Chemical Bliss

Chapter 8: Play Dynamic

Mr. Waisanen continued on with the remainder of his class by explaining the unique characteristics of the other noble gasses, discussing their lack of reactivity and how they fit into the periodic table. Yasmine, despite the distraction caused by Elijah's antics, tried her best to refocus and take quick notes. She hoped that Elijah wouldn't interrupt the class again and that she could catch up on what she missed.

Yasmine: On the inside. Gotta write down these key points about noble gasses. I know for sure they will be on our first exam.

Finally, the bell rang, but Mr. Waisanen had another announcement to make.

Mr. Waisanen: Ok, everyone! Just a reminder...Our first element quiz will be next Tuesday! So make sure you study and memorize earlier!

Mr. Waisanen: They're all fill-in-blanks. Half of them will be to write the element names and the other half will be to write the element symbols.

As Yasmine gathered her belongings and prepared to exit the classroom, Elijah couldn't resist the urge to tease her once more.

Elijah: With a mischievous grin. Bet you really love my "speech" about noble gasses didn't you, Angel?

Yasmine: She rolled her eyes. Sure...Coming from a not so-noble jokester like you.

Yasmine: Isn't it that hard for you to keep your stupid mouth shut and your eyes focused on the freaking board?

Elijah: Whoa, you're being a little harsh again huh? Trust me no one can do that without wanting to hurl and beg for a second to holler.

Elijah: You shouldn't stare too much at something for so long. You'll damage your pretty little vision.

Yasmine: She scoffed. As if you're not the one who's damaging your vocal cords talking that petty talk.

Elijah: Better to talk petty than talk like a bummer if you ask me. You can give your vocal cords a little exercise.

Elijah: You need to stop spider webs from forming inside your esophagus since that's what's preventing you from chatting more.

His remark about spider webs almost caused her to burst into laughter deep down. His humorous comment caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but find it amusing. However, Yasmine was determined to maintain her composure and keep up her calm and serious expression. She didn't want to give Elijah the satisfaction of knowing he had gotten a rise out of her, so she looked unfazed by his joke, though a small glint of amusement may have flickered in her eyes. After their brief exchange, they met up again during drama class in the afternoon. To their surprise, they arrived earlier than most of the other students. They took their seats and chatted quietly while waiting for the rest of the class to arrive. As the room gradually filled with students, their drama teacher, Mrs. Delacourt, began to address the class.

Mrs. Delacourt: Hello, my lovely drama students...

Mrs. Delacourt: I had just finished assigning everyone to random groups.

Mrs. Delacourt: So as soon as I call your name, you're going to stand up and get seated with your new group members.

Mrs. Delacourt: Here we have our first group...Brock, Ally, Dominic, Rodrick, and Hailey.

The students stood up one by one after their name was called and went to seat themselves at a small row of empty 5 chairs.

Mrs. Delacourt: Ok our second group...Eva, Michael, Wyatt, Elijah, and Yasmine!

Yasmine's heart sank when she heard her own name being paired with Elijah's. It was to her chagrin that she found herself assigned to the same group as him, especially after her thoughts from yesterday when she had hoped to avoid partnering with him. She had been concerned that he wouldn't take their drama work seriously, and now her fears seemed to be coming true.

Yasmine: On the inside. ARE YOU F**KING KIDDING ME?!

Yasmine: On the inside. Why do I have to work with that sarcastic asshole?

Elijah: He grinned to himself. I knew she was gonna be assigned in the same group as me.

Elijah: On the inside. This is going to be good for me and her. She won't have any choice but let me manage our teamwork.

When the group members got up and gathered in front of Mrs. Delacourt, she handed Elijah a script titled "The Water of Life," which they would be acting out by the end of the semester.

Mrs. Delacourt: This is the script you'll be reading and practicing. Wish you all the best of luck!

Elijah: Oh, you should, Mrs. Delacourt! I'm gonna make sure we crush our roles!

She laughed a bit as Elijah and his group members all took seats in another row of four empty chairs, mirroring the setup of the first group. However, it became apparent that Elijah wasn't satisfied with the arrangement.

Elijah: Hmm...this isn't a good way for us to work together. I'm thinking we should rearrange these chairs.

Elijah: Wouldn't you all agree?

Michael: Yeah, we should man. It'll be cool for us to discuss face to face without always looking at one another from the sides.

Wyatt: Glad someone said something about that before I did. 

Yasmine: But these seats are fine the way they are-

However, Michael and Eva had already made up their minds and decided to agree with Elijah's words. They began rearranging the chairs into a circle, symbolizing their commitment to working together as a team on their drama project. Mrs. Delacourt observed their efforts with a knowing smile, acknowledging that this group might have a unique approach to their work.

Mrs. Delacourt: She thought to herself. These students should be lucky to have Elijah in their group!

Mrs. Delacourt: On the inside. I'm curious to see what they can come up with!

Once Elijah and his group members had finished rearranging the chairs into a circle, he wasted no time and jumped straight into discussing their roles based on the script, "The Water of Life." His enthusiasm was evident, and he seemed eager to dive right into the project.

Elijah: Now this is what you call "group work". This way we can collaborate without leaving anyone isolated and disengaged.

Elijah: Let's discuss our roles for the script, shall we?

However, Yasmine, being more methodical and preferring to have a complete understanding of the story's setting and context, protested a little.

Yasmine: But shouldn't we first read the script to ourselves silently and get a better understanding of the plot BEFORE we discuss our roles?

Yasmine: Since firstly, we haven't grasped the story's main idea yet...

Eva, Wyatt, Michael, on the other hand, disagreed with Yasmine's suggestion.

Eva: No, that will be a misuse of our time. Plus, I don't wanna spend extra minutes reading a script like it's an ancient scroll.

Michael: Me neither. Don't wanna make this work similar to what we normally do in English class.

Wyatt: Yeah..If we're gonna read, we're gonna read loudly. 

Elijah: Guess my idea is a win cause. Seems that no one likes analyzing the little details of any script, Angel.

Elijah: Just follow my suggestion and you'll be good.

Feeling content about the direction the group was heading, winked at Yasmine, knowing that his approach had garnered support. Yasmine responded with a small glare, clearly frustrated by their refusal to consider her methodical approach.

Yasmine: On the inside. Are these people seriously out of their minds?!

Yasmine: On the inside. What's so bad about my suggestion? It's not like the idiot knows what he's doing!