Jasmine had exactly forty-seven hours until the science fair, and her project was nowhere near finished. The half-built volcano sat on the kitchen table, surrounded by crumpled paper towels and dried glue drips. Her mom glanced at it and raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
The problem wasn't the volcano itself - that part was easy. The problem was her partner, Derek. He was supposed to bring the vinegar and baking soda three days ago. Every time she texted him, she got the same response: "my bad, forgot lol." Her messages had gotten shorter and shorter: "Please bring supplies tomorrow." Then: "Tomorrow?" And finally, just: "?"
At school the next day, Jasmine found Derek at lunch, laughing with his friends about a video game. Her face felt hot.
"Derek. The science fair is TOMORROW."
He shrugged. "Chill, we'll figure it out."
"We? What 'we'? I've been working on this alone for two weeks!" The words came out louder than she meant. Nearby students turned to look.
Derek's smile faded. "Why are you being so dramatic? It's just a grade."
That night, Jasmine stayed up until midnight finishing the project by herself. When her mom came downstairs and saw her still working, she sat down without a word and started cutting cardboard. They worked side by side until the volcano was complete.
The next day at the science fair, Jasmine's volcano erupted perfectly. Derek stood next to her, taking credit with the judges. Jasmine smiled politely, but inside she was making a different kind of decision - one about who she would trust with her work in the future.