Seventeen

Athena

Joining the chemistry club wasn't a mistake, and I genuinely enjoyed being there. I stood at my workstation, measuring out 25 mL of clear sodium hydroxide solution into a beaker, and sneezed as the faint tang of chemicals wafted through my nose. The lab was quiet except for the soft wash of gas burners and the occasional beep of a digital scale.

I focused intently on the task at hand, working on bonding and reactions. When the sodium transitioned into pink, I smiled and recorded my observations in my notebook.

“You’re doing great,” Miss Vera said, circulating around the room. “Excellent work.”

“Thank you,” I responded with a smile, while listening to a lame chemistry joke one of the boys was telling his friends.

“Why did the acid and base go on a date? Because they wanted to see if they had a ‘neutral’ connection.”

Everyone else burst into laughter except me. I wondered if I was strange for not getting the humor.

“Why did the molecule lose his girlfriend? Because he was always