Growing up

Seven

"Is Eddy ok?"

Brett asked to particularly no one in the car as he got into it.

Belle turned her head back towards Brett, looking confused.

"Wait, where's Eddy?"

"He suddenly felt dizzy and vomited during English lesson today. I heard that he was sent home."

"Ok guys, chill." Mom said in the driver seat as she starts to steer out of the parking lot, "Eddy's alright. I brought him to the doctor straight after I picked him up. Food poisoning, the doctor said."

"But why?" Brett asked. "I don't remember he ate anything different from us yesterday."

"Funny story." Mom said while stopping at the traffic lights, then looking at Brett from the rear mirror.

"The milk I gave Eddy this morning was the last cup in that carton. Yours and Belle's in her coffee are from a new carton. I guess...maybe it's bad."

"Oh come on mom," Belle said while looking up from her phone and rolling her eyes, "how could you?"

Brett looked as "What the heck" as ever.

"I'm sorry children." Mom said, sounding guilty.

"Missing three whole days of school during Science Week in Year 7. Good luck, Brett, for your group project." Belle told him and put her attention back on her phone.

Brett just facepalmed himself.

Science week. Meaning students will have to group up in groups of 4 and come up with a fun research question. Then the group will have to plan out the whole experiment, conduct it and write a report throughout the week. Then on Saturday, aka Science Fair, each group will present it on a display board and a winner from each year group will be picked.

The worst thing in this project is perhaps that the teachers normally have high expectations for Year 7 kids. They came up from Year 6, they said, they're still kids filled with imagination. And yes, competition of course. Their peers are all just so creative.

On Monday, the four of them (obviously Brett, Eddy, Jamie and Oliver) had decided upon a super nerdy research question. They were about to submit it to Ms Walker to get it approved when they heard Ms Walker's voice coming from the group at the back.

" 'Which brand of bubblegum will blow up the biggest bubble after 1 minute of chewing'? That's great, kids! It's really creative!"

"What the heck?" Eddy looked absolutely confused. "I thought it needs to be somehow science related?"

"It says creative research question..." Oliver turned his head towards the direction of the board and read out the instructions written on it.

"I mean, 'Does salt affect the boiling point of water?' does look a bit boring compared to all those bubblegum thingy." Jamie commented.

Brett just shrugged his shoulders. 

"Ok, Group Eddy, what is your research question?"

Eddy, as the group leader, showed their question to Ms Walker.

"Wow, that's interesting! If you guys are happy about it, you guys can start planning out the experiment."

She then left the four of them.

To Brett, the "nerdy" research question was somehow already expected. Things just go nerdy when Eddy is around. And when Eddy is the group leader.

They spent the rest of the day planning out the experiment. Eddy writes out what is in his mind, and the rest of them will argue against it or suggest for a change.