If you put love in a test tube what would it look like? A clear solution with mini candy hearts or maybe it would be filled with glitter or a deep red liquid. The same colour of the blood that pumps through your heart that only beats for your true love.

They say it's a chemical reaction in our brain that releases dopamine and makes us, simply put, happy. It puts a romanticized rose coloured filter over how we see our day to day lives.

Maybe that's what they mean when they call it being love struck. After you fall in love you fall hard and can't focus. Your thoughts are consumed by one person. This however never comes in handy when you are handling real chemicals.

"Mackenzie stop daydreaming about your boyfriend. I need your full attention so we don't accidentally break anything again." Casey cringes at the sound of glass smashing from the bench next to us. This makes me feel a little better about dropping half the equipment and rearranging its particles. Or how my teacher would say breaking into smithereens.

"At least it wasn't us this time" I smile innocently "and I'd like to point out that I would never be distracted by a guy unless he was Dylan O'brian or the Prince of Genovia."

"You know that's not a real place right?" he says slowly.

Standing up abruptly I slam my booklet shut and start packing up my equipment. "I don't need this type of negativity in my life, I think I may need to go and find myself a new lab partner."

We both know this is an empty threat but the theatrics are just fun and class can get get very dull from time to time.

He leans on his elbow to quirk an eyebrow "I call bluff, you wouldn't leave me for Natalie. You hate people that complain about everything plus I heard someone cut in front of her today and she's on a row."

Our attention drifts over to the lady in the back tapping so furiously on her phone that I'm surprised it hasn't smashed yet. Being the only people under 40 in the class came with it's perks like knowing how to use equipment like a computer and projector. We usually do a 20 minute tutorial at the start of every class because they seem to forget every time.

I pat him on the cheek thoughtfully, "True true, where else would I get my daily dose of eye candy from?"

"I am a taken man and I believe Sam is supposed to be your eye candy? Oh great, now I have become a middleman in your newly blooming relationship am I only a pretty face to you?" He slides his stool slightly away all the while trying not to fall off /

"No, I mean your dimples are super sweet and you make me feel like a sane person when I see you. Then you also make a pretty mean Singapore noodles which is a added bonus to this friendship, where else am I supposed to get good tasting food?"

At the sacred word mention our teacher Janine zeros in on us "Mackenzie, do I have to remind you that the lab is a food free zone? Unless of course you want us start testing the food in chemicals."

My stomach grumbles at the thought of food but the look Janine gives me the impression that I shouldn't test her patience. "No. You made that very clear when you chucked my perfectly good muffin the bin while yelling 'CONTAMINANT! ' "

The saddest part is that I never got to take even a bit out of that muffin.

Janine can only shake her head and sigh. As you can tell we have a great mutual respect for each other.

My eyes are drawn up to the board that had elements written out in a list and an equipment trolly next to the lab table. It's reassuring to know that we will be doing real chemistry today and not just 

"Today we will be doing a simple reaction exercise today using common elements. I will give you a list of task and tests to do on said elements then you will have to record the effect of different conditions. Make sure you have all the proper equipment. Remember the equipment is fragile so take care. Her gaze burns into us particularly at the last sentence.

"Do we have special gloves so our hands don't melt off?"

"The chemicals are non toxic Mr Gardner so you won't have to worry about of your body parts falling off."

Casey goes through our quintessential 'DON'T WANT TO DIE' list  "Lab coat to protect my shirt with a pasta sauce stain on it, check. Goggles to make sure that my eyesight doesn't get worse , check. Enclosed shoes so when I spill something my toes won't be burnt off, check."

"Breakable equipment out of reach?"

I moves the glass beakers away from then knock zone "Double check."

"Use the equipment safely and with caution, we don't need another incident like last time." she repeats again.

Ye of little faith. It's basic Chemistry. Seeing how various elements react to different conditions. Pft. Easy.

We get through most of the experiments with out a hitch {maybe with a couple puns here and there to keep the mood light and from us falling asleep. )

"What's this?" I ask, picking up a whitish-silver with tweezers. 

"Calcium."

" This is Gouda going to be good."

"You're so cheesy." I can't help but smile.

We laugh at our once again hilarious puns.

Casey carefully measures out the water while I drop the element into the liquid. We both watch intrigued as small bubbles start to form. 

The fizzing "Oh looks it's bubbling oh-oh it's rising a litt- a lot. What do we do? It's not stopping. I don't think it's suppose to do that." 

"Ahhh" Casey scans around in panic, he picks up the overflowing beaker and tips the content down sink bubbling out of the sink.

There is a moment of relief, well that is until the drain start to bubble over as well. Not having a clue what to do I turn on tap.

"Stop doing that! You're making it worse." Casey quietly scorns me. We both stare at the sink watching that white bubbles slowly die down.

A voice says from behind "I want you to leave the calcium for another day. I will demonstrate it as it can be unpredictable at times." Casey and I sink in our stools. She couldn't have told us that at the start of the lesson so we could have avoided a heart attack.

Before I can accidently melt down the lab again, I look down at my imaginary watch. "Well look at the time, it's getting a bit too late. I need to leave early because our train comes in 23 minutes and I'm not letting sunnies dude get my seat." I sweep my possessions into a bag and swing it over the my shoulder.

"Very creative name." Casey comments

I shrug "He wears socks with sandals and sunglasses at night. There is no way that he deserves to take the last seat on the carriage. I'll see you later noodle boy."

"We are not giving eachother nicknames. It won't work," Casey's ears are goingi slightly pink

"Trust me, it will." I say smiling over my shoulder

****

Slowly making our way towards the front door we steal quick glances at eachother . 

Sam stops us just out the front ." I guess this is a good night." I  glance from  my feet to the door and back to Sam who is gazing down at me.

"Yep, that's my door and there are my parents watching us through the window." My cheeks burn from embarrassment. 

"Can I kiss you?" I am a little taken back by the question at first. Then I take in the gleam in his eye sparked by the bug zapper beside us and the gentle smile playing on his lips. How does a guy like Sam even take the slightest interest in me?

"Ah um yes" I fumble over my words.

He leans forward and places a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Taking it slow." my heart skips a beat . I don't deserve him.

 A message alert brings me back to current time as I walk home from the station.

Sam: How was class?

Distracted. Almost blew up lab. Had a guy on my mind.

Sam: I do leave that impression. But next time maybe be a bit more careful.

Chris Pine is pretty awesome sauce. That smile is to die for. Maybe I'll try thinkng of you next time. You're much less distracting.

My phone buzzes almost as soon as my message is sent.

"How sweet of you to ring up, I was longing to hear the sound of your voice."

A door shuts on the other side of the line "As your boyfriend it is my responsibility to make sure you don't die on the way home."

"A little walking won't do much harm. I hear that walking is actually good for you and contains stuff called exercise."

"It may be exercise but it also  murderers favourite way to you know gang up and kill people."

"And I thought I was the negative one" I mumble under my breath. "Don't stress babe I've got an umbrella I can hit then with. Plus it's broken so I can use the shards to stab them instead." confidently I pat my trusty broken polkadot umbrella.

There is a silent pause "Babe?"

"I was trying it out, not sure how I feel about it though. Are we going to be a couple that uses pet names? From my experience I've found that they can get real old really quick. Like Mac and Cheese. That was just... I don't even want to think back to that time it even though it was only like-"

"Mackenzie" Sam says softly my heart goes warm and fuzzy. I wonder if a heart could grow heart, maybe- .

I need to concentrate more. Less fuzz more Sam. "You're not out running tonight?"

There is a shuffle in the background "No today me and Lee were doing so weight training to build up more muscle in our legs for endurance and -"

"Because murderers can also be cannibals who have a fetish for legs." I finish.

"Lee and I are training for a fun run that's on in a month or so. " Sam corrects with humour laced through his silky voice.

"Who ever knew the words fun and run could be in the same sentence? Not me!"

A crash and scream comes from Sams side of the call. Maybe murderers have invaded his house.

"Uh Sam are you okay? Is someone dying at your house or is it just a weird noise your washing machine makes?"

Sam let's out an exhausted sigh "Its currently madhouse at the moment with my aunts family staying at our house. The cousins are hyperactive puppies who have to much energy and and so loud . We can't find a babysitter to watch them for a night so we can take the parents out to dinner."

I can't help but sympathize for him, having family staying over is no walk in the park.

"I can watch them." I so generously offer.

He scoffs "Are you sure you're up for the challenge? These kids are full of energy. They literlaly don't stop. Ever. They're not like Nintendogs, you can't forget about them for 3 years and find them alive later on."

"Don't worry, kids love me. It will be a blast. Everyone still likes Moana right?"

Love makes you do things you would have never have thought of doing before. It pushes you to step put of your comfort zone and experience life from a whole other perspective.

Than again love can be blind and mislead you into babysitting four kids you've never met. They could be complete angels or the spawn of Satan.

If I couldn't even keep a gold fish alive how will I keep these kids alive?

Maybe I should have thought this through a bit more.

Choc Chip Tip #9
I don't know what chemicals make up love but they are dangerous. Keep away from them or you may blow up a sink

:):):)
Why hello there super cool person that I haven't seen since last year.

Yep it's been that long. Christmas and New Years came and gone and I still have no clue what I am doing.

BUT I have been working on another project *groans from audience* I know I know, but it'll be good I pinky promise.

And that little part with the calcium really did happen to me and my friend in chemistry. Fun times

Until the next time I leave you this beautiful gift from my favourite Christmas movie

Lots of explosive love
Theforgottonone