Scientific Crescendo - Book 2: The Genetics Project 🪼✔

10 - Science Fair

I parked in the driveway and started getting my stuff out from the back when Dad came out.
"You're late. The fair starts in an hour and a half and you aren't even ready yet."
"We would have been here sooner if Sim hadn't had to pee every time he saw a rest area sign." Tayla said with a smirk from beside me. "I swear, his bladder is like a pea."
Dad looked at me with a funny look and I frowned at Tayla.
"I do not."
"Could have fooled me..."
"Will you be staying with us, Tayla?"
"Nah, I'll stay at my house. My old man's probably off in Vegas or something with my car and stuff... I don't want to intrude and all."
"You're always welcome here, Tayla."
Tayla smiled. "Thanks but I need my space. I have to share a dorm so the more space I can get, the happier I'll be, haha."
Dad smiled and helped her take her luggage over to her house as I lugged mine inside.
Tamari was sweeping the floor when I opened the door and she stopped to hold the screen door open for me.
"You're late."
"I know, I know..."
"Jai is very excited about his project. He hopes that you'll like it too and hopes you'll be impressed so even if it isn't top notch, praise him a little, yeah?"
"I'm always praising."
"Slobber him with it today. He's just been so excited to show everyone what he's done and all. He's be so disappointed if you acted like it was something simple."
"Yeah and sometimes you have a way of doing that." Ichor said from the hallway.
I turned. "I do not."
"Yeah, you do. You may not realize it but you have this way of saying things that almost demean his stuff."
"I do?" I asked, feeling really bad.
Tamari made a face indicating that I really did and I felt tears start to prick my eyes. I didn't mean to hurt his feelings...
"Dude, are you crying?" Ichor asked, looking at me in shock.
"No. Why would I be? I just didn't realize that I was doing that. I've probably hurt his feelings a lot then..."
"No, he's pretty understanding."
"Don't worry, Sim, your father does it all the time to me and we work in the same field. By the way, did you bring your nanobots?"
"Yeah, they're right here in this bag." I said, patting a cylindrical looking bag on my shoulder. "When Uncle Tarot has time then I'll show him what they can do."
"Good because he really thought the idea was a good one and wanted to see how things would pan out so he could tell his bosses how it panned out."
"Yeah when he's ready to see me then I'll show him how they work. Anyway, let me get ready."
Tamari nodded and I went to change my clothes.
When I got back out, Tayla was there on the couch talking with Ichor and Kalij. I walked in and sat on the loveseat as Kalij looked at me.
"Tayla said that you have a small bladder."
"Really?" I said, looking at her.
She grinned. "What? All I said was that you had to pee a million times on the way here."
"I drank a Red Bull, they make you pee."
"Not that much, Sim..."
"What is so fascinating about how many times a guy has to pee?"
"It's just funny." Ichor said with a smile. "Uncle Tarot should be over with everyone so we can go to the school gym and stuff."
"It must be a really big ordeal for him to want everyone there."
"Yeah, he's been going on about it for weeks. How can a project be so interesting?" Kalij said, playing with his PSP.
The doorbell rang and I got up to open it up. It was Uncle Tarot with his family and Billy.
"Are you guys ready yet?"
"I think that Mom is getting ready and will be up soon."
"Well, tell your dad that we're heading up there to save seats. Did your little friend come?"
"Hey, Tarot!" Tayla said, throwing her hand up to show she was there.
"Hi, Tayla. Glad that you could make it."
"Thanks for having me."
"Anyway, tell him that we're going now."
"Yeah..."
Tarot looked at me funny but left just as Dad came out, fixing the cuff of his shirt.
"Your mother will be done shortly. Who was at the door; Tarot?"
"Yeah he said they are going to go ahead to save seats."
"We'll be following them so everyone get in the car."
We piled into the van and headed to the school.

"You came!" Jai said, jumping up and down in happiness.
"I told you I would come... What's so exciting? I mean, I understand that it's your project but I've never seen anyone so excited over it."
Jai grinned. "That's because it's the best project here. Sure, everyone has a nice project, the volcano ordeal and the napkin thing, but no one has quality work."
"Haughty, aren't we?" I said with a smirk.
He grinned wider. "I will take that today. But I think this could revolutionize genetics as is."
"Alright... I better be wowed."
Jai looked away a little and I cursed in my head.
"I'm sure whatever it is, you put a lot of time and effort into it and whatever happens, I'll be proud and Miller will be too."
He nodded and I frowned as he walked away. I need to learn some humility... I said to myself as I went to go sit down.
We watched the projects come through, some of them good but most of them were the usual passing projects so that they would have something to work with. Jai came on and presented his project. It was actually very impressive and if he worked on it more, he would definitely be sponsored. I think he'll definitely win that scholarship. Only problem is that we wouldn't know until after the Winter Break.
After the display, we all went up to congratulate Jai on his outstanding project. As we talked with him about it, his teacher came up to us.
"Wasn't that an amazing project?" he said with a smile.
Dad smiled and shook hands with the teacher; all the parents did.
"I'm Mr. Ridder, the science teacher. Your son has a very special gift, Mr. Eored. I wouldn't be surprised if he won the scholarship for this fair."
"Yes, he's very gifted." Uncle Miller said, patting Jai on the shoulder.
"Must get it from his father." He said with a smile.
"Actually he's adopted, so we don't know where he gets it from. But if it was his father, then he must be very smart indeed." Aunt Lottie said with a smooth lie that was so good even I believed it.
"Yes. And you are?"
"Oh, Sim Leoda; Jai's my cousin."
"I see. So you're the one I've heard so much about. Jai talks about you all the time, about how great his cousin is and what great accomplishments he's done. You skipped two grades?"
"Uh, yeah..." I said with a nervous laugh.
"Amazing. Well, it's nice to meet you."
I shook his hand when I felt a weird feeling go through me. I looked at his hands and I pulled my hand away quickly.
"Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, um... I'm going to go and tell Jai that his project was good."
He smiled and I felt that weird feeling go through me again. It was a creepy feeling; the feeling that I always got with Gerald when he was faking his way through my Dad before he knew about what Gerald did to me behind closed doors. And his hands... There was a scar on his hand that looked just like the one I remember giving Gerald after he tried to do something to my dad. It was such a unique looking scar and yet... I mean, this guy looked nothing like Gerald and he was still in jail. There was no way that this man was him, so why did I get this funny feeling?
"Hey, Sim! Did you see it?!"
"Yes and I think it has great potential. You will definitely win that scholarship. Hey, um... is that a new science teacher?"
"Yeah he started this year. He's been helping me with my project and everything. He's really smart and he used ot be a chemistry teacher at a pretty prestigious college but wanted to work with younger kids."
"I see..."
"Why?"
"I get a funny feeling around him... Just uh... be careful, okay? Do you talk about us a lot? The family?"
"Sometimes... Sim, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Jai looked at me with confusion in his green eyes.
"Is there something I should know? Do you know him?"
"No. Just please try to keep our personal affairs to yourself if he ever asks anymore questions."
"He asks a lot of questions about you." I looked at him as he turned his head at me. "Sim?"
"Just remember not to say so much about us... But it's not about that that I came over. I came to talk about your project. That was very impressive."
He smiled big and began to describe everything about the project.