Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Kyle's cousin Kari drives the school bus, but she is completely naked. A child points it out, embarrassing her. The bus arrives at school where more attention leads to further embarrassment. Kari confides to Kyle that something strange is happening.
Kyle Dennison loved mornings. The sun was warm, the birds were singing, and most of all, he got to ride the bus with his favorite person in the whole world: his older cousin, Kari. Kari was tall and kind, with a laugh that sounded like a happy bell. She always wore bright red sneakers and a big smile when she picked up kids for school. But today, something was different.
Kyle climbed onto the bus and waved. “Morning, Kari!” he called out.
Kari turned and smiled, but Kyle noticed she seemed nervous. Her cheeks were pinker than usual. And then he realized—Kari wasn’t wearing any clothes. Not a shirt, not pants, not even socks. She was completely bare, from her head to her toes. Her red sneakers were still on her feet, but that was all.
Kyle blinked. He knew he should say something, but his mouth felt glued shut. He sat down in the front seat, his backpack heavy on his lap. The other kids were chatting and laughing, not paying attention. Maybe no one would notice.
But then a little boy named Timmy, who was only five and sat near the window, pointed a chubby finger. “Hey! The bus driver isn’t wearing any clothes!” he said in a loud, clear voice.
The bus went quiet. Every head turned toward Kari. She froze, her hands gripping the steering wheel. Her face turned very, very red. “Oh, dear,” she whispered.
Kyle felt his own cheeks burn. He wanted to hide under his seat. But before he could think of anything to say, someone else started giggling. Then another kid laughed. Soon, the whole bus was filled with giggles and whispers.
Kari took a deep breath. She opened her mouth like she wanted to explain, but no words came out. Instead, she grabbed a big clipboard from the dashboard and held it in front of herself. “Let’s just… get to school,” she said, her voice shaky.
The bus started moving. Kyle stared out the window, trying not to look at Kari. But out of the corner of his eye, he could see her driving very carefully, her knuckles white on the wheel. Every now and then, she sneaked a look at herself and sighed.
The ride to school felt longer than ever. Kids kept whispering and peeking. Timmy kept asking, “Why doesn’t she have clothes? Is she magic?” Kyle didn’t know what to say. He just wanted the bus to arrive.
Finally, the school came into view. Kari pulled into the bus loop and stopped. She looked back at the kids, her eyes wide. “Alright, everyone off,” she said, trying to sound cheerful. “Have a great day.”
But as the children filed out, many of them stared. Some pointed. One girl whispered loudly, “My mom says bus drivers always wear uniforms.” Kari clutched the clipboard tighter.
Kyle stayed behind until everyone else was gone. He walked over to Kari. “Are you okay?” he asked softly.
Kari shook her head. “Kyle, I don’t know what happened. I got dressed this morning. I swear I did. But when I got to the bus, all my clothes were gone. Just… poof. I can’t find them anywhere.”
Kyle frowned. “That’s really weird.”
“It gets worse,” Kari whispered. “It’s happened before. Last week, I was at the grocery store, and suddenly my jeans disappeared. I had to hide behind a cart until a kind lady lent me a raincoat.”
Kyle’s eyes went wide. “Maybe it’s a curse?”
“Maybe,” Kari said. “But I don’t know how to stop it.”
Just then, the school bell rang. Kari sighed. “I have to go inside and report to the office. They’ll probably have more questions.”
Kyle followed her off the bus. Kari walked stiffly, holding the clipboard in front of her. Kids and teachers were everywhere. Some gasped. One teacher dropped her coffee mug. The principal came rushing out, his face shocked.
“Kari! What in the world?” he said.
Kari’s face turned even redder. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Benson. I… I don’t know why this keeps happening.”
Mr. Benson looked at Kyle, then back at Kari. “Come into my office. We need to talk.”
Kari handed Kyle her clipboard. “Here, hold this for me.” She gave him a weak smile. “Thanks for being a good cousin.”
Kyle watched her walk away, her bare skin pale in the morning light. He felt a mix of worry and curiosity. This wasn’t just a bad dream. Something strange was going on. And somehow, he knew he had to help her figure it out—before the next time it happened, maybe in the middle of lunch, or during a school assembly.
He clutched the clipboard and whispered to himself, “I’m going to solve this mystery.”
But as he turned to head to his classroom, he noticed a faint pink sparkle flicker in the air where Kari had been standing. It vanished in an instant. Kyle blinked. Was it his imagination? Or was there more to this crazy world than he ever imagined?