Seizing the Day

Chapter Seven: Back to Square One

DAVEY JACOBS

Davey Jacobs loved chemistry. Loved it. With all his heart and soul.

When he was ten, his parents had bought him one of those fake lab experiment kits for his birthday. It was nothing more than the classic baking soda volcano, but at the time, he'd been mystified. How on earth could a simple white powder (so common that his mother had some in her baking pantry) and a bit of vinegar create such a reaction? How was it possible?!

As he grew older, and the more he studied the topic, the more he began to understand. And the more he began to understand, the more he began to enjoy it.

Chemistry was like magic; all the things you could achieve with just a few chemicals, a few elements, mixing this solution with that one... The possibilities were endless, as were the combinations, and better yet, everything could be explained. After all, as was the way with science, nothing was truly as magic as it appeared.

It was chemistry that had sparked his interest in biology, and his profound love for both subjects that had caused his heart to be set on becoming a doctor. Hours watching videos online about what to do in the case of different emergencies, EMT training during the summer, stacks of notebooks and journals full of research and information he'd found and collected over the years...

Looking back on it, he could have explained every single step for that little volcano experiment. Scratch that- he could have explained it backwards and in his sleep. But part of that wonder, part of that mystified thrill he'd felt when he'd first become enraptured in the marvel that was science, he'd never really lost.

"Epinephrine; it's a stimulative hormone in the human body that is used as a neurotransmitter in the synapse between neurons, helping fire action potentials," Davey explained clearly, answering his teacher's question with tact and precision, "It's also referred to as adrenaline, produced by the adrenal glands, and released into the bloodstream in times of distress to elevate heart and breathing rate, among other things."

"Correct- as usual," Mr. Yorik smiled warmly, the last part added as an afterthought. He turned to continue teaching the lesson, facing the board, and not catching Mush rolling his eyes and wryly mouthing the words 'teacher's pet' to the rather obvious class favourite.

Davey shrugged helplessly in response, stifling a laugh when Mush made a face, before snapping quickly to attention as the teacher moved to face his class yet again.

"Mister Higgins? Which chemical formula did you study?"

Davey looked over in time to catch Race jolt upwards in his seat, startled, halfway through sketching a rough caricature onto his binder.

It was... Strange to have the other boy in a class with him. Strange, but not unpleasant. He was used to spending time with Mush outside of school, both of them having been on the debate team, and had always enjoyed the easygoing boy's company. This had probably made the transition into a grade eleven/twelve split class with him a bit easier, as it didn't feel weird to have him around. But Race had always been in the grade below him as well, and they'd never spent near as much time bonding. He was finding that he quite liked Race, though, despite (and maybe even for) his many quirks.

"Formula? Oh, um, caffeine." Race appeared to be racking his brains as he hastily took a sip out of his coffee cup. No doubt he'd come up with his compound on the fly and was just playing off the cuff, "It's a stimulant. Abundant in coffee beans."

He took another swig of his drink, carefully avoiding Yorik's sour glare.

"And have you any idea what the chemical formula of caffeine is, Mister Higgins?"