Rival

This is why I hate biology

The winter break went by too quickly. Most of my time was occupied with my computer and my notes. Our family rarely went out of the house. We were all very comfortable inside. I was very thankfully that unlink other dads, my dad liked to stay indoors.

I haven't been able to reach Bom during the winter break, and not that I would have been able to even if I wanted because I didn't have her phone number or email.

It was the first day of school anyways. I was back on the bus with my regular boring old uniform, which totally did not match the color of my hair. I wondered what I Was going to say to Bom when I see her again. Hello? Hi? Should I say sorry for not giving her a gift?

I sighed in frustration. My family was great in everything. They gave me everything I needed but the ability to have a proper conversation. It runs through the blood I think, mostly my mom. I just had to inherit her talent of being horrible at socializing. Like mother, like daughter.

After twenty minutes the bus was already getting past the familiar evergreen trees that were still covered in snow. I held my bag closer to me to stay warmer.

"Thank you," I called out as I exited the bus. It was a relief that it was only a minute walk from the bus stop to the school because there was an acknowledgeable amount of snow on the ground.

I had only taken a couple of steps and my shoes were already wet. I took a deep breath and carried on. I knew I shouldn't swear. I shouldn't swear. I shouldn't swear. But I couldn't help it. I walked all the way to my classroom muttering the D word underneath my breath.

It was a bad omen, alerting me of a horrible day.

"Hey," Bom greeted me at our desks. I threw my bag down in its usual spot and slumped down on the chair muttering incoherent words in annoyance.

"Bad day?" she asked.

I didn't reply back. My good mood was ruined for the day.

Bom seemed to have gotten the message and didn't bother me anymore.

"How was your winter break?" I was the first to break the silence. I swear it was like the first day of school all over again.

"It was okay," she replied with a grin.

"Um...thanks for the chocolates," I thanked her finally.

"No problem," she seemed cheerful. Perhaps she didn't see me throwing away her present."

"Class," Mr. Parker shouted above all the loud chatters, "meet me in the science lab!"

"Okay," the class replied. First block was science, ugh. I hoped we weren't doing a dissection today. Mr. Parker hinted that we might be dissecting a cow's tongue last week and we all hoped -at least the girls anyway -that he was just kidding.

Once the whole class moved into the science lab Mr. Parker announced we were going to be looking at cells underneath the microscope. It wasn't fun but it was better than touching something that used to be a part of something alive.

We were designated a partner. Usually I worked by myself because it was just easier that way but Mr. Parker liked assigning us in partners. He usually put us in horrible groups too. Once I got stuck with a girl named Hana and all she did was keeping bumping into me and messing up the whole lab. I yelled at her and was sent to the hallway and I got a zero on the lab. I was so frustrated but at least she failed too.

"And finally," Mr. Parker's eyes narrowed on me, "Hyori and Bom at Station five."

'Oh great,' I thought in my head, 'now she's going to think I'm a control freak too.'

Everyone who was put in partners with me could not endure my constant yells, scowls, lectures, and demands. It wasn't their fault, I guess, but no one acted like they actually wanted to pass the assignment.

"I'll get the microscope," Bom announced as she left swiftly for the near by cupboard. I walked to the front of the class room to get some samples.

The first sample was a...something red was covering the title engraved on the glass. It was probably some chemical material that dried up...or from someone who broke the rules and ate something in the lab. I tried to run it under water but the moment I turned on the sink the water shot with such force water it went splattering everywhere around the table.

Swearing silently I slammed the sample down on top of the chair, which was still dry. The rest was dripped with water.

"I got the microscope," Bom said. She set it right on the table...which was wet.

I didn't say anything but I was beyond angered. Didn't she see the puddle of water? Now the microscope would be wet too.

Bom reached for the plug which was hanging beside the table. She didn't seem to have noticed the edge of the plug which had gotten wet along with the microscope.

"Wait!" I shouted, no matter how clumsy she was I did not want her to be electrocuted. But it was too late, her hand the plug was already reaching into the hole and my hands, reacting immediately, had already recklessly landed on top of Bom's wrist.

Less than 0.5 seconds I felt a sharp jolt from my right arm to my shoulders. It was tingle, shocking me from my arm. I didn't have time to see Bom but was immediately pushed back by the pain and shock. I slammed into a chair behind me and fell on the floor. I closed my eyes my mind went blank. All I saw was black.

The pain was slowly receding. It wasn't even too bad now. All I felt was a light tingle as if someone had been tickling me.

I slowly opened my eyes. People were crowded around me with widened and worried eyes.

"What?" I groaned. My voice sounded different. Was something wrong with me?

"Are you okay?" someone asked behind me. I couldn't identify who it was.

"What happened?" I replied. I got up from my uncomfortable posture from the ground. My voice still sounded weird and it seems as though I had gotten taller.

"You guys suddenly shouted and landed on the floor," a girl explained beside me. I couldn't remember her name. I felt so dizzy, "you weren't out for long. Just about ten seconds. We think you were lightly electrocuted."

"Are you seriously okay?" another girl asked me. I nodded slowly. Why was everyone so protective over me today?

"Hey are you okay too?" a girl from behind was speaking, but not to me. I thought it must have been Bom who should have been shocked too. Why weren't they crowding around her instead?

I turned around to say something but what I saw shattered my words. My mind went blank and my eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell," I whispered.

The person in front of me wasn't Bom... It was me.

Me. It was me? I stared utterly confused and shocked. Maybe I was seeing things. My figure on the floor began to move too. After a low groan it stood up and my eyes blinked and stared into me.

My figure seemed just as shock as I had been.

"You," my figure pointed at me.

"Um," I answered?

"You," my figure said, "who?"

"Uh...you first?" what the hell was going on?!

"Bom," my figure pointed at herself, her eyes turning large.

What...?

"Hyori," I pointed at myself slowly.

At that point, we both lost it and screamed.