Chapter 22
“You look stress, Keesha.” says Luke as he joggles his pen and calculator in the air. Today’s lesson is Physics. I’ve been tutoring Luke with two hours extension during Saturdays and another extra night on weekdays for weeks now since midterm examination is just a pint away.
I flip the pages of the textbook that I borrowed in the library earlier to look for some review questions for Luke. “I’m not.” I say softly as I stroke some of my hair strands. I really can’t help act like a girly Minnie around him.
“Yes you are!” laughs Train, who I didn’t notice is sitting beside Luke. He asked me to tutor him too, but not with the same reason as Luke. Train just want to impress Lucia. He let me call him by his first name too since that’s how I am addressing his friend. Though I told him that Lucia is already dating my brother, he couldn’t be stopped. Luke asked me not to stop him since it’s the first time he’d seen his friend read a book. The reasons are not justifiable, but what can I do; Luke asked me to. Though I hate saying yes to Kentron and to anyone who bosses us around like we’re servants, it’s different with Luke. I just couldn’t say no.
“You’re too hard to teach, that’s why I’m stress, happy?” I roll my eyes at him and laugh.
“Then, maybe you should ask Lucia to tutor us, how’s that?” he suggest with a witchy smile. He snaps his fingers and the pen of Luke which is still floating in the air burst into flames.
I jerk to my seat in alarm for what Train just did.
“You burned my pen!” shouts Luke in dismay.
Train laugh harder seeing his friend frown. I look around the area and I feel discomfort for being in the middle of two boys who uses their powers even though it’s prohibited. “You’re not supposed to use your powers here!” I remind them.
“Don’t worry Keesha, it’s past twelve, no one will know.” Smiles Luke with a touch of a fast wink.
“You’re too cautious, loosen up.” Train smiles and fires the paper in front of me.
“Fine, here!” I stand and dump a pile of scratch paper in the table. “Burn as much as you want, but I’m out of here.” I’m so nervous that we might get caught so I walk out. I left them in the lobby with shock faces. I know it’s rude to walk away from someone, especially from Sires, but I can’t get expelled. Staying here is my number one priority and not two immature men who want to play powers will cause my leave.
Days passed and I haven’t got the chance to talk to Luke or Train. It’s not because I’m mad, I’m just too busy with my own life. During lunch breaks, I make flights to the ancient hallway down to the underground laboratory to monitor the beasts’ reactions with the chemicals Professor Wood had injected every day. And during night times, I study our lessons, which are ten subjects excluding Basic Combat Defence since there’s nothing to memorize in that. And at mornings, I get up early and jog directly to the underground laboratory to help Professor Wood with the experiment. He lets me stay and watch him do the experiment. At first, he only wants me to stay in a corner and watch him do the experiments, but now he is allowing me to get involve. It started with the inventorying of the finished but not yet tested formulas he had developed, next is the stirring of the chemicals and now he let me do the measuring of the ingredients of his formula, and he even explains what it does and how it works, though he never mention how the whole experiment goes.
That goes for days. I am his apprentice. Just like the way I helped my dad with his carpentry when I was young – no questions, pure work. Suddenly, I feel enjoyment in experimenting. I never thought that saving my family’s life would be this fun. I think I finally found what I want to major next year – I want to become a chemist.
