I apologize for the delay! I'm doing much better and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

It took all of Hiro's effort to get out of bed the next morning. He didn't want to go to class. He didn't want to face his friends and whatever plan they were going to ambush him with that day. He didn't want to do anything other than staying in bed and wallowing in his self pity. Hiro contemplated telling Aunt Cass that he was sick. It wouldn't be a total lie since he threw up last night after dinner. Tadashi would see through him, though. He would tell Aunt Cass that he was being pathetic, and Hiro would be forced to go to school. He opted to come home early instead. If he still felt bad emotionally by noon, he'd come home.

He felt as though there was a weight on his shoulders stopping him from getting out of bed. Yet he dragged himself through his routine and through his first class. He started to feel better when he overheard two students discussing their low grades in the back of the class, but that was short lived as his professor gave a blanket congratulations to those who made A's on the assignment as it 'wasn't an easy feat'. He tried to think positive on his way to the lab. They won't ambush me, he thought, and they just want to help. However the moment Hiro entered the lab, he noticed a few pairs of eyes on him and felt a pang of sadness.

"Hey, Hiro."

He felt his stomach tighten at Honey's greeting. The tone of her voice and the way she tucked her hair behind her ear made him feel like a child. It was as though she and the others were about to sit him down for a talk. He immediately exited the lab. He didn't need their sympathy and he didn't need to feel worse than he already felt. After hearing pieces of their plan last night, Hiro knew he would be in for something, he just didn't think it would upset him this much.

Hiro's eyes began to sting. Maybe he should just drop the class and go home. He headed in the direction of the advising office.

"Hiro, wait!"

He hated doing it because the older student was so nice, but he ignored Wasabi. Hiro needed to get to the advising office. He was admitting defeat. The only thing that would be affected was his pride. He'd still have his free ride, just things would hopefully be easier. Right?

Unless people got wind that he dropped a class. Then everyone would know that the child prodigy was just another dumb kid.

Go to college like you? Just so people can tell me things I already know?

He replayed that months old conversation with his brother several times. He was so, so wrong. College wasn't teaching him things he already knew, because he didn't know anything. Hiro swallowed the growing lump in his throat. Suddenly, his heart began to beat rapidly. He was in danger. He needed to go to the hospital. He was having a heart attack. No, he was dying. There was this numbness in his lips that he couldn't describe and his leg muscles trembled. He struggled to breathe evenly. He was going to die in the middle of this corridor.

"Hey, genius." There was a hand on his shoulder. He focused his eyes on GoGo. She squinted back at him. "What's wrong?"

"Don't know." Hiro placed a hand on his chest. "I think I'm dying."

"What?" She guided him to a bench only steps away.

His hands shook and his legs seems to give out just as he sat down. "Help."

"Try to breathe. Are you in pain?"

Hiro noticed the dizziness creep through his head. He dropped his backpack. He couldn't breathe normally. He was so shaky. His leg muscles had a mind of their own as they spazzed. He trembled. GoGo knelt in front of him.

"Are you in pain?"

Hiro shook his head.

"Are you anxious about anything?"

"I'm having a heart attack."

GoGo noticed his evasion of the question and sighed. Hiro knew she knew he was anxious. "Kid, you're having a panic attack. You need to breathe."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I used to get them all the time. You feel like you're dying or having a heart attack, but really you're fine. Just think about it like you're in an intense fight or flight mode. Try to breathe. It'll pass. I promise."

"I'm scared."

"I know. Just breathe."

It alarmed him that he'd never had a panic attack before. Not even after the fire. He'd had nightmares, moments of anxiety and sleeplessness, sometimes flashbacks, but never a panic attack. His body trembled. He tried to control his shaking but found it made him shake harder. His cheeks grew hot and damp. His throat felt tighter as he swallowed.

"Breathe, Hiro. It won't stop until you breathe. Relaxing is hard right now, I know, so just try to breathe." GoGo reached up and wiped her hands across his cheeks. "You've got to breathe. You're going to be fine."

"Please don't tell Tadashi." Hiro sobbed.

He never felt younger than he did at that moment. GoGo had to wipe his tears as though he were a four-year-old on the playground as he begged her not to tell his brother. It was bad enough that she knew he failed, but now he was blubbering in front of her. She must think of him as weak for not being able to handle things. He couldn't stop the tears though. As much as he tried, Hiro continued to tremble and cry and feel his heart pound wildly in chest.

"Please, GoGo. He can't know."

"Just breathe, Hiro."

She didn't say she wouldn't tell, but something about her tone told him she'd keep it between them, if not for always then at least for a little while. GoGo sat beside him and placed a steady hand on his back. They sat that way for the thirty minutes it took for Hiro to calm down. He pulled the cuff of his jacket sleeve over his hand and wiped his nose. His heart rate normalized and the tremors eased. Hiro suddenly felt so tired, but he still needed to drop that class. He got to his feet and slung his backpack over his shoulders.

"Thanks," whispered Hiro.

GoGo stood, "Where are you going?"

"I need to handle something."

"Something's up with you. Tadashi tells us you got two low grades, you're snapping at people and refusing help, and now you just had a panic attack. What's the hell's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm fine. Just…" Hiro stopped himself before he said something he'd regret. It wasn't her fault he was an idiot and he shouldn't be rude to her, especially after she helped him. He sighed. "Thanks for your help, GoGo. Now, please just leave me alone. Okay?"

Hiro felt her eyes on his back as he rushed off to the advising office. He hated pushing her away, but he needed to handle this himself. After all, he was the one who thought he was too smart for college, who thought he could handle nerd school. Now...now he wasn't so sure. With each passing moment he doubted his abilities. Maybe he was too young to handle it. Maybe he was just a dumb kid who peaked at 13.

He stared at the door to the advising office, willing himself to go in. He couldn't do it. He'd disappoint his friends and Aunt Cass and, most of all, his brother. Tadashi would be so upset with him for dropping a class. But they'd be even more upset if he failed. He thought about what would happen if he went back to the lab and went along with their plans to help him pass. Just the thought of admitting his failure to his friends made his stomach hurt. Hiro bit his bottom lip as his hand hovered over the handle. Either way, he couldn't keep getting sick after dinner, have panic attacks, freeze out his friends and family. Whether he chose to drop the class or not, he had to make a decision. Deep inside, he knew what he had to do.

With a deep breath, Hiro yanked the door open.