Breakthrough by Jack Andraka

Author:Jack Andraka
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

FAILING UPWARD

The next day I was standing in front of my locker, about to grab my books for fifth-period biology class, when Damien approached. Unfortunately, Damien was one of a handful of classmates who had moved along with me to my new high school.

“Yo, Jack,” he said, patting me on the shoulder. “What have you been working on lately?”

I knew there was only one reason this kid was being nice to me. Given my track record of recent science fair success, I figured he was fishing for information.

I chalked it up to desperation. After all, it was freshman year. That meant, for the first time, the winner of our local science fair would be eligible to qualify for an all-expenses-paid trip to THE Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Or as those who worshipped science called it, ISEF.

Two years had gone by since that incredible and eye-opening trip to San Jose, California, when, as a seventh grader, I had watched Luke walk up onstage to accept his special award. After bearing witness to the most elite teen minds in the Milky Way, it made the totality of my accomplishments feel small in comparison. While my time at ISEF was educational and invigorating, it also left me feeling bereft. It was as if I had been handed the most spectacular bacon cheeseburger and, after taking one tiny bite, had it ripped from my jaws. I still had that ISEF taste in my mouth, and I wanted more.

Damien was standing a few feet to my left, studying my face for clues.

“Oh, nothing much,” I told him with a shrug. “Still just trying to come up with something.” I’m a terrible liar.

“That sucks,” he said. “Because this is the year you’re going down, Andraka.”

“Yeah, right,” I responded.

I knew my comeback was lame, but I didn’t care. Trash-talking was never a strength of mine. Besides, I decided I’d let my project speak for itself.

However, if my science project was going to be worth its weight in nanotubes, I was going to need to secure that laboratory—and fast. After the final bell rang, I hurried straight home, hopeful that an email would be waiting for me with the news that I was accepted into a laboratory. I checked my inbox—nothing.

There’s no need to worry, I told myself. Doctors are busy people.

I hung out a lot in front of my computer that first night. When I wasn’t hitting the refresh key every few seconds, I passed the time by studying the pictures that the doctors had posted of themselves on their hospital profile pages. I couldn’t help but notice how inviting they all looked.

The next day when I came home from school, I had finally received my first response.

I opened it.

Thank you for inquiring about space at our laboratory for your research; unfortunately . . .

It was a rejection in the form of one of those automated responses. I didn’t need to read any more.

“That’s strange,” I told myself, shrugging it away. “I guess she just didn’t get it.

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