Opposites Attract

Freeze Rays

Mum grinned as I returned from work in a good mood, sensing that everything had been sorted out. Little did I know, that once I had declared I was heading up to bed, she motioned for Will and Dad to follow her into the kitchen for a chat.

"Don't say anything horrible about Warren Peace anymore," she chastised.

"What? Why?" Will asked in disbelief.

"Because you're tearing her in two- she wants to support you because you're her family, but she wants to support him because she's his friend. You may not know this, my darlings, but that poor girl was broken when she came back from school today. Nothing breaks my heart more than to see my child upset, especially about something members of this family have played a part in. So Steve- no more mentioning Baron Battle- even I'm sick of that conversation now, and I've had it for thirteen years longer than the kids, and Will- no more fights in the cafeteria. Okay?" she asked.

They daren't argue with her, just nodding stupidly, and with that everyone went to bed.

The next day, Will, Layla and I piled onto the school bus like nothing had happened yesterday, had our usual random morning chat driven by Zach, and all said goodbye at the lockers.

Today was different though, unbeknownst to me. It didn't seem it at the time. I sat down next to Warren in mad science, and he sent a genuine smile my way before class started. Just as Mr Medula started to grandly explain what we would be doing today, there was a knock on the door. All heads turned as it opened to reveal Will, onestrapping his backpack, and looking nervously around the room as he clutched a sheet of paper.

"Ah yes, they told me you were coming- let me take that transfer paper," Mr Medula snatched the sheet from Will's hand and looked around the classroom; "Unfortunately all lab partners are taken... I suppose I could pair you with my teaching assistant? Miss Grayson? My apologies."

Mr Medula grandly gestured for Will to join Gwen at the table behind Warren and I. I snickered as he loudly stated that Will had stepped on his foot, but sent Will a beam as he walked past, which he quickly returned, sighing in relief at the realisation he was sat just behind me.

"You all have fifteen minutes to craft a freeze ray. I have supplied you with all the apparatus you could possibly need. Begin!" Mr Medula announced, grandly gesturing with his arms.

I turned around and sent Will a small smile as he looked at me in bewilderment and I chuckled. I turned back to Warren, who was already smiling at me softly.

"Any ideas?" I asked.

"I know how to make a basic ray... The freeze bit is going to be the part that throws me," he chuckled.

"Do you want to start on that then, and I'll have a brainstorm about the freeze bit?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, sure, I'll do the entire project while you pretend to think about it, that's fine," he smirked, as he started picking up little components to piece together.

"Shut up and let me think," I smirked, leaning back in my chair.

After about ten minutes of watchig Warren piece together all the little parts, an idea came to me. I wasn't amazingly sure it would work, but I was willing to give it a go. I brought out my bottle of water and began crafting. 

When Warren eventually looked up from his crafting, probably to make a snide remark about me not doing anything, his eyebrows raised in surprise as he watched me crafting the last bullet. He watched in awe as I moulded water that was frozen just enough to be solid, but also to have a texture that would explode into an icy mess on impact, and covered it in the thinnest coating of ice I could muster. The concept was that when the bullet was shot, the initial coat of ice would be broken, and the slightly more liquid ice would explode everywhere.