Chad crinkled his nose. Yeesh, he did reek. He looked at the canister, and peeled off the paper label underneath was a generic looking white painted can with black lettering printed, and something added in black marking pen. The printed text read, "URL: Experimental Spray 0014928-I" underneath in capital letters was written with black marker, "BUG SPRAY". Further down on the can was the meaning of URL: University Research Laboratories with their address.
Chad turned red with anger. His secret admirer was a joke. He pulled on his sweats, socks and shoes. He pulled his hoodie up over his head to help conceal his quiet rage. He threw the can into his gym bag. Locked his locker and ran as fast as he could toward the field house. It was pummeling time.
He reached for the key around his neck, but found the field house door already unlocked. He looked around, but didn't see anyone, so he entered. Inside, Chad reached up to pull his hood off, and he felt his hair move with the hood. Cold air came in direct contact with his now bare scalp. He ran his tongue across his lips. They felt strangely hard, and everything tasted metallic. What was in that spray?
He heard a noise behind him, and spun around.
"Bugging out, Chad?" asked Bruno with a laugh, "You really should've picked the swim team over your secret admirer, bug boy!"
"What did you do to me?!" roared Chad rushing toward Bruno.
There was a blinding flash of light, Chad stopped cold in his tracks and retreated. He looked back at Bruno. He was only holding a yellow lens flashlight. Why had that scared Chad so?
"Why don't you strip off those sweats and you'll see," Bruno said slyly.
Chad peeled off his hoodie first. Kicked off his shoes, and shrieked when he pulled down his sweat pants and saw his pubic hairs drop away from his crotch.
"Oh, the pit hairs went too, but they're probably somewhere in your hoodie sleeves," Bruno added.
Chad lifted his arms and examined his smooth pits. His skin was changed color and texture. It looked hard and shiny. Chad felt cold and weak.
"Spineless," Bruno said noting Chad slumping.
"What?! I'm no coward!" Chad said, but he still stayed outside the circle of yellow light on the field house floor which separated him from Bruno.
"That's not what I meant," Bruno said laughing, "I mean your spine and all your bones are turning to gelatin as you chitin carapace forms your exoskeleton."
The expression on Chad's face told that the jock had no idea what Bruno was talking about.
"Okay, former jock boy, in simple English. You are turning into a bug."
"What?"