Hope is Alive

This is an essay I wrote for science class about Elements and bonding

I padded up the steps to my house looking behind me as I went.  I smirked as I saw my sister, Sulfur, whining into her cell phone about not finding the right Potassium to ionically bond with.  Rolling my eyes I ran toward the front door.
    “Hey Oxy hold the door,” Sulfur said looking up from her nails.  I fought the urge to yell at her for using that annoying nickname she had given to me when I was six.  Completely and utterly annoyed with my sister, I slammed the door in her face.
    “Oxygen Oxygen get back here right now!” Sulfur screamed from the doorway.  I sighed at how weird that sounded.  It stunk having the same first name as my last.  Why did we have to have the last name Oxygen?
    “No,” I replied heading toward the stairs that would lead to my bedroom.
    “I’m telling Mom!” Sulfur shouted.
    “You’re such a baby just open the door.  It’s not like it’s locked or anything.” Sulfur huffed and opened the door stepping inside.
    “That’s not the point.  The point is-”
    “The point is that you want to teach me a lesson.  Yeah, yeah I get it okay?” Sulfur glared at me in such a way it was comical.  She always thought that she was cool and dangerous when she was angry, but I knew better.  She looked like a spoiled toddler.
    “Someone’s in a bad mood,” Sulfur commented moving toward the stairs.  
    “No really?  Aw I never guessed someone could be as smart as you!”  Sulfur shook her head.  She looked as though she had been about to say something and then thought better of it.  I smiled triumphantly.
    “You’re not the only one who can’t find someone to bond with, Ox,” Sulfur mumbled before pushing past me and opening her bedroom door.  She slammed it behind her.  
    I sighed as I laid down on my bed.  I knew I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t found someone to bond with.  I knew my sister still needed to find someone.  That didn’t stop the fact that she was agitating and only cared about herself.  It was all about Potassium.  Potassium this and Potassium that.  It was never about me.  Even my parents Selenium and Tellurium were always on about how someday she would meet a nice Potassium.  It was never “Oh Oxygen, you’ll find two good Hydrogens someday!”  It was never “Honey you’ll know what it feels like to have those valence electrons shared one day, and when you do, you’ll feel the best you’ve felt in your whole life.”  No.  Sulfur was the real one suffering.  Not me.  
    I knew what bond I wanted to make.  I wasn’t the type of atom to make an ionic bond.  I was a pure covalent bonder.  I wanted to share my valence electrons with other atoms’ valence electrons.  More specifically, two Hydrogens.  I wanted to help make water, and I needed two Hydrogens to pull that off.  I knew it would be tough when I told my Earth teacher that I would become a part of the water society.  Even then he circled many questions around me.  What kind of water?  Would I be apart of the river?  Would I be in a lake?  Like he really expected me to know that answer right away.
    I heard a door open and close from downstairs.  I knew right away that my parents had arrived from work.
    “Oxygen!  Sulfur!  We’re home!” my mother called cheerfully.  I sat up and stared at my bedroom door blankly.  I heard Sulfur run down the stairs, and knew immediately that she was going to tell my mom the occurrences of a few moments before.
    “Mom Oxygen slammed the door in my face!” Sulfur whined immaturely. “You know you told him to stop doing that.”  I heard my mom sigh.
    “Yes, I remember Sulfur; calm down dear.”
    “I will not calm down!” Sulfur shrieked. “I am sick and tired of getting red marks on my face from being hit by a door!  A door that I specifically asked Oxygen to hold!”  
    I sighed getting up from my bed and walking to the door.  I crept down the stairs and watched as she and my mom talked.  Sulfur’s arms were thrashing around in agitation.
    “If I recall correctly,” I said coming around the corner and into their view, “you demanded that I hold the door while calling me the nickname Mom told you to stop calling me.”  My mom looked at Sulfur with narrowed eyes.
    “Is this true?” she asked sternly.  Sulfur gulped.
    “Well, I-”
    “No ‘well I’s,’” my mom said cutting Sulfur off.  I smiled triumphantly. “You just tried to get your brother in trouble when you started the whole thing in the first place.”
    “It’s not my fault he’s a baby and can’t handle a stupid nickname.”
    “And it’s not my fault you don’t know how to get a door,” I countered.  They both glared at me.
    “Both of you that’s enough.  Go do your homework.”  
    “Yes, Mom,” both Sulfur and I muttered at the same time heading upstairs.  
    After my homework was finished, I decided to go to bed early.  I had a big day tomorrow.  I really needed to find someone to bond with.  I felt incomplete without it.  It was as though some part of me was missing.  I knew why this was; Miss Alkali, the Bonding teacher, had explained it.  She had said it was because we weren’t yet stable.  We needed more valence electrons to truly feel complete.  We needed a total of eight.  As I closed my eyes and fell asleep I wondered if I was ever going to truly be stable.
~*~ Hope is Alive ~*~
    I walked quickly to my Bonding class hoping I wouldn’t be late.  Our Human Studies teacher had kept us all late because a good number of us had gotten a lot wrong on the homework (including myself).
    During Bonding class I paid attention intently.  Bonding had always been my favorite class, and I had always done well.  I mean who didn’t know the difference between an ionic and covalent bond?  The only problem I had though was the actual bonding itself.  Everyone in the school had their eyes on someone else.  They always had their eyes on the cute people in the school.  I was stuck all alone in the lonely middle.  No one ever looked at me except for the atoms that were looking for ionic bonds.  Who cared if they were stronger than covalent?  That didn’t mean we all had to form them.  Why couldn’t others just see that?
    “Children,” Miss Alkali said bringing me from my reverie.  I turned to face her trying to get the blank look off my face.
    “We have a new student,” she continued pointing to the door where the principal Mr. Xenon was standing.  Everyone looked with renewed interest.  I yawned and looked toward the door.  My eyes widened with surprise and excitement.  There in the doorway was a Hydrogen.  
    “This is Hydrogen, but she likes to be called Allie.”  Allie?  That wasn’t even close to Hydrogen.  
    “Okay Allie you can sit next to Oxygen.”  Allie looked right at me and smiled.  I knew what she was thinking and I was thinking the same thing.  Bonding.  
    “Hi,” Allie said sitting down in her seat.
    “Hey,” I replied.
    Miss Alkali walked up to the blackboard at the front of the classroom and began to draw examples of ionic and covalent bonds.  During class I stared blankly at the board trying to think of way to ask Allie to bond with me.  What would she say?  Would she reject me?  I didn’t know what I would do if she did.  I shook my head trying to force the thoughts away.  From what I saw earlier she seemed nice.  She didn’t seem like one of the atoms who just said no for no good reason.
    “Hey Allie,” I said hurriedly as we headed towards our next class.
    “Yeah?” she asked expectantly with a small smile on her face.
    “Will you bond with me?” I asked before I lost the nerve.  She smiled brightly.
    “Sure,” she said excitedly.  
    “I’m planning on forming water,” I warned her pointing my finger in her direction.  She nodded, her smile growing larger.
    “Couldn’t think of anything better.”
~*~ Hope is Alive ~*~
    “Oxygen look!” Allie called from a distance.  I looked up from my homework to see Allie at least a hundred feet away pointing at something hidden from my view. I sighed getting up from my spot on the ground.  It had been three weeks since we first met in the classroom.  We had become good friends since then.  I had even introduced her to my family.  They had all loved her saying she was a doll.  I’m still confused by that comment.  Weren’t dolls toys that were mini humans?
    “What?” I asked as I grew closer.  She pointed to a figure behind an oak tree.
    “I see someone.  I think it’s a Hydrogen.”  I looked around trying to see where this “Hydrogen” was.
    “I don’t see anyone Al,” I said laughing. “I think the lack of Hydrogens is getting to your head.”
    “No, it’s not!” she huffed heading toward the tree. “See I’ll prove it to you.”  Ignoring my pleas to just leave the atom alone, she walked toward the tree slowly.
    “Hello?” she said softly.  There was movement behind the tree.  I reached out protectively holding Allie back.  She laughed moving my arm away.
    “Chill Oxy.”  I rolled my eyes watching her walk toward the tree.
    “Hey you!” she called.  I sighed.  She was so ignorant sometimes. “Come out from behind that tree.  Why are you hiding?  It’s not like we’re scary or anything!”
    “You’re kinda scary you know,” I muttered walking toward them.  Allie gave me a playful glare.  
    “Anyway, we just want to talk to you,” Allie said in a more gentle voice. “Come on, please!”
    The Hydrogen stepped out from behind the tree.
    “W-w-what do you want from me?” he asked bringing up two shaky fists.  Allie brought up her hands in innocence while I just rolled my eyes.  What did he think we were looking for?  A tuna sandwich?
    “We’re just looking for a bond,” she said slowly and clearly so she would not be misunderstood.  I watched nervously as the Hydrogen’s fists uncurled themselves.  Allie sighed in relief putting her hands down at her sides.  Though she seemed relaxed, I remained tense.
    Before Allie had time to react, the Hydrogen attacked yelling a war call as he came forward.  Allie screamed in fright.
    “You’re going to steal my electron aren’t you?” the Hydrogen screeched.  “I only have one!  You cannot take it from me!”  I pulled the Hydrogen off of Allie and threw him to the ground.
    “If you were paying attention you would see she’s a Hydrogen too,” I spat venomously.  The Hydrogen boy looked up nervously.
    “You’re lying,” he said.  I stared at him, my eyes wide.  This guy was certifiably insane.
    “Look at her!  She’s a Hydrogen!” I screamed.  I looked at Allie saying, “C’mon Allie we can find someone else to covalently bond with.”  She nodded following me as we started to walk away.
    “Wait!” the Hydrogen called.  We both turned around to look at him.
    “What?” I asked.
    “Did you say covalent bond?” he asked.  I nodded. “So you’re not going to steal my electron?  You’re not a Halogen?”  My eyebrows creased.
    “Who taught you how to decipher which atoms are which?  I’m Oxygen.  This is Hydrogen but-”
    “But I like to be called Allie,” Allie chimed in cutting me off.  I sighed.
    “We’re looking to covalently bond to make a water molecule.”  The Hydrogen began to relax and took a step forward.  And then another.  
    “All right,” he said slowly.  “But you have to promise you won’t steal my electron.  Bullies always try at school.”
    “They’re not bullies,” I said rolling my eyes. “They’re just trying to ionically bond with you.  And just because they’re stealing it doesn’t mean you’ll never really lose it.  You end up being connected in a super strong bond that is very hard to break.”  The Hydrogen sighed closing his eyes.
    “Yeah whatever I don’t want that.  And obviously neither do you two, so can we bond please?”  I nodded.
    “Let’s go to the nearest river first.”  
~*~ Hope is Alive ~*~
    The three of us waded into the water of the river in the back of my house.  We had all just gotten done telling our parents we were going to bond.  All of our parents said the same thing: “That’s great honey!  You guys can bond, but you must be home by dusk each night.”  We had rolled our eyes and agreed to it.
    “Ready?” I asked excitedly.  They both nodded.  Together we all joined hands forming a circle.  All at once I felt the bonding occur.  It was as easy as walking.  I could feel the two of them connecting to me.  I could feel their electrons latching on.  All at once I could feel the part of me that always seemed to be missing fill in.  I knew then that the bonding was complete.  Our valence electrons were now being shared.  We were stable.  All of us.  I looked over at Allie and smiled.  She smiled a huge smile back.
    “Woohoo!” Allie screamed for joy as we all dove into the depths of the water.  I laughed as we sank deeper.  Not only did I feel stable, but I felt at home.  This was what I was meant to do.  This was the best thing I could ever hope for.  
    “Bonding’s great!”  Allie shrieked.  I smiled agreeing with her silently.  That it was.  

Author's Note

(: got a hundred on this. it was so fun writing!! :DD tell me what ya think. I don't know if this is the version where I had to delete some parts, but if it isn't haha well lucky you ;)