Sweet 16
Feeling a little better about this one. It was fun, at least.
“How do you know that?”
He shrugs noncommittally, suddenly looking somewhat guarded. “I dunno. I just do, I guess.”
I tip my head at him, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. What's going on here, I wonder. There's no way he would know just off the top of his head. Hell, it's barely something I picked up on after my first few years of college. “That's not kiddy knowledge,” I prod.
He almost blushes, not meeting my eyes. “Er, I don't know...I've always been interested in this type of thing, I guess, but my brothers don't really get it, so I don't do very much.” He shrugs again, pushing a few empty flasks around on the lab table. “It's just...interesting, I guess. And it's pretty easy for me.”
I stand up and gesture to my bench. “Come,” I say. He looks like I've electro-shocked him. His eyes go wide and his mouth goes slightly slack. He shakily points at himself without saying anything else. I smile and pat my bench lovingly. “Yes, yes. Come here.” With much trepidation, he heeds my order. He considers me with wide eyes, and I can't help but be amused. “Sit, sit.”
“Is it okay?” He sits, and runs his hands over the edge of the table.
“Let me get you gloves.” I leave him scrutinizing all my instruments and notes for a moment. The light in his eyes excites me. I'm suddenly more interested in what I was doing. I retrieve gloves and goggles. I feel like grinning but I try to keep myself somewhat in check. I shouldn't be this excited that someone else is interested in my work. I return, and Sprout is eyeing my solutions carefully. “Here.”
“Thank you,” he says. He suits up and I sit next to him. “Ah, s-so what do you want me to do?”
I almost laugh at his earnestness, but only because I find it refreshing. “Here, look in the microscope...”
He awkwardly peers in. “Ah, it's fuzzy, I can't really...”
“Adjust it, it's alright.”
He pauses, glancing up at me. “Er...”
“Gosh, how did you pass high school bio?” I reach over and adjust the microscope and he goes red in the face. He hangs his head.
“Um,” he blurts.
“Hey, I was just kidding.” I pat his shoulder and he mumbles something. I frown. “What?” He looks at me almost pleadingly. I'm not sure what to make of it. Did he fail that badly or something? I didn't mean to bring up bad memories. “What's up?”
“I've been meaning to tell you, boss, but...mmmnnnnn.” He groans, shaking his head. He runs a hand through his hair. “Phew. Er, promise you won't be mad.”
I hate that promise. “I promise to try not to be mad.”
He makes a face. His shoulders slump, but decides to go ahead anyway. “Erm...I'm still in high school bio.” He flinches, closing his eyes as though I'll strike him any moment.
It takes a moment to sink in. High school bio, that's like tenth grade. Tenth grade? But that would only make Sprout...I blink, trying to focus on my thoughts slipping by too quick. “B-boss?” he stutters, looking at me with grave concern. He reaches out to touch my shoulder, but I hold up a finger to stop him. “B-but-”
“Shh,” I say. “Stay still a moment.” I turn and observe my slide. Something about this formulation's off. The effects do exist, but only weakly and not for long. Already, the cells are back to their original selves. I turn back to Sprout, who has frozen in place, watching me with a look of terror on his face. “You...you are still going to school?”
“Er...y-yeah.”
“Y-yeah?”
He rubs his neck and tries not to look at me straight on. “M-most days.”
I feel dizzy. La la la, super villainy's going so well. But what's this? So young? How could I not have noticed? Am I that dense? “Most days!?” He flinches. What am I yelling about? How can I tell him to go to school when I've been keeping him from it? It would've been good if he-or any of those damn brats-had said something! “Are you the only one? In school? A minor?” Let this be some strange hallucination.
He nods, looking sorry he said anything. “Y-yeah. They've all graduated. It's just me.”
I shake my head, turning away from him again. What now? “I'm going to give you some measurements. Take that clipboard and write them down in the order I give them to you.”
“B-but Boss-”
“Eight and fifteen hundredths,” I say, ignoring him. He scrambles and grabs the clipboard, scribbling furiously to keep up with me. Work now. Figure out how to deal with this later.
“How do you know that?”
He shrugs noncommittally, suddenly looking somewhat guarded. “I dunno. I just do, I guess.”
I tip my head at him, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. What's going on here, I wonder. There's no way he would know just off the top of his head. Hell, it's barely something I picked up on after my first few years of college. “That's not kiddy knowledge,” I prod.
He almost blushes, not meeting my eyes. “Er, I don't know...I've always been interested in this type of thing, I guess, but my brothers don't really get it, so I don't do very much.” He shrugs again, pushing a few empty flasks around on the lab table. “It's just...interesting, I guess. And it's pretty easy for me.”
I stand up and gesture to my bench. “Come,” I say. He looks like I've electro-shocked him. His eyes go wide and his mouth goes slightly slack. He shakily points at himself without saying anything else. I smile and pat my bench lovingly. “Yes, yes. Come here.” With much trepidation, he heeds my order. He considers me with wide eyes, and I can't help but be amused. “Sit, sit.”
“Is it okay?” He sits, and runs his hands over the edge of the table.
“Let me get you gloves.” I leave him scrutinizing all my instruments and notes for a moment. The light in his eyes excites me. I'm suddenly more interested in what I was doing. I retrieve gloves and goggles. I feel like grinning but I try to keep myself somewhat in check. I shouldn't be this excited that someone else is interested in my work. I return, and Sprout is eyeing my solutions carefully. “Here.”
“Thank you,” he says. He suits up and I sit next to him. “Ah, s-so what do you want me to do?”
I almost laugh at his earnestness, but only because I find it refreshing. “Here, look in the microscope...”
He awkwardly peers in. “Ah, it's fuzzy, I can't really...”
“Adjust it, it's alright.”
He pauses, glancing up at me. “Er...”
“Gosh, how did you pass high school bio?” I reach over and adjust the microscope and he goes red in the face. He hangs his head.
“Um,” he blurts.
“Hey, I was just kidding.” I pat his shoulder and he mumbles something. I frown. “What?” He looks at me almost pleadingly. I'm not sure what to make of it. Did he fail that badly or something? I didn't mean to bring up bad memories. “What's up?”
“I've been meaning to tell you, boss, but...mmmnnnnn.” He groans, shaking his head. He runs a hand through his hair. “Phew. Er, promise you won't be mad.”
I hate that promise. “I promise to try not to be mad.”
He makes a face. His shoulders slump, but decides to go ahead anyway. “Erm...I'm still in high school bio.” He flinches, closing his eyes as though I'll strike him any moment.
It takes a moment to sink in. High school bio, that's like tenth grade. Tenth grade? But that would only make Sprout...I blink, trying to focus on my thoughts slipping by too quick. “B-boss?” he stutters, looking at me with grave concern. He reaches out to touch my shoulder, but I hold up a finger to stop him. “B-but-”
“Shh,” I say. “Stay still a moment.” I turn and observe my slide. Something about this formulation's off. The effects do exist, but only weakly and not for long. Already, the cells are back to their original selves. I turn back to Sprout, who has frozen in place, watching me with a look of terror on his face. “You...you are still going to school?”
“Er...y-yeah.”
“Y-yeah?”
He rubs his neck and tries not to look at me straight on. “M-most days.”
I feel dizzy. La la la, super villainy's going so well. But what's this? So young? How could I not have noticed? Am I that dense? “Most days!?” He flinches. What am I yelling about? How can I tell him to go to school when I've been keeping him from it? It would've been good if he-or any of those damn brats-had said something! “Are you the only one? In school? A minor?” Let this be some strange hallucination.
He nods, looking sorry he said anything. “Y-yeah. They've all graduated. It's just me.”
I shake my head, turning away from him again. What now? “I'm going to give you some measurements. Take that clipboard and write them down in the order I give them to you.”
“B-but Boss-”
“Eight and fifteen hundredths,” I say, ignoring him. He scrambles and grabs the clipboard, scribbling furiously to keep up with me. Work now. Figure out how to deal with this later.