Alarm bells. What is Kayla going to do now, while the whole class is watching?

Eleventh grade science class is no picnic.

Mimi makes a face at her illegible notes. They don’t seem to make the slightest bit of sense. Whatever.

Shoshana catches her eye and winks. She’s been busy scribbling the entire lesson. Mimi leans closer to take a peek; her friend’s notebook has endless, flowing doodles of wedding gowns. Shoshana’s sister is getting married soon; it’s her first sibling’s wedding, fun.

“So, to summarize… yes? Kayla?”

Mimi’s head shoots up and she flinches. Three rows forward and on the other side of the room, Kayla holds her arm up at full length, index finger pointing to the sky.

“The information you conveyed just now, regarding scientific principles of chemical reactivity,” Kayla says, “isn’t entirely accurate. The hypothesis with which you introduced the class, although popular, was rejected in 2019 following significant experimentation. I would suggest fact-checking in mainstream scientific journals for further clarity.”

A titter echoes around the room. Mimi’s face burns.

Miss Licht struggles for composure. “That may be, Kayla, but the general accepted theory— ”

“It is irrelevant if science has proven otherwise, as it has. I can explain further.”

Miss Licht’s cheeks go faintly pink. “Kayla, I’m sure you have a lot to say on the subject, and I would be happy to discuss this with you after class. Now, please turn to the next page…”

Sound fades out again. Mimi dares to glance around. Somehow, no one is looking at her. Her chest loosens.

Recess can’t come fast enough. Mimi shoves her books into her bag, never mind which, never mind what. Kayla makes a beeline for the teacher’s desk.

Alarm bells. What is Kayla going to do now, while the whole class is watching?