Trust In Love - Chapter 250

“Alright!” Cesar announced from the podium. In addition to the white lab coat, he also wore a pair of protective goggles. He gestured a hand towards a test tube that was clamped on a ring stand.

“After some patience, we now have our melted Potassium Chlorate. Please be careful with the gummy—”

A loud explosion pierced through the air.

A series of cracks echoed in the room. Flames erupted from a different test tube. The roots of the blaze ignited like firecrackers. It sparked, flickering in bright lights. Smoke floated up to the ceiling.

The students crouched, fearing a disaster. Some had gone under the tables for safety. They waited for the outbreak to cease. Their surroundings became hazy from the smoke. Hands covered mouths and noses, avoiding too much inhalation.

When the fireworks died down, one voice boomed louder than the crack in the bell.

“Max!” Jae yelled. His ocean blue eyes flared as bright as the flames. He grabbed his best friend from under the table. Protective goggles clattered to the floor. “I looked away one second—”

“It’s not my fault!” Max defended, trying to free his shirt collar. The motion jabbed one side of his neck. His best friend wasn’t about to let him escape so easily.

Jae tugged until he could hiss at Max’s ear, “Then, how do you explain what happened?”

A whimper answered him. “My hand slipped…?”

“…”

Amidst their argument, a domineering presence approached their table. Two heads rotated towards the silhouette. Nervous faces prepared for the worst. They flinched once they got the full view of their teacher and the class.

It seemed that other than them, everyone had gone quiet.

It wasn’t a good sign.

Thin lips turned down, leafy green eyes glared at the test tube. It still had a string of smoke emitting from the base. The color of the glass became completely black. The smell reminded the professor of burnt plastic.

“Mister. Peyton.”

Jae released his best friend. They both stood with their hands behind them. The basketball captain stepped back, letting Max take the reins. He’d rather not be involved when he hadn’t done anything.

“Professor Cesar…” Max stammered. He shook his head, realizing his mistake. “I mean, Crouton. Professor Crouton.”

He dropped his gaze to the floor as he cleared his throat. He gripped his hands tighter. They had begun to shake from under the scrutinizing scowl. He was in deep trouble now. Before, he only created a mess.

Cesar crossed his arms over his ċhėst. He tucked in his chin, keeping his gaze hard. “Mind explaining yourself?”

“Two gummy bears were stuck together. Both of them slipped inside the test tube…” Max mumbled. It was low enough for the professor to still hear.

“And how did they land in the test tube?”

“I tossed them.”

“Inside the test tube?!” Cesar demanded, raising his voice. His rigid posture made him more intimidating. “Without my instruction?!”

“No!” Max protested and met his professor’s scowl. He raised his hands up in surrender. “No, no, no! In the air! I tossed them in the air! I tossed them… so I could catch them with my mouth.”

He flinched on his own words. Then, scratched he back of his head. “I had a bad aim.”

Jae shut his eyes. He would do a facepalm if Professor Crouton wasn’t around. He should have kept a better eye on his best friend. He had looked away to place the burner away from Max’s reach.

One second was all it took for the accident to happen.

“Detention, Mr. Peyton,” Cesar decided, exhaling sharply, “For three days. I’d suggest for you not to protest or I will add more days to it.”

Max nodded meekly.

His professor turned around and walked back to the front. He addressed the rest of the students, “Just as Mr. Peyton demonstrated before I could, the increased release of oxygen by the melted potassium chlorate would carbonize and burn the salt and sugar of the gummy bear.”

The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Professor Crouton gave them one last look. “Class dismissed. Please be careful and exit the room.”

Students removed their goggles and their lab coats. They placed it on their chairs, complying with the classroom rules. No one dared to touch the equipment  After the incident, they refused to have a second one. They filed out in an orderly fashion.

The only open door was at the front.

Cesar went to his table and cleaned up. He hid the test tube and replaced it with an empty one. Then, he took the attendance sheet for the next class. He made a note to check the rest of the test tubes.

When the last student was about to leave, he spoke.

“Max.”

He walked up to the teacher’s table with an indifferent tone. “Yeah?”

Professor Crouton tapped the end of his papers against the table. He put them away and faced Max. He titled his head to one side. The motion swayed his pale blonde hair.

He sighed, smiling a little. “Your aunt misses you. Come to dinner sometime.”

Max opened his mouth but closed it again. Shutting his eyes, his tense shoulders relaxed. He let out the breath he was holding. He attempted to calm down his heart. It still beat rapidly from the incident.

Why did all his relatives like to troll him?

“Sometimes I wonder what she sees in you,” he finally replied, opening his eyes.

That scared him for a moment. He thought that his punishment would be changed. He even made his footsteps silent so he could escape. Of course, that did little to fool his uncle’s razor sharp hearing.

Cesar squinted. “Maybe I should send you to the Principal’s Office instead.”

“Hey! I didn’t protest against the detention. If you do that, that is abuse of power.”

“Just come to dinner,” he huffed.

Max rolled his eyes. He headed for the exit, speaking over his shoulder. “Tell Aunt Aina that I haven’t forgotten her birthday. I will be there to visit.”

Jae leaned beside the door. He pushed himself off it when his best friend decided to show up. They walked side by side down the hallway.

“That could have been a lot worse. You’re lucky Cesar is your mother’s cousin.”

Max clenched his jaw. “Don’t speak of that woman.”

Jae glanced over his direction. He found a cold expression on his best friend’s face. Max’s eyes hardened into amethyst, darkening slightly. It was a rare reaction for him to make. It was subtle and undetectable to others not close to him.

“Sorry.” Jae gulped, realizing his mistake.

“It’s fine.”

Colin met them at the main intersection. He peeked at Logan who stood a few meters away. The younger Parker twin had made a phone call while waiting.

“Hey, caramel apple,” Max greeted. He skipped the rest of the way, his arms spread wide for a hug. “Were you worried about me? Aw, I’m so touched. I knew you loved me more than you love Logan.”

“Please don’t touch me. You smell like a furnace.” Colin shoved Max back. Before his friend could say anything, he turned to his other one. “Hey, how’s Alex?”

Logan hid his phone and joined the group.

“Fine. I think I have an idea on where we’ll have our date.” He said, pressing his lips together. His brows scrunched as he stared at nothing. “Now, I should probably ask her dad if it’s okay for us to be out late.”

Jae snapped his head towards him. “Wait, you asked her?”

“Yeah.” Logan nodded. “I mean, I realized that if I should ask anyone, it’s her. I wouldn’t want to give her a bad time.”

It was their first date. As much as he’d love to come up with a surprise, he thought that it could be a collaborative effort. He figured it was worth the shot to ask. He became honest and voiced out his trouble.

It wasn’t the coolest thing to do but he’d rather make up for it another time.

“Hey!” Max cut in. Inspiration struck like a bolt of lightning. He slapped his best friend’s arm. “Why don’t you try it with Emily?”

Jae gave him a look. Shifting his feet, he let Max have a better view of it. “I can already hear what she’d say.”

“There’s no harm in trying, right?” Max insisted, pouting with his violet eyes. If Jae had thoughts his words more carefully, the expression would have affected him less.

Although, the sight was pretty comical. Jae decided to humor him. He took out his phone and used the speed dial for a call.

“Hey, Ems,” Jae greeted as soon as the call was picked up. He could hear faint chatter from her end of the line.

“What do you want, oaf?”

“Do you…” he hesitated. “Do you happen to have an ideal first date?”

“Oh, so I can just hand it to you? Give you less work?” Emily scoffed. He could almost see her roll her cobalt eyes. “Did you miss the part when I said that I won’t make this easy on you? Think of it yourself. Then, I’ll decide if I would go on a date with you or not. Buh-bye now.”

Soon, the call produced the sound of a dial tone.

“I told you.” Jae smirked, tucking his phone back in his pocket. He shrugged at their bewildered expressions. “I knew what she’d say.”

“Wait.” Max scowled. “You have to think of a date first before she agrees?”

“Yep.”

He shook his head, utter disbelief on his face. “Damn, you’re whipped.”

Jae grinned at his words. He added a wink for effect. “I just like a good competition.”