The changing of Winter | ✔

|09| - Brett

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Thanks to the Bs, I knew when Visitors' Day was, so I didn't have to go see Mr. Jones. It was twelve days away, that meant I could invite my parents for the following Sunday!

I hurried back to the dorms to call my family. My dragging leg slowed me down and tired me out. So by the time I reached my room, I was exhausted. Flopping back on to my lumpy bed, I took in a few breaths before dialing home.

Danny answered.

"Hey, dork," I greeted. "Mom there?"

"Yeah, duh." He said. "It's only the afternoon. She's still at work."

I checked the clock. Dad was probably at work, too.

"Don't you want to talk to me?" He asked, sounding hurt. "I want to hear all about the school, and the zombies and the brains and the---"

"You can check out all that stuff for yourself," I told my brother. "Come a week from Sunday. It's Visitors' Day."

"Oooo. Zombie Academy! Do we have to wear protective gloves and masks?" I could hear the excitement rising in Danny's voice.

"Probably," I said.

He paused. "I don't mind. It's worth it. Can I meet Mr. Jones?"

"How do you know about him?" I asked.

"I've been reading about your disease and the school," he told me. "Did you know that Mr. Jones opened the California Castle in 1908?"

"Wow. I had no idea it was that old," I admitted. I started to do the math to figure out how old Mr. Jones must be, but Danny's mind was leaping at rocket speed. "Dr. Shelley might want to come visit, too. I mean, she diagnosed your disease and wrote a book about monsters. Can I bring her? Please?" He interrupted my thoughts.

"Sure," I agreed, just to get him to stop. Dr. Shelley was very old and had long grey hair. "We can pretend she's our grandmother if anyone askes."

"Awesome!" He shouted through the phone. "What time should we be there?" He asked.

I checked my notebook. Maybe I should have gone to Mr. Jones's after all ... Because I didn't know. "Uhh, just come in the morning and stay all day."

"Cool." He said. He rattled off an itinerary for his day on campus, and planned for a few videos he wanted to show his friends probably. I wasn't sure who was more excited about Visitors' Day, me or my brother. I was about to hang up when he asked, "Have you met any kids who like being zombies?"

"What are you talking about?" I replied. "Who'd want to be a zombie?"

"When I was reading about the school, it said that some people like having zombitus and don't want to be cured. I just wondered if you met anyone like that."

"Of course not," I said. "That would be crazy." Danny really was monster obsessed. So I didn't feel like talking to him anymore. "Tell Mom and Dad to come next Sunday."

"Save me some brain soup," he said as he hung up.

I called Chiara next.

I just told her about Visitors' Day when she asked, "Did you hear about Brett?"

"Hear what?" I had no clue what she was talking about.

"You'll see," she said, then fell silent.

"See what?"

She didn't answer.

"Does everything have to be a mystery?" I asked. "Come on, tell me the news."