Chemical Bliss

Chapter 17: Lucky Partner

By next Monday, Mr. Waisanen had all the tests graded. Mr. Waisanen walked in, his arms filled with the stack of graded tests. As he placed them on his desk, the room fell silent. Everyone was eager to know how they performed on their first major chemistry test of the semester. Yasmine, sitting near the front, crossed her fingers under her desk, silently praying that she had done well.

"Morning, folks," Mr. Waisanen began, his calm voice cutting through the room. "I've spent the entire weekend grading the tests, and I'm pleased to say most of you did well. The average was I think around an 80. Some of you even exceeded that."

He paused, his eyes scanning the room. "There was, however, one student who scored a perfect 100%, which is impressive on a first test."

Yasmine felt her heart skip a beat. Could it be me? Please say it's me, she wondered, her fingers tightening as she glanced nervously around the room as her stomach fluttered.

Mr. Waisanen smiled and held up the top paper, drawing out the suspense. "The person who achieved this perfect score is..."

Yasmine leaned forward slightly in her seat, her breath held, waiting for her name to be called.'

"... Mr. Elijah Jaden Knoxx!"

The class erupted into gasps, whispers, and surprised glances. Heads swiveled to look at Elijah, who sat lazily in the back row, completely unbothered by the attention. He sat at his desk with that familiar smirk on his face, casually brushing off the amazement of his classmates.

Yasmine blink, her mouth slightly opened with shock. Elijah? You have to be KIDDING me. Her mind was trying to make sense of it. How could he have gotten a perfect score? He barely pays attention in class, always interrupting and cracking jokes and never seeming to take anything seriously. And he never studies! she thought, incredulous.

"Congratulations, Mr. Knoxx," Mr. Waisanen said with an approving nod. "That's so impressive."

Elijah waved a dismissive hand, acting like it was no big deal. "Thanks, Mr. W. Just another day, you know?" he quipped, flashing that mischievous grin while the other students clapped for him. "I knew I was gonna crush that test anyways."

Yasmine, still in shock, couldn't wrap her head around it. How could someone like him do better than me? She prided herself on her dedication to her studies, often sacrificing sleep and social time to ensure her grades were perfect. Yet, here was Elijah, someone who seemingly coasted through life, outperforming her on a test she had studied so hard for.

After the applause for Elijah settled down, Mr. Waisanen scanned the list in his hands again. "And the person who got the second-highest score is...Miss Yasmine Huang!"

The room erupted in another round of clapping, and this time Yasmine felt a surge of pride. Despite being overshadowed by Elijah's perfect score, she still held her own. A warm blush crept up her cheeks as she glanced around the room at the smiling faces of her classmates and her best friend Jodie.

After the clapping died down, Elijah turned toward her from his desk, his signature smirk still not leaving his face. "Not too bad, Angel," he teased, giving her a cheeky wink.

Yasmine's face scrunched into a scowl, her frustration at his nickname for her bubbling up once again. She stuck her tongue at him and said, "As if you studied harder than me."

After the test results were handed out, Mr. Waisanen shifted the topic. "Alright, now that we're done with the tests, let's talk about the science fair project."

The classroom was instantly filled with murmurs. Some students seemed excited, while others groaned at the thought of another big assignment.

"The chemistry department requires every student to participate in the science fair, and your project will be due at the end of the semester. Each of you will be paired up with a partner, and together you'll need to come up with a creative scientific experiment. Something original, based on research gaps you can find."

He went on explaining the project, "This project will have two components. A poster board and a research paper." It's a chance to push your knowledge and explore something unique.

Yasmine pondered, A creative experiment? Oh gosh, this is gonna suck. I'm not very good with unique ideas. She couldn't help but wonder who she would be paired with. Maybe Jodie? That would make the project a breeze.

Mr. Waisanen walked over to his desk, holding a jar filled with popsicle sticks, each one with a student's name written on it. "I'm going to randomly assign partners by drawing names."

The class collectively held its breath as he swirled his fingers inside the jar, the sticks clinking together. After a moment, he pulled one out. "Ok I got the name Elijah," he called out.

Mr. Waisanen reached into the jar again, pulling out another stick. He stared at the name for a second, then looked up with a slight smile. "And his partner...Yasmine."

The room fell into a hush before a wave of whispers broke out. Yasmine's heart sank. Great...I'm screwed, she thought, her frustration rising again. She shot a quick glare in Elijah's direction. He, of course, was already looking at her, that infuriating smirk on his face as he waggled his eyebrows teasingly.

Yasmine's hand shot up before she could even think it through. "Mr. Waisanen, please! Can't I work with Jodie or... or anyone else?" Her voice carried a slight desperation, and a few of her classmates exchanged amused glances. She glanced over at Jodie, who shrugged with an apologetic smile.

But Mr. Waisanen barely looked up from the papers he was sorting on his desk. "That won't be necessary, Yasmine. Rest assured, Marco Polo's got you covered." He nonchalantly continued, "Who knows? Maybe you can learn a thing or two from him."

The class chuckled, and Elijah clicked his tongue in mock disapproval, stretching his fingers toward Yasmine in a playful gesture. "You see? Even Mr. W knows I'm a genius at this."

Yasmine folded her arms, her face turning red. She shot a glare in Elijah's direction, watching him bask in the attention. "Great, this is one of these days where life is treating me like a joke," she muttered sarcastically, barely loud enough for anyone to hear.

"Relax, little Angel," Elijah teased while turning back towards his desk. "Two brains are always better than one."

After chem class was over, it was time for a small break before another class period started. Yasmine and Jodie made their way to their lockers. Yasmine yanked open her locker, shuffling through her books with a fervor that matched her frustration.

"Mr. Waisanen is so unbelievable! The audacity he has to make me work with Elijah!" Yasmine vented, slamming her locker door shut. "Of all the people the dumbass could be paired up with, it had to be me! He's always randomly teasing me, and now I have to spend the remaining of this semester working on a project with him? This is just... ugh!"

Jodie, who was organizing her own locker, tried to console her friend. "Come on, girl. It's not the end of the world for you to be partnered up with Marco Polo. He's not that bad, and teasing is probably one of his character traits. Like a fox."

As Yasmine huffed and leaned against her locker, Elijah and his best friend Louis were standing a few lockers down, quietly eavesdropping on the conversation. Elijah's ears perked up at the mention of his name, and he exchanged a knowing glance with Louis, who stifled a chuckle. 

While being unable to resist, he closed his own locker and walked closer to the girls along with Louis following behind him, glancing towards Yasmine. "And that is true. I am a fox, one that even a flustered bunny like you cannot resist, Angel."