Stranger Things One-shots (Requests Closed)

Affects

my_chemical_trashcan

Zoe

"Uh... my assignment was to find an article about our world, and how we affect it." I start, smiling nervously as I present to my entire science class. A script of white paper lies in my hands, as I anxiously scan it to find what I'll say next.

I despise presenting. It makes me all nervous and sweaty, and I always make a fool out of myself, in the end. This time, I'm determined to make it through. My only problem: Mike Wheeler is sitting only three feet away from me, and he's smiling his warm smile that melts my very heart every time. He's so sweet, I like him so much. I'm so happy that he's my boyfriend, I can't believe it. I didn't when I first asked him out. Ha, suck it, gender rolls!

"Zoe, please continue," Mr. Clarke reminds me softly, gesturing towards the sheets of paper in my hands. I return by reciprocating a soft voice at him. "Okay." I clear my throat. "Well, this world is big." I state simply, as certain eyes narrow in confusion. "Pretty big, 7,917.5 miles in diameter, with so many diverse ecosystems and environments. That's what circles the globe, and provides us resources. Coal, gas, trees, minerals, energy... that comes from planet earth. Our big world, that's only a speck of sand in the beach that's our cosmos. It's so little, but it's the only thing we've got. We affect it in, I hate to say it, completely negative ways-" I feel my breath go short, as more eyes fall on me. Mr. Clarke looks intrigued, and Mike still remains still, staring at me with intent. About to continue my report, I feel my breath hitch in my throat. Too many eyes, too many eyes. The walls, they're squeezing me, my lungs.

I can't breathe, I'm hyperventilating. It's so erratic, sporadic, and it's all very hazy. Mike cocks his head in confusion, and I feel so humiliated. Completely, I hear loud snickers ring through my head. "Does she have stage fright?" I hear one voice whisper, as it continues it's ridicule by laughing. Mr. Clarke, I can see with my peripheral vision, glares at the loud speaker. I can't really talk, i just hear my deep breaths echo through the room. I'm petrified, it doesn't make sense. I can't move, but the eyes of the students do, irises and pupils surveying my every movement, eerily waiting for another mistake. Others just look menacing, as some kids silently jeer, as the laughs don't cease. What assholes, I think, still in a panicked and dazed state.

Mike actually stands up, confidence swelling in his gaze, as he stands beside me. "I'll help," he whispers to me, and I manage to nod. "Negative ways, of which we are blinded and delusional to think otherwise. We're stripping our earth of every natural thing it obtains, and we pollute the highly important ozone layer. We're the only speices of animal that destroy their own habitat, as we only still have two-fourths of what our rainforest used to be. Deforestation has taken over the rainforests and the taiga, along with the deciduous forest for years, as the desert has been taken over, for gold and oil. Is that how we want to leave this earth? If this continues, statistics show, that by 2015, most of the Amazon Rainforest will be extinguished. We'll only have three trillion trees, when right now, we have twenty-eight trillion..." He continues with my report, and his hand slips into mine while speaking, his oral skills are perfect. I feel my cheeks grow warm as my panic gradually starts to decrease. I don't see judging eyes, I see normal eyes, watching the presentation. The walls are no longer closing in, as my distorted vision shifts into focus. I feel my breath slow down, as there aren't any blocks in my throat to prevent such. I'm okay, now... thanks to Mike. Stupid Mike, always so nice and reassuring. What did I do to deserve him, really?

I smile, a nice and flashy one at the audience, as I lean into Mike's ear. "I think I got it, but could you stay up here, with me?" he complies, giving me my stack of white paper. "So," I continue, my pride swaying in my chest. "It's not all negative, though. A major contradictory to what I said. There are two types of of "worlds," on only one planet. There's always the environmental world, with the ecosystems and the biomes, the core, the crust... what we originally think of. But, there's another world. Another world, below the surface of what a satellite can process. The cultural world. The world where humans created "words," which are just sounds used to communicate. Dialect and languages, hundreds are translated every single day. There's the religion and political region of all of it, where people go into debates, make new friends, and even cause world wars! There's common interests, things that we all do, there's always someone else to guide you, when you fall. It's in the most unexpected place! There are books, filled with imagination and knowledge, there's always something to explore! But we have six million people on our planet. There's always one person that will help you. Humans affect both worlds... which one will you help? Will you become an environmentalist/activist? Will you become a CEO in producing oil and coal? See, that's the question. We affect our world in too many ways to determine that... but how you affect it, how we affect it... is up to you." I conclude, relinquishing a nervous breath. The class erupts into applause, even from the teacher. Which I'm genuinely surprised about, actually.

Mike and I sit back down in our seats, but he continues to smile at me, proudly. What the hell did I do, I didn't earn the Nobel Peace Prize! But Lucas, Dustin, and Will deliver sweet smiles. "Good job!" Dustin mouths, nodding with a toothy grin. Will and Lucas nod in agreement, and I blush. It wasn't that good, was it?

Huh, and I thought I was gonna get an F. Mike's too nice, I swear. He's too great, he risked embarrassment to help me on a stupid assignment. Do I have an affect on him? He most certainly does for me... and I love him for that.

(IMPORTANT A/N:
Please, go check out my mom's story! It's called, "Tales From Old Town: Twice Shy," and it's really good. Any questions about it, just comment and she's absolutely amazing, I love my mom more than anything in this world and she's a fantastic writer, go CHECK HER OUT! Her profile is Saintebby, and the only reason I'm not tagging her is because I want it to be a surprise! Ily guys!)