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35 : Panic

"Where's Louis?" I asked as I entered class.

"Oh...he's gonna be practicing the whole day today. He says it's a pretty important match for them. Something about keeping the winning strategy...I don't know what exactly, but, he won't be attending any classes today." Lisa said, settling down next to me.

"We have chemistry practicals the first two hours. It got exchanged with Denver's two classes which were supposed to be the first two hours." Elsa said, running in with a bunch of books in her hand and her lab coat already on.

"Why have you worn it already?" I asked.

"Just a few minutes for the bell. Where's everyone else?" She said. She was right. No one else was here yet.

"Niall should be here by now, Harry and Liam are coming together, and Zayn?" I said.

"I don't know." Lisa said. "Doesn't he come by car Elsa?"

"I don't care. Let him come however he wants." She said, throwing the books in front of us, and stormed out of the class.

"You shouldn't have asked her that." I said.

                                                                                                       *

"Audrey. What do I add next?" Niall whispered to me holding a test tube with a little of his salt in it. 

"What all did you add to it?" I asked.

"Just the salt." He whispered back.

"I think I told everyone to do it on your own." Gibbs said from his table. "And by everyone, I mean even you, Horan"

"Damn it you old man." Niall said.

"What was that?" Professor Gibbs walked towards him and asked.

"Nothing professor." He yelled back.

"Add some concentrated sulfuric acid. And by some, I meant just some five to six drops." I said.

"Okay." He said, and ran to the table where the acids were kept and did as I told him. Just as he did it, dense white fumes started evolving from the test tube. He started coughing, shut his mouth and nose together with his hand, and ran back next to me.

"What now?" He asked.

"Just write down what you saw." I said. "Are you-..

"Losing breath. Yes." He said, trying hard to breath. The fumes still kept coming from the test tube. I threw the solution out into the sink, and Niall ran out of the lab, trying to catch his breath. A lot of other people who were standing near us were coughing now.

"Hey...it's okay. Sit straight." I said. He was still finding it hard to breath. After about twenty minutes of struggle, he was back to normal.

"You still want to do it? I'll talk to-..."

"No. I'll be fine." He said.

                                                                                                          *

The bell rang signaling recess. Liam was still angry at Niall. Liam seemed to be avoiding him since morning. Zayn looked unusually dull though.

"What's wrong Zayn?" I asked.

"What? Oh...nothing. I'm fine." He said.

"No you're not." Lisa said.

"Huh?" He said. "Can we just have a normal conversation?"