Saturday morning, Rico was up before daylight. He grabbed a Pop Tart, and told his mamacita that he had to work on a project at the school shop. She said something about him trying too hard. He laughed, and bicycled in the dark toward the school.
Chad bubbled and gurgled, and felt really awful. He hadn't been able to sleep at all. He was gelling alright. He could no longer feel his bones or muscles or organs. He was just a heavy oozing goo inside a dark metal drum. Damn, he wished he could get out or yell for help. The best he could do was concentrate on holding and collecting gas bubbles to make loud burping noises. Maybe if he released enough gas at once, it would blow the lid off the drum. He lost track of time, but he preoccupied himself with ways he would punish Rico, Rick and Bruno when he got his body back. Yeah, like that would happen.
Rico didn't notice Bruno waiting outside his trailer when he started pedaling on his bicycle. Bruno had been waiting. He wanted the video, he wanted to know what happened to Chad. Mostly, he didn't want what happened to Chad to happen to him.
He hung back in the shadows walking his bicycle. He knew approximately where Rico was going, and kept a good distance behind him.
He lost Rico briefly, when he entered the campus. Bruno started for the field house, but spotted Rico over by the shop building, so he headed over there.
Bruno was breathing hard when he reached the window, and peered in. Rico had his back to the window, and was facing a big metal oil drum. He pried open the lid with a metal pry bar, and covered his nose with his hand.
"EW! You reek, Chad, when was the last time you showered?" snickered Rico.
"Glorp!" belched Chad.
Rico laughed, "Sorry, I don't speak goop or gel, Chad? You can still understand me, right? Burp twice for yes, and once for no."
"Urp, urp!" answered Chad.
"Good!" Rico turned sharply, and Bruno ducked. Rico bent down and picked up the video camera, and bent back over the open oil drum. "I almost forgot, I promised Bruno pix. I wonder what he'll say when he sees the new blobby Chad? Hm?"
"Glorp! Glub!" answered Chad angrily.
Bruno heard a skateboard approaching, and ducked down behind the dumpster next to the window. It was Rick. He flung open the door, "Hey, Rico, I thought you were going to wait until I got here?"
Bruno crept back out of hiding and peered through the window again. He noticed the window moved when he touched it, it wasn't locked. He carefully let it slip back into the closed position.
"Hey, nothing happened. Just taking some pictures for Bruno."
"Bruno?"
"Yeah, he overheard you and me talking and blackmailed me into videoing Chad's "prank.""
"Prank? I thought this was permanent?"
"Perspective."
"You want me to give Bruno a blue Powerade, like I gave Chad?" Rick asked.
"Uh, that's a thought, but why don't you take the lid off that drum first," Rico said handing Rick the pry bar.
"Oh, going to pour Chad out of one drum into the other to get him thoroughly mixed?" Rick asked.
Rico just shrugged. He handed Rick a piece of string.
"What's this for?" Rick asked.
"Knock-knock," said Rico.
Rick rolled his eyes, but played along.
"Who's there?"
"Banana!"
"Banana who?"
"Knock, knock," said Rico again.
"Who's there?" sighed Rick.
"Banana."
Rick rolled his eyes, but played along, " Banana who?"
He absentmindedly twisted the length of string around his finger.
"Knock, knock!"
"Who's there?" Rick was ready to add "Orange you glad, I didn't say Banana," whether or not Rico said Banana or something else.
Rico whispered the magic word. The string was taut behind Rick's hands. His skin turned orange. Rico grabbed a pair of shears and began cutting Rick's clothing off him.
"Didn't you know, Rick, no bad deed goes unrewarded? Now it's time to get you in your bucket before you liquify." He walked behind Rick clipping off Rick's clothing. Rick stared straight at Bruno, but all he could do was speak muffled gibberish.
"Mluk Blooonooo!"
Bruno realized Rick had seen him and that Rico might, so he ducked down before Rico looked out the window.
"You see something, Rick, or just hoping to make an escape?" Rico said hefting the naked orange dude up and into the empty drum. "I hadn't planned to mix you and Chad, but it's a thought."
Bruno's heart was racing. He knew that he had to do something fast or he'd end up in one of those empty oil drums. He wasn't sure exactly what Rico had done or was doing, but he needed to find out.
"Oh, I must've left it at the field house!" Rico exclaimed in apparent frustration.
A few minutes later, he left the shop, and carefully locked the door.
Bruno was wondering if it was real or a trap. Had he guessed someone was outside the window? Was he waiting around the corner for someone to try the door?
Bruno took a deep breath, and stood. He pushed on the window and it swung open. He pulled himself up and through the window, as quietly as he could.