Betting on You

15

f i f t e e n

"Apparently there's a halloween party next week."

I looked over the test tube and glanced at Jaime, who was writing something into her notebook. Pulling up the sleeves of Luke's hoodie, which I was still wearing, I jotted down a few notes on the color in the vile before placing my pencil down to grab the bottle of iodine.

"Is this you forcing me to go to another party with you?" I mused, taking the eyedropper from the bottle and squeezing two drops in the tube. The color of the solution sizzled before the color of the liquid turned from red to blue, "Because since it's Halloween, I kind of actually wanna go."

I noticed her raise a brow in surprise as she watched the solution for a moment before jotting down a few more notes, "Should I be concerned that you agreed so easily?"

I couldn't help but smile as I adjusted the lab glasses on my face, "Shut up, I'm serious," I defended as she grabbed another test tube with some more solution, placing it into the test tube rack next to our first one, "I think it could be fun. And getting ready together? Just think of the costumes!"

Unlike usual, I loved the whole costume aspect and spooky decorations that Halloween brought. Though I didn't trick or treat anymore, the parties thrown in honor of Halloween were much more preferable than trick or treating. People got more drunk then usual, the stories of the crazy things people would do, all while dancing to older, Halloween-themed songs with all-out effects; It wasn't my  favorite holiday, but it was a heck of alot of fun.

Jaime, who was working on changing the color of the second solution while I watched, chuckled at my
obvious excitment, "Well in that case,  you've committed. You're not allowed to back out now."

"Agreed." I smiled simply, watching her squeeze droplets of iodine into the second solution. It sizzled again yet this time turned pink, bubbling up like soda would. We both turned to our notebooks and jotted down our observations before we heard a much louder sizzling sound from behind us before the sound of breaking glass.

Everyone turned their heads at the sound of a girlish shriek and I had to cover my mouth with my hand to stifle my laughter.

At the lab bench towards the corner of the back was Luke and his lab partner; Stephanie. Harmony was in our class as well, yet was paired with some other girl. She was looking smug at the sight before us, too. Stephanie and Luke's experiement had bubbled over one of their test tubes and had broken their second one. The solutions were spilling all over their table and Stephanie slapped Luke on the arm before tossing down her lab goggles to the floor.

"Is everything alright back there?" Our teacher, Mr. Traincott, looked to them from over his glasses, already handeling a different pair of student's failed experiment.

"You almost ruined my shirt, Luke!" Stephanie squealed, but Luke was chuckling. It was an interesting chuckle though. It seemed to be completly out of frustration and anger rather than amusement, and he brought a hand up to his head, shaking it.

"You've gotta be f*cking kidding me," he muttered, shaking his head again, "You just made us fail the experiment, Steph."

"And you almost ruined my shirt," she whined again, "Were you even listening to me?"

Jaime turned in her seat and back to her notes after a few more seconds of staring at Steph and Luke and their lab disaster, but I let my eyes linger on them for a couple more seconds. He looked so tense and I couldn't help but think of all the ways I could make him feel better, just like in the locker room before his first game.