Page 1 of Freak
Summer
The moment Rafael Amada’s hands met mine at the Bunsen burner, I nearly peed.
“Sorry!” I apologized immediately, crossing my legs, holding in my bladder as Mrs. Wilkins repeated the importance of safety goggles to the entire freshman class.
It didn’t matter that I was about to burst from drinking two cans of Red Bull, or that I had already spent the entire summer break with Rafael at science camp, I just didn’t want to leave his side, especially since this was our only class together this year.
“Just watch yourself around the flame, Summer,” he flicked the beaded bracelet on my wrist, the now prized possession he gave me on our bus ride back from North Bend. “Can’t have that melting now, can we?”
He said it with this grin that was just for me, as if it were a secret. It was the same grin he gave me during summer camp each time we’d find ourselves alone, or each time he’d walk me back to my cabin for the past three years. I could have sworn, he almost kissed me four weeks ago on just our last trip. His full lips puckered slightly as I began to lean toward him but stopped before anything happened.
I still remembered the popping feeling in my stomach, like I’d just drank sodas nonstop and was ready to erupt with what felt like butterflies. I wished we didn’t have to come back to school or that his entire life was now consumed with football.
I clutched my bracelet away from the flame, smiling, reading the dorky, black and white letters in my head—Copper & Tellurium. The otherwise boring elements made no sense together, let alone on a bracelet, but look at their initials on the periodic table, and it was enough to make you blush—CuTe.
What a complete nerdy thing to make me, a total secret message that only Rafael and I could understand, not like Veronica Tess, who sat confused, glaring in our direction.
“You’ve been gone all break, Raf! Why aren’t you my lab partner?” Veronica spoke through the chew of her pink Bubblicious, blowing a bubble as big as her head.
“Because you’re a fire hazard…” I whispered to my worksheet, smelling the L’Oréal hairspray that polluted the air around her.
“Ask Mrs. Wilkins. She assigned the groups.” Rafael replied, tugging at the jersey that clung high onto his newly formed shoulders.
It was no wonder Veronica was asking, taking notice of Rafael’s sudden growth spurt; his chest wider, his arms bigger and darker now, having spent time in the Virginia sun, tossing some senseless ball to the same boys who sat next to Veronica. They laughed to themselves, using their Bunsen burners as campfires, searching for things to singe and sniff.
“Will you at least come out after the game?” she asked. “My older brother is driving us to Sonic. His flatbed has a mattress in the back, you know.”
“So, cool.” I murmured sarcastically, annoyed that the only fun thing these jerks liked to do was cruise the single street of our small town and eat a cold burger.
“Cooler than you, Bugs.” Veronica sucked in her lip, motioning as if eating a carrot.
I covered my mouth, shielding my humiliating large Chiclets for teeth. Of course they called me Bugs from the goddamn Looney Tunes, and not Lola, the over sexualized girlfriend that I’d rather be compared to.
Rafael looked at me, then back at the burner, tweezing a piece of Barium over the flame. It burned bright green like our own personal aurora borealis.
“I don’t know. I guess so.” He shook his head, making eyes at the portrait of his father—the head football coach who held the state championship trophy in his hand. There was a photo of him in every classroom, a glorified supreme leader that sat nailed adjacent to the American flag. Pledging allegiance in the morning began to feel blurry on who or what we were doing it for.
“No Mystery Science Theatre 3000?” I asked quietly, pinching my legs tighter. I really should have left for the bathroom, resisting the urge to rock in my seat.
“Yes. No. I, uhh…” Rafael hesitated.
“Mystery what?” One of the boys, Jake the Snake, overheard my question, his gut hanging out from his jersey.
“Dude.” Another added, as if the single word were a question and statement all at once.
“Come sit with us. Bugs can take care of herself.” The other boy motioned over as he messed with a roll of duct tape, placing sticky, silver strips along the stool he sat on.
“What’s up, Doc?” Another laughed.
“Chill out.” Rafael stared back at his paper, noting the lilac color that Potassium made when touching the flame.
I tried not to swallow my spit, already on the brink of tears that were possibly made of piss.
“We made plans.” I whispered back to Rafael, not sure if I was embarrassing him as his face cringed. There was only one Mystery Science Theatre marathon a year, and our junk food, all-nighter had already been set in stone since science camp.
“You made plans with Bugs?” Veronica asked. “To do what? Tame that lion’s mane of frizz on her head?”
Everyone laughed, except the student at the front of the class who screamed in pain. His finger brushed across the blue part of his flame.
