Disclaimer: I do NOT own Strange Days, and I never will.
Sorry I haven't updated! I went to Washington DC for 4 days and have spent the last few recovering! Feel free to review. Kind of a filler chapter, but it's needed. P.S.- I made Madison's last name Lee. FYI.
Josie pulled the covers over her head and groaned as her alarm went off. She could hear Corrine already up and getting ready. They'd finally finished their essays at around one thirty in the morning. Josie had fallen asleep more than once.
"Come on Josie, you're going to be late!"
Josie groaned once more. "What else is new?"
"Josie, we missed Science Club yesterday, you can't be late for science class too!"
"Why not?" Josie asked sleepily.
Corrine rolled her eyes and gathered up her books. "Fine, be late, but don't blame me when you get detention."
"Z wouldn't give me detention."
"Suit yourself." Corrine walked out.
Josie sighed and rolled out of bed with a thump.
An amazing eight minutes later, Josie rushed into the science lab and skidded to a stop when she saw Principal Durst.
"Miss Trent! You are late! I believe that makes three times. One week detention! Take your seat."
"Where's Professor Z?"
"I have already gone through that with the class. If you had been here, you would know. Now, sit down!"
Josie walked in slowly, ignoring the stares of her fellow classmates. She sat down next to Corrine as Durst continued the lesson.
"So, what's up with Z?" Josie asked Corrine in a whisper.
"I don't really know. Principal Durst said he just took a few days off."
"I'm going to ask her after class."
"Miss Baxter, Miss Trent, pay attention! There will be a test on this tomorrow if you don't listen."
Corrine blushed and hurriedly began writing things down in her notebook, as Josie returned the glared given by their peers.
"Now class, we're going back to the basics for a moment. Can anyone tell me, at what temperature, Fahrenheit, does water freeze into ice?" Durst looked around the room. Josie was copying notes from Corrine, Corrine was sitting up straight, with her hand in the air, Lucas was looking disinterestedly at his pencil, Marshall sat tapping his pencil on the table to the tune of his newest song, Vaughn was staring out the window, running football plays through his head, Madison was checking her fingernail polish, and Stuart…Stuart was sleeping. Perfect.
"Mr. Kubiak, would you be so kind as to inform the class the temperature at which water freezes?"
Stu sat up quickly and blearily raised his eyes to the principal. "Uhhh…is it eight?" At her continued stare he went on, "teen?" He waited a little longer, "hundred?"
Durst gave up, with her face masking the satisfaction, she said, "No, Mr. Kubiak, it is not eight-teen hundred degrees." She turned, "What about you Miss Lee?"
Madison looked up, smiled and said sweetly, "I'm sorry Principal Durst, I don't know. Professor Zachary never mentioned it to us. I'm sure you're much better qualified to teach us."
Durst blinked and smiled, "Well, thank you Miss Lee. I did work as a teacher here, you know, before I became principal. Unfortunately for you, I'll only be teaching this class for a few days."
She turned to face the room while Madison added to Cassie behind her back, "Like I care when water freezes." She rolled her eyes.
"Corrine, would you please tell the class at what temperature water freezes?"
"Thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit and zero degrees Celsius, but water with additives such as salt or even pollution can cause it to freeze at a higher or lower temperature. Altitude can also affect when water becomes ice." Corrine sat back with a smile on her face, pleased with herself.
"Thank you Corrine. That's correct. Now that the basics are covered; the human body is warm blooded, which means we generate our own heat, unlike reptiles and amphibians whose body temperature changes with the surrounding temperature. For example, if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will jump out. If you put a frog in cool water and slowly turn up the heat to boiling temperature, the frog will simple die."
Madison shared a disgusted look with Cassie while many of the boys in the class sat up a little straighter at the prospect of carnage.
Durst noted this and said, "Fortunately, we don't have enough time for that particular experiment." The boys groaned and Durst continued.
"The human body regulates its temperature at around ninety-eight point six degrees Fahrenheit. However, when you body is infected, that temperature can go higher. That is what we call a fever. A severe fever would be a temperature of one hundred-two degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Your body temperature can also go lower. This is called hypothermia. Hypothermia is severe when the body's temperature falls below ninety-six degrees Fahrenheit. Your—," Durst was interrupted as Lucas's pencil went flying across the room.
She turned to find him staring in horror at the floor where his pencil had landed. He slowly brought his gaze up to hers, then quickly looked down at the table.
"Mr. Randall, what is the meaning of this…Projectile?" Durst demanded in outrage.
"It…slipped." Lucas replied lamely.
"Well then, you can 'slip' right into detention after school today."
The bell rang and the class hurried out, save Josie and Corrine. Josie went straight up to Principal Durst who sat at Professor Zachary's desk to make an attempt to grade the class's papers.
"Now can you tell me where Professor Z is?"
Durst looked up, annoyed. "As I told the rest of the class, he has requested a few days off." She looked down at the papers, then back up again as she remembered. "He did ask me to tell you that the Science Club was to continue as usual."
Durst eyed them both. "You are to leave Professor Zachary alone. He asked for a vacation and I don't think he would appreciate you two delving into his personal life." She looked back down at the papers.
Josie's eyes lit up. "So he's still at the school?"
"Yes, of course." Durst realized what she'd said and hastened to add, "But you are not to disturb…" She trailed off as the door shut with a bang. Durst sighed and waited for the next class.