Argon

(: One and Only Part of This Thing :)

I've spent most of my life trying to make my dad proud, but to no avail. My name is Argon and I am a part of group 18, which means I am 18 years old. Oxygen and Nitrogen are the names of my parents and boy, does my father have high expectations.

When I was 10 years old, I got accepted into the noble class, which is a huge honor for us. However, ever since that day, my dad has expected more and more from me. I've tried diligently to fulfill his wishes and to be as successful as him, but as stated earlier, nothing is good enough.

Now I sit in my large room that resides in my large house, thanks to the noble class, as I talk to my close friend Radon. She's also in the noble class and we've been friends for as long as I can remember. Many people look at us weird due to our striking differences, but this doesn't bother me.

The only color Radon has is in the clothes she wears. Her skin is pale like a ghost, where as mine is dark like rich chocolate. Her hair is as white as snow while mine is a deep shade of purple. Even her eyes lack color when mine shine a bright blue like the sky on a sunny day.

We may have our differences, but so does every other pair of friends. She'll always be there for me when I need her and that's what really matters. Even if she does have trouble expressing emotions at times.

My train of thought is interrupted by my mother's yelling, "Argon!" she calls from downstairs. I stop Radon mid-sentence, "Sorry Rn, my mom's calling for me. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay." Her voice comes out rather monotone, "Stay out of trouble, Ar." I smile at the nickname she has given me as I hang up the phone. I then quickly make my way downstairs before my mom calls for me again.

As I approach the kitchen, I see my mother making a cake. She has her dark curly hair pulled back into a tight bun. She's wearing her usual attire that consists of a black pencil skirt and a pastel colored blouse that shows her shoulders. Shiny earrings also dangle by her cheeks.

"Yes, mom?" I ask as she wipes her hands on a nearby towel. She looks at me and smiles warmly, which means she's in a good mood, "Make yourself useful and grab that pan from that shelf." She points up at a shelf that's clearly out of her reach.

My mom is tiny when compared to me, and she really hates that fact. I easily stretch my arm out and grab the pan for her. She smiles again as I hand it her, "Thanks." She turns back around and starts pulling out ingredients.

Suddenly the phone rings, calling my mother out of the kitchen and leaving me alone. "Could you get started on the cake?" she asks as she walks away.

I hesitantly step towards the counter to the multiple items spread out in front of me. The last time I made a cake was when I was nine, and that was with my mother's assistance. Regardless of my lack of knowledge, I grab the first thing I see and throw it into the large bowl.

Eventually, all of the items are in the bowl and stirred together to make a batter. However, before I can pour it into the pan, my mom comes walking back in. "What? You already made the batter?"

I nod my head and watch as she grabs the bowl and pours it slowly into the pan I got for her earlier. She then puts it in the oven and sets a time. "It should be done by the time your father gets back from work. I just wanted to make him a treat for everything he's been doing recently."

I agree, "He does deserve something. He's been working hard."

She looks at me, "So, Argon, how are your grades in school?"

"They're good. I have straight A's like what you want me to have." I shrug my shoulders as I say this. It didn't matter what my grades were, she still wouldn't be too impressed.

She nods her head, her earrings moving with her, "That's good. Keep up the good work." I know it's supposed to be a praise, but she says it so unenthusiastically, so I don't really listen to it.

We both turn around as we hear the front door open, signalling that my dad, Nitrogen, has finally gotten home from his day at the office. He walks into the kitchen, "What's that I smell? Did my lovely wife make a cake?" He says as he walks over to my mom and hugs her.

She laughs, "Well I was going to! But your son over there decided to do it for me!' He pulls away from her and looks at me, "Is that so?'

I shrug my shoulders and frown as he ruffles up my hair. He chuckles as he says, "Should I eat it? Or did you poison it?" I roll my eyes and try to fix my now messed up hair, "It's 100% safe dad, I promise."

Just then the oven beeps, telling us the cake is finished. My mom puts on oven mitts and carefully pulls it out. My dad, who has very little patience, takes out a fork and takes a bite. His eyes widen slightly as he bites down.

"You made this?" He asks with his mouth full.

"Yeah. How bad is it?" I expect him to shoot it down and say its repulsive, but instead he says, "This is the best cake I've ever had."

I look at him in disbelief, "Seriously?"

He nods as he takes another bite, "Yeah. Seriously. We should open up your own bakery." I stand in shock for a few more minutes before a smile grows on my face, "Really?!"

The fact my dad likes the cake I made makes me overflow with joy. He usually never likes what I do. I also enjoyed making the cake and I would love being able to explore with making other desserts.

"I would love to have my own bakery!" I practically yell.

My dad nods and smiles, "I'll look around for any places for sale and see what we can do." I run over and throw my arms around him, "Thank you, dad!" I feel him hug back.

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I actually made my dad proud. That's all I wanted to feel.

I can't wait to tell Radon about these plans.