Chemistry - A Sander's Sides Fanfiction

- 43 -

Ugh, I'm so sorry it's been so long, you guys! I'm suffering from a serious case of writer's block right now and just couldn't get any good words out onto the page for days!

Because of that, this upcoming chapter might take longer than any of us would like it to! Hopefully I'll be able to push through in a couple of days, but we'll have to see.

I know it's not much, but in the meantime, please enjoy.

Patton didn't know enough about biology or chemistry to really say if the experiment was going well by day three. All he knew was that Logan seemed to think everything was. The boy had taken charge of most everything concerning the experiment since it began; he measured the amounts of soil, the initial height of the bamboo -- which Patton had been informed was called "Green Panda" ("the more technical name being fargesia rufa. It's one of the most resistant species of bamboo," Logan had said) -- as well as testing the pH and setting up a schedule.

The bamboo was to be measured every twelve hours, starting twelve hours after being planted. Logan made sure that these increments would land on nine a.m. and nine p.m., allowing for the rest of their day to be free.

Patton was surprised at how fast they were growing. Even through the winter chill and only three days in, at nine a.m. on Saturday, the Green Panda bamboo was already a good number of millimeters taller. That may not have seemed like much, but it was impressive for a plant!

The group was planning on going on a drive that day. A good twenty or so minutes south of the campground was the Chester Bird Sanctuary. Since all of them didn't need to be at the campground every minute of the day, they were free to roam around the town if they so desired. Patton wasn't too interested in exploring actual Chester -- he thought it would take away from their nature experience -- but he was on board with going to visit some birds! Any and all animals were friends of Patton.

Roman agreed to drive this time, practically pulling Logan out of the driver's seat and insisting that the boy sit in the back and enjoy the scenery. Patton decided to accompany Roman in the front, leaving the two quieter members of the group to hang out together.

Patton and Roman discussed all sorts of things -- mostly relating to how the camping trip was going thus far -- while Logan and Virgil had a quiet discussion about... something (the only words that Patton could catch over his own conversation were "pinstripe suit," "doctor," and "psychopath"). It was something harmless, Patton hoped.

They arrived at the bird sanctuary quicker than Patton had expected -- perhaps because he had endured a three-hour ride a couple of days before. A large, sun-bleached brick arch marked the entrance, the inner space occupied by a toll booth and gate.

The fee was quickly paid, and seemed mainly for parking purposes. It wasn't an ungodly amount, but Roman grumbled for a bit afterwards that it seemed absurd to require a parking fee if it was the only parking lot around for miles.

The sanctuary was inlaid into the woods, it's asphalt road seeming to have grown out of the dewey, grass-laden earth rather than been placed there. Through Roman's open window, Patton could hear the buzz and chirp of the forest's hidden birds and insects.

After a few more minutes of sluggish driving, the group reached the parking lot. It was large and mostly empty, sitting in front of a medium sized brick building. The building, similarly, looked as though it had melted out of the foliage, for it was draped in vines and decorated with moss. Patton found it hard to believe that the place was still open.

However, the inside of the building was much less decrepit. After parking in one of the many open spots, checking that the car had really locked on Virgil's request, and trodding across the damp grass, the four entered through the center's looming oak wood doors. The walls were white with smooth columns decorating each corner. The wood-floored hallway led, under shimmering chandeliers, to a dark desk made of walnut.