X Journey 4

Chapter 4:

Disclaimer: This story involves, or is going to, characters from X-Men. The characters in this story have no relation to the REAL characters and/or the actors that play them in real life, and imply nothing of their sexual orientation, (No matter how much we would like it to) and any similarities are purely coincidental. All X-Men and other related elements are property of Marvel.

I left Pulford's English class and began to head in the direction of the Science Building. The school is broken down into Buildings according to their department, like my AP Chemistry class is in the Science Building; Spanish classes are in the Languages Building, and so on.

I entered my AP Chem class and I saw Alison flagging me down as the bell began to ring. I sat right next to her on the stools that were used in the Science Building. All tables in this building were made with a solid, black Slate and are set at bar height, which is way we used stools instead of chairs.

Our teacher, Mr. Saron, came into the class after the bell as usual. He used the same excuse that he used every time:

"Sorry, T.V. production went a little over." He was breathing heavily, probably because he power-walked his way over here.

The poor man ran both the T.V. production class that made the morning announcements and ran the Chemistry division of the Science Department. He is a heavy set Filipino man with olive toned skin and glasses. He is such a good teacher though; he is very understanding and has a heart of gold. Everybody loves him, even the kids that don't have him flag him down and say "Hey, what's up Mr. Saron!" It's always funny to watch his facial expressions when he realized that he said "hi" to someone that he has no idea as to who they are. Another one of his funny habits is when he is "preaching," as he calls it, he puts up his right palm and looks around for people nodding their heads, to say whether they understand or agree with what he is saying.

He comes up to his podium to speak, "Alright everyone, settle down. We are having a lab today," there was a series of moans and hushed speaking that went across the room. He resumed, "I told you guys about this lab two weeks ago."

The room went silent; everyone was looking at each other questioningly. Alison was the first one to speak, "Um... Saron," he looks at her, "you never mentioned a lab to us. You said that we would do one soon, but you never gave us a date."

He grabbed the sides of his podium, "Are you serious?" He looked down, "I could have sworn that I told you guys about the lab."

Everyone was apparently alright with the fact that we were going to be missing a lab, me and Alison weren't happy, we like doing labs. And no, we are not geeks.

Alison spoke again, "I was just wondering Saron, what would have been our lab?" She said it nonchalantly, she was smart enough to know that if she said something else she might as well have been cremated be the class.

He looks back up to her, "I was planning on doing the `Flame Test' today, I was able to get the Bunsen burners from Mrs. Steckman and I thought that it would be a good and simple experiment to end our week."

There was fire involved, what joy! Apparently everyone in the classroom seemed to like the idea that we got to use fire as well.

Hannah, who sits in the back spoke, "You know Mr. Saron, I think that we should take a vote and see who would like to do the lab. I don't want to miss out on a wonderful educational opportunity." She was smiling. That bitch is such a suck up. I guess every classroom that you have needs to have one of these stock characters.

"You know what Hannah that is a good idea; all those in favor of doing the lab raise your hand."

WAY over half the class raised their hands, and that settled it.

"Okay, well, that means everyone get with your lab partner while I distribute the burners," and with that he left into his closet where he kept the supplies.

Alison and I always worked with each other, we knew that we worked well as a team and knew that the other person would not take advantage of the other when it came time to distribute the work load, like it has happened to both of us many times in the past.

"I'm so glad I asked him. If not we would probably end up reading and taking notes from the damn book." She pointed her head over the large class set of chemistry books that were stacked high in the corner.

"Yeah, that would've been a horrible way to end the week, huh?" She nodded in agreement.

He distributed all the burners to all the lab groups and he returned to his podium to start "preaching" again, "Many elements produce a characteristic color when burned in a flame. The color is produced when electrons in the outer energy levels are removed by intense heat, and then return to their original energy level. The wavelength of the photon emitted matches exactly the energy difference between infinity, or some other principal quantum number, and the level to which the electron returns. Photons with wavelengths between 390 and 750 nm are the ones that are visible to us, aka the Visible Spectrum."

He had his palm up the entire time he spoke and he was looking around to make sure that no one had a question about what he just said.

He continued on with his instructions, "In today's labs we will be using metals from Group one and Group two. I have them all already for you and they are labeled with what element they are. Any questions?"

Spencer, the weirdest and most likely the craziest kid in our school (he sang random songs in the hallway about pizza and penguins), raised his hand.

Saron just looked up and saw his hand raised, "No Spencer, we are not using Francium."

He had a look of disappointment on his face, but then his hand was up again, Saron saw it.

"No Spencer, we are not using Radium either. Any real questions?"

Everybody was laughing at Spencer. Why would you ask if we were going to use radioactive materials in a school environment? But by far what made it funnier, was how Saron knew what he was asking.

He went back into the closet and came out with a new cart full of little bags filled with different elements. "Each group is to take one of each bag, a piece of nichrome wire and a spectrum chart." He began to go from table to table, "The spectrum chart will help you determine what the wavelength of the color that was produced. Try to match it as close as possible people. I've done the experiment many times, please don't try to half-ass it; it's your grade in the end. Then for homework I want you to calculate the energy in Joules, the frequency in Hertz, and the kJ/mole."

There was an exacerbated sigh that swept across the whole room, knowing that we had homework to do over the weekend is no fun.

Me and Alison got over the homework issue rather quickly and we started our experiment. Luckily the lab tables were fitted drawers so that we are able to place out things out of harm's way. There's also a drawer that contains the aprons, goggles, tongs, and some other basic supplies that are usually needed in most labs.

"Hey J, can you pass mea set?"

The drawer with aprons and goggles is right next to me. "Sure, no problem." I hand her a set.

"Thanks."

We begin to put on the ridiculous looking lab things, the person who designed these things must have had no foresight into how it would actually make people look.

"Why is it that school laboratory equipment always has to look so silly? Why can't have the cool lab coats like in the movie with..." I began to say when Alison turned around.

"You think you look silly." She put her fists to her hips.

Alison has a lot of hair, let me reiterate, a lot of hair; and on top of that it's naturally curly and thanks to Miami's weather, it's also a little puffy. Now, imagine if Cousin It with Alison's hair. Now put goggles where the eyes would, supposedly, be. And you basically have Alison!

I couldn't resist laughing right in her face, "Oh... That's so... Funny... I can't breathe... Oh... How funny." I was taking a breath between each word.

Alison didn't find it that funny, "Laugh it up funny man, but when I make a deadly virus, you are the first person I'm coming after." She was pointing her finger in my face.

I was able to get air back into my lungs, "Yeah, whatever you say. You know you love me." I stuck my tongue out at her and got closer to her face.

She rolled her eyes, "And as of yet, I do not understand why." She put her hand to my face and shoved me back to my spot.

"I assume that we can get started now?" She looked at me.

"What are you looking at me for? I've been waiting for you...Gosh!" I gave her a smile.

The classroom was set in an array of many different colors from a bright white, to blues, reds, and yellows. It was a fun experiment to watch.

We were at out last element, "Alright this is the last one, Potassium."

It was her turn to write, "Okay got it."

I held the little soft-grayish cube with the tongs and placed to closer to the flame of the Bunsen burner.

As I moved the tongs closer the metal began to heat up and once it got the flame it glowed a beautiful lilac color.

"Wow, the color is so pretty."

I nodded in agreement, "Did you look at it in the spectrum chart already."

"Yup," and she continued to look at the heating element.

I too was starring at the beautiful purple light that the Potassium was emitting. But then all of the sudden I felt warm, very warm; I figured that the heat from the burner was finally getting to me. But I continued to study what has happening in front of me. Then as I continued to feel hotter and hotter, I noticed that the purple color of the light was becoming a bright white that was piercing through air of the entire classroom.

Alison was telling me, "Jacob, I think that you should remove the Potassium form the flame."

As I began to pull back slowly the flame on the Bunsen burner grew and heated the element further, the light looked as if it was pulsating, and the whole class was in awe.

Saron, yelled from across the room, "Remove it from the fire now!"

I did, but the element was still radiating out the light. I even stepped a few feet away from the burner. "I did! It's still glowing!" I yelled back.

Right after I said the light stopped suddenly and there was a slight puff of smoke around the cube of Potassium.

Saron came over, "What happened? Are you two okay?"

Me and Alison nodded in unison.

He began to speak again, "How did this happen? Is the Bunsen burner set at the right temperature?" It was at medium-high, right where we usually have it.

We both nodded again, and he went over to double check.

"That's strange because that would only happen if the Potassium was heated to an extreme temperature, at least above 1200 degrees centigrade, and that would be impossible at medium-high with a Bunsen burner."

He was scratching his head, while me and Alison looked at each and raised our shoulders.

I spoke, "I don't understand what happened. I followed the instructions." I was a bit worried.

"Oh, it's nothing for you to worry about Davenport. (He referred t almost everyone by their last name) I'm sure that the burner may have a few problems that may need to be fixed."

I was relieved; I didn't want to be the one that was possibly responsible for hurting someone.

Saron was examining the burner from a distance when he looked back at Alison and me, "Did you guys at least get the color?"

"Yeah, I have it here." Alison said.

"Okay, good. If that was your last element you guys can start cleaning up, it almost time to leave anyway." He turned around and faced the rest of the class, "Alright people, it was nothing more than a faulty Bunsen burner."

Everyone took that as a reasonable answer, especially coming from the teacher and they went about their business. That was so odd. I would have thought that if the burner was faulty it would have done it from the time that we did our first flame test. I don't understand it, why did happen? Also, why did I get so hot? I was fine before hand and it was so immediate; I felt like I was the fire. So strange.

I came to while I was cleaning up with Alison and she said something to me, but I didn't hear her.

"What?"

"That was weird huh? Are you sure that you're okay, because you've been acting a little strange since yesterday. Do you need anything?"

"No, no; I'm fine. I guess I just have so many things going on in my head that it is starting to get to me now." I was putting away the goggles, "But that was really strange."

"Well as long as you say so, who knows what's blowing around in that head of yours, and as long as you didn't affect my grade, things are cool." She said with a smile; that was so Alison, always about the grade.

We had finished cleaning up and we were putting our things away, when Spencer came our table, "That was some show; I know that wasn't done by accident. What did you guys do?"

I was the first to talk, "Listen, Spencer: I'm not in the mood and it was an accident."

Alison chimed in, "Not all feats of greatness are done purposefully, and some can achieve greatness without having to try as hard as others." She was starring right at him.

Damn, way to go Alison! That was very well said.

Spencer is not only the weirdest kid in our school but also the most hated. He an overweight, curly greasy-haired, pale Jewish supremacist kid that would easily gets on everyone's nerves. He would always be saying something about how much smarter he is than you, how better he is than you, etc. He also had to try very hard for his intelligence; he would say that he only glanced at the material the night before the test but everyone knew that he probably spent hours on end studying. Even the teachers cringe every time they see a "Spencer" on their role, which is a sign; the teachers hate him as well.

He had a rebuttal, "You're saying that because I'm Jewish and you're jealous of my intelligence."

I was really not in mood, "Spencer do you know how ridiculous you sound, and it's not because you're Jewish, I'm basically half-way there..."

I was interrupted by Alison, who was apparently not in the mood as well, "Spencer, you are such an IDIOT! I'm Jewish as well, why would I be mocking my own religion," she pulled out her silver Tiffany's Star of David, "you're the one that can't stand that we have a `normal' social life, without having to compromise our intellect, and," then she flipped her hair, "our looks."

Well, that was a mouthful... I absolutely nothing to say that could top that, she took any ammunition that I could have used on him . So, what did I do, you ask?

I pulled my fist up my mouth, with index finger touching my nose, while saying, "Oh, someone has been," I lowered my hand for dramatic effect, "BURNED!" and with my other hand I pointed.

Alison had a face of accomplishment, she looked as if she conquered a land and claimed it hers. I was laughing on the inside, which made me shake from time to time. If we were not on Spencer's Shit List we are now. The list was a real thing, every year people would submit names to see who would be on his Shit List, as of last year it gets printed in the school newspaper.

I wasn't the only laughing, a small group kids from other parts of the classroom were around us, as well as those from the surrounding lab tables.

Obliviously frustrated, Spencer left stomping his to his desk.

Me and Alison high-fived each other.

I spoke, "I don't know why you're high-fiving me, you did all the talking, which was amazing by the way."

She blushed and laughed, "Thanks, but the whole `burned' thing was the cherry on top."

"Why thank you." I smiled.

The bell rang and we were walking out, "Question: What did you mean that you were `half-way there'?"

I looked up at her, "Alison, how many bar and batmitzvahs have I been to since we've been here."

She laughed at me, "You could probably read some Hebrew with a few more." She laughed. "I'll see you around, bye."

I waved as we parted.

I only had to walk upstairs because my next class was AP Environmental Science, and being a Science it was in the same building.

I walked in Ms. Pace's room; she is such an amazing teacher. Everyone complains about the workload, but everyone takes the class because of the teacher. She's just above 5 feet in height and has a dry/sarcastic sense of humor, and is very outspoken and opinionated. Say something without thinking she will snap with a "Are you stupid," and she no problem stopping students in mid-question with "Stop. My IQ is lowering with every word." It's always funny, as long as she isn't doing it to you. The nice thing in the end is that you are bound to learn something in Environmental Science.

I walked into a half-filled room and sat in my seat that's in the second row. Slowly everyone started to fill in the room, along with my friends that sat around me. The bell rang and we were there for about three minutes, and Ms. Pace wasn't there, usually she's there already or just walking in as the bell is ringing. Suddenly a substitute walked in, and we sighed.

"Okay, Pace is obliviously not here, she left a movie for you to watch and she wants you to take notes on it." He seemed like he really didn't want to be here, but he sure was good looking. He looked liked one of the university students doing his internship and got being a sub.

He placed the movie in the DVD player and we started to take our binders out to take the notes.

The bell rang and I was out the door when, of course, I just walked right into someone.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I swear I'm a complete klutz..." in mid-sentence when I saw who it was.

"J! What's up?" It was Devin smiling down at me.

"Oh hey, nothing much, you?" I was already drooling.

"Nothing either. I just say thanks again for yesterday, Bio made sense today. It was nice to know what the teacher was saying. "

"That's good news to hear, good to know that my brainwashing techniques worked on you." I was wiggling my fingers close to his face.

He laughed, good to see that he didn't find that corny, "Yeah will, what can I say, you work wonders. Even the teacher commented on it." He was smiling.

I was melting and I was getting a hardon, my god, he's so fucking HOT! He was only talking to me! Jacob Alexander Davenporte, get a grip!

"Good, good. Well I need to the History Building for Art History. I'll see you around." I smiled at the end of that.

"Yeah, yeah. I will probably be there next again."

I began to walk away, "You know where to find me."

Yay! He is coming back next week! It's nice when you have an attractive student that is doing well, and would like to come back for same feeling. Tutoring is like a mind sucking game; they will think that they will need you until the end of the year. But truth is that, by the fourth time they don't need to come back, but they get in the habit and mindset of needing you.

I walked into my Art History class, my favorite academic class. I swear, I am not a geek. The teacher, Mrs. Falagen, is such a riot. She will teach the piece of art, as in what we are supposed to be learning, for about two minutes and then talk about what scandal was going on at the time; who slept with who and whose illegitimate child had sex with the daughter of some king, etc.

But I was lost in thought, as I have been lately; just thinking.

The bell rang before I knew it and I was off to lunch with Liz.

Hope you guys liked it. I know, there hasn't been any real prominent X-men-ish type things, but I promise you it will be here very, very soon. Patience is a virtue. Comments, questions, or suggestions can be sent to my email imartistic90@yahoo.com.