"Today we will be putting sodium metal and water and noting the observations"
The teacher instructed as we noted the materials we were provided with. The sodium metals we were given was tightly sealed in containers because it would explode if exposed to air(oxygen).
Everyone began the experiment but in the moment my brain was as good as an empty nutshell. Another living creature was trying to communicate with me
"After filling the trough with water I will need you to pick up a bit of the sodium and put it in the water. This will give me enough time to record the observations. Are you okay with it?" Alan asked looking at me expecting for an answer.
I nodded but some part of the instructions kept bugging me.
What did he mean by a bit? Is a bit all of it or a very small piece?
'Don't ask! He will think you are much dumber than you already look ' I slapped my forehead to stop the annoying voice.
"I understand you have some screws loose up there but this is not the time" Alan said shaking his head while preparing the apparatus.
I breathed out and waited for my turn as he started to fill the trough with water.
After filling he signaled it was my turn by looking at me and pointing the trough with water. I removed the seal and opened the container. I saw the sodium metal which was almost the size of a four centimeters cube.
Was the whole of it the bit he was talking about.
I hesitated and just scooped the whole of the sodium metal. I placed it in the water as he was noting something in his paper. Just then there was a loud bang, Alan jerked away while I hid under the table.
The teacher immediately rushed towards us.
"What the Hell!? I mean.. what happened?"
Everyone started laughing and I could hear Alan telling the teacher it was my fault because I used the entire sodium. I felt embarrassed and ran out of class. As I was heading to the washroom I saw parkour leaning against the wall near the gents washroom. He looked like he had been crying. I stood there to watch him, this was my first time seeing the school joker sad.
All my memories of him was laughing and making people laugh, except this. He rubbed his red nose and teary eyes before he noticed me.
"Hey shy one! You okay?"
Even parkour didn't know my name but something about that name made me smile, he pronounced it in a sweet way making it hard to get annoyed at him plus his teary face made it harder.
"Why were you crying? Is everything okay" I asked back maintaining enough distance but he moved closer. He looked at me with a sad expression and I felt maybe he wanted me to know how everything was not okay from his face.
A part of me wished I could.
He then hugged me and started crying. As he did I tried pushing back because it felt like my heart would escape my skin. He didn't listen and tightened the grip. When I felt his warm tears and hot breathe on my shoulders, I stopped pushing back.
"Steve doesn't want me in the basketball team and he knows that basketball is my dream" he whispered and cried more. I felt bad for him and rubbed his back whispering everything will be okay.
In a split of a second the bell rang and he left. He left me confused about everything. This moment could have been forgotten like it never happened but the tears he left on my t-shirt felt like it burned the memories onto my skin.
Life sometimes is like a piece of painting, everything seems perfect until you look at the strokes which slipped out of place. Parkour was a masterpiece of happiness…
I looked at the sit next to me in art class. Jaya did not attend today's classes which was unusual of her. Whenever she would miss a class she would tell me but today she didn't. My heart leaped more as worse scenarios flashed in my mind .
I blended the painting and realized it was dry. No emotion to it, just a cruel sun and a girl lost in it.
After classes I rushed to the bakery for my shift which was from 4 pm to 7 pm. I didn't mind the low income as long as I earned and busied myself. During my shift I watched how Alan did his work and not even bothering to smile to customers. And when I almost spilled coffee he gave me an angry look, he was rude to everyone who worked there but no one was bothered. Everyone seemed to be used to him.