The Label Maker

CHAPTER THREE: ROLL CALL

Friday morning Gwen felt much better than the night before. She wasn't as stressed. She wasn't over thinking anything. And she wasn't worrying. She swore that the day ahead of her was going to be an easy, laid back, and relaxing school day. She wasn't going to do any homework after school. She wasn't going to any club meetings and she cancelled her volunteer sessions at the library for the enter weekend. Farrell's mini lecture from the night before made Gwen realize that she was too hard on herself. She figured that one free weekend to herself would clear her head. After her free weekend, she prays for things to go back to normal. For if she gets better, maybe other things in her life will too. She let Farrell drive her to school that morning. He was to pick her up at 2:40, fifteen minutes after school ends.

Her day was all planned out and her weekend was free. She just had to make it through the school day.

Today's going to be a good day. Today's going to be a good day, she repeated over and over again in her head.

As she entered the school's main doors, she was greeted with a wave of cold air. She she ventured further into the school to her first period, she noticed that all the cool air was gone. She easily proposed that it was at least five degrees hotter inside the building than what it was outside, maybe even ten. First period was Gwen's least favorite class of the day. AP Chemistry was not her strongest subject. It wasn't that she didn't understand what she was learning. It was that her teacher, Mr. Hughes, didn't really teach her anything. She couldn't blame him though. Even though it is his second year teaching, his first at Riverbrook, that's no excuse to not teach the students in an effective way. She tries not too think about it too much. She's come to terms with the fact that chemistry isn't going to be her best subject. She strolled into the classroom and immediately scanned over the room like she does every morning. Today, the room was filled with bunsen burners. It was clearly a lab day. The few students who were already in the room had lab coats thrown over their shoulders, goggles on their foreheads, and hair tucked into neat pony tails and messy buns. Even though there were only seven kids who were already ready for class, she still felt late. But then she remembered her day's promise.

You aren't late. The bell hasn't even rung yet, she assures herself.

She walked to the last row of partnered desks. Chris, one of Emma's friends, wasn't in class yet. She normally sits with Emma and Gwen during lunch. Not wanting to wait on her any longer, Gwen went and picked up her lab coat along with her assigned goggles. Once she was seated again, she fished out her notebook that was specifically for chemistry. Already, there were six pages of notes filled out. Complicated equations and definitions were scribbled in blue and simplified explanations were neatly restated in pink. As more students started to roll in, Chris was nowhere to be found among them. Gwen wasn't the best of friends with Chris, but she did know how to contribute and give input during partnered labs. No one else does it Chris does it. And even if the two aren't the greatest of friends, they are just working on chemistry, not each others hair and makeup.

Finally, the bell rang and a teacher who wasn't Mr. Hughes strolled in, slamming the door behind him.

"Alright class, I am your sub for today. Call me Mr. Wells. Now stay silent and in your seats while I call off attendance," he commands. No one dared to challenge his authority. For once, AP Chemistry had a substitute who looked like he knew what he was doing. He started calling off names. When Chris' name was called there was no answer.

Christina Emmett?" Mr. Wells repeats.

"She's absent sir," Gwen blurts.

"And who might you be?" He asks her.

"Gwen Harmon sir," she states.

"Well Miss Harmon, please raise your hand next time you have something to say," he declares. She was left in an expressionless state. No one's ever told her to raise her hand. Not during roll call. She tried her hardest not to let the remark bother her, but of course, it did. She sat fuming as the substitute finished roll call. As soon as he was done with attendance, he launched right into the day's directions.

"You are to work with your lab partner and recreate the lab you have been studying for the past several days. Any questions and you can talk to me," he explains. Gwen raised her hand.

"I suppose you will need a partner Miss Harmon. You can join the group next to you until someone else comes to class," he commands without acknowledging her raised hand. As she was gathering up her things to move over to the group that consisted of Brady and Tom, there was a commotion at the front of the room. The door swung open and there he stood.

"You are late young man," Mr. Wells scolds.

"I was in the office," he explains, handing the teacher his hall pass. Before he moved anywhere the sub talked to him in a low whisper. Everybody was trying to hear the conversation. He looked as if he didn't give a care in the world. Gwen couldn't decide what gave it away more: the way he wasn't even looking at the sub, r the way he chomped on his bubble gum.

"Miss Harmon, congratulations,your lab partner has decided to show up for class," Mr. Well's explains.

"Oh no," she whispers, setting her books back down on the desk. She watched as RJ Simpson strolled down the middle of the classroom. He would acknowledge his friends, stop and say hello to girls of his choice, and even talk to some of them. He was wasting Gwen's class time and he knew it. She decided to start without him. She readied all the things she was going to need for the lab. She turned on the gas for the burner and after she ignited the spark, the flame roared to life. She placed the half full beaker seventeen inches above the flame. After the water was boiling she readied the first drop of the first chemical. She was about to squeeze when someone bumped her shoulder. She nearly through the dropper across the room. She looked to her left and saw who it was.

It was her new lab partner, RJ.

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So, I'm looking for some feedback. I know I don't have much updated yet, but this is my first story in the third person point of view. I would like to know how I am doing with that. What am I doing right? What am I doing wrong? Tell me! These are things that I would love to know.

Hope you are all enjoying the book so far. 'Till the next update,

~Alyssa