Chemical reaction

"So... the headmistress is your mother?" Octavia asked, his curiosity burning as they sat in the comfort of Seraphina's bedroom. The moment school was over, he rushed to her house, longing for answers.

"More like an egg donor," Seraphina replied, casually lighting a cigarette. Octavia instinctively moved away, disliking the scent of burning nicotine. "Not a fan of nicotine?" she inquired, taking another drag, her eyes fixed on him. Octavia scrunched his nose and confessed, "Hate it. Makes me want to puke."

"Child," Seraphina remarked, rolling her eyes. Octavia mustered his best puppy-eyed look and pleaded, "Could you please refrain from smoking, at least until I leave?" Seraphina shot him an incredulous look, to which Octavia nodded earnestly. With a sigh, she took one last deep puff, flicked the cigarette out of the window, and Octavia couldn't help but notice that she didn't bother to put it out.

"You didn't even extinguish it," Octavia commented, leaning closer to the window to see where it had landed.

"Quit being such a baby about it," Seraphina retorted, pulling him away from the window. "A baby? Seriously, that could start a fire, and people could die. Lives have been lost because of cigarettes. You need to stop being such a reckless person," Octavia said, his words laced with concern.

"Reckless?" Seraphina raised an eyebrow. "Yes, R-E-C-K-L-E-S-S, reckless," Octavia responded, seating himself on the floor to face Seraphina.

""Bitch," Seraphina said rolling her eyes. I swear the amount of times you roll your eyes could make you rich if people got paid based on how many times they rolled their eyes," Octavia said smiling . "You could have simply said if rolling your eyes paid you would be a trillionaire ." Seraphina shot back with a smirk.

"Shut up, smart ass. You got the point, and that's what matters," Octavia replied. They fell into a comfortable silence, allowing their minds to wander through the maze of thoughts and emotions. Octavia broke the silence, gazing up at the ceiling, and asked, "Phinny, why are you like this?"

"Like what?" Seraphina questioned, her eyes searching his for understanding.

"One minute you appear as a completely normal teenager, the next you're rebellious, then you transform into a fierce, bad-girl type, and the next moment, you're simply adorable," Octavia observed, raising his head to meet her gaze. Seraphina smiled lightly and replied, "I am Seraphina, I guess."

Octavia sat up, a determined expression on his face. "No, that's not the answer," he said. "Then what is?" Seraphina inquired.

"You are a chemical reaction," Octavia declared.

"A chemical reaction? How so?" Seraphina asked, intrigued.

"Two personalities merge. One is acidic, the other alkaline. You can be toxic and bitter to those you don't know, the worst version of yourself. To those you dislike, you become a bomb. But to those you understand and care about, you reveal your alkaline side—sharp-tongued but endearing. When these two sides combine, they create a mixture of salt and water. Salt adds taste and flavor, while water is a necessity. You bring an enigma to the table, making people feel alive," Octavia explained, his words flowing with poetic imagery.

"Acid alone is dangerous, so you reserve that for those you despise. Alkaline is soft, electro-positive, so you share that with those you like and understand. And for the people you love, you give them the best of both worlds," Octavia added, his voice filled with admiration.

"You're definitely getting an A on your chemistry test," Seraphina remarked, gazing at the ceiling, her mind absorbing Octavia's words. Suddenly, a pillow smacked her face, and she turned to see Octavia, who had playfully thrown it at her. "What's wrong with you?" she asked, slightly annoyed.

"Out of everything I said, that's your only response? Where are your brains?" Octavia replied, unable to contain his laughter.

"Right where they belong, dimwit. What am I supposed to say? 'Oh, great thinking! I didn't know that about myself. Thank you, you're making me shy!'" Seraphina exclaimed, mimicking a high-pitched voice and waving her hands animatedly. Octavia burst into laughter, amused by her antics.

A knock at the door interrupted their laughter. Ms. Smith, their unexpected visitor, entered the room, carrying a tray of snacks and soda. "My favorite lady in the whole world, you should have called out to me, and I would have come to help you. Such beauty needs to be harvested for bigger things," Octavia remarked, taking the tray from Ms. Smith. Seraphina rolled her eyes and retorted, "You guys have only known each other for two seconds, and now you're suddenly best friends?"

"Phinny, please," both Ms. Smith and Octavia pleaded simultaneously. Seraphina sighed, conceding with an indifferent "Whatever."

"Moochie, I'll be out for a while. I need to run some errands. If your dad asks about him, tell him I'll be back soon, okay?" Ms. Smith informed them.

"As if he would dare to ask me," Seraphina replied, grabbing a packet of snacks. "Please be nice to him. He's really stressed out about the Chinese deal," Ms. Smith requested before leaving.

"What does that have to do with me?" Seraphina exclaimed, her voice carrying frustration.

"Why are you in a game of throats with your parents?" Octavia asked, munching on the snacks. "They took away my most treasured throne, so I want their heads," Seraphina replied with determination.

"Oh my, mi lurd! That's outrageous. Remember, thy Bible says, 'Thou shalt honour thy mother and thy father,'" Octavia said, playfully altering his voice.

"Mi Lady, you don't understand. Thy mother is with thy lord. Thy father seeks betrayal within thy house," Seraphina retorted, joining in on the playful banter.

"Thy shameful," Octavia responded, shaking his head, and they both burst into laughter at their failed attempts to speak Elizabethan English.

"Where are your parents?" Octavia inquired.

"Work. They're always working, but when they're home, they try their best to make it up to me," Octavia revealed.

"Must be nice," Seraphina murmured.

"Phinny?"

"Yes?"

"Are we friends?" Octavia asked, looking deep into her eyes, seeking a raw and honest answer.

"Shì (Yes)," she whispered, her eyes reflecting a world of emotions.