Two days after the practicals, my bones were strong again. The aching has stopped but so didn't the memories.

The taunts, the insults, the fuzziness everything just collided into one thing.

The only emotion I think Nathaniel has towards me is hatred. But my question is, why does he hate me so much?..for me I hate and like him..or maybe I don't know?

Why should he even be a part if my thoughts? Ugh. I had an exam to think about and that was far more important.

"Pamela!" Angela yelled nearly hitting my arm and I flinched.

"Huh?"

"What are you thinking about?" She asked.

"N..nothing." I said with false gaiety.

"Sure? Because I've been calling you for the past three minutes " she stated.

"I'm fine."

"Hurry, if we don't get to the science lab early, detention." She said. Huh, since when did she like science?

Ohhh detention..

With that, we got our lab coats and locomoted to the science lab. When we reached there, the students were standing at the back of the lab and the teacher was probably arranging their seats.

When he was almost done, there were three students left, Me Belinda and Nathaniel.

Now how awesome isn't that?

Much to add to my dismay, The teacher made me sit in between them. I intentionality lagged back but it was no use. My destiny was set.

Taking my seat, I drew out my notebook and diary and fixed my eyes into it.

Thankfully, Nathaniel was looking elsewhere but Belinda's eyes were drilling holes into my head. I tried my best to ignore but it was difficult. She was gazing at me like a black owl.

"You intentionality lagged behind so that you can separate me and my Nathaniel right?" She whispered.

How about you wear handcuffs together and stop disturbing me with your nonsense talks?

"N..no,..I." I pursee my lips.

"Sir, Pamela is disturbing me." Belinda lied loudly and the teacher sent me a glare. This witch.

"One more time Miss Lucas and detention." He warned and I glanced at Belinda who was smirking and I turned back to the teacher.

Mackenna looked at me from a distance and contorted her face at Belinda making me smile softly.

"Today, we're working on Acids and Bases." He announced placing the acid containers at everyone's table."The group are three in one."He added.

So yes, amazingly Nathaniel and Belinda were my lovely group members. Mentally, I smiled at both of them because I imagined being a priestess at their wedding. As if.

"Now, wear your gloves and pour the acids into the petri dish, I'll get the red and blue litmus paper." He added.

"I hope you are aware that acids turn blue litmus paper red..right?" He rhetorically asked.

"But Miss Lucas, what happens when red litmus paper is dipped in a concertraed acid solution?" He asked looking at me. Nervously, I bit my lip and ignored everyone's stare.

"It remains unchanged." I stated.

"Very good. Now, let's make it practical." He said to all of us.

My breath hitched when Nathaniel dipped his hand under the table and his palm brushed on my thigh. I gasped under my breath and glanced briefly at him.

He looked like he had done nothing at all. How dare he?! And I nearly missed the faint smirk that appeared on his lips.

The nerve of him to make me blush!

I shifted away from him and looked ahead.

"I'll pour the acid." Belinda said with traces of evil intentions evident on her face. This whole time, Nathaniel had a blank face Belinda then grabbed the acid container.

"Pamela stop what you're doing and hold the petri dish." She ordered.

"But..but it doesn't have to be necessarily held.." I murmured.

"Are you the group head or me?" She dared. It's me duhh.

Wearing ny gloves, I held the tip of the petri dish as she poured the acid.

During the process, she moved the container causing the concentrated acid to be inches away from my hand.

"Hold still bitch." She groaned. Before the acid could reach me, Nathaniel grabbed my hand and moved it away from the place.

"You don't listen to instructions." He muttered looking angry. Was he angry at me? Like what did I do?

I just looked up and stared at him and once a glare was shot my way, he let go of my palms.

"Very good students. Now, acids and bases react to form salt a water only, in a process called?" With that said, Nino's hand shot up to the extent that it could touch the sky. Wow.

"Yes?"

"Neutralisation, sir." He said proudly and I rolled my eyes.

"Proud nerd." Belinda muttered and I involuntarily nodded my head but she didn't see. Luckily.

"Miss Lucas, any equation to demonstrate?" Mr Jones asked handing me a marker. I got down from the chair. Holding my lab coat in place, I went pver to the board and started writing the equation.

NaOH+HCL→ NaCL+H²O

"Splendid." Mr Jones clapped and I grinned happily returning to my seat.

"Proud nerd 2." Belinda sighed.

Go study, you'll know how good it feels.

"Sodium chloride is the same as common salt and H²O as we all know is water. So when the acid, which is Sodium hydroxyl was reacted with Hydrochic acid, it produced salt and water." He elaborated.

"Now, I didn't call anyone apart from these two brilliant students because only they decided to contribute to this lesson. Most of you decided a divided attention will be a rather for you. Well, such of you will be detained. However, if you have any issue, you can always come to me, or Pamela and Nino. Nino ano Pamela, do not hesitate too when they come for your help." He stated.

"Moving on..." He said removing a bar. Most of us groaned because time was up and he was still teaching. "Groan all you want. But I just want you to pass this exam." He sighed, smiling at us.

"This is a sodium bar...a piece of it dropped into water can cause it to light..observe." He said . I've always read books about how sodium is dangerous but I've never seen it work and I was so eager for it.

He cut a tiny piece and dropped it into the water. When it dropped, it made a loud crackling sound so I grabbed Nathaniel's arm involuntarily.

He turned to me with his expressionless face and stared at his hand witch I was holding as though it was or wedding day and he had been forced to marry me.

I could feel his bulging biceps under my touch and he was tensed up as well but I had to let go and I looked elsewhere. Unfortunately for poor me, I looked in Belinda's direction and she had a murderous looked in her eyes.

Oops, wrong wedding hall.

When the teacher wasn't looking at us she pinched the skin of my upper arm harshly and pulled me towards her.

"See, he doesn't care," She gritted. "Stop trying to trap him." She added.

"But I wasn't-"

"Shut up." She whispered loudly. I heaved a sigh when she let go of my arm and I tried my best not to wince and that was hard since her nails were sharp.

When science was over, Mackenna, Angela and I decided to go to the library so that I could explain the maths problem to them. We chose the corner but when we entered, our plan had to change.

The library teacher was asleep with his mouth open(yeah he does that all the time.), Nathaniel and Belinda were sucking their faces at the corner. A wave of pain hit me but I tried my best to ignore the lump in my throat.

"Is this some sort of kissing booth?...let's find somewhere else." Mackenna suggested and do we sat somewhere else.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked with concern.

"Nothing." I lied straightening my glasses.

"How many times do those dimwitts make out?" Mackenna asked with disgust."Let's forget about them...why don't with have a sleepover?" Mackenna suggested cheerily.

"Of course, At Pamela's."Angela added.

"OK." I plastered a fake smile and continued to stare where Belinda was sucking the poor soul out of Nathaniel.

"Pamela!" Mackenna snapped her finger across my face and turned to where I was staring.

"Don't tell me.." She gasped.

"Yep." Angela countered sadly and Mackenna patted my back.

"Girl, you can't like this idiot. Like seriously?" She sighed. "Forget him. Let's do some maths." She suggested and the thought of math made me feel better.

"Wait, Pam, before you teach us...can you make it in such a way that it can change my perception of this horrible subject?" Angela requested and I chuckled.

"Angela, you have to change your perception if you wanna pass Maths..or any other subject." I started. "I'm not gonna say this because I see it from my side...but Mathematics is the easiest subject in the entire universe."

"Yeah it is." Mackenna laughed.

"Oh. It's true!" I chuckled.

"How?" Angela asked.

"Well, you see with other subjects, most if the answers are very debatable and aproximate, especially social studies...but maths is fixed. There's no literary meaning behind whatever answers you get. Ok look, Justin Trudeau is the prime minister of Canada, but that fact won't stay for long..next year, it can change..but two plus two is four and it'll forever be four." I ranted and they listened with rapt attention.

"Math deals mostly with formula and sometimes too, you have to make your own application by some thinking." I narrated.

"Girl..I am so grateful to God for making you ny friend." Mackenna said.

"I know right." Angela agreed.

"Really?" I grinned.

"Like yeah. I was planning to you know, cheat in the exam-" she paused and we chuckled together.

"But your speech just made me realise that a personal effort can go a long way... to do a lot." She said. With a few chats, i drove their minds back to the subject at hand. Momentarily I forgot about Nathaniel and got interested in what I was doing.

"Now you multiply both sides of the equation with 2, so that the fraction can be cleared...yeah cancel out.. you have to simplify...you don't have to start from 1 when you're using the number line.." I said.

A few hours later...

"Guys, school's closed.." Angela murmed looking at the almost empty library.

"Wow. Do you lose track of time when you study this hard?" Mackenna.

"Guys, let's take a break. Is the sleepover still coming up?" I asked.

"Hell yeah!" We left the library and went to our respective cars and drove over to my house.

After introducing My friends to my parents and Eugene, I led them into my room.

"Wow..so soft!" Mackenna remarked lying on my bed.

"Thanks." I chuckled and joined her in.

We took turns in taking shower and since they were all my size, they fit perfectly into my PJ's. So we all plopped into my bed and began our typical girl talk. Now, i felt more confident and comfortable around them.

"Angelo is really cool." Angela remarked.

"I agree." I smiled looking at Mackenna.

"Hey Mackenna, what do you think about Angelo?"Angela asked.

"Oh he's okay." Mackenna shrugged.

"In what way?" I inquired quirking my brows.

"Fuck off." She blushed and we laughed at her.

"So Pamela," Mackenna smirked and shifted closer to me.

"Yeah Pamela." Angela smirked as well and shifted to my side.

"What? " I asked innocently and smiled.

"Nath.."

"No, no. Please not him. " I sighed

"Don't you?" She asked.

"Yeah, I hate him!" I countered.

"Yep, you hate his attitude." Angela pointed out."But otherwise.."

"Oh you guys!"I whined and they giggled.

"But seriously, I would never ship you with him.'' Mackenna said. "He's a jerk."

"Totally with you, he's lucky that I don't see him physically abusing her." Angela said.

"Guys, let's change the topic." I chuckled nervously and we did. We talkee for a really long time

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