"The next five hours will be crucial," Mrs Barker addressed the classroom. "I want you to focus and try your very best in creating your best artwork. You must be in complete silence, if you need additional art supplies raise your hand. Okay, so your first two hours will start... Now. Off you go."

The art room was in complete silence, the only sound that made its way to my ears, was the scratching and scribbling of the pencils on the various mediums.

The second most crucial day had arrived. I wriggled in my seat, looking at the blank paper in front of me. Five minutes had already ticked by and I was presented with a blank canvas.

I peered over to the pictures Zac provided. I wanted to ensure that I did justice to his beautiful portraits. I didn't have it in me to tear up the pictures, but it has to be done.

Months of planning my final artwork circulated in my mind. Majority of it was inspired by Zac. Every time I thought about the pictures he took, the artist in me beamed with happiness.

I put my mind at rest and began focusing on creating the best artwork. My hands took over. Mixture of colours were emerging on the blank paper. After creating a smooth gradient of colours, I took the courage to start tearing up Zac's pictures and placing them delicately on the paper.

I didn't realise how fast the time ticked by, Mrs Barker got up from her seat and cleared her throat, just as the distant sound of the bell rang.

"That's your first two hours done, you can go for a fifteen minute break, if you want to stay in the classroom you can, but you cannot continue with your artwork."

Twenty percent of my final piece was done and three hours remained. I felt myself swaying on a tightrope, trying to get to the safe side before the timer ended.

"Hey, I'm going to the canteen, you coming?" Ruby whispered and she approached me.

"It's okay, you go, I'm going to stay here." Nervously biting my lower lip, I wondered if I was going to complete my artwork.

Ruby rested her hand on my shoulder and tilted her head to the side, after sending her a reassuring nod and slight smile, she proceeded to leave.

I pondered around the classroom, only to find Melissa in her seat. I clenched my jaw and internally rolled my eyes, wishing I left this suffocating room.

"Mrs Barker?" A voice called out from the door.

Rachel and Danielle peered themselves into the room. I found it oddly strange with them two coming here.

"Yes girls?" Mrs Barker stood up from her desk, and wondered over to the girls.

Audible whispers were exiting from their mouth, I perched forward to get a insight to what was being said, but my ears failed me.

Mrs Barker turned around, facing us. "I'll be right back, I trust you two not to complete your artwork."

With that said, she left the room and I was stuck alone with Melissa. I couldn't help but feel an ominous cloud looming over me. The silence in the room was almost piercing my ears.

The scratch of a chair moving, made its way to me, Melissa slowly moved to the sink, clearing out her dirty water. I closely followed her with my eyes. Her movements were slow, yet something about the way she was acting was irking me.

Instead of walking the other way to her seat, she followed the path next to my desk. She arched her head to study my artwork. Her close presence was enabling me to suffocate with fury. I clammed my jaw tightly, making sure I didn't explode with rage.

"What are you doing with Zac's pictures?" Her vicious tone snapped towards me.

"He let me have them," I replied back in a abrupt tone.

"After I told you to keep your distance?" She questioned, her erratic movement causing the water in her pot to sway from side to side.

I felt like I was on high alert, alarms bells were ringing inside my brain, the way her friends managed to get Mrs Barker to leave, her wary movements, something felt oddly strange.

"He let me have them," I proceeded to calmly reply, ensuring that I didn't enrage a ragged bull like her. "After I helped him revise, this was when you saw me at his house."

Not a single word came from Melissa, I was prepared for her threats and warning, but she stood in a unnerving manner. Her mouth curved into a sinister grin. I felt like I had to protect my art work, I was ready for whatever response she was going to throw at me.

She awkwardly stumbled towards me, the water aggressively swayed in the pot, to the point where it would have landed on my art work. Automatically, my arms flared forward, pushing the pot away from me and with an exaggerated move, the water rebounded and landed all over Melissa's.

A shocked gasp echoed from her mouth and she shrieked like she couldn't believe what happened.

"Hannah!" A stern voice shouted.

My eyes widened at Mrs Barker entering the room. I peered back and forth between her and Melissa. This whole situation was planned.

"It's not what it looks like," I stuttered. "I was only-"

"Miss, did you see that?" Melissa stabbing voice interrupted me. "I was praising her work and she told me to back away and then she splashed water all over me."

"What? No, that's not what happened," I tried to plead and defend myself but Mrs Barker was raging with fury and disappointment towards me.

The bell rang and Mrs Barker made her way over.

"Melissa go to your seat," she instructed. "Hannah I'll speak to you when it's lunch, I'm very disappointed."

Before I could respond, the students filtered back into the classroom and Mrs Barker made her way back to the front of the classroom.

My mouth twitched and I felt my eyes mist over with water. I fought hard to hold back the tears, when Ruby approached me, she furrowed her brows.

"What's wrong?" She whispered.

"Ruby this is now exam conditions, go to your seat." Mrs Barker continued to peer her eyes over her glasses, the look of disappointment she had in me crushed me.

The very little focus I had in me, evaporated. The next hour was going to be gruelling, but I knew I had to give it my all and prove myself.

The third hour of the exam begun and I wasted no time in getting stuck in to the world of my own. My fingers moved at the speed of lightning, trying to display the best work I could.

But the more I focused on completing it, the more my mind wandered what would happen at lunch. I prayed for the time to slow down but the minutes whizzed by.

The third hour was done and I was fifty percent done. The lunch bell awoke us all and strict instructions were given for the students to leave the classroom.

I stayed perched on my seat and felt Melissa's deathly stare dig into me as she left the room. She reunited with Rachel and Danielle who were chuckling, they gave one last sinister half smile before disappearing from my sight.

"Hannah, what you did was stupid, this isn't the first time you've splashed someone with water." Mrs Barker made her way to my desk.

I cringed at the memory of splashing water over Zac, the times when he would infuriate me.

"I know this looks bad, but you have to believe me, I didn't mean to splash water over her." My words were trembling from me.

"I've spoken with Mr Johnson, since you've already had a warning, you were on strict instructions to behave, and what I saw today was disappointing and not the behaviour I expected from you. I'm going to have to give you your second warning."

A wave of shock rippled through me, my heart pounded with fury. My throat thickened and I held back the tears from rolling down my face.

"But Mrs-"

"I don't want to hear it, you need to be on your best behaviour now, I don't want to see you getting a third warning." Mrs Barker failed to acknowled my pleading and ushered for me to leave the room.

Dragging my feet out, I felt like I was shaking with sadness.

"What's happened?" Ruby asked with her voice full of worry.

I proceeded to re-tell the events that had knocked me off my tightrope. I was now falling, falling far, and it was only a matter of time before I would slam against the cold ground.

"What a bitch," Ruby spat with pure anger. "Where is she? I'll sort her out."

I latched on to Ruby's arm, before she marched to find Melissa.

"Ruby leave it," I begged. "It's not worth it, if anything happens it'll come back to me and I'll be excluded."

She slowly simmered down, and let out a desperate sigh, I shook my head, indicating for her to calm down. But just as she was beginning to simmer, rage flashed in her eyes, like the anger had awoken in her.

I followed Ruby's eyes and noticed Melissa embraced in Zac's arm. She flicked her hair and laughed till her heart was content, like she had no care in the world.

"If only Zac knew what conniving bitch he's going out with," Ruby muttered under her breath.

I looped my arm around Ruby's and convinced her to ignore it all. Most of the lunch break, my mind felt distant, it didn't feel like I was in the same room as everyone.

I kept milling over the events, I couldn't figure out if it was anger or sadness coursing through me. Like always, the time zoomed by and it was time for the last two hours of the art exam.

As I got accustomed to my desk, I blocked all movement and sounds around me. I was like a race car, edging forward, waiting for the teacher to let us proceeded.

I solely focused on my artwork in front. I wasn't going to let Melissa knock me down. The final two hours began and I wasted no time etching my drawings.

I was putting my heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears into producing the best artwork possible. I had the mission of bringing justice to Zac's photographs, alongside excelling further than what Melissa could create.

After falling, I found myself on another tightrope and I was ready to run down it to get to the other side.

A/N

One exam down, one to go!

Melissa is seriously making Hannah's life hard! Writing the stuff she does infuriates me but it's got to be done!

Share your thoughts, comment and vote!

Love _xxAMxx