Wendell couldn't sleep at all. He paced around his bedroom, practicing his speech over and over again. Tomorrow afternoon he would present a research paper on an amazing compound guaranteed to revolutionize the world and cement his reputation as the greatest scientist ever.
"For centuries people have searched for the Fountain of Youth, but now the search is over," he said. He ran the line through his mind time and time again with emphasis on different words until it sounded perfect.
Everything had to be perfect. Scientists, professors, and dignitaries from all over the world would be in attendance. All to see a thirteen-year-old-boy who had discovered the secret to immortality. He picked up a tube of glowing white liquid, the key to eternal youth. No one would ever have to grow old again.
The tube rattled in his hand and from the room next door came the squeak of bedsprings followed by a roar like that of a jet engine. Prudence must have rolled over in bed. He had warned Mom to keep his sister home today so she couldn't embarrass him during the presentation. He shuddered at the thought of her shambling into the auditorium in that hideous turquoise maternity gown of hers, her chubby face stained with chocolate and a bag of chips clutched in her pudgy hands. Then in the middle of his presentation she would fall asleep, the vibrations from her snoring bringing the roof down upon him.
He continued practicing his speech and pacing the bedroom, his thoughts drowning out Prudence's snoring. At dawn his alarm rang, but he still had not gone to bed. "Wendell, it's almost time for school," Mom called.
"I know Mom. I'll be there in a few minutes." He hid the vial of liquid under a towel before he went to shower in case Prudence waddled in here looking for something to drink. Of course if she did he would have a good demonstration for the start of his presentation.
After showering, he trimmed his beard to look presentable for his speech. He practiced smiling in front of the mirror, everything from a smirk to a broad grin until he found one in-between that felt comfortable. "Pleased to meet you, Doctor," he said, holding out his hand. He should have asked Mom or Prudence to help him practice his grips. He didn't want to crush their hands or feel like a limp fish in their grasp.
He went back into the bedroom and heard Prudence still snoring next door. Good. He could get out of here before she rolled out of bed and oozed downstairs to scarf down a box of waffles for breakfast. He took his best suit out of the closet along with a shirt and tie. The shirt and suit jacket felt too snug around his shoulders and upper arms. He should have asked Mom to get him some new clothes before the biggest moment of his life. It'll have to do, he thought. Soon he would be famous enough to have a closet of suits custom-made.