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Three Strikes

Yeah, as in we haven't misbehaved without any proof since, thought Will with anger flushing his face.

Fuck this! Whoever did it is going to be beaten to shit! thought Henry.

~

I walked into chemistry and sauntered over to Will and Henry's shared lab desk.  

I smirked. "Hope you guys just loved my present!"

I laughed at the two. Their expressions? One word illustrated their faces impeccably: Priceless.

"You bitch," snarled Will.

"I knew it," grumbled Henry.

"Happy birthday," I told them. 

"Mine's during the summer, retard," snapped Will, and I rolled my eyes.

I went to my own seat, slipped off my backpack, and let it drop to the ground before settling in my chair with my head on my arms. The bell ring and Miss Myacoff got up from behind her desk.

"Rachel, have you forgotten about the lab today already?" Miss Myacoff called me out and some chuckled as I glanced up. "Anyways, please, get in your pairs! One of you grab the supplies!"

I was tired. When you're tired, you get lazy-well, at least for people like me and other normal, awesome people anyways. I decided Calvin could get the supplies.

Maybe he can do all the work too. Maybe-just maybe-I won't mind him...as much.

Calvin walked over with a tray of chemistry crap. Beakers, tubes, gloves, chemicals, and stuff. He set it down next to me, not looking up from his hands the entire time.

Dork. Emo. Goth. Freak.

"You gonna make me work too?" I grumbled.

"Only if you want," Calvin mumbled.

Okay, maybe he's not terrible, I thought. But he still sucks.

Then Miss Myacoff ruined it all...again.

"Rachel, you will be participating," she said firmly and I groaned.

"Fine. Whatever, you're just as bad as Mrs. Bullshit sometimes," I muttered under my breath.

If I did what I was supposed to, I would pass and say bye-bye to both Miss Myacoff and Mrs. Bullshit.

Miss Myacoff went through the procedure step-by-step before we started the chemical test. Calvin and I didn't look exactly happy as she strapped on her own awkward lab goggles and proceeded to do exactly what she did. I pulled my hair back then put on the plastic gloves.

We were making elephant toothpaste. Even I thought it was pretty cool. It made me think of foam that grew. And who-besides the prissy people of the world-wouldn't view that as awesome? It's freaking growing foam! Imagine how many pranks you could pull with that! For once, I assumed I might enjoy class. 

But, our chemicals: (1) weren't the right ones (2) and so didn't make the elephant toothpaste (3) because someone (I knew too well it was Will and Henry) had switched them out.

I had thought Calvin was paying attention, but apparently not because neither of us noticed that the chemicals were different than everyone else's. I certainly wasn't paying attention. Hello! When do I other than the times I want-not need, want-to?

Boom!

Our chemicals exploded. The beaker broke. Glass and liquid flew about foot, hitting Calvin and I. The glass shards scattered everywhere. Calvin was already sported some fight tropies on his skin, and so with his scabs, bruises, dark style, and now with the new and bleeding glass cuts, he looked like he had just  stepped out of a horror movie.

I couldn't see myself considering there was no mirror randomly in our science room. Sorry, but I forgot it at home. My bad-not really. But, if I had to guess-I wouldn't have admitted it then-but I'm guessing I probably looked rather shocked. There was no doubt I had some cuts, but Calvin had blocked most of the flying glass fragments considering he was closer and bigger than I was.  

"Aw, look at their chemistry. So close, it went bang," snickered Will. 

"Will, we'll talk later," demanded Miss Myacoff then she turned to us. "Calvin, Rachel, listen carefully..." Miss Myacoff rapidly told us what to do, and I knew I would be in the hospital later just so they could check on me.

Calvin's eyes had grown twice their normal size and his hands were up like someone was pointing a gun at him. My eyes had widened but my arms stayed at my side as I was too surprised to do much. It was a fast, unexpected explosion, even for me.

As for the students in the class that had no association with the "accident", they had all gasped or screamed from the sudden occurance of flying glass and chemicals around Calvin's and my sared lab desk. While Calvin and I were being told what to do and following the instuctions, they were either still stunned, getting over the shock, or whispering about what had just happened. 

And that was Henry and Will's third prank. Three strikes you're oh-so dead.