On Thin Ice

14.

Atlas Miller

I look up to see Mrs Sullivan pointing at the empty seat beside me.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

We maintain eye contact as she makes her way towards me and takes the seat next to me. She throws her bag onto the floor, before leaning back in her chair, arms folded across her chest.

Mrs Sullivan gives me and Autumn a smile before turning to face the board and writing something on it indicating the start of the lesson.

"Well isn't this fun?" I whisper mockingly.

She lets out an irritated huff. I chuckle before turning back to face the front of the classroom.

For the next twenty minutes of the lesson, Mrs Sullivan is rattling on about some science experiment we're doing to do, to help our understanding of carbon dioxide or some shit.

"We're doing this experiment in pairs, so in that case, you'll be working with the person sitting next to you." Mrs Sullivan explains.

I'd rather eat dog shit than be partnered up to do an experiment with Miss fucking Kingsley over here.

Autumn's hand shoots up into the air.

"Yes, Autumn." Mrs Sullivan says looking at her. "Do we have to work with the person sitting next to us? I don't get why we can't just pick our own partners," she complains.

"It's better if you stay at your assigned seats, with your assigned partner. Is there any problem with Atlas, Autumn?" Mrs Sullivan questions, her eyes darting between me and her.

She turns her head to look at me, giving me a glare. I shrug, flashing her a sarcastic smile. She rolls her eyes before turning back to face the front and shakes her head. "No Mrs Sullivan."

I chuckle quietly, nudging her arm.

"I'll be giving out some mentos and bottles of coke to each pair, for now, please stay seated until I've handed them out."

There were a few minutes of silence as Mrs Sullivan begins to hand out the supplies we needed for the lesson.

"Why are you so fucking calm about this Miller." Autumn turns her body fully to face me.

"It's just a science experiment, it's not like she's making us have sex in front of the class," I retort unbothered.

"You're fucking disgusting."

Mrs Sullivan walks over to our table and places a bottle of coke, a pack of mentos and an empty tub in front of us, before giving us a smile and walking away.

Mentos and Coke experiment?

Does she think we're in kindergarten?

"Before you get onto doing the experiments, I'll be explaining what we're going to be doing." Mrs Sullivan is back at the front of the classroom.

"We're going to be dropping the mentos into the bottle of coke."

No shit.

"As it sinks in the bottle, it causes the production of more and more carbon dioxide bubbles. The rising bubbles react with carbon dioxide that is still dissolved in the soda to cause more carbon dioxide to be freed and create even more bubbles, resulting in the eruption."

Can someone please tell me why the hell us 12th graders are doing a coke and mentos experiment in chemistry?

This is fucking stupid.

"You're going to be using the empty tub provided to do the experiment so the coke doesn't go everywhere and stain anything." Mrs Sullivan adds, pointing at the tubs in front of us.