Chapter 2: Elliot POV

I sat down at Jon’s lab table and started fooling around with the equipment, if only to annoy the hell out of him. He’s such an uptight guy, he really needs to loosen up. And get a makeover or something. I mean, I’m not trying to be rude or anything, but a little makeover will do him wonders. I can see the potential, if only he took care of himself like he should. Took a shower more often, cleaned his face, bought some new clothes...yeah, I can see it.

“Soo…” I began, “Would you like to...start? Or shall I?” He looked up at me, his glare piercing my very soul. If I had one. Gotta remember, I’m a ginger(well not really, I dyed my hair, but only so my exterior would match my interior).

“Look, let’s just get this lab done and over with, okay? I don’t like you, and you don’t like me. Just let me do all the work and you just sit there like everyone else.” Behind those anger filled eyes, I could see sadness. Everyone else? What does he mean by that?

“Who said I didn’t like you?”

He rolled his eyes. “I did, isn’t that obvious? So far today you have found every way to annoy the crap out of me. So just let me do the work, okay?”

“No,” I replied.

“No?!”

“Yeah, no. What do you think I am, a putz?”

He raised an eyebrow at me. “Putz? Did you just seriously say that? Wow, that’s a new low.” Ugh, does this guy ever stop being a d****e?! I see I have my work cut out for me here.

“Ugh, listen. I’m not gonna let you work on this alone, I’m not that much of a dick,” Although, some people do say I have a pretty nice one. Moving on. “Now, what’s first?”

“Umm..” he stuttered, looking down at the lab paper, “I..”

“We,” I corrected him.

“We need to do single replacement reactions to create an activity series like the one in the reference table, okay?” I nodded, and we put our lab equipment on. Damn, he can pull off safety goggles pretty well. “Will you please stop staring at me!”

“How about...no,” I smirked at him, reveling in his anger. He is way too easy to piss off. It’s kind of hot. If looks could kill, I’d already be dead. He was giving me such a glare I could practically feel it burning me.

The rest of the lab went pretty well. We make a pretty good team if I do say so myself. I think it’s time to spice things up a bit.

“So...if you could rearrange the periodic table, would you put U and I together?”

“Are you an idiot? The periodic table is arranged by atomic number, not by personal preference,” How has he made it this far in the world?

Time to step it up a notch. “Do you have 11 protons, because you are sodium fine!”

“I am not made up of one atom, therefore I clearly have more than 11 protons in my entire body. Not to mention the human body is not entirely made up of sodium!” He looked at me like I was stupid to be saying these things. If anyone is clueless here it’s you!

Time for my signature move! “Are you a scientist? Because I want to do it on the table, periodically.” He has to get this one!

“Well we do labs at least once a week, so I guess that’s considered periodically. And I don’t wish to become a scientist per say, more like a marine biologist.” I have no words.

Okay, last one. If he does not get this one, there is something seriously wrong with him. “You must be a positive ion and I’m a negative ion, because I feel an attraction between us!”

“Well, everyone is made up of both positive and negative ions, not just one exclusively. So, humans don’t attract each other like magnets do. Although, there is some amount of gravitational attraction...” I’m so done right now. I know I said I wanted a challenge, but this endeavor seems impossible.

As I poured some chemical on the element we were working on, I looked up at him incredulously. I guess I’ll have to take this slow. Ugh, just the thought repulses me.

“So...Jon, was it? What do you like to do?” I asked him.

“My name is Jonathan, thank you very much. And my hobbies are none of your concern.”

“Oh c’mon Johnny boy, you can tell me. Maybe we have something in common.” I know one thing that we don’t, and that would be our romantic experience.

“Stop calling me that!” He said, slamming his fist down onto the table.  One of the bottles of water toppled over, spilling onto some of the elements. Oh. S**t. And this wasn’t just any element. Nooooo! It just had to be potassium, one of the most reactive metals! The concoction began to spark and smoke.

I had just enough time to yell “Get down!” before it basically exploded. But I didn’t have enough time to get down as I was trying to push Jon down. I could feel the scorching water and flames on my back and legs. I could practically feel my skin boil. I fell to the ground, a scream threatening to come out. I could hear panicked voices around me, and I felt hands flip me onto my stomach. Everything on my back and legs began to go numb, probably from shock.

Everything began to grow blurry, and I blacked out.