Purple

1

"Livianna, please tell me you didn't stay up all night just studying again, did you?" My mother's voice is groggy and tired, but it's just loud enough to enter my bedroom. I lift my head up and glance towards the analog clock hanging above my bed. I can't read it right now . . .

I close my notebook, filled with notes about element 26 Fe and its uses, and push it to the side of my desk, knocking it against my desk lamp, which shakes a little from impact. With one hand I rub my eye, and the other I take my phone off the charger and check the time.

AM 5:30

"Of course not," I replied, yawning. "I just woke up is all."

"Livianna," my mother calls, pushing my bedroom door open, "I doubt that. Your alarm goes off in five minutes, and I can't even remember the last time you got a full night's sleep."

"My internal clock has been programmed for this kind of rigorous work. It's no issue."

"That doesn't make it any better. In fact, it makes it all the worse."

I've run out of things to retort with, so I start a new conversation altogether. ". . . Good morning. How are you?"

"Don't change the subject." I don't say anything, and my mother sighs. "Good morning. I'm fine, how are you?"

"I'm pretty good. How was your night?"

"It was pleasant, dare I ask about yours?"

"That would be polite. It was delightful."

"What'd you figure out this time?" My mother sleepily waltzes over to my desk and picks up my notebook, flipping to where my bookmark was placed. Without looking, I can tell she's reading every detail for accuracy.

"Nothing much. It has a lower melting point than glass - less than a fourth - it has 26 protons (who would've guessed) which is more than 20 Ca, but less than 29 Cu or 30 Zc."

"That's true." She closed the book and placed it back on my desk. "Now, you have school today - Friday is quite far off, you know."

"Yes, that's true. I know the difference between a Tuesday and a Friday."

"Really?" My mother put on a fake relieved smile. "I was worried chemistry was taking up your brain so much you would forget what you know from other subjects (save for math perhaps)."

"Really?" I frowned slightly. "Sorry to disappoint, but my memory isn't all that bad."

"I know . . . ! Just get ready, will you?" My mother turned to leave the room. "You know when the bus arrives."

"Yup." Once my mother exited the room, I began cramming all my items into my bag. A quick glance around the room and I only took what I needed - my homework, which was pages of math and chemistry, some pencils and pens, and of course, my notebook, laying dormantingly on my desk. Despite the mess of my room, I managed to pack them away somewhat neatly.

I set out my clothes for today - a simple white dress shirt with black slacks. Then I brushed my teeth, took a shower, and got dressed. When it was all through, I headed downstairs for breakfast.

"Good morning, Livianna," my father greeted, hardly awake. I could tell from his voice alone that he had gotten very little sleep last night. I took my seat beside him at the table.

"Good morning," I replied. At my seat was a plate of scrambled eggs and toast, with chocolate milk for a drink.

Despite their habits, my parents don't let me drink coffee. So, I have to get caffeine through chocolate milk - which looks similar, even though it isn't the real deal. Add the caffeine into the drink prior and you've a solid plan to trick your parents. Of course, you need a way to get caffeine and implant in your drink, but the molecular formula happens to be C8H10N4O2, being 8 carbon atoms, 10 hydrogen atoms, 4 nitrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. Any sort of prideful chemist can figure out how to get that.