three, the pollywog.

                                    

                                          
mr. clarke was talking about the case of phineas gage. dustin bursts through the door, panting.
"i am so sorry, mr. clarke," he rambles. "really, i'm so sorry. please continue with the class." he sat in his seat. "don't mind me. really, continue, please. thanks."
mr. clarke continues his lesson as dustin turns to the party, whispering softly, "we have to meet. all of us. at lunch, AV club."
"why?" mike whispers back.
"i have something that you won't believe." 
they nod and turn back around. dustin turns to whisper to max.
"dustin!"
"yes, my lord?" he swerves his body back around.
"would you care to join the class now?"
"please, yes."
"the case of phineas gage."
"phineas gage."
"page 104."
"104. 104."
"focus."
"focusing. focusing." 
as mr. clarke went back into his lesson dustin turned back around. he whisperthe same thing to her and she gives him a thumbs up.
-
"his name is d'artagnan."
he takes out the... thing in his hands, "cute, right?"
"d'artagnan?" mike questions.
"dart for short," dustin says.
"and he was in your trash?" max raises her brows.
"foraging for food. you wanna hold him?"
"no, no."
"he doesn't bite."
"i don't want to-" dustin gives dart to her. "oh, god, he's slimy!" she immediately hands it to y/n and she nearly gagged.
"ew! ew! ew!" she handed him to lucas who hands him to will who hands him to mike. all of them made disgusted remarks except mike.
he holds dart up to his face, examining him, "what is he?"
"my question exactly," dustin smiles.
he slams a bunch of books on the table, "at first, i thought it was some type of pollywog."
"pollywog?" max asks.
"it's another word for tadpole. a tadpole is the larval stage of a toad."
"i know what a tadpole is." 
"all right, then you know that most tadpoles are aquatic, right?" dustin flips to a page of one of the books. "well, dart, he isn't. he doesn't need water."
"yeah, but aren't there nonaquatic pollywogs?" asked lucas.
"terrestrial pollywogs? yep. two to be exact. indirana semipalmata. and the adenomera andreae. one's from india, one's from south america. so how did one end up in my trash?"
"maybe some scientists brought it here and it escaped?" max suggests.
"do you guys see that?" mike points. "looks like something is moving inside of it."
they try to take a closer look and mike turns the lamp towards dart making him screech. they jump back while dart tries to get off the table but dustin catches him.
"it's okay, it's okay. i got you, little guy," he cooed.
he looks back up at them, "and there's another thing. reptiles, they're cold-blooded. ectothermic, right? they love heat, the sun. dart hates it. it hurts him."