Her Legacy

XXVIII. Light(ning)

"Because death is the only thing that could have ever kept him from you." Ally Carter, Out of Sight, Out of Time

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Chapter XXVIII – Light(ning)

Four Years Earlier

Mom pulled up out front of John Adams Junior High School. There was a huge banner strung across the front of the building welcoming everyone to the science fair that was being held today in the gym.

I sat, completely nervous, with a cardboard box filled with my materials to present my energy project. I had rehearsed my project over and over. I had made Mom buy about twenty back up light globes from Walmart as a precaution in case nineteen of them didn't work. My posters were decorated with enough glitter to land an airplane. I just didn't want to embarrass myself.

"You'll be fine, Sara," Mom assured me, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. "You know this project backwards and forwards. And so what if you don't win, you still learned something, and we need more girls in the science fields."

I knew I wasn't going to win, although a five-thousand-dollar bond from the state for a college fund was a wonderful prize. I just wanted to get through my presentation without barfing.

Mom leaned over and kissed my temple. "I wish I could be there," she said regretfully, "but I've got to get to work. Text me when you're finished and tell me how you went. I love you."

I swallowed. "Love you, too, Mom," I rasped, lisping over my words thanks to my retainer. I carefully got out the car in the drop off line and juggled my bag and my box of materials. I turned around and smiled as Mom drove away. As soon as she was out of sight, I put my box on the floor and quickly took out my retainer and popped it in its case and slipped it inside my pocket, ready to be put back in when she picked me up. No way was I facing seventh graders talking like my mouth was full.

I picked up my box again and made my way to the gym, which had been set up with hundreds of tables and chairs. Students were already setting up their projects, some of which I knew would be winning contenders.

I found my science teacher to ask where my table was. Mrs Brady directed me to a dozen sheets that had been taped to the wall of the gym. I, along with several other students, studied the sheets to find where my table was.

Bryant, Saraphine – 18

I found Table 18 on the map that was also taped to the wall and found my table a few minutes later. Setting my box down, I pulled out my project posters and began to organise them. My project was to study how chemical energy can convert into electrical energy by way of powering a light globe with a potato.

My posters described the flow of electrical energy through a simple circuit. They explained why sometimes a light globe needed more than one battery to light up. I also studied into the history of electricity and electrical engineers and how they have developed the technology that we use today.

I assembled three different electrical circuits, all exhibiting different voltages, inserting the zinc nails and the pennies into the potatoes, before testing the globes. When I was confident that all three globes were working, I took the wire off to save it for my presentation. Once I was set up, I took out my notes, and rehearsed what I was going to say in my head.

Our teachers stopped us all as the first bell went, announcing that the judges would be starting to move around the fair, and that once we had been assessed, we would be free to roam around and check out other experiments.

I had seen a few of my friends earlier, but due to our names being on opposite ends of the alphabet, their tables were far from mine. I wanted to check theirs out at some point.