It's been a week since we took Nate to the hospital and he seems perfectly normal to me. He came back to school after a couple of days. He still has a small bump on the back of his head and an occasional headache, but other than that he's fine. It really must have been a fluke. He goes to the doctor in three days for his CAT scan. I don't think it's necessary because he is obviously fine, but the doctor insisted.
Right now I am at Timothy's house studying science with him. He's been getting a lot better at it and is recalling a lot of the things we learned. Today we're studying water and its properties.
"Ok. Here's the first question and it's super easy."
I say holding a sheet of paper away from him so he can't peek. I wrote down some questions and answers and now it's time to quiz him.
"What is water composed of?"
He bites his lip as he thinks.
"Oxygen and hydrogen right?"
"Yes. But specifically. How many of each?"
"Um. Two hydrogen and one oxygen."
"Yeah! Good job!"
I give him a high five and then look back at my paper.
"Ok next one. In what states can water be found."
"All fifty of them. How else would we survive?"
He says with a grin.
"That's not what I meant and you know it."
I say with furrowed eyebrows and my mouth pressed into a line trying to contain my smile.
"Fine. If you don't want to have fun with it. Solid, liquid, and gas."
He gives me an eye roll.
"Thank you. Next. What is hard water?"
"It is... Um... Give me a second."
He puts his thumb nail in between his teeth and bites in concentration with furrowed eyebrows. And he thinks. And thinks. And thinks some more.
"Come on. Do you know it?"
I ask.
"Yeah I just.... Forgot."
He says sheepishly.
"It's ok. It simply means that it contains more minerals than ordinary water. Especially magnesium and calcium."
"Right right. I knew that one."
"I know you did."
I offer him a smile.
"Okay now. What is the freezing and boiling point of water?"
"Freezing is 32 and boiling is 212."
"Yep!"
He groans at me.
"Can we be done now? We've been studying this for at least an hour and a half."
"But we have to study!"
I say.
"You have come over to study practically every day for the past week. Let's take a break. Just for thirty minutes."
He pleads.
"I have to leave in thirty minutes."
I say. He knows perfectly well when I have to leave.
"And I won't keep you for a minute longer."
He smile and stands up from the table.
"Timothy. Come on. We need to do this."
I say frustrated.
"And we can tomorrow. You're coming over tomorrow right?"
"Well yeah but-"
He claps his hands together.
"Great! Then we will finish tomorrow."
I glare at him.
"Timothy."
He mimics my face and glares at me.
"Ellie."
"Stop that."
I say.
"Stop that."
He mocks me.
"I said stop!"
I throw my hands up in exasperation. And surprise surprise, he does the same.
I cross my arms on my chest.
"You won't stop until I give up will you?"
YOU ARE READING
What If?
Teen Fiction-Discontinued- Ellie has been homeschooled all her life, but with the recent loss of her dads job she has to go to public school. But what happens when her parents start fighting more and more, when she sees her crush with another girl, will she be...
