Ryan's day did not go as well as he had hoped.
Problems began in his first class. The teacher called him up to the front of the classroom to solve a simple problem on the blackboard. But try as he might, he just couldn't find the answer. He knew that he should be able to solve it, but his mind just felt slow and his thoughts were cloudy. He blamed that damn bucket. He had not felt right since he was covered in that noxious liquid. He could still smell the odor on his body. He could feel the anger rising up again, making it even harder to think.
Someone behind him called him an idiot, and he could hear the rest of the class snicker. His anger boiled over and he snapped the chalk in two. He turned around and threw the eraser at the nearest laughing student.
The teacher reprimanded him, sending Ryan to the office for his misbehavior. Ryan didn't feel angry anymore, just shame for his juvenile behavior. He hung his head down as he walked to the office. As he walked, he noticed that his clothes felt even more tight than before. He could see even see a few tears in the cloth.
It has to be that damn liquid from the bucket, thought Ryan angrily. It must be shrinking my clothes.
He silently cursed the person who set up the prank, vowing to seek revenge. He felt his anger begin to rise again, but quickly pulled it back under control as he walked into the principal's office.
By lunch it was worse. His skin had taken on a reddish hue, almost certainly a rash from an allergic reaction to the vile liquid that fell on him. He had even noticed a few odd lumps and bumps under his skin. But his discomfort was quickly forgotten when he smelled the food. He was not a big fan of the disgusting offerings of the cafeteria staff, but today it smelled like mana from heaven. And tasted like it, too. He had second and even third helpings. He wolfed them down quickly. He had never been so hungry in all his life.
Someone made an another snide comment, calling him a fat pig. The other students began to laugh loudly.
Ryan jumped up from the table in a furious rage.
"Who said that?!" he yelled looking around the cafeteria, his face flushed red with anger.
For a while everyone was quiet, staring at Ryan with a little fear. Then his shirt ripped open, followed quickly by his pants. The cafeteria erupted in raucous laughter. Ryan's anger quickly faded, replaced by embarrassment. He did his best to cover up and fled from the cafeteria.
Ryan wandered the halls, trying to hide somewhere. He considered going to the men's restroom, but it would only be a temporary relief. He needed clothes, his current ones now much too small for his body. There was only one place where he could get more clothes - his locker in the team's locker room. He ran there as quickly as he could.
Ryan relaxed just a little when he entered the locker room. It would be at least an hour before his teammates arrived for practice, so he was safely alone for now. But the sight of his reflection in the locker room mirror shocked him.
First of all, he was taller. He had to bend over to see his reflection. It was obvious that his clothes had not shrunk. Rather he had grown .... a lot. All of his body was bigger, but his fingers looked like short, thick stubby sausages. His whole body was puffy and red, with strange lumps on his elbows. His neck seemed longer and when he ran a hand behind his head he felt a line of bumps trailing down his neck and back.
The worst had to be his face. His hair had fallen out in patches, leaving spots of his bare scalp. His eyes looked a little yellow and jaundiced. His nose looked wider and flatter, almost compressed against his face. His teeth felt loose. He spit a few into the sink.
"What is happening to me?"
Ryan heard the door to the locker room open. He couldn't let anyone see him, not like this. He jumped into one of the bathroom stalls in the locker room, closing the door and trying to remain hidden.