Chapter 07: Organic Chemistry

Christina stared at the fresh plastic wrapper still snuggled tight around the Organic Chemistry text. Her assigned lab partner had yet to unwrap his book but brought it to class with him every day. She found it curious but never bothered to ask since they just shared hers. This was only her fifth time seeing him and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of him just yet. He seemed smart; a relative science genius for all accounts and purposes and she was lucky to get him as her partner. But otherwise, socially, he was very awkward. His style, if you could call it that, was bizarre and looked as though he preferred thrift stores to designer labels.

The beat up old gray and black sweater he wore was an everyday thing and so were the black jeans that were often caked in some unknown smudges. There was a dirt sheen on his hair making it always frizzy and oily and she thought she’d peeked a lizard smile at her at some point from the tousled tresses; probably her imagination. Oddly enough though the worst smell she got from him was something akin to day old bread; faintly fresh yet stale and near odorless. But like many geniuses Ezra placed very little importance in the way he looked and that may have added to the reason people call him weird. “Classify the following as either oxidation–reduction or metathesis reactions,” he read aloud bringing Christina’s focus back to their assignment.

“What?”

“You know if you want to get this down you might want to focus a little.”

“Yeah, sorry, go on.”

He sighed and started over. “Because electrons are neither created nor destroyed, oxidation can’t occur in the absence of reduction and vice versa. It is often useful, however, to focus attention on one component of the reaction and ask, is that substance oxidized or reduced? In the exercise below, classify the following as either oxidation–reduction or metathesis reactions.”

(a) 2 CH3OH H+---> CH3OCH3 + H2O

(b) CO + 2 H2 ---> CH3OH

(c) CH3Br + 2 Li ---> CH3Li + LiBr

Christina glared at the information on the page in front of her and gingerly chewed on her bottom lip. Ezra exhaled impatiently and annoyingly began tapping his pencil on the table in front of her. “Do you think you could stop doing that please? I’m not as fast at this as you and that isn’t helping me think.”

“Here, let me start you off,” he sighed again and turned the book in his direction as he moved closer towards her. “A is a metathesis reaction because there is no change in the oxidation number of the carbon atoms when an alcohol is converted to an ether.”

“Right! Both would have a negative two conversion.”

“Exactly. See!” he smiled for the first time since making her acquaintance. “It’s not as hard as some people make it.”

“Yeah. I know I’m slower but I get it after a while Ezra. Like B, the answer is oxidation– reduction reaction because the carbon atom is reduced from the +2 to the -2 oxidation state when CO combines with H2 to form methanol.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself! You’re not as stupid as I thought. Maybe Steward got it right this time and I won’t have to do all the work.” He looked up at her realizing what he said and quickly apologized. “I usually get stuck with first year chem. students and it never works out well for me.”

“Well you have no worries about that. I have no intentions of taking advantage of you and I very much appreciate being partnered with someone who knows what he’s doing too.”

Together they worked through the next problem resolving the reaction solution and prepared to hand in their work. Again the book caught her eye but this time having established somewhat of a rapport with her lab partner she decided to ask. “What is with the wrapper?”

“On my book? Well I thought you were going to be a user so I figured I’d get a little out of the deal too. If I can keep my book unused all semester I can refund it for the full amount instead of getting cheated as the college bookstore does. You buy this thing new for $135 and they give you $23 back at the end of classes. It’s a ripoff!”

“Oh,” Christina laughed. “Well I’ll make you a deal you can keep the wrapper on your book IF you pace yourself with me. I get the work and won’t use you but I don’t have a calculator embedded in my brain either, deal?”

“Deal.” Ezra noticed Kayne across the campus as he and Christina started out of the lab and frowned. “Class was nice but I gotta run. I’ll catch up to you later Chrissy.”

“Ok, have a good one.”

“Ezra Miller,” Donovan shrugged as Christina caught up to him and Jordan. “You actually talked to him?”

“Sort of. We mostly worked on a Chemistry lab. But this was the first time he’s said anything to me that wasn’t pertaining to science.” 

“I’m surprised you even got that much out of him! Danica Stevens partnered with him last semester and dropped the class three weeks in. Apparently he made things rather difficult on her constantly pushing off the harder problems on her and making up any and every little excuse to the Professor causing her grade to sink before they even hit the first exam. She said it was the worst experience ever and had she not withdrawn from the course he would have horribly killed her perfect GPA.”

“Really? He didn’t seem that way to me. He said he’s had lab partners in the past that never really pulled their weight and so he’s had to work on getting them more involved in partner activities. Is that why people steer clear of him?”

“That and the fact that he’s sort of creepy and weird. All I’m saying is you’d better keep a close eye on him. The last thing I want to see is you having to drop that class or getting your grades messed up over something ridiculous.”

“Thanks Jordan, I appreciate that. In speaking of I have a favor to ask. Um, I kind of have this thing with Remington on Saturday and…”

“Whoa hold up what? You have a date with Remy and are JUST now mentioning this to me why?”

“Well it’s not a date, not really.”

“Ok what’s not really a date?”

“He’s taking me some place to teach me how to swim. It’s not a date, he told me I’d better come prepared to work. ANYWAY,” she rolled her eyes watching the over mockingly way Jordan mooned over the idea of her and Remy. “I need help finding a swimsuit.”

“SHOPPING!?” Jordan exclaimed and hooked their arms together. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?!”

“Well I guess I’ve lost my girl for the night. Thanks Chrissy,” Donovan pouted. “Remind me to pay you back later!”

“I’m sorry! I promise to bring her back in one piece…though slightly used,” she laughed as Jordan pulled her down the hallway.

Ezra dropped his books on his desk and shut the door of his room with the heel of his foot before marking something on his calendar. “What the hell took you so long?” the sultry voice growled behind him. He turned with a start but the scared expression was quickly replaced with a smile as he turned in her direction. He cleared his throat and stood upright as she slowly swayed towards him.

“I-I-I was uh…how did you get in here?”

“That doesn’t matter. I need your help with something.”

He sighed knowing exactly where she was going with this. It was the same routine as it had always been. Someone gets too close to Kayne and she uses his oversized brain and undersexed body to hurt them and keep them away. It was hard enough hurting Danica in that way but now to see someone else suffer at Rachael’s wrath, he just didn’t know if he could do it again. “No Rachael, I’m not messing with someone else’s grades again for you. You still owe me the $700 from the last time.”

“Oh come on Ezzie, I could always ask someone else but I want you to do it. And besides I can offer you something much more valuable than money. You know no one else can master the art of deceit as well as you.”

“Yeah just like no one can master the art of being a real bitch like you. I said no deal.”

“What if I promised to make it worth your while?” she rubbed her foot into his crotch and felt an immediate reaction.

Ezra swallowed hard and followed the length of her leg up towards the somewhat moist and slightly visible pink thong between her thighs. His body stiffened more and Rachael smirked rubbing her toes against his bulge until he finally relented. “Who is it this time?” he asked with a defeated sigh before readjusting his jeans.

“Good boy!” Rachael hissed and moved over him with a confident smirk on her face. “Christina Samuels. And this time, I want her to really suffer and I know just how we can do it too!”

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