Disney Chills #6 (Volume 6) by Vera Strange

Author:Vera Strange [Strange, Vera]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Disney Book Group
Published: 2022-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

The next day at school, Dawn walked into a noisy, full classroom. She smiled at the sight of all the kids swarming around their desks. Her worries about having somehow caused the sleeping sickness instantly evaporated.

“Can you believe that sickness?” the boy who had teased her on her first day said to his friend.

“OMG, I was so sleepy!” the girl replied, miming an exaggerated yawn.

“Yup, all I did was pass out in bed,” the boy said. “It must’ve been from Leah’s party.”

“Think it was the flu?” the girl said. “Or something else?”

“Who knows?” the boy said. “At least we’re all better.”

Everyone was chattering and seemed energetic and fully recovered. . .except for one.

Leah’s desk remained empty.

Dawn felt a jolt of fear but forced it back.

The bell rang, and she half expected Leah to rush in, but only Mr. Blankenship strode through the door.

“Psssst. . .where’s Leah?” Dawn said, sliding into her spot next to Phillipa.

They both peered at the empty desk.

“My pops talked to her folks,” Phillipa whispered. “Apparently, she just keeps sleeping and can’t wake up.”

“But all the other kids are better,” Dawn said.

Even though it was smaller than her old school, after two days of just her and Phillipa in class, it felt packed to the brim.

“Guess whatever it was hit her the hardest,” Phillipa said with a frown. “She probably just needs to sleep it off.”

“Let’s hope so,” Dawn said.

She regretted wishing ill upon Leah. At first, her absence from school had been a fun reprieve, plus the payback felt nice after her cruel prank. But now reality had set in. Dawn didn’t actually want Leah to be sick.

She’ll be better soon, Dawn reassured herself. All the other kids were better, right?

Plus, that day ended up being the best day at school yet. Without Leah around to tease her, the other students warmed up to Dawn. Several kids actually sat with her and Phillipa at lunch, including a boy named Fred and his friend Winnie. She had curly brown hair that bounced around as she talked. “That seat taken?”

“Sit your behind down already,” Phillipa said.

Both their names sounded strange and old-fashioned to Dawn, but that was true for so many things in Castletown. Often, it reminded her of a time capsule, frozen and unchanging, while the rest of the world barreled forward into the future.

They dug into their school lunches—something called chicken-fried steak, which Dawn had never heard of. It was served over mashed potatoes with a weird white gravy.

“Well, is it chicken or steak?” Dawn asked, spearing a piece and inspecting it closer.

Everybody laughed at her confusion.

“Bless your heart! You’ve never had it before?” Winnie said. “My mama cooks it up on the regular.”

“Yeah, what did y’all eat up north?” Fred asked.

“Not this,” Dawn said, frowning at the meat on her tray. “What animal does it come from?”

“It’s cow,” Winnie said.

“Then why’s it called chicken?” Dawn asked, still totally confused. She tried a tiny bite. To her surprise, it actually tasted quite yummy.

“’Cuz they fry it up like chicken,” Fred said, chuckling.

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