplings almost as much as he liked pizza.

  The Chinese food was followed by a board game with the Vollingtons.

  “Come on. Let me show you my room,” Higgy said when they’d finished.

  “Our room,” Wellington corrected him again, and he followed Higgy and Newton.

  The room definitely looked like it belonged to two people—two completely different people. Higgy’s side was a mess of clothes and electronic equipment, just like at school. Wellington’s side was clean and neat. Posters of rugby teams adorned the walls.

  Higgy spotted something on Wellington’s organized bookshelf and grabbed it.

  “Hey, put that down, Higgy!” Wellington yelled.

  “It’s Goo Guy!” Higgy said. “I love Goo Guy.”

  “You do?” Wellington asked.

  “Sure,” Higgy said. “Newton and I saw a cool statue of Goo Guy at a museum just last week. Here. I got a picture of it.”

  Higgy handed the comic book back to his brother and picked up his cell phone. He scrolled to the photo and showed Wellington.

  “Wait, who’s that kid?” Wellington asked.

  “That’s me, using a special kind of hologram,” Higgy said. “It helped me blend in.”

  His little brother’s eyes got wide. “You mean you could go outside and walk around during the day?”

  Higgy nodded. “Yeah, it was pretty cool.”

  “Why can’t you do that every day?” Wellington asked.

  “The technology isn’t ready yet,” Higgy said. “But I don’t know if I’d want to. I’d rather be Goo Guy. Wouldn’t you?”

  Wellington didn’t answer right away. His eyes traveled to the window and the view outside, where the sun was setting.

  “I don’t know,” he said.

  * * *

  Finally it was time to venture out to the bookstore. Higgy reluctantly got dressed again, and the Vollingtons all wrapped their faces in bandages, added thick glasses, and put gloves on their hands.

  “The bookstore is only a few blocks away, and it’s a nice night,” Mrs. Vollington said. “Let’s walk!”

  They took the elevator downstairs and stepped out into the cool night. Back on the island, solar-powered lights cast a glow over the plant-lined paths between the school and the dorms. But in London there were lights everywhere. There were flashing signs in store windows and bright headlights on cars.

  The streets were crowded with people hea
ding to restaurants, clubs, and shops, and when the people looked up from their phones, they did stare at the Vollington family, just as Higgy had said they did. But the stares were brief. After a moment people looked back down at their phones and kept walking.

  Soon a smell filled the air, and it was even more wonderful to Newton’s nose than pizza or lo mein noodles. Newton’s eyes followed the scent to a small shop, the Salty Sailor. People were walking out of it holding cones made of newspaper, with fried food inside.

  “Fish and chips,” Higgy told him. “Or fish and ‘French fries,’ as they say in the US. These are the best in London. We can stop for a snack after we get the book.”

  Newton’s stomach rumbled. “I can’t believe it, but I’m hungry again.”

  “Just like a Vollington,” Higgy’s mom said, with a smile in her voice.

  Newton couldn’t see her actual smile, because of her bandaged face, but he knew it was there. He kept thinking about it as they continued moving. Just like a Vollington. He liked the sound of that. He’d only known Higgy’s family for a few hours, but they made him feel like he belonged. And that was nice.

  “Newton, watch out!” Higgy yelled. He grabbed Newton’s arm and pulled him to the side.

  “What happened?” Newton asked, confused.

  Higgy pointed to the sidewalk, where a traffic cone sat in front of an open hole. “The top to the catch basin is missing,” he said. “You could have fallen in.”

  Mrs. Vollington shook her head. “It’s been weeks, and they haven’t fixed it. It’s dangerous!”

  “We’re here!” Mr. Vollington announced. “The Dusty Shelf. I haven’t been here in ages! I hope the dust is still the same.”

  “Look, it’s Goo Guy!” Wellington said, pointing to the shop window.

  The bookshop had a cardboard display of Goo Guy wearing a red superhero cape. The Adventures of Goo Guy comic books were spread out beneath it.

  “The new issue is out. Can I get one, Mum?” Wellington asked excitedly as they walked into the store.

  “It’s your allowance,” his mom said.

  Higgy pulled Newton by the arm. “Come on. Let’s go ask about the book.”

  They walked over to the counter, where a young guy with dyed black hair was perched on a stool, reading.

  “Excuse me sir, but we’re looking for a book,” Higgy said.

  The guy looked up and waved his hand around the store. “Take your pick,” he said.

  “It’s a specific book,” Newton chimed in. “The Invincible Man by Zoumba Summit.”

  The store clerk’s eyes widened. “You’re Summit fans? Awesome. Her work is really amazing. Follow me and I’ll take you to the right section.”

  He jumped off the stool and moved quickly among the shop’s dusty bookshelves. Then he stopped and took a book from the shelf.

  “Here you go,” he said. “The Invincible Man. Although, I don’t feel that it’s her best work. I prefer The Bird Women of Planet Avia. That one is nonstop action.”

  “This is the one we want,” Newton said, and the clerk handed him the book. He stared at it in his hands. On the cover, scientists wearing lab coats and masks stood around a pod. Newton started to sweat. Suddenly, his hoodie felt very warm.

  “Don’t stare too hard,” Higgy warned him.

  “Right,” Newton said, and he looked up. Then he turned to the clerk and said, “Um, we’d like to buy this, please.”

  He held out his student ID, which was how he paid for things at the school, with digital credits. The clerk looked at him quizzically.

  “I’ve got it,” Higgy said. “Shelly, Theremin, Odifin, Rotwang, and I all chipped in to buy it for you.”

  Newton sighed with relief. They went to the counter, and the clerk slipped the book into a crisp paper bag. Newton held it to his chest and breathed deeply. The answers to all my questions just might be in my hands! he thought.

  Wellington approached the counter and bought the latest issue of The Adventures of Goo Guy. Mrs. Vollington bought a cookbook, and Mr. Vollington bought a joke book.

  “This was a splendid adventure,” Mr. Vollington said as they stepped outside. “What should we do next?”

  “Movie! Movie!” Wellington cried.

  “It’s not too late,” Mrs. Vollington said. “Higgy, Newton, what would you like to do?”

  Before the boys could answer, a girl’s cry filled the air.

  “My dog! She’s fallen into the catch basin!”

  A small crowd was gathering around the hole in the sidewalk. A teenage girl peered down the hole, with a panicked look on her face.

  “Somebody help my dog!” she wailed.

  Higgy stepped forward. “I got this,” he said confidently.

  “Higgy, no!” his mother warned.

  In a flourish Higgy stripped off his coat, hat, boots, and bandages, as people in the crowd gasped. Cell phone lights flashed.

  “Goo Guy to the rescue!” Higgy yelled, and he dove into the hole.

  CHAPTER 11 What Does It All Mean?

  The crowd started to chatter excitedly.

  “Is that guy made of green goo?”

  “Is it really Goo Guy?”

  “I didn’t know Goo Guy was real!”

  “How did he move so fast?”

  Then a green, gooey hand reached up from the hole and gripped the sidewalk. Higgy pulled himself up. In his other arm was a tiny dog with shaggy brown hair.

  “Nigel!” the girl cried, and she took the puppy and hugged it. Then her eyes took in Higgy, and she backed up. “Monster!”

  Higgy’s parents and Wellington stood next to Newton and watched the scene, frozen with fear. The gathered crowd started to talk more loudly.

  “Monster.”

  “Monster!”

  “MONSTER!”

  Newton’s mind flashed back to the museum, when Higgy’s hologram had fallen off. The security guard had thought he was a Goo Guy statue.…

  Newton stepped forward and started clapping.

  “Great Goo Guy costume!” he said. “You look just like Goo Guy!”

  Higgy hesitated, then nodded. “That’s right. It’s a costume!”

  Wellington bravely stepped forward. “It’s a promotion for the new Goo Guy comic book! Available in the Dusty Shelf!”

  The crowd started clapping. Mr. Vollington draped Higgy’s coat over him and ushered him away. Newton followed the family as they hurried back to the apartment building.

  They rode the elevator back to the flat in silence. When they got home, Mrs. Vollington exploded with emotion.

  “Higgy, what were you thinking?” she cried.

  “That a dog was in danger, and I wanted to help!” Higgy yelled.

  “That’s what the police are for,” his mother said. “That was too risky, Higgy. You put yourself and all of us in danger of being found out.”

  “Maybe I want to be found out!” Higgy shot back. “Maybe I’m tired of hiding all the time!”

  His father put a hand on Higgy. “Calm down, Higgy. Your mum’s making a good point.”

  “I don’t WANT to calm down!” Higgy yelled, and he went into his room and slammed the door.

  Newton was confused, and it showed.

  Mrs. Vollington sighed. “I’m sorry you had to see this, Newton. I know this is your first time being with a family. Families fight sometimes. It doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.”

  “I think I understand,” Newton said.

  Higgy didn’t come out of his room, and Newton stared through the telescope while Higgy’s parents talked in low tones and Welly read his comic book. The Invincible Man felt heavy in the pocket of his hoodie, but he didn’t want to open it yet. Not without his friends.

  When Newton started to yawn, Mr. Vollington suggested that he go to sleep. Newton tiptoed into Higgy’s room, and Wellington followed. Higgy was on the floor in a sleeping bag, staring at the ceiling.

  “You can have my bed, Newton,” Higgy said.

  “Thanks,�
�� Newton replied. “You know, I thought what you did today was really brave.”

  “Yeah,” Wellington said. “Just like Goo Guy! You’re a real hero, Big Brother.”

  “It’s not fair,” Higgy said. “The world loves Goo Guy as long as he’s not real. But when they see a real-life guy made of goo, he’s a monster.”

  Newton didn’t know what to say. Higgy was right. Newton was starting to realize that the world outside Franken-Sci High was just as complicated as the world inside.

  The boys drifted off to sleep, and were awakened the next day by Mr. Vollington.

  “Rise and shine, boys!” he said. “Breakfast is ready, and it’s egg-cellent!”

  A few minutes later Newton and the Vollingtons were gathered around the kitchen table, eating mounds of fried eggs and something called bangers and mash. Newton thought it was delicious.

  “So we’ve been talking, Higgy,” Mrs. Vollington said. “And we’re not angry about what you did last night.”

  Higgy put down his fork. “You’re not?”

  “It was brave,” his mom admitted. “And it’s brave of you to want to be who you are and not hide it.”

  “Thanks, Mum,” Higgy said. “But I don’t think the world is ready for that.”

  “It isn’t,” Higgy’s dad agreed. “But we think it’s okay for you to keep being you at the school, for now. And in the meantime we’ll try to figure out how to change the world—together.”

  “Can I help too?” Newton asked.

  “Of course you can, dear,” Higgy’s mom replied. “You’re an honorary Vollington!”

  Newton smiled. “Thanks for letting me visit with Higgy. It was fun.”

  After breakfast they hurried to pack up and return through the portal. Newton received lots of gooey hugs, and as Higgy opened the portal, Newton tapped the package in his hoodie pocket to make sure the book was still there.

  “Have a nice trip, and see you next fall!” Mr. Vollington called after them as they disappeared into the portal.

  After some swirling and whirling, the boys landed back in their dorm—and found Shelly, Theremin, Odifin, and Rotwang there.