???????? ? ??? ????????

? ? ? ? ?? ? the pollywog ?

"AV club." Dustin whispers again, you give him a nod and max gave him a thumbs up with a tight lipped smile.

𓂃 ࣪˖ ཐིཋྀ.ᐟ

You lean over and look at the opened proton pack, brows furrowing when you see a slimy moving creature inside, this thing didn't totally look like a tadpole.

"His name is d'artagnan." Dustin spoke as he grabbed the creature out of the proton pack. "Cute, right?"

"D'Artagnan?" Mike spoke.

"Dart for short." Dustin says.

You scratch the back of your neck as you take a closer look at the creature, "And he was in your trash?" Max asked.

"Foraging for food." Dustin replied.

Dustin then glanced at you, "you wanna hold him?" he asks.

You quickly shake your head. "Uhm– no, no. I'm fine." you replied.

"He doesn't bite." Dustin insisted as he placed the creature in your hands, you flinched and recoiled in disgust.

"I don't want to–" You shriek in your throat. "Oh, god, he's slimy! max, take it!" you say and place it in his hands.

"Oh, absolutely the hell not." Max said and placed it in Lucas's hands.

Lucas frowns in disgust. "Ugh, he's like a living booger." he then hands it to will.

"Ugh, oh, god!" Will recoils in disgust as well and then hands it to Mike, you had scooted a little closer to Lucas who had gave you a small smile, you smiled back.

Max saw this and his eyes narrowed with slight jealousy, you were his friend, how was that fair? and since when did you start walking to class with Lucas?

"What is he?" Mike asks, that was the only thing that broke him from his thinking.

"My question exactly." Dustin added. "At first, I thought it was some type of pollywog."

"Pollywog?" You raised a brow.

"It's another word for tadpole. A tadpole is the larval stage of a toad." Dustin explained.

Max then added in. "She knows what a tadpole is. thank you." he spoke rather quickly.

"Alright, then she knows that most tadpoles are aquatic, right?" Dustin replied. "Well, dart, he isn't. He doesn't need water."

"Yeah, but aren't there nonaquatic pollywogs?" Lucas asks.

"Terrestrial pollywogs?" Dustin answers. "Yep. Two to be exact. Indirana semipalmata. And the Adenomera andreae. One's from India, ones from South America. So.."

"..How did one end up in your trash?" You inquired with a tilted head.

"My question exactly." Dustin agrees.

Max shrugs. "Maybe some scientists brought it here, and it escaped?" he suggest.

Mike looks closer at the creature. "Do you guys see that?" he asks. "Looks like something is moving inside of it."