Caught in the Crosshairs

Chapter Two - Experiments in Busting Bullies

I walked into the Chemistry room with about 20 other students. To my surprise, there were no desks in the room, only plastic tables with disposable cloths set up. In the front of the room was a round table, behind which stood a man in a lab coat. I assumed that this was Professor Jenkins, the Chemistry teacher. It didn't take long to figure out that I was right.
"Good afternoon class," He started excitedly, "as most of you already know, I am Mr. Jenkins! I am so excited to teach you science, but a heads up, it'll only be fun if you want it to be."
Mr Jenkins was a tall, muscular man with glasses and a trim beard - quite the opposite appearance of what I had expected from a science teacher.
"Now, to help you all out on this endeavor, I always start my classes out with-"
"Experiments!" The class finished.
"Very good, class! Now let's not waste any time. There are 24 students in this class, and you get 1, only 1 lab partner for the entire school year. Choose wisely!"
Choose wisely, sure. I'm just going to be the left-over kid's par-
My thoughts were interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. "Hey, Sam, you mind being my lab partner?"
I turned around to see Drew with puppy eyes, waiting for my answer.
"Sure! I don't really know anybody else."
"Great!" He grinned. I smiled, but that smile soon vanished as my gaze fell on Jenna and Krissy. They were looking on me with disgust. They really need their brains fixed, I thought.
Drew and I set our bags down at table 5.
"Now that everyone has a partner, everyone open up to page 6 in your chemistry textbooks. There you will find the instructions for the first experiment." As I turned to the sixth page I heard others in the room chuckle. Haha, baking soda and vinegar, eh?
"This is a simple enough experiment, don't you think, class?" Mr. Jenkins asked. "Everyone add the baking soda into the beaker with vinegar." The class did so, and immediately the beakers in the room overflowed with the bubbly liquid.
"Now, who knows why the baking soda made the vinegar overflow the beaker?"
Immediately I raised my hand.
"Yes, um, I'm sorry but I don't know your name yet?"
"I'm Samantha."
"Well, Samantha, please explain to the class what we observed."
"The acetic acid in vinegar reacts with sodium bicarbonate in baking soda and that forms carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is unstable, and it immediately falls apart into carbon dioxide and water. The bubbles you see from the reaction come from the carbon dioxide escaping the solution that is left. What we are left with afterward is Sodium Acetate, a neutral."
"Very good Samantha! Quite the textbook answer." I smiled at the compliment, and noticed everyone in the room staring at me, including Drew.
"How did you do that?" He whispered.
"I love science!" I grinned. "That's all." "Anyone can see that!" He flashed a million dollar smile.
"And that concludes today's lecture on mole conversions. Make sure to practice doing these at home, it will be extremely helpful to you if you can solve those problems quickly." Mr Jenkins finished as the bell rang. I picked up my backpack and began walking towards the door.
"Hey, Samantha?" Mr Jenkins called.
"Yes sir?" I asked, hoping I wasn't in trouble or anything.
"You're the girl who just moved here correct?"
"Yes sir, I just moved from Hawaii."
"I just wanted to let you know if any of the homework here in class is overwhelming for you, tell me and I'll see what I can do. I know how stressful that can be and we want your first year with us to be enjoyable and challenging, but not to the point that it is really too much to do."
"Thank you Mr. Jenkins, I really appreciate that, but science is one of my best subjects. Now math on the other hand..." I began to chuckle.
"Ah, not an algebra girl?"
"I'm fine with algebra, it's the memorizing useless numbers part I don't enjoy. Like Pi for example, my locker is even the first three digits of it and that makes me nauseous." I chuckled.
"Oh, really?" He chuckled back. "Well, I don't want to keep you from your next class. Enjoy the rest of your day!"
"Thank you, Mr. Jenkins."

After Math and Geography class came Study hall. I got a little lost on my trip there, so I was the last student to arrive. And, wouldn't you know it, the last seat was in between Krissy and Jenna.
As the door closed behind me, Krissy looked up from her doodling and scowled in disgust at me. I grimaced, unsure whether or not I should sit down by them or on the floor. I looked around to see if there was a teacher in the room. Strangely enough, there was not. Apparently Krissy realized this as well, and so she decided to take advantage of the situation.
"Attention, everyone!" She shouted. "Can someone explain to this loser how to find a desk? I'm sure she'd appreciate it."
"I know how to get to a desk, thank you." I said firmly.
"Then why don't you sit down? I'm sure you'd like to do some homework since you're a loser nerd." Jenna joined in.
I looked around the room again to see if there was an open seat around. I noticed one seat in the very back corner of the room. I began walking towards it as the teases continued following me.
"Oh, well are you just scared of me? Is that it?" Krissy taunted. "Look everyone!" She laughed. "The loser girl is a little wimp!" She stood up on her desk chanting, "Samantha is a wimp! Samantha is a nerd! Samantha has a face that looks exactly like a bird!"
"Kristina Lee, that is quite enough." A deep voice commanded. I turned around to see the teacher enter the room.
"I leave for one moment," he whispered to himself. "You may go to the principal's office." He ordered firmly.
"But-" Krissy looked to Jenna for help.
"NOW." He dictated.
"Ugh, fine." She whined as she flipped her hair and left the room. Just as she opened the door, she turned around with a smirk on her face and mouthed loser at me. I sighed, continued to the back seat, and began my homework. This will be interesting I thought to myself as I opened my math books.
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Rinnnnggggggg!!!
"Now class," Ms. Langly, the history teacher, finished, "remember, the school is having a talent show in three weeks. Sign up sheet is on the bulletin board in the main hall. Be a part of it and make this talent show the  Yeah best that this school has ever seen!" She said dramatically.
Talent show, huh? This might be my break to making some new friends.
I quickly made my way to the bulletin board and scanned the page;

·Billy Fellingway - Comedy show
·Hannah and Michael Addams - Magic act
·Danika Willmington - Gymnastics + contortion
·

Ever since I was little I loved two things; science, and music. In Hawaii I sang for our church, and everyone said I have a beautiful voice........

·Billy Fellingway - Comedy show
·Hannah and Michael Addams - Magic act
·Danika Willmington - Gymnastics + contortion
·Samantha Berg - Solo

I took in a sigh of relief.
There, now you can finally show what you've got!

"Ooof!" I squealed as my face was shoved into the bulletin board.
"Oops, sorry!" A girl replied. "I didn't mean to run into you, are you hurt?" She apologized sincerely.
"Nah, its ok." I assured her. "What's your name?"
"I'm Angelica. I don't think I've seen you before, are you new?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm new here. My name is Samantha Berg, I'm a freshman by the way."
"I'm a sophomore." She glanced behind me. "Hey, I see you've signed up decor he school talent show?"
"Yeah, I figured it would be a good way to 'get known' at school. And," I whispered, "I've never sang on stage before but I really want to!"
"That's cool, Samantha!" I play the piano, that's what I was coming over to sign up for."
I watched as she wrote down her name on the sign up sheet.
•Angelica and Drew Johnson - Singing and Guitar
"Wait, Drew is your brother?"
"Not only that, he's my twin! Why, have you met him already?"
"Yeah, he saved me from Jenna and Krissy in the cafeteria."
"They were picking on you?" She sounded concerned. "They always do that to the new kids."
"It's fine," I began, "your brother told them to beat it."
My gaze reverted to the bulletin board. I saw another poster, reading:

Cheerleading Varsity squad tryouts this Saturday morning 7:00-9:30

•Jenna Bailey
•Paige Wilson
•Rachel Adams
•Krissy Lee
•Leah Madison
•Nikki Parker
•Paula Gatsby
•Angelica Johnson
•Laila Tyler
•Erin Moore
•Hailee Jamison
•Ainslee Brown
•Taylor South
•
"Hey, you do cheer?" I asked surprised.
"Oh yeah, I love it! Do you?"
"Yeah! I see the tryouts are in two days, can I still sign up?" I wondered eagerly.
"I don't see why not. After all,  that's why he sheet is still up, right?"
"You've got a good point there!" I smiled as I penned my name in the last available slot.
"Thank you for being so kind, it really means a lot." I smiled in gratitude.
"No problem!"
"Hey, have you seen my brother around?" I glanced up and down the halls. "He's my ride home, sooo....."
"Oh, is that him over there?" Angelica pointed to my brother signing up for Football tryouts across the foyer.
"Hey, Kyle!" I called. He turned around, smiled, and walked over to me and Angelica.
"Hey, are we going home yet?" I asked.
"Yeah, I was just signing up for Football. You know, my life?" He grinned.
"Oh, yes, you were dying without it." I giggled. "Angelica, this is my big brother Kyle. Kyle, my new friend, Angelica."
"Welcome to our school!" Angelica smiled.
"Thanks!" Kyle replied. "Hey, Samantha, I'm leaving, so hurry up if you want a ride."
"Okay, bye Angelica! See you tomorrow."
"See you Samantha. Nice to meet you Kyle." She smiled. Kyle grinned, and turned to walk with me down the halls. However, I did notice him glance back a couple times towards Angelica's direction.
Boys, I mumbled with a grin.
---------------------

"So, how did it go?" Mom greeted Kyle and I with a fresh plate of chocolate chip cookies.
"Oh, it was great!" Kyle smiled. "I signed up for football tryouts this Saturday."
"What a surprise." Mom chuckled.
"How about you, sweetie? Did you make any friends?"
"Well, actually," I began, "I met this pair of really nice twins."
"See, I told you that you'd make some friends." Kyle grinned.
"And," I continued, "I signed up for cheerleading tryouts on Saturday morning."
"Good for you!" Kyle cheered. "I've always known you are great with gymnastics."
"Well, thanks for the cookies, mom!" I grinned. "Now, I have to get a start on my homework." I went upstairs to my new room. I dropped my backpack next to my cot (my bed hadn't been shipped over yet), and pulled out my history text book.
Today wasn't such a bad day after all, I smiled.