Adeline // Max Mayfield gxg story

3: The Pollywog

Adeline walked down the hallway with Max next to her as they walked to class.

"I still don't get why they call him zombie boy," Max tells Adeline, referring to Will. "I mean, I get it he was lost in the woods for a week or something, but why is he a zombie? Because everyone thought he was dead?"

"Well, yeah," Adeline starts. "I mean, we had a funeral for him and everything."

"After a week?" Max asks skeptically.

"Well, some other kid drowned in the quarry. Everyone thought it was Will because his body was super decomposed," Adeline informs her, having a grossed out face when she remembers what she saw that night.

"What?" Max says. "Ok, that's not funny."

"It's not a joke," Adeline tells her when they stop in front of the classroom. "It's public knowledge. Ask anyone about it. Except Will. He's sensitive about it."

The two girls walk into class and take their seats as they wait for class to start.

The bell rings and Mr. Clarke walks into the classroom. Adeline didn't see Dustin, which was odd because he wasn't the type to skip school.

"The case of Phineas Gage is one of the greatest medical curiosities of all time," Mr. Clarke starts.
"Phineas was a railroad worker in 1848 who had a nightmarish accident. A large iron rod was driven completely through his head."

Adeline made a disgusted face as she watched Mr. Clarke draw a line through the skull image on the board.

"Phineas miraculously survived," Mr. Clarke told them. "He seemed fine. And physically, yes, he was. But his injury resulted in a complete change to his personality. So much so that friends that knew him started referring to him as 'No Longer Gage.' At the time this was known as the American Crowbar Case. Although it wasn't a--"

Mr. Clarke was cut off by the door swinging open, causing Adeline to jump as Dustin ran through the door.

"I am so sorry, Mr. Clarke," Dustin apologized, out of breath. "Really, I'm so sorry. Please, continue with the class."

Dustin sat down and Adeline leaned forward to talk to him since she sat a row behind him. "Where were you?"

"I just had to grab a few books from the library," he told her.

"Although it wasn't a crowbar, it was a rod, like I said," Mr. Clarke repeated.

Dustin turned to the group and whispered, "We have to meet. All of us. At lunch, AV Club."

"Why?" Mike asked.

"I have something that you won't belive," Dustin whispered to them.

He turned back to Max, repeating his words. "AV Club. Lunch."

Max looked forward, intrigued as she tried to capture the what Dustin told her.

"Dustin!" Mr. Clarke yelled to the boy.

"Yes, my lord?" Dustin responded.

"Would you care to join the class now?" He asked, annoyed.

"Please, yes."

"The case of Phineas Gage."

"Phineas Gage," Dustin repeated.

"Page 104."

"104. 104."

"He said to meet at the AV Club at lunch," Adeline whispered to Max, who then held up a thumb signaling she heard her.

"Focus," Mr. Clarke told Dusting.

"Focusing, focusing."

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