You all literally render me speechless with your amazing reviews! Big thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater (and for being an amazing beta!), TheBlueAlienRobotZombie, PrincesscharmingKnight Bleachshowlover1, ShadowNinja1011, mrdirtguy3, GlissGirl99, Zeldachic459, guest, and Celestial Dragon!


Two weeks have passed since we started that art project, we finished it all in good time, and (in case you're wondering) we got an A for it! I made friends with Pipit and Dark and I've learned to live with Sheik, and his dirty and sarcastic comments. But I still can't seem to get along with Link. I've got to know a couple more people but I haven't really made any more friends yet other than Pipit and Dark. Saria and Midna seem to get on great with the four boys so we all hang out together sometimes. Sheik and Midna can often be found together doing dance routines in the dance studio, turns out she's not the only one with a love of street dance, and Saria seems to be getting very close to Dark. Midna easily made friends with Link and he's still friends with Saria, but we still can't seem to see eye to eye on anything.

It's Monday morning, third period, and the seven of us traipse into the chemistry lab. Our Chemistry teacher, Mistress Fi, is setting out apparatus along the work bench.

"Hey, what's going on?" Dark asks, dropping his bag at his usual seat between Pipit and Sheik.

She looks up, her blue eyes cool and emotionless, "Today, class, you will be doing the experiment we discussed last lesson."

"Awesome!" Sheik calls out.

"To do this experiment with minimal risk of spillage or injury you must all work in groups of two and wear the safety goggles I have provided." She states in her monotone voice.

Pipit and Dark immediately run to a work bench together, I, Midna, and Saria all stare at each other awkwardly.

Link turns to Sheik. "I'll work with you?" He asks.

Sheik shrugs, pulling a mock expression of sympathy. "Sorry mate, but I've already got that fine thang earmarked!" He says, pointing at Midna.

"Thang?" Link questions, "Did you really just say thang?"

Sheik just winks and makes his way over to us; he takes Midna and guides her over to a work bench. Dark wolf whistles loudly, making everyone else laugh. I grin at Saria and she grins back, Link just raises his arms, exasperated.

"Fine then just ditch me Sheik? Best friends for years? Never mind there's a pretty girl!" Sheik just winks back at him. Link sighs, raising his hand. "Miss I don't have a partner!"

Mistress Fi looks around the room analytically. "You can work with Ruto."

Ruto grins eagerly and runs over to Link, he nods politely but you can just tell that he's a little annoyed. Ruto breaks into fits of nervous giggles as she gets closer to him. I can't help but feel a bit sorry for her, she clearly really likes him but it's obvious he doesn't feel the same way.

"Ok class, goggles!" Mistress Fi says, almost floating elegantly back to the front of the classroom. She turns on the projector with a list of instructions on it. "Now we're looking for the chemicals to create rainbow within the cylindrical container. Now does everyone have measuring cups, a beaker, a thermometer, a dropper, bleach, ammonia, limewater, dilute hydrochloric acid, tongs, and a Bunsen burner?" The class remains silent, and she nods. "Good. You may begin, but be careful following the instructions, if you mix the chemicals wrong I predict a seventy percent there will be a minor explosion."

Everyone nods and begins collecting their chemicals, Saria smiles at me. "Hey Zelda, can you go fill the beaker with water while I start measuring the Hydrochloric acid?"

I smile and take the beaker over to the sinks at the back of the lab. I carefully hold the beaker steady under the tap and watch carefully to make sure I get the right amount. Ruto appears next to me and begins filling her own beaker with water.

"Hey!" She says, grinning. "You're Zelda aren't you?"

"Yeah! I don't think we've met!" I say, not taking my eye off the beaker.

"I'm Ruto!" She says, still beaming. "Link is so cute, right?"

"Uhh… I guess," I pull the beaker out from under the tap. "If you're into that kind of guy."

"How can you not be into that?" She squeals.

"Umm… Ruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Your beaker is over flowing…"

"Oh!" She quickly turns the tap off and pours some water away, "Oh well, it's all good!"

"Are you sure that's the right amount?" I ask, a frown across my brow.

"It'll be fine!" She says, stifling a wave, allowing some water to splash onto the floor. "Bye!"

I laugh to myself a little, before heading back over to Saria, and heating the water over the Bunsen burner. She carefully mixes chemicals next to me, stopping every few moments to hitch her too-big goggles further up her nose from where they slip down to only seconds later. I look up at Midna and Sheik who are too busy making eyes at each other to properly focus on their experiment.

"You know your water is boiling over?" I call out to them.

Sheik suddenly snaps back to attention. "What?" He glances down at his beaker, then lets out a small yelp and grabs a pair of tongs, taking the slightly blackened glass container away from the frame. Me and Saria giggle before turning back to our own work.

"Ok," Saria says, setting the measuring cups filled with various chemicals in a line. "Are we ready?"

"Yup!" I reply, using the tongs to carefully pour hot water into the clean beaker, Saria puts a small drop of bleach in, allowing it to cloud in the water.

"We did it Miss!" Shouts Pipit, holding his beaker in the air, showing off the rainbow striped layers of liquid within.

"Perfectly done, you can help Ghirahim and Vaati, they appear to be experiencing some trouble." Mistress Fi says emotionlessly.

"Ok," Saria says quietly, "Ammonia going in." She carefully drops the clear liquid in, and it begins to separate with the bleach.

From across the room I can hear Link sighing. "Ok, Ruto add a drop of Hydrogen chloride to the water."

"Adding the limewater…" Saria mumbles, I hand her a clean dropper and she carefully collects some limewater with it.

"No!" I hear Link call out. "I said a drop of Hydrogen chloride not the whole cup! You already added the other chemicals? No… I'm not angry just… let's start over."

I laugh quietly to myself, but just then Vaati rushes past, his long billowing cape knocks over our cup of limewater. Saria manages to jump out of the way but it lands all over the sleeves of my blazer, my arms and my hands. I gasp, trying to shake the worst of it out, and Vaati bursts out laughing

Saria sighs, "You got wash up Zel; I'll clean up our work area!"

"Thanks…" I say, taking my blazer off and hanging it up on a hook at the back of the room to dry off. As I approach the sink, Link finishes pouring his experiment down the drain and is just walking away. Phew! I didn't want to have to deal with another argument with him while I'm soaked with limewater. I sigh, turning the tap on and rinsing my hands under it, Link turns back to look at me for a moment, I bite my tongue and try my best to resist the urge to say anything. I squirt some soap onto my palms and begin rubbing my hands together.

"Zelda…" he says, a little nervously.

"Look Link, I'm not in the mood to fight today, can we just leave it?"

"No, it's not that, it's just…"

I put my hands under the tap to wash the foamy bubbles from my hands, when suddenly all I can hear is a loud bang! I'm hit with large force from the front and I find myself lying on my back a foot away from the sink. The room falls silent as smoke curls up to the ceiling

"What happened?" Sheik murmurs.

"The soap reacted with the chemicals… I tried to warn you Zelda!" Link says, the panic evident in his voice as he kneels down beside me. "Oh my Goddess your hands…" He whispers.

And it's only then that I notice how badly my hands are stinging; I look down at them, both red raw, the skin peeled back in certain places… burnt…

"I'm taking you to the nurse." He mutters determinedly. He wraps his hands around my wrists to avoid touching the burns and pulls me to my feet. I begin to make my way over the door but I'm too weak from the impact, I feel my body begin to sway when suddenly he wraps his arm around my waist, holding me upright. I want to push him away but I don't have the energy. He takes me from the classroom and out into the narrow corridors. I don't feel comfortable so close to him but I can't summon up the strength to argue with him. Eventually we arrive outside the nurse's office, he knocks impatiently, and the door is pulled open by a tall, young nurse.

"I need your help!"


An hour I spent here, an hour in this tiny nurse's office. They gave me a big box of ice to put my hands in too cool down any swelling underneath the skin and stop the burn from making itself any worse, then they spent ages using sponges to clean out burnt soap suds, they put disinfectant on them, making them sting even more, then burn cream to keep them cool, finally they took a bandage and wrapped both my hands in them, and told me to keep them wrapped up for two days. She carefully pins the bandage in place and smiles warmly. "There you go sweet heart, just be more careful next time." I nod obediently, and clamber to my feet, I pick up my bag, it makes my hands a little sore but it's ok, I carefully shrug it onto my shoulder and make my way out of the main office into the little waiting room, where Link is sat waiting for me, as soon as I appear through the door he gets to his feet.

"How are you?" He asks.

"I'm fine…" I mumble, slightly confused as to why he's here.

"What did they do?" He asks. "You were in there for ages…"

"I had to dip my hands in a bowl of ice for ten minutes, then they had to clean out the soap from the burns which took ages, then they put disinfectant on, then burn cream, and they bandaged them up" I say, without taking my eyes off him.

He smiles comfortingly, "At least you're ok…"

"Well you've certainly changed your tune."

"What?" He frowns, confused.

"Last time it was 'good, you're suffering' and now it's 'I hope you're ok'?" I retort.

He looks down guiltily. "Sorry about that… I had… a lot to think about..."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"Forget it," he says, sighing.

"It's alright Link, you don't have to pretend to be nice just because I got hurt, it's ok, I know you hate me, there's no point covering it up."

"What?" For a second he drops his guard and I swear I can read something in his azure eyes, but as quickly as it came it disappears. "What makes you think I hate you?"

I shrug, "Everything you said, the way you treated me."

His eyes sparkle for a second, and he lets a smile play across his lips. "There's more to me than meets the eye, soda girl!"

And without another word he makes his way out of the door, I huff and follow him out, but he's nowhere to be seen. At that second Saria and Midna make their way around the corner, as soon as they see me they come running over.

"Are you ok?" Saria asks.

"What happened?" Queries Midna.

"Are your hands alright?"

"Does it hurt?"

I laugh, silencing them both, "Honestly I'm fine now."

Dark, Pipit, and Sheik run around their corner, concerned frowns on all their faces, they all bombard me with questions at the same time, meaning I can't make out a word they're saying.

"Whoa slow down! I'm fine! You all worry too much!" I say laughing.

Dark frowns, "Has anyone seen Link?"