It was a quiet day. This was partly because there wasn't much to be done in the way of anything, what with the last drug test being successful, and partly because the previous night's tension was yet to wear off.
Only Noah seemed perky, or as perky as one can be when the people, whose lives he revolved around, were limiting themselves to a silent existence, due to petty pride. Yesterday's fighting was fast becoming the source of today's problems, and no one was willing to admit that they were wrong.
This routine was one that they were all saddeningly used to. With the so often absences of the person who was supposed to be in charge, it would have been near impossible for them to avoid butting heads when the group was actually together. Val's presence always caused friction, particularly with Ally. Both girls were so headstrong that they could rarely see eye to eye on anything.
When Noah finally did, tried to break the silence, he was quickly cut off my Val.
"I'm leaving again," she said blatantly. Noah frowned in confusion.
"You're what?" Elias chimed in, "you only just got here. You're supposed to at least stay for a couple of days."
"I'm not supposed to do anything," she told him, "I have a job to do, and you do too. Besides," she looked over to Ally, who was remaining silent, "I can tell when I'm not wanted." Ally suddenly whipped her head around to face Val.
"Well that's a first," Ally muttered sarcastically.
"I'm sorry, what?" Val asked, sharply, walking towards her. Noah stood up and stepped between them, stretching his arms out.
"Guys, please, stop. This happens every time you guys are in the same room, and I'm tired of it," he pleaded, half-heartedly, "we all need to work together if we want this to work," he turned to Ally, "you said so yourself." The two girls said nothing, avoiding looking each other in the eye. Sufficiently convinced that the fight, albeit very short, was over, Noah lowered his arms slowly and walked back over to Elias, who had a look of mild respect on his face. Elias stood up.
"Well, I should um, I should probably get back to work," he said, awkwardly, breaking the silence. Val raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you said the tests yesterday went well?" she asked, trying to re-establish the facts. He nodded.
"Yeah, well, there's always something, right?" he told her, shrugging, "Noah, why don't you come help me?" Noah gave him a perplexed look, but didn't question him, instead following Elias over to their makeshift lab.
vvvvv
The lab itself was in a small room off the side of the original production area, and was nothing more than a less-than-basic high school science setup. There were two bunsen burners in one corner, hooked up to a small bottle of gas. Hundreds of tiny test tubes, beakers and bottles were scattered across two wooden tables, lining the back and right-side walls. A third, slightly smaller table contained shelves and shelves full of different bottles, filled with powders and liquids. Some were labelled with tiny notations, others, remained unnamed. A small, tattered notebook lay next to the shelves.
Elias walked over to the tables of beakers, and searched around for his goggles. He finally found them and perched them on top of his head. Noah never really understood the purpose of protecting his hair rather than his eyes. Elias claimed it helped him to think, and as he was the sole drug maker, no one bothered to question him. Elias grabbed a second pair and chucked them at Noah, who was quick to catch them. He pushed them onto his face, (where they should be, he thought), and stood next to Elias, who was, by now, busily flicking through the notebook, his eyes skimming over the pages with urgency. Noah watched him intently, and finally Elias stopped on a page. He pressed his finger down on it and looked at Noah, grinning.
"It's the formula from yesterday," he told Noah, as if expecting him immediately understand, "if I change it slightly, it should have the same success rate as the one Galfriey had yesterday. Well, I mean, obviously not pain, but I think this one should work as, like, anxiety or something." Noah was completely dumbfounded, as he stared over the older boy's shoulder to see the book.
"So that means?" Noah asked slowly, gesturing with his hands for Elias to finish the sentence.
"It means that we might actually do this. You know, we might actually have done it," Elias said, realisation sweeping across his face. He grinned sheepishly to himself at the thought. For the first time in a long time, he had hope again. He grabbed a beaker and began pouring different liquids in it.
"Pass me that test tube," he instructed Noah, putting his hand out expectantly. Noah looked at the hundreds of test tubes questioningly.
"Um," he said. Elias sighed and picked it up.
"This one," he said, showing Noah. The tube was filled with a thick, golden liquid.
"What is it?" Noah asked.
"Honey," Elias answered, dipping his finger in and tasting some of the liquid. He screwed his face up in disgust, "never liked honey." Noah laughed as Elias turned back to the beaker..
"Elias, why did you bring me here?" he asked.
"Because," he started, turning away from the beaker again, "did you really want to be out there with those two?" Noah sighed, shaking his head.
"Not really," he admitted.
"Exactly," Elias said, "now, pass me the beaker in the corner." Noah sighed again, and found the beaker.
vvvvv
The boys walked off, leaving Val and Ally glaring at each other. The tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Val let out a frustrated sigh and sat down at Elias' desk. Ally raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you were going.," she said expectantly. Val shrugged in reply. Angered, Ally stomped over to the desk. She dug her hands into the wood, locking her arms straight.
"Look Val, we don't need you. You're never here and when you do decide to make a guest appearance, you just complain about the fact that we arent getting things done how you want them done. We are fine without you, you know that right? What even is the point of you being here when you don't even know what we do?" Ally spoke to her in a cool, calm voice, but it was clear that she was dangerously angry.
Val stared down Ally with such rage and hurt that she very well might have been looking into the younger girl's soul. She shoved the chair back and stood up.
"Fine, I guess I will go after all." She pursed her lips and marched off.
"You know I'm right Valentina." Ally yelled at her. Val cringed at the sound of her full name, but didn't let it slip her up.
"What do you even do out there?" Ally yelled again, this time a little softer. This time, Val stopped completely. She turned around to stare at Ally.
"Hasn't anyone told you?" she asked rhetorically, "I ruin lives."
YOU ARE READING
The Drug Run
Fiksi Remaja“Now, this won’t hurt a bit,” she said sweetly, “soon, you’ll feel so joyful you won’t know what to do with yourself.” Ally spat on the ground in front of her. “I’d rather feel dead and lonely on the inside,” she said in a monotone voice. The nurse...
