Clumsy in Chemistry Class

"Fireworks lab!" Mrs. Smiggins shouted, clapping her hands together
excitedly. Grins shot across almost every students face in the
classroom. Every face, that is, except mine. I sunk deep in my chair,
praying to God I wouldn't be the one handling the chemicals. Kevin, who
sat directly in front of me, swung around to look at me. "You wanna be
in my group?" I nodded suspiciously. Kevin of all people knew how I
could barely get from class to class in one piece much less handle
flamable chemicals. My luck I would drop it directly on either my or a
group members shirt, knock over the torch, and catch the entire room on
fire sending everyone in the school running out screaming for their
lives as the entire building was enveloped in smoke. Of course, then I
could be reading way too far into this.

Kevin was already up and scuffling toward the back of the room. I sunk
deeper in my chair, ducking my head, hoping and praying that maybe Mrs.
Smiggins would overlook me. Kevin, turning back, spotted me and
abruptly latched onto my hand, pulling me up out of my chair and full
speed toward the table piled with test tubes, chemical bottles, rubber
gloves, safety goggles, and other highly dangerous items (maybe not for
others, but dangerous for me).

Before I knew it, I was rushing to squeeze my hand into a pair of
rubber gloves while pulling on a pair of old, worn goggles. "Here!"
Kevin stuck a test tube of some chemical that smelled vaguely of burnt
plastic. I grasped it gently, trying not to smash the test tube in my
nervous grip. "Hold it as still as you can..." Kevin mumbled under his
breath as he came toward me with a dropper with a dark brown fluid. I
jumped back, suprised, splashing the smelly water down the front of my
apron.

Everyone but Kevin groaned, fumbling to fill another test tube with
another 20 miligrams. Kevin took it from the test tube tray, and I
reached for it just in time for him to pull it away frantically. His
horrified expression softened to a nervous grin. "Maybe, uh, someone
else should hold it."

I could feel blood rushing to my cheeks, and nodded looking down. My
stomach felt as if it were doing backflips.

*To Be Continued*