Formaldehyde

Chapter 2

Emily wrote this chapter. Her account is the dedication.

Nick's Point Of View:

I tried my best to saunter into the class like a normal cool guy. I knew my façade failed when the whole class gasped simultaneously. 

'Serves me right for being late.' I thought, angry with myself. I pulled my black beanie tighter around my acid green hair. 

'Stupid Melanie' I thought as I sat down next to my best mate, Mickey. 

"Yo Nick, what's up with the hair?"

"Oh you know" I shrugged "Just trying something new."

"So Melanie wasn't making you dye your hair for cos-play." Mickey said disappointed. For some reason I get the vibe that Mickey has a crush on Melanie, my sister. He keeps bringing her up. Like a nerd like her would have time for guys like Mickey. 

Mickey is mad about basketball but his dad really wanted him to go to college. I honestly couldn't care less about things like basketball and football. Me: I want to be a ninja. But then I grew up so now I strive to be a samurai. It's as close as I can get to the real thing. 

Mickey is taking physics to perfect his basket. I'm taking it to improve things like momentum and angles. I have to be practical. 

Almost everyday I train. Since most of the spare rooms have been taken over by my sisters I have to make do. In my room I have a mattress in one corner surrounded by text books and note pads. In another corner I have my clothes. I used to fold them neatly just to please my mum. All over the walls I have ninja and martial arts posters. The rest if my room I reserve for training. It's taken me years to save up for all this stuff. I even have a yoga mat. I think ninjas should know about their inner spirit. Some conflicts can't be sorted with violence. 

I was strolling across the campus courtyard to the college gym to train when I saw Vanessa. I've had a little crush on her for ages. She looked shocked to see my new hair. It was embarrassingly obvious. My once black hair was now acid green to match my emerald eyes. I must look like a nuclear freak with my pale skin. 

"wow, how did you get it so green? It's a proper acid green." I turned around shocked. Vanessa was talking to ME of all people! Maybe this hair is good for something after all. 

"It is acid." I smiled sheepishly. When Vanessa looked confused I explained quickly about how I just walked into Melanie's lab at just the wrong moment. How the experiment she was working on went horribly wrong. The explosion turned everything green. The only thing that didn't wipe clean was my hair. Melanie's hair was protected so she didn't damage herself at all. Just her poor little brother. 

My other sister, Kathy, wouldn't make a stupid mistake like that. She's super brave but is also careful, making sure no one will get hurt by what's she is going to do. I swear one day Melanie will destroy the world with her crazy experiments. I much prefer Kat. 

I remember when a few years back another one of Melanie's experiments turned Kat's hair pink.  Mum helped her dye it back to black. Of course Mum isn't here to help me out. Maybe Kat will tell me how. A guy shouldn't ever have to get his sister to dye his hair. I miss mum.