Fire and Ice

Chapter 6- Science Project

Chapter 6: Science Project

  In the morning I woke up with a very sore arm because I had been sleeping on it all night. Casey looked as happy as a dog with a bone when she woke up and I envy her and her ability to sleep anywhere.

  “Morning” She says cheerily.

  “Morning” I grumble trying to get up and stretch.

  “You go have a shower first because I know how you get when you sleep on the floor. I will make your favourite breakfast, pancakes, if you go have a shower now. Go on off you go!” She shooed me out of the room and I happily had a shower looking forward to pancakes made by the best cook I know.

  Once I’m dressed in a black t-shirt and blue skinny jeans I skip-to the best of my ability- out and towards the delicious smell of pancakes. I immediately grab a couple, spread raspberry jam on top then shove them in my mouth. I like my pancakes.

  Casey shakes her head at me but does the same anyway. We are both pigs when it comes to our favourite foods.

  “Your turn in the shower. Just don’t slip on the mat again like you did last time” I say with my mouth full.

  She laughs then leaves me with the pancakes. I eye up the food before gobbling them all down. Once finished I put all the dishes in the sink and leave them for later as I go back to my room to put eyeliner and lip-gloss on.

  Once I’m ready and have everything I need I wait by the door with Casey’s bag.

  “Sorry Ash. I just had to put eye shadow on.” She gives me a sheepish smile.

  “It’s okay. Come on we should go before we’re late!”

  At school Casey’s older brother Max is waiting for her. We weren’t even near late. Casey bolts out of the car to go see her brother while I slowly make my way to my first class.

  The class right before lunch was science. I was dreading this subject because Seth is my lab partner. I walk in and dump my bag on the floor like usual. No Seth, good. I drum my fingers on the desk waiting for Mr. Hobble to come in.

  Right before I thought I was safe Seth comes in and takes his seat next to me. He sits as far away as the desk allows him to and doesn’t even spare me a glance. I ignore him throughout the entire lesson.

  Although, I wasn’t ignoring him enough to not notice the few times he looked at me, he was sad, frustrated and was that a heated look?

  I stopped paying much attention to him after that. Instead I focussed on Mr. Hobble who was ranting and raving about chemicals and magnets.

  Seth nudged me and pushed some paper under my nose.

  The message read: I’m sorry about yesterday. But I think it would be best if we weren’t lab partners and ignored each other completely.

  I shrugged and thrust the paper back in his direction.

  Just as I thought I would die with Seth staring at me for the rest of the lesson after that Mr. Hobble made it even worse.

  “Okay class. Now is the time for projects! You will each have to make an electromagnet with your partner! No swapping partners, you will be paired up with the person you are sitting next to right now!” Mr. Hobble exclaimed and everyone groaned.

  Seth tensed up next to me and I just froze. The minute the bell rang Seth did everything but run out of the room. I on the other hand, was still clutching the table when Casey found me ten minutes later.

  “Ash, you okay?” She asked all motherly like again.

  I was probably a deathly pale colour and all I could do was sit there and stare straight ahead.

  “Ash what happened?” Casey demanded.

  I slowly took out the assignment and shakily handed it to her.

  “Oh Ash” She said and hugged me.

  I still didn’t move so Casey had to get her brother to help her pry my fingers away from the table and drag me out towards my car so I could go home.

  Once I was in the car I gripped the wheel and sat there staring straight ahead again.

  “Ash, a kelpie is going to get you!” Casey screamed in my ear.

  That did it. I was out of the car park and heading down the road in seconds. There is nothing more I hate than kelpies.

  At home I lock all the bolts on the door. I have been doing that a lot lately. I dump my bag on the kitchen bench and collapse on the couch.

  I refuse to turn my TV on, instead I play with the water in the bowl. I make it swirl around my head, freeze itself into a sculpture of a mermaid and turn the water to steam.

  Yes mermaids do exist. Although I would stay away from them if I were you. There are mermaids and sirens, each have a different story. I’m not sure what is real but I’m pretty sure one of them sings to lure sailors to their death. Some save humans, others kill, and I’m not sure how you tell the difference so stay away, no matter how enchanting they are.

  I sigh and drag myself to my comfortable bed. I haven’t slept on it in two days so I wasn’t surprised when I fell asleep straight away.

  I woke up to knocking on my door. I leave my bat sitting against the wall and go and answer the door with my hair in a big mess.

  I open the door and shut almost in unison.

  “Ash, please just open the door. I know we got off on a rough start but the sooner we finish this project, the sooner we can go back to ignoring each other” Seth says through the door. He was pleading with me, demons don’t plead.

  I started walking in circles for some random reason, avoiding the door at all costs.

  “Ash, please.”

  For some reason I opened the door and let him in. He smiled a shy smile at me and I just stared at him.

  “I brought some books from the library on electromagnets.” He walks into the living room and dumps some books on the coffee table next to the bowl of water. I slowly follow. “I see you like your water” He nods towards the bowl.

  I say nothing as I settle myself on the floor.

  “Please talk to me” And he’s back to pleading.

  “I think if we do a basic electromagnet Mr. Hobble will be pleased. He doesn’t care if we do a complicated one or a simple one, as long as it works we pass.” I reply, looking at anything but him.

  And we get to work on a simple electromagnet for our science project.