Different Stories (mostly horror)

Short Story: Chemicals.

I don't like this but oh well.

Chemicals.

"This is the chemical formula for love: C8H11NO2 + C10H12N20 + C43H66N12O12S2, dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin," my science teacher writes the chemicals on the board with a squeaky board marker. I pick up my pen and start drawing strange creatures on the fire-damaged table. It has already been inked with my various creations and I struggle to find room to draw.

"It can be made as easy as
making a fizzy drink. It can cause different mental disorders if it you overdose on any of the three, like schizophrenia, extreme paranoia and just pure insanity." He pauses for a second, letting it sink in.

My hair falls in front of my eyes and I sweep it away with my left hand, dragging the pen across my cheek as I go. Sighing, I frantically try to wipe the black line away. The boy to my right looks across to me and rolls his eyes. I shoot him a quick look and go back to rubbing my face.

I snap my hand away when I'm hit in the face with a pencil eraser. Glancing around, I see the trio of popular girls snigger at me from their high stools. My hand reaches for it and I throw it quickly towards them. Try as I might, my shot hits their leader on the leg and she laughs at me. Her minions laugh with her and I face the front of the classroom in an attempt to ignore them.

My science teacher is staring at me from his desk and I look back to my drawings.

"What was that?" he demands.

"They started it first." I said defensively.

"Were you following anything that I just said Charlotte?" he stared at me from above his glasses, rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Yeah, actually. You were on about how love can be made in a lab and how people are lonely enough to run the risk of getting mental disorders in order to feel loved," my voice got more confident, "I've read about it before. It's an interesting topic but I was being distracted by those... Girls over there." I gestured to them with my hand and sighed.

I moved my pen across the desk.

"Lottie, not Charlotte." I whisper.

"Of course youve read up on it, you lonely emo pig." someone shouts from across the room.

People start to get rowdier and I shrink back. My moment of bravery was gone and everyone started to shout mean phrases across the room at me. I scribbled over my creation and ignored everyone screaming.

"Year ten, Calm down!" Mr Grimlock says, trying to make things peaceful.

I push my stuff off the table into my bag and sling it over my shoulder. Walking down the centre of the rows of tables, I feel my badges being ripped viciously off my bag and they fall onto the floor with a horrible clatter. I leave the classroom and head for the toilets. In the solidarity of a cubicle, I draw over my hand and my arm, distracting me from everything else. When the bell goes for my next lesson, I leave the girls toilets and nearly crush my badges. On the floor sit over half of my badges, all left in a neat row. I look down the corridor on my right, and see a boy walking quickly down the hallway with his hood pulled up on his grey jacket.

Sighing, I take out my pens and my science book. I scan through the crowd of people and spot the girls from yesterday staring at me with amusement in their eyes.

I shake my head to clear my thoughts and take out my pen to start a new drawing.

"Morning Lottie."

I look up and stare into the eyes of Alex, one of the many people that were in the popular group but didn't want to be. The only reason why he was there was because he didn't want to get picked on and be lonely like me. Alex struggled with reference books in one hand so he could push his dark hair out of his eyes.

"Afternoon, actually." I say with a small smile, looking back down to my pen. He was the only person who had ever called me Lottie in the four years I had been at this school. He almost understood what it was like to be me. Maybe even sympathised with me.

"Meh, oh well," he said quietly, placing the reference book on my desk,
"We're on page 74 by the way."

He turns to leave then and I notice his grey jumper over his school uniform.

I flick through the pages until I land on 74. I look at the page and see a piece of paper with my name written on it. I unfold it cautiously and read what it says.

Lottie,

Iodine+ (Dopamine+ Serotonin+ Oxytocin+) Unununium

It's just chemicals, and it's cheesy, but I think you're Rad(ium)