Half Life: A Novel

Chapter 2

Looking somewhat pale, Brynn slowly raised her hand, to which Jenkins nodded once in approval. “There you go, Mr. McAllister. Third desk on your left.”

Momentarily setting aside his confusion -- had Brynn changed her name since he'd left? -- James obediently made his way to his new assigned seat, as Jenkins continued to call out instructions to the rest of the class.

“Now that that’s settled,” she began. “Let’s get started. Beakers and test-tubes are by the sinks, burners and lab instructions are on the back table as usual, and I have the chemicals here up front. Send one partner up to sign them out, while the other sets up the lab station.”

As the other students began to gather their materials, Jenkins addressed James and Brynn once more. “Mr. McAllister, before we begin, please retrieve a lab coat and goggles from the back closet. I assume you remember where to find it.”

When James nodded, she moved her attention to Brynn. “And Miss Sullivan, please be sure to update Mr. McAllister on the subject matter before you begin. I think you’ll agree that we don’t need a repeat of last week, yes?”

Without looking at James, Brynn gave Jenkins her assent and then quickly headed toward the back of the room to collect their supplies.

By the time Brynn returned with a trio of beakers, a large Bunsen Burner, and two instruction packets from the back table, James had put on his newly acquired lab coat and goggles and had signed out small portions of Hydrogen Chloride Solution, Magnesium Powder, and Magnesium Ribbon.

Now that he’d been given this opportunity to get back on Brynn’s good side, he wasn’t about to ruin it by acting like a slacker. At least, not until she agreed to hear him out... 

Once Brynn had plugged in the Bunsen Burner and filled all of the beakers with water, she silently handed James one of the instruction packets and then began writing her name on the other.

Amused, James followed Brynn's pen with his eyes and noted -- with unexpected satisfaction -- that her ridiculous half-print, half-cursive writing was still just as giant and lopsided as ever.

Of course, it was still leagues better than the barely-legible all caps chicken scratch that he called handwriting... But he was a guy, after all.  So that was kind of expected...

Drawing his gaze to the second part of Brynn's name, James shook his head and then smiled. “So, Sullivan, huh? When did that happen?”

Brynn bit her bottom lip, as if silently debating whether to dignify his question with a response. “When I transferred,” she said finally. “I just..." She paused. " Needed a fresh start, you know?.”

“No, I get it,” James said. “New school, new name, new hair... You're practically a whole new you.”

Brynn nodded curtly. “Something like that.” And then she went back to silently reading her lab sheet.

But, once again, James was undeterred. “You have to admit, though, it’s an interesting choice of school, considering you seem so determined to avoid me.” He paused. And then grinned. “You had to know I’d come back here.”

“Believe me,” Brynn said. “It wasn’t my choice.”

“Whose then? Your Mom’s?” James raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Somehow, I doubt that. I think she hates me even more than you do.” Even as he said it, James knew that this was the understatement of the century. Brynn may have been mad at him for leaving – and for siding with Caleb – and probably for a zillion other things that he couldn’t recall at the moment, but she didn’t hate him. Not really.

And he knew her well enough to know that, despite all her stubbornness, she didn’t hold grudges. Not even little ones. Mrs. Harrington, however, was a different story entirely.

“No,” Brynn agreed. “Technically, it was my idea, but. . .” She trailed off and drew a deep breath. “It’s complicated.”

“Try me,” James offered. “If anyone understands complicated, we both know it’s me.”

Brynn glanced up at him then and, for a long moment, neither one of them spoke.

Looking at her up close, as the midday sun streamed down through the lab’s open skylights, James finally noticed just how much she'd changed since last fall.

For as long as he’d known her, Brynn had always been girl-next-door cute. She was tiny, and graceful, and feminine, with full pink lips, and long black lashes, and the most exquisite turquoise eyes that James had ever seen. But in the last year something had changed – something more than just her hair color. Because she wasn’t just cute now. She was beautiful. Despite her disheveled pony-tail and the small dark circles under her eyes.

And, honestly, she looked much more like Emily than James really cared to admit, which was probably both a blessing and a terrible curse. Because, as breathtaking as Emily had been in life, her death – and his brother’s role in it – would likely divide them forever, despite the unmistakable connection they shared. Unless James could somehow prove to Brynn that Caleb hadn’t been involved in Emily’s murder in the way that she thought…

But to do that, he’d need Brynn’s help. Or, at the very least, her cooperation. And, at the rate he was going, he wasn’t likely to get either of those any time soon.

As James continued to mentally examine the unfairness – and utter hopelessness – of their situation, Brynn shook her head and seemed to arrive at a decision.

“I felt like I was suffocating at Riverside. But Trinity wouldn’t take me after my grades dropped and my Dad refused to send me to South Side Public, so. . .” Brynn rolled her eyes. “Here I am. New school, new name, new hair, new me.” She smiled self-consciously, but her tone was sarcastic and laced with sadness. “I guess it’s not so complicated, after all.”

James grinned. “So, uh, what happened last week?”

“Last week?” Brynn repeated, obviously confused. She suddenly seemed much younger -- and much more innocent -- than she had this morning.

“Yeah, what was all that about not wanting a repeat of last week?”

“Oh,” Brynn’s face flushed crimson. “It's just that. . . Well, you might say I’m bad with fire.”

Catching on, James smiled. “So all of those charred beakers back there. . .”

Brynn nodded. “That was me.” She bit her lip self-consciously. “Except, I actually have no idea how it happened. In fact, I’m beginning to think this lab station’s cursed.”

“Cursed, huh?” James raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you believe in curses?”

“Since. . .” Brynn trailed off and glanced quickly around the room. “We should probably get started. We’re already behind and Jenkins was right – my GPA can’t really withstand another mishap.”

“Alright,” James agreed. “But maybe for the sake of everyone’s safety, you should let me be in charge of the Bunsen Burner.”

As Brynn laughed, James slid the burner to his side of the desk and casually turned the handle to the “on” position, igniting the fire.

“Hold up a second, Sparky,” Brynn said with a laugh. “You might want to roll up your sleeves.”

Following Brynn’s gaze, James glanced down at his hands and realized that the too-long sleeves of his blazer were poking out beneath his lab coat.

“Thanks,” he said sheepishly. “I haven’t had a chance to get a new uniform.”

Brynn threw him a curious look. “Are you saying your arms got shorter since the last time you wore it?”

“No,” James corrected. “This one was Caleb’s—“

Before James had even completed the name, Brynn’s eyes flashed a horrible angry orange and James felt a sudden twinge of heat to his left as the Bunsen Burner’s flame grew ten times its original size.

“Shit—” he said stupidly. And then, without thinking, James dumped the clear contents of the nearest beaker over the flame. Within seconds, their entire lab table was completely engulfed in white-hot liquid fire.