"Pick on someone your own size!" she shouted.

Thorne backed up slightly. He didn't want to offend my girl any more than I did.

"What have you done to him?"

"I gave him a push!?" said Thome, "He's pretending I clobbered him, to get your sympathy!"

"No I'm not!" I squeaked.

Amee dropped to her knees beside me and put her arms round my shoulders. I could still smell the perfume on her.

"I don't know what's happened to me!" I said feebly, "I feel strange!" Amee helped me to my feet. I had aches in every bone of my body. Really painful aches, like someone had shoved sandpaper between the joints.

"You'd better go home," said Amee, "I'll get a teacher."

Thorne stood at a distance. He still thought I was putting on an act. Then he looked at the ground. The perfume bottle lay next to my foot. I must have seen it at the same time, but I was too slow. By the time my hand was halfway to the bottle, Thoore had it in his grubby fist.

"Give it back!" I said in a husky voice.

Thorne grinned at me. He pulled the stopper from the bottle and came towards me.

"No! Don't tip it out! It belongs to Amee!"

But Thorne was already emptying the rest of the perfume out into the air. I felt the sweet liquid landing on my head. It was cold, like ice. It dribbled down my face. I tried to hold my breath but the smell went up my nose and into my head. I felt my mind flying away, up, up, into a heavenly land.

I heard Thorne yabbering. The perfume had got into his head too. He let go of the bottle and it fell… down… down… and smashed on the concrete. Now he was falling on his face. In the heavenly, flowery mist I saw a teacher running towards us. He was shouting something, and trying to pick Thorne up, but there was nothing left of him.

Nothing but bones.