A shiver ran down the back of my neck as Mr . Saur called my name . I had been slumping low in my seat in the last row of the classroom . I tried to hide behind Brian Webb , the big gorilla of a kid who sits in front of me . Especially when I haven 't had much time to practice . Especially when we 're not allowed to have notes . Especially when half of our grade in English depends on how we do on this report . Mr . Saur doesn 't think anyone is funny . That 's why we call him Sourball Saur . He probably wouldn 't think that was funny , either ! Mr . Saur is tall and thin and nearly bald . He never kids around . He never smiles . His mouth is always puckered , as if he 's just bitten into a lemon . He 's sort of a legend at Pitts Landing Middle School . Everyone tries not to get him . My best friends - Michael , Bird , and Shari - were lucky . They 're in Miss Folsom 's class . I was the only one who got stuck with the Sourball . I stepped up beside his desk and cleared my throat again . I wondered if everyone could see my knees shaking . My face felt burning hot . My hands were cold as ice . I cleared my throat for the thousandth time . I took a deep breath . Then I started to tell the story of what happened to my friends and me last summer … . " I was hanging out with my friends . Bird , Michael , and Shari . We had nothing to do , and we were kind of bored . So we dared each other to do something exciting . We dared each other to sneak into the Coffman house . " " It 's a deserted , old house in my neighborhood , " I told him . " We went inside . Down to the basement . And we found an old camera . And that 's what my true story is about . Because the camera had evil powers . " " I took the old camera home . I snapped a photo of my dad 's new station wagon . The photo slid out . In the photo , the station wagon was totaled . Completely wrecked . And then , a few days later , my dad was in a terrible accident . The photo came true . " I glanced around the room to see how my story was going over . A few kids were laughing . Others were staring at me hard . Trying to decide if I was for real . Brian Webb tried to make me lose it . He stuck his two pointer fingers into his nostrils and twirled them around . He thinks he 's funny , but he 's just gross . " I took a snapshot of my friend Bird Arthur , " I continued . " At his Little League game . Bird smiled and posed for the camera . But the photo showed him lying unconscious on the ground . " Then , a few minutes later , a kid hit a line drive . It smacked Bird in the head . And Bird fell unconscious on the ground . Just like in the photo . " I heard some nervous giggles from the back of the room . I glanced up to see puzzled expressions on a lot of faces . Brian still had his fingers in his nose . I turned away . No way was I going to laugh at that . Mr . Saur had his elbows on the desk and his round , bald head buried in his hands . His face was hidden . So I couldn 't tell if he liked my report or not . " Then something even more scary happened , " I continued . " I brought the camera to Shari Walker 's birthday party . I snapped Shari 's picture , standing next to a tree . " When the photo popped out , it showed the tree - but no Shari . It was like she was invisible or something . And then , a few minutes later , Shari disappeared . " " A couple of days later , Shari came back , " I told them . " But now we were too frightened to keep the camera . So we took it back to the Coffman house . And we met this strange guy , dressed all in black . He was the inventor of the camera . He told us that the camera had a curse on it , and - " Mr . Saur shook his head . Then he narrowed his watery brown eyes at me . " Greg , " he said , " I have some very bad news for you . " I waited until the classroom had emptied out . Then I turned to the lemon - faced teacher . " What 's the bad news ? " I gritted my teeth . I felt my knees give . I had to grab the chalk tray to keep myself from collapsing in a quivering heap on the floor . " B - but - but - why ? " I choked out . " Greg , you were supposed to share a true story , " Mr . Saur scolded . " Instead , you came in here with that wild tale . It was completely silly . I don 't know what you were thinking ! " He waved a hand in my face . " Silly , " he repeated . " You came in here with a wild , silly story . Something you probably read in a comic book . " " Mr . Saur - ! " I started . I let go of the chalk tray and balled my hands into tight fists . " You have to believe me . The camera is real . I didn 't make up the story . " I took a deep breath . Then I struggled to keep my voice low and calm . " You can ask my friends , " I told him . " They 're in Miss Folsom 's class . They 'll tell you it really happened . " " I 'm sure they will . " He smirked at me . " I 'm sure your friends will tell me whatever you want them to tell me . " Mr . Saur shook his head . " You didn 't take the assignment seriously , Greg . You treated it like a big joke . So I have to give you an F . " " Mr . Saur - you can 't give me an F ! " I wailed . I felt like dropping to my knees and begging for mercy . " You will ruin my life ! " " If I don 't get better grades , I can 't visit my cousins this summer , " I explained . " You see , my cousins live near Yosemite . In California . And my parents said that if I get a better grade in your English class , I can spend the summer with them . " Finally , Mr . Saur moved . An unpleasant smile spread over his face . His wet brown eyes flashed . " Then you 'll have plenty of time to make up more crazy stories , " he said . " Mr . Saur - please ! " I begged . " You 've got to believe me . My story is true . I didn 't make it up . Please - " " Bring in the camera , " he said . " Bring it in and prove that it 's evil . Prove that your story is true - or else I have to fail you . " He stared back for a moment , daring me with his eyes . Then he shooed me away with both hands . " Go to lunch , Greg . Maybe next time you 'll take my assignment seriously . " Michael inflated his brown paper sandwich bag and popped it between his hands . Then he crushed his chocolate milk carton flat . He always gulps his milk down first , then crushes the carton . We 're not sure why . I dropped into my chair . I didn 't start to eat . I didn 't even look at my food tray . I just stared at the wall until the tiles became a green blur . " What 's your problem ? " Bird repeated . Now he had egg salad on his forehead , too ! I don 't know how he does it . He has small , birdlike brown eyes , close together over a long , beak - shaped nose . And he has a short tuft of feathery brown hair on top of his head . He 's tall and thin and sort of bobs up and down like a flamingo when he walks . Michael poked a finger through his sandwich . He always makes a hole in the center of his sandwich and eats it inside out . " Bad day , Greg ? " Shari wore a pale blue T - shirt over faded jeans . She tossed back her black hair . She was busy pulling the bright red pepperoni off her pizza slice . " Come on , Greg . Spill , " she urged without looking up . Bird dropped his sandwich onto the table . " Sourball didn 't believe you ? " he cried . He slapped his forehead . When he pulled his hand away , his fingers were smeared with egg salad . " Yeah . It 's four against one , " Bird added . He was wiping egg salad off the front of his shirt . " He 'll have to believe us . " " He won 't , " I sighed . " You know Sourball . He said I have to bring in the camera and prove to him that it 's evil . " I glanced over their shoulders . Brian and Donny were grinning at me from the next table . Brian and Donny are the two biggest guys at Pitts Landing Middle School . We call them Sumo One and Sumo Two - because they 're both shaped a little like sumo wrestlers . But I was in no mood for jokes , anyway . My summer was about to be ruined . My three friends all had plans to go away . No way I wanted to be left all alone in Pitts Landing with nothing to do for three months ! Shari must have read my thoughts . She reached across the table and grabbed my arm . " Greg - you can 't , " she said . " That camera is too dangerous . " I nodded . My older brother , Terry , was working at Kramer 's Photo Store after school . " Yeah . He 's at Kramer 's . He works in the developing lab . So what ? " " It won 't work , " I sighed . " We have to go get the real camera . " I glanced around the table . " Who will go with me ? " No one answered . Bird concentrated on getting the egg salad out from under his fingernails . Shari twisted a lock of black hair around one finger . Michael stared at the floor . The rest of the afternoon , I barely heard a word anyone said . I think I had a spelling quiz . I think we played volleyball in gym . I think someone slammed the ball onto my head . In music class , Miss Jakes caught me staring out the window , a dazed look on my face . She thought it was because of the volleyball accident . She wanted to send me to the nurse . Thinking about how I was going to sneak out after dinner . Ride my bike up the hill to the deserted old house . Creep down to the basement - and pull the camera from its hiding place in the wall . I thought hard . I 'll take a snapshot of the empty classroom , I decided . Or maybe the lunchroom or the gym when no one is there . As soon as Mr . Saur changes my grade to an A , I 'll return the camera , I promised myself . I 'll shove it back into its hiding place . And I 'll never take it out again . Terry burped . " Excuse me . " He licked chicken grease off his fingers . " I have to get back to work . A lot of special orders came in today . So I promised Mr . Kramer I 'd put in a few extra hours in the developing lab . " Terry 's chair scraped the floor as he jumped to his feet . He tossed his greasy napkin onto the table . " Got to run . See you later . " He loped to the door . They both suddenly remembered that I was at the table , too . " Greg - you haven 't touched your chicken ! " Mom said , staring at my full plate . " Your mom and I are going over to Alana 's after dinner , " Dad told me . Alana is Mom 's sister . " Alana still isn 't feeling well . Do you want to come with us ? " " Yes , how are they ? " Dad repeated , leaning closer . " Pete and Alice out in Yosemite called me this afternoon . They asked if you are coming to visit them this summer . I told them we 'd know as soon as your next report card arrives . " Mom and Dad stood up to clear the table . " Pete and Alice said to be sure to bring a camera , " Dad said . " It 's such beautiful country out there . " I waited till Mom and Dad drove off for Alana 's house . Then I waited ten minutes more . Sometimes they forget something , turn around , and come back home . I peered out the window . Under the white moonlight , the bare trees were bending and shaking . A breezy night . Still cold even though spring was only a few weeks away . I pulled a long - sleeved flannel shirt over my T - shirt . Tucked a pocket flashlight into my jeans . And headed out to the garage to get my bike . The swirling wind felt heavy and wet . I glanced up at the sky , hoping it wasn 't getting ready to rain . A pale half - moon floated over the quivering trees . The front tire on my bike was a little low . But I guessed I could make it up the hill to the Coffman house . I walked the bike out of the garage , then climbed on . I 'd left all the lights on in the house . From the driveway , it looked so bright and warm and safe . For a moment , I was tempted to go back inside and forget about the evil camera . But my mind was made up . I desperately wanted to visit my cousins this summer . No way I could do that if I got an F from Mr . Saur on my report . The wind swept toward me . On both sides , the trees appeared to be shivering . I swerved to miss a sheet of old newspaper fluttering across the street . I shifted gears as the street sloped uphill . I pictured the ramshackle old Coffman house . Hidden behind ancient oak trees at the top of a weed - choked lawn . Many years ago , it must have been a really fancy house . But no one had lived in it for dozens of years . And the house had crumbled and decayed until it looked like a wreck . A minute or two later , I felt a stab of pain - and slapped a mosquito on my forehead . It 's too early in the spring for mosquitoes , I thought . I felt wet blood on my forehead . What about the basement workshop ? I remembered it so well . I remembered the worktable . And I remembered the hiding place in the wall above it . The small compartment where the camera lay hidden away . Before I even realized it , my feet were carrying me up the hill . My sneakers slid over the slick , tall grass . I inhaled the fresh dew . I kept my eyes locked on the trembling silver trees . Halfway up the lawn , I could see what else was left of the house . Wooden doors stacked in a high pile . Broken glass over the ground . Window frames leaning against a wall of rotting boards . Cracked shingles everywhere . A white sink on its side against a tree . An old washtub resting beside it . A deep shadow ran along the ground behind the round , old oaks . At first glance , I thought I was staring at a pool of water . A small lake . The trees shut out most of the moonlight . With a trembling hand , I pulled out my pocket flashlight and clicked it on . I aimed the narrow beam of yellow light into the hole . He wore a black sweatshirt over faded jeans , holes in both knees . His dark hair was cut very short . He glared at me with dark , tense eyes . " Don 't move , " he ordered me , raising the board higher . He took a step closer . Then another . His eyes burned hard into mine . The boy nodded . He tossed away the board he planned to use as a weapon . It clattered against a pile of boards beside me . " He was taking lumber and stuff . I thought you were him . " " Did your family buy the Coffman house ? " I asked . Even though it was such a cool , windy night , my forehead was all sweaty . I reached up and mopped the sweat with the back of my hand . " Yeah . We bought it , " he replied . " But Dad said the house was too wrecked to fix up . So he had it torn down . We 're going to build a new house . " " People told us the Coffman house was haunted , " the boy said . " So I 'm glad Dad tore it down . " He kicked at a shingle on the ground . " My name is Jon . What 's yours ? " I gazed to where the house had stood . " My friends and I used to sneak into the old house , " I told him . " You know . Just for fun . For excitement . I think it was haunted . Really . " " Oh , wow ! " I cried . I couldn 't hide my excitement . " Where is it , Jon ? I mean - what did they do with it ? Do you know where it is ? " I didn 't wait for him to answer . I started running full speed through the tall weeds to the street . I stopped in front of the big steel Dumpster . I could see all kinds of junk piled over the top . He came walking slowly down to me , hands shoved in his pockets . " Sure . Go ahead . Why do you want a stupid old camera , anyway ? " A street lamp across the street cast a glow of dim yellow light over the Dumpster . My eyes wandered quickly over the trash . All stuff from the basement , I realized . I dropped onto my hands and knees and dug deeper into the garbage . The stale odor of dust and decay floated up to me , swept over me . I held my breath and kept pawing away . It had been hidden beneath the raccoon 's body . The glow from the street lamp spilled over it . The glass of the camera lens reflected the light like a single , shining eye . Then I climbed to my feet . Leaning over the Dumpster , I held it up to Jon . " I found it ! " I cried happily . " Here it is . I can 't believe I found it ! " I didn 't want to tell him the story of the camera . I knew he wouldn 't believe it , anyway . I didn 't want to scare him . And mainly , I wanted to get home with it as fast as I could . Jon scratched his short , dark hair . " Maybe I should show the camera to my dad , " he said , motioning behind him . " He might not want you to take it . " " But you threw it in the trash ! " I cried . I held the camera tightly in both hands , afraid he was going to try to grab it away . " But we didn 't know it works , " Jon replied in his high , shrill voice . " Is it valuable ? Maybe it 's valuable . An antique or something . " " It - it was an accident , " I stammered . I pulled the picture from the slot at the bottom of the camera . " I didn 't mean to . Really . " Jon and I both blinked several times , trying to get the flashing lights to fade from our eyes . " It 's an instant camera ? " Jon demanded . " It looks too old to be an instant camera . " " Yeah . I know , " I replied . I held up the photo to watch it develop . Silently , I prayed that the photo wouldn 't show anything terrible . As I stared at the small , square snapshot , I could see Jon 's face come into view . His eyes were closed . His mouth was open , twisted in a strange expression . " It - it isn 't cool , " I stammered . " It 's really kind of scary , Jon . The camera is evil . It has a curse on it . The photos always come true . " He twisted his mouth , thinking hard . " I 'd better ask my dad . " He pointed to a wall of lumber under the trees . " He 's back there with the architect , talking about the new house . " I didn 't need to find him . Two men - one tall and thin , the other chubby and short - rushed out from behind the lumber pile . I guessed they were the architect and Jon 's dad . They grabbed Jon under the arms . The tall man held Jon 's injured foot above the ground . " Into my car , " he urged . " I have a towel . We can wrap the foot . He 's losing a lot of blood . " I watched from the weeds as they gently lowered Jon into the backseat . I saw them struggle with a long white towel . Finally , they had it tightly wrapped around the foot and sneaker . I stood in the middle of the yard , feeling the swaying weeds brush against my jeans legs . I swallowed hard . My mouth suddenly felt as dry as cotton . It 's all my fault , I thought sadly . It was an accident . I didn 't mean to press the shutter . But I pressed it . I glanced down and realized that I still gripped the camera in my hands . I had a strong urge to heave it to the ground . To stomp on it again and again until I smashed it forever . I tucked the snapshot into the pocket of my flannel shirt . I 'll bring it in to Mr . Saur , I decided . I 'll bring in the camera and the photo of Jon . I 'll tell him exactly what happened to Jon tonight . I stepped out into a warm day . The air smelled fresh and sweet . I saw a row of tulips poking up through the ground along the side of the house . First flowers of spring . I loped down the driveway and turned at the sidewalk . The camera felt heavy against my chest . I reached up to adjust the strap - and heard a voice calling me . " I don 't believe you ! " Shari cried , running up beside me . " You 're unreal ! You pulled that thing from the Coffman house ? " She stared at the camera , shaking her head . She crossed her arms over the front of her plaid vest . " I 'm serious , Greg . You can 't take it . I won 't let you . " Her expression changed . She uncrossed her arms and tugged her black hair back over her shoulders . " Don 't you remember how dangerous that camera is ? Don 't you remember all the horrible things it did to us ? " " Don 't you remember , Greg ? " Shari pleaded . " I disappeared because of that camera . Disappeared into thin air ! You don 't want that to happen to someone else - do you ? Think how terrible you 'd feel . " " I 'm not going to take any pictures , " I told her . " Really . I 'm just going to show it to Mr . Saur so he 'll change my grade . " " I know , " I agreed , sliding the photo back in my pocket . " The poor kid . I took this picture . Then , a minute later , it really happened to him . " " So I 'm right ! " Shari declared , her eyes narrowed at the camera in my hands . " You just proved my point - didn 't you , Greg ! I 'm right ! " Shari stared down at the square as it started to develop . " What have you done ? What have you done ? " she repeated . Her voice trembled more each time she said it . I saw that her hand was shaking . We both stared down at the photo . It developed so slowly . First , the yellow darkened over the white square . I began to see Shari 's face . " Wait , " she said softly . She bit her lower lip . She didn 't blink . Her eyes squinted hard as the red and blue tints spread . I could see Shari 's face clearly now . She wasn 't smiling . She didn 't look happy . But she wasn 't screaming , either . " It 's not a photo , " Shari replied , holding the square up to me . " It 's a negative . The photo didn 't come out . It 's all reversed . " " Maybe the camera is broken , " I said . I let out a long sigh of relief . " You 're okay , Shari . The camera doesn 't work . " " Maybe , " she said . She handed me the negative . I slid it into my pocket . When I looked up , she had a strange smile on her face . As I stared at the small square , my imagination ran wild . I pictured my body stretched out like a rubber band . I pictured myself tugging at an arrow through my chest . I pictured myself lying mashed under a huge steamroller . Her dark eyes flashed . " You 're really scared , " she said . " Admit it , Greg . You 're really scared . Now maybe you get it . Maybe you see why I didn 't want you to bring the camera to school . " I gaped at the photo , studying my round face and my even rounder body . I had about eight chins . My cheeks were puffed way out . The collar of my T - shirt was hidden under one of my flabby chins . The shirt was stretched tight over my chest and only came down to my belly , which bulged nearly to the ground . " It 's very funny , " she insisted . She grabbed the photo , raised it to her face , and started laughing all over again . " You 're bigger than Sumo One and Sumo Two ! " she exclaimed . I grabbed the photo back . I stared at the folds of flab hanging down from my cheeks . My face was so huge and puffy , my eyes looked like tiny pig eyes . " I have to show it to Mr . Saur , " I told her . " I 'm just going to show him the camera . And the picture of Jon . " I hid the camera under a bunch of stuff on the floor of my locker . I didn 't have Mr . Saur 's English class until just before lunch . And I didn 't want to take a chance of Brian or Donny or somebody else grabbing the camera and messing around with it . I slid into class just as the final bell rang . I ducked low in my seat , trying not to be noticed . I had a long time to wait until Mr . Saur 's class . Once again , I didn 't hear a word my other teachers said . In social studies , Mrs . Wackman was rattling on about bauxite production in South America . I wanted to raise my hand and ask her what bauxite is ! I 've always wondered about bauxite . I think it 's some kind of South American car . But I 'm not sure . " Mr . Saur , " I planned to say , " you made a terrible mistake yesterday . But I 'm not going to hold it against you . I know you will be fair and change the grade on my report as soon as I show you this . " That 's too stiff , I told myself . That doesn 't sound like me at all . I 'll never be able to get those words out . I tried a different approach . " Here 's the evil camera , Mr . Saur . And here 's a picture it took of a boy I met . A minute later , the picture came true . You asked me to bring in proof - and here it is . " Finally , the bell rang . I jumped up , ran out the door , and dove for my locker . Bird called to me from down the hall . But I pretended I didn 't hear him . I saw Sumo One and Sumo Two across the hall . They were shoving a fifth grader up against a locker . Making him bounce back like a yo - yo . That 's their hobby . Making kids bounce . I spun around and hurried the other way . I didn 't feel like bouncing today . And I didn 't want Brian and Donny to set their eyes on the camera . A group of kids were talking in front of the classroom , blocking the door . " Make way ! " I cried , pushing through them . I wanted to see Mr . Saur before the bell rang . I stared at her with my mouth hanging open to my knees . I didn 't answer her questions . I gripped the camera tightly in both hands , afraid I might drop it . The room was never this noisy when Mr . Saur sat behind the desk . Kids were shouting and laughing . Someone tossed a balled - up piece of paper at me . It bounced off my shoulder and onto Ms . Rose 's desk . I heard loud laughter from the back of the room . When a teacher doesn 't show up , it 's always time to celebrate . But I didn 't feel like celebrating today . I was so disappointed . I started to my seat - then turned back to Ms . Rose . " Can I put this in my locker ? " I asked , holding up the camera . " It will only take a second . My locker is right out there . " I pointed to the hall . " Okay , " she said when the clanging stopped . " But hurry back . I 'm going to be talking about the subjunctive tense today . And you don 't want to miss that . " My sneakers thudded loudly on the hard floor . My mind was racing . Thinking about Mr . Saur . And about the camera . I 'll have to leave it in my locker until he gets back , I decided . " We 're going to switch places . " Brian grinned . " I 'm going to tell her I 'm Donny . And Donny is going to say he 's me . " " But the camera is bad ! " Brian exclaimed , holding it out of my frantic reach . " It 's cursed , Donny ! You remember Greg 's report . " But Donny grabbed me and pinned my arms behind my back . " Go ahead . Snap it , " he told Brian . " Let 's put a curse on Greg . Snap his picture . " He 's the principal of Pitts Landing Middle School . Mr . Grand is young and has blond wavy hair and a really good tan . He looks more like a surfer than a principal . The girls in our school all have crushes on him . I pushed past Sumo One and Sumo Two and hurried down the hall . As I reached my locker , I heard Mr . Grand scold them : " Get to class , guys . And don 't give your substitute a hard time - okay ? " " Yuck ! " she cried out as it stuck all over her face . " Are you impressed ? That was my biggest one ever , " she declared . " Wish I had a picture of it . " " Don 't say picture , " I grumbled . " Don 't say the words picture or camera . " I had already told her at lunch about Mr . Saur not showing . She shook her head . " No . They 'd be too upset . After all the horrible things it did last summer , they never want to see that camera again . And neither do I , " she added , glaring at me . Mom and Dad were at work . Terry wasn 't home from high school yet . I dropped the backpack in the front hall . Pulled a box of juice from the refrigerator and drank it in two long sips from the straw . My jeans felt uncomfortable . A little tight . I ran to my room and pulled on my pair of really baggy shorts . Mom and Dad always teased me about these shorts . They say there 's room enough for a friend inside them . But I like them . I think they 're cool . And they 're really comfortable . I usually don 't wear them when I ride my bike . They 're so long and baggy , sometimes the cuffs get caught in the chain . I hurried outside and found Shari , Michael , and Bird waiting for me on their bikes . " Let 's go , Greg , " Bird urged . " It 's starting to get cloudy . " Then , I did my high - flying circus riding trick . It 's my favorite way of getting on my bike . I lean on the handlebars and heave myself up in the air . Then I come flying down on the seat . I felt my face go hot and knew that I was blushing . I saw my friends staring at me . I climbed off my bike . " Guess I jumped too hard , " I murmured . I squatted down and examined the tires . I ran my hands along the rubber - and found two big holes . Two blowouts . And they were new tires , too . I actually like my brother 's bike better than mine . It 's a twelve - speed , and mine is only ten . He hardly ever rides it now that he 's got his driver 's license . But he doesn 't like me riding it . " Are we going to ride or not ? " Shari demanded , sighing . She glanced up at the graying sky . " If we don 't hurry , we 're going to get caught in the rain . " " Huh ? " I opened my mouth in surprise - and heard a long rrrrrrip . It took a few seconds to realize that my pajama bottoms had ripped right up the back . I stepped back to check out the rest of my body - and Mom came walking into the room . " Greg , what are you doing ? You 're going to be late for school . " She narrowed her eyes at the torn pajama top . " Greg , you didn 't grow overnight , " she said calmly . " Those pajamas always were a little small on you . " His words sent a cold shiver down the back of my neck . But I ignored them . I held up the camera . " Mr . Saur , I want to show you something . " He lowered his eyes to the camera and frowned at it . " You want to take my picture ? I already had my photo taken for the yearbook , Greg . " They talked until the bell rang . Then Mr . Saur returned to the front of the room to begin class . " I 'm sorry I wasn 't here yesterday , " he announced . " I understand you had a wonderful time learning the subjunctive tense . " " Today , we 're going to hear more of your reports about true things that happened to you , " Mr . Saur told the class . He turned to a girl in the front row . " Marci , I believe it is your turn . What is your report about ? " " Uh … before Marci starts , " I said , " can I show you the camera ? You know . The one from my report ? You said if I brought it in and proved that it 's evil , you 'd change my grade . " Mr . Saur rubbed his chin and frowned at me . " It 's Marci 's turn , " he replied coldly . " I know we all want to hear about Waffles . " Mr . Saur slammed the chalkboard with his wooden pointer . " Quiet , everyone . " He sighed and motioned me forward . " Okay , Greg . One minute . It isn 't fair to the others to give you extra time . But I 'll give you one minute to show off your camera . " I climbed into this chair without any problem . That was less than an hour ago . And now I 'm stuck in here . I must have put on a hundred pounds while I was sitting here ! " This is the camera , " I told Mr . Saur . " My friends and I found it in a deserted house . Just as I said in my report . The camera has a curse on it , and - " He took the camera from my hands and examined it . He rolled it over and over . He brought it up close to his face . He raised the viewfinder to his eye . My fingers were so fat , I had trouble poking them into the pocket . My hands felt like squishy balls of dough . They were too blobby to make a fist ! " That boy is named Jon , " I told him . " I took his picture two nights ago . He was perfectly okay . But the photo showed him with a nail through his foot . Two minutes later , it came true . Jon got a nail in his foot , and his dad had to rush him to the hospital . " He handed the photo back to me . " I used to have a fake arrow , " he said . " When I slid it on , it looked as if I had an arrow going straight through my head . So I understand how you made it appear that this boy has a nail through his foot . " " No ! " I shrieked . " He isn 't my friend ! I don 't even know him ! You 've got to believe me ! You 've got to ! " " I 'd give you an A for effort , " Mr . Saur said cruelly . " But I 'm still giving you an F for your report . F for fake ! " I pretended I didn 't hear him and lumbered to the door . I had the camera tucked under one flabby arm . I pulled the door open with the other . I didn 't know where I was going . I didn 't have a plan . I was so angry . I wanted to scream and cry and punch the walls . " I - I 'm losing weight , " she stammered , straightening the skirt around her waist . " I weighed myself this morning . I 've lost eight pounds ! " I tried to cheer her up . " Uh … eight pounds isn 't so much , " I said . I knew it was lame . But I couldn 't think of anything else . " Greg - I only weighed ninety to start ! " she replied sharply . " Now I 'm down to eighty - two . I can 't keep my skirt up . All my clothes hang on me ! " " Look at me ! " I cried , holding my arms out so she could see my big stomach . " I think I put on two hundred pounds overnight ! A few minutes ago , I couldn 't get out of my chair ! " After school , Bird and Michael and some other kids started up a softball game on the diamond behind school . I didn 't want to play . I didn 't want them to see how huge I was getting . Maybe they won 't notice anything different , I thought . I crossed my fingers and hoped . Maybe they won 't notice that I 've filled out a bit - since this morning ! My T - shirt was stretched against my bulging stomach . The shirt was so tight , I could barely move my arms . My ripped jeans fit over my legs like tights . They gathered around me in a wide circle . They shook their heads . " Weird , " Bird muttered . " How did you put on two hundred pounds since yesterday ? " I had a strong urge to tell Bird and Michael why I was ballooning up so fast . I wanted to tell them that I had taken out the evil camera . That Shari had taken my picture . That it showed me weighing at least four hundred pounds . But I didn 't dare tell them . They had warned me not to go back to the Coffman house . And they had begged me not to take out the camera . I was totally out of breath by the time I reached the base . But the ball was still rolling around in the outfield . " Keep running ! " my teammates shouted . " Greg - go to second ! " My clothes were stretched so tight , I could barely breathe . My jeans were ripped . My shirt pressed against my skin . Even my sneakers pinched my feet ! Dad squinted at me . He was trying to look calm , but I could see how worried he was . " Do you eat a lot of candy bars after school ? " he asked . I waddled out of the room . It took all my strength just to raise my enormous legs . My chins sagged down over my neck . My big stomach bounced out of the room ahead of me . I knew that no doctor could help me . I knew I didn 't have an allergy . And I knew I didn 't become a blimp because of candy bars . Later , I begged Mom and Dad to let me stay home . " Please don 't make me go to school tomorrow like this , " I pleaded . " The kids will laugh at me . I 'll be so embarrassed . " I felt embarrassed just walking down the street . When cars drove past , I knew the people inside were staring at me . Laughing at the big mound of Jell - O bouncing along the sidewalk . Kids were staring as I squeezed through the front door of Pitts Landing Middle School . But everyone was kind . No one made jokes . In fact , no one said a word to me . I think they were afraid to come up to me . Afraid I might fall on them ! I really did look like one of the balloons in the Thanksgiving Day parade ! The morning went pretty well . I kept to myself and tried to hide in corners . It wasn 't easy to hide . But everyone left me alone . " Greg , forget the window , " he said . " If you stand there , I 'm afraid you 'll block out all the sunlight . " Then he smiled . " Greg , I want you to go see the nurse , " Mr . Saur ordered . " I want her to discuss the four food groups with you . I think you 've been eating too much of all four ! " I pulled myself down the hall , thinking angry thoughts about Mr . Saur . Why did he make fun of me in front of everyone ? Why was he so cruel ? I couldn 't answer my questions . Besides , I felt too angry to think clearly . I 'll pay him back some day . That 's what I told myself . I 'll do something mean to him . I 'll embarrass old Sourball in front of everyone . My angry thoughts followed me to the nurse 's office . But I instantly forgot them when I saw the girl huddled in the chair in the waiting room . I stopped outside the door and gaped at her in shock . Her jeans and T - shirt appeared to be about ten sizes too big ! Her arms were as thin as toothpicks . Her face was pale and puckered . Her head had shrunk . It looked like a tiny lemon on her frail , noodlelike body . " I - I don 't know , " she stammered . " Look at me ! I 'm shrinking away . I 'm so light . It took me hours to walk to school this morning because the wind kept pushing me back ! " She frowned at me . " I 'm not sick , and neither are you , " she replied in a tiny , frail voice . " I 'm shrinking away , and you 're bloating up - and it 's because of those photos we took . " I sighed and lifted my huge stomach with both hands so that I could get through the doorway . " What are we going to do , Shari ? " I whispered . " It 's those photos . You 're right . But what are we going to do ? " Dad picked me up after school . He had rented a van since I couldn 't fit into the car . Dad helped me squeeze through the door . My body took up the entire backseat . " I 'm sure Dr . Weiss will have you back to normal in no time , " Dad said . He was trying to be cheerful . But I could tell he was really upset and worried . Dr . Weiss is a nice elderly man with bright blue eyes and a long mane of white hair . He talks to all the kids as if they 're two years old . He still gives me a lollipop after each visit , even though I 'm twelve ! He took all kinds of tests , his expression tense and thoughtful . " We 'll send the blood samples to the lab , " he told me . " We should have some answers in a few days . " He shook his head and frowned . His blue eyes appeared to fade . " I 've never seen anything like it , Greg , " he said softly . " I 'm completely stumped . " " You don 't have to shout ! " she squeaked . And then she added , " Hurry , Greg . I 've lost five more pounds . I 'm so light , I 'm afraid I 'm going to float away . " I hung up the phone . Then I carefully dug the camera out from its hiding place in my underwear drawer . I had to bend over to reach into the drawer . I was huffing and puffing , gasping for breath . I had the camera in my hand . I carefully lowered it to the porch and stepped in front of it . I knew it would be hidden behind my enormous body . " I 'm looking for a boy who lives around here , " Jon said , stepping up to the porch . " His name is Greg , and he 's blond , and he 's about my age . Do you know him ? He has a camera of mine . " " Uh … yeah . I think I know who you mean , " I told him . " There 's a kid named Greg who lives over there . " I pointed up the street . " It 's about four blocks that way , " I lied . " A big redbrick house . You can 't miss it . It 's the only brick house on the block . " I felt bad about lying to Jon . But I had to lie . I couldn 't give him back the camera - ever . It was too dangerous . I lowered myself carefully onto her bed . I didn 't want the bed to collapse under me . But as soon as I sat down , I heard a crunching sound . The sound of wood splintering . She folded her hands in front of her . Her fingers were so skinny , they looked like bird claws . With her black hair hanging down from her tiny , round head , and her straight pole of a body , she looked more like a mop than a person ! " Let 's take new pictures of ourselves , " I said . " Maybe the new pictures will show us looking normal . Maybe the new pictures will change us back to the way we were before . " She raised her eyes to mine . I could see her thinking about it , thinking hard . " It 's kind of risky - isn 't it ? " she said finally . " Okay , " I agreed . " I hope the new photo shows me skinny . " I tried to cross my fingers . But they were too fat to cross ! She nodded in agreement . Then , with a sigh , she raised the camera to her eye again . It felt so heavy in her skinny arms , she had to hold it up with both hands . She held the snapshot in front of me so we could both watch it . The yellow filled in first . I squinted to see if I could make out my face . I grabbed the snapshot from her and held it close . " Oh , no ! " I groaned . " My skin - it 's all scaly . I look like an alligator or something ! " Shari grabbed back the photo and studied it . " The scaly stuff is on your arms , too , " she said . " It looks like reptile skin or something . " Shari took a step back . She let the new photo fall to the carpet . " Oh , this is so horrible ! " she declared . " You 're still huge - and now all your skin is cracking off ! " I pulled a chunk of scaly , red skin off the back of my hand . " Do you want me to take a new picture of you ? " I asked Shari . " Maybe you 'll have better luck . " Her face twisted in disgust . She swallowed hard . " I 'm sorry , Greg , " she choked out . " But you look so gross , I think I 'm going to be sick . " She bent to pick up the scaly new picture of me . " Let 's rip them all up , " she urged . " I 'll bet as soon as we rip them up , our bodies will return to normal . " It wasn 't easy to walk there . I had to stop to catch my breath every few steps . And I had to scratch my scaly , peeling skin . And I had to hold on to Shari to keep the wind from blowing her away . " He 's in the developing lab , " Mr . Kramer told me . He kept staring at Shari and me . I guess we looked pretty weird . A stick figure and an elephant . I pulled Shari to the lab in the back of the store and knocked on the door . You can 't just open the door and walk into the developing lab . If you let in the light , you destroy the film in there . We waited about five minutes . Then Terry came out . At first , he didn 't recognize me . I think he forgot that I had put on four hundred pounds in the past few days . I held up the first two snapshots . The negative of Shari , and the positive of me weighing a ton . " Can you reverse these for us ? " I asked . Terry took the two snapshots . He studied them closely . He scratched his head . " I guess I could do it , " he said . " But I 'm really busy in there . When do you need it ? " I scratched the back of my neck . My arms were so fat , I could barely lift them that high . In a few hours , I knew , I 'd be too heavy to walk . Someone would have to wheel me around in a wheelbarrow . No - make that two wheelbarrows ! I wanted to sit down . Carrying so much weight made my feet hurt . But I was afraid if I took a seat , I 'd break it . And I wouldn 't be able to get back up . Finally , the door swung open and Terry stepped out . " Here , " he grunted . He handed me the new prints . " Don 't forget what you said about your allowance . " I gazed at the new prints . Terry had done it right . A positive of Shari , smiling into the camera . A negative of me , weighing four hundred pounds . " Now , get lost , " Terry said , glancing up to the front desk . " Go ahead . Beat it . Before you make me lose my job . " Poor Shari . She really did feel light as a feather . She looked even paler and skinnier than when we came into the store . Her hand felt like brittle bones . The next morning , I woke up early , before my alarm . I stretched and yawned . Then I turned and struggled to pull my huge body out of bed . When we stopped to catch our breath , Shari turned to me . " We 'd better hurry . We 're going to be late for school . I can 't wait to show everyone that I 'm me again . " She ran faster . Caught up with me . Grabbed my shoulders and pulled me to a stop . " Greg - the camera ? Why do you need the camera ? " I ran into the house . Took the stairs two at a time up to my room . Pulled the camera from its hiding place . And hurried back outside . " He deserves it , " I repeated . " He refused to believe a true story . He called me a liar in front of the whole class . And he gave me an F . An F for a really good report . " I didn 't let her get a word in . I was too worked up . The closer we came to school , the more excited I got about my revenge plan . " He 's going to ruin my whole summer , " I continued . " And he 's wrong , wrong , wrong ! And then , when I got so huge , Sourball was really cruel . He made jokes about me in front of everyone . He embarrassed me , Shari . He totally embarrassed me . " " He wanted to hurt my feelings , " I declared . I could see our school through the trees in the next block . " He wanted to embarrass me in front of the whole class . He deserves what he 's going to get . " I stopped at the corner . " He dared me to prove that the camera is evil . So I 'm going to prove it - and get my revenge at the same time . " " I brought the camera , " I told him . My voice came out high and shrill . " Remember ? The camera from my report ? You asked me to prove that it 's evil . So here goes ! " " Oh , yes ! The evil camera ! " he declared , staring down at it . " Don 't waste it on me . Let 's take everyone 's picture ! " He waved his hand . " Donny and Brian - move in closer . " Then he shoved me in front of him . " Get in the shot , Greg . " Mr . Saur smiled at me . " I think I got everyone in class in the shot , " he said . " Now what 's going to happen ? "