Megan asked as we worked our way through our first lab experiment in AP Chemistry. “Now that we’re seniors?” “What did you want, a red carpet when we walked into school yesterday morning? Trumpets? Confetti?” “Something like that. We worked and suffered all these years.” She carefully measured the liquid in the test tube. “They should honor us.” “I think the honor comes in June. A little thing called graduation?” “We don’t need a reward at graduation. Leaving this place is reward enough.” She glanced up at Mrs. Oswald, who was hovering around our side of the room, checking on students’ progress. When she drifted away, Megan added, “Did you see the new exchange student over there?” I adjusted my goggles and peered across the room at Simon, pretending I was hearing about him for the first time. “Cute. Where’s he from?”
