Panicked loomed over Harper as she read the message sent by her father. She excused herself immediately as she rushes out the door, slamming the doors as she tries to call him. Mio and Ritsu were startled as they watched her walk out of the room.

Harper stepped inside a room that appears to be empty nothing but a bunch of boxes piled up and some cleaning supplies. It appears as if the room was used for storage space. She tries to call her father over and over but the line was busy every time she tries.

Mio and Ritsu followed her outside not knowing where she had gone. They found her inside a room as they peeked through the corner of the wall not being too obvious.

Harper was desperate, trying to call whoever she knows on her contact trying to see if they have any possible update on what was going on. Try as she may, all her attempts seem to fail.

She broke down as she lean on the wall with tears flowing down on her face like a river. They got more curious as to what she was doing. They moved closer and saw that she was on the floor, tears flowing down on her face. Ritsu quickly opened the door and called out her name.

" Harper!! Is everything ok?" Ritsu Shouted

" Don't be so loud, you idiot!! There are people around here." Mio chopped Ritsus' head with her hand

Harper jolted up from the sudden shock of opening the door. She quickly wipes her tears with her uniform sleeves to avoid any suspicion

" Hey, you guys!! What's going on?" Harper's voice trembles as she spoke those words

" DON'T HEY US. WHAT WAS THAT JUST NOW?!! YOU SCARED THE LIVING SHITAKU OUT OF US!!" Yelled Ritsu

[Chomp.Chomp.Chomp.] " I say again stop being so loud! You're being such a nuisance right now. Can you be quieter?"

" Owww.Owww.Owww. Stop hitting me Mio [Sniff. Sniff] that hurt."

" I will when you stop being such a nuisance."

" Yeah, I'm doing just fine. I was just overreacting just now. Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you guys. Everything is ok. I will be right out. We have a debate to win don't we?" She smiled as she tries to put on a front as she slowly dies inside not being able to do anything.

Questions ran through their heads. It seems like she was fine and that there was nothing to be worried about. They walked back to the room as they waited for the announcement to be given through the PA system.

A Few Minutes Past.

" Can MHR and Shallowing Red please proceed to the stage and get ready for the final round of the debate competition." The sound echoed throughout the room.

Harper tried one last time to get a hold of her father.

[ Sorry, the number you have called is out of range or has been shut off. Please leave a message when you hear the beep.]

She clutched her phone tightly as she rushed out of the door, cursing under her breath as she walks outside to meet up with the rest of her teammates.

" GOOOOOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE!!! ITS THE TIME YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE FINAL ROUND OF THE REGIONAL DEBATE COMPETITION!!!" Please take your seats as we wait for the competitors to arrive.

Everyone got settled down as the competitors came in. The chairman introduced the judges that are gonna preside over the competition.

" Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for the final round of the regional debate competition. Let me introduce to you the judges first we have Jonathan Michael, Ryan Woolson, and last but not the least Michele Holland."

" Now Let me introduce the competitors, first, we have the up-and-coming talent MHR and on your left, we have the challengers the Shallowing Red."

Each person stepped up as they introduced themselves. First was Mio then Ritsu after which was Harper as each member of MHR was introduced. It was time for the opponents to do the same however before they spoke they got interrupted by the people cheering for their names.

It made it harder for Shallowing Red to introduce themselves. The audience kept the cheer going, anxiety started to grow in MHR as they got intimidated by the amount of appeal the other teams were getting from the audience.

The chairman tried to keep the excitement of the audience contained so that the other team can introduce themselves.

" Hello, I'm Tag Raymond from Hayland Preston. I am glad to be competing in the competition and show how much I have improved."

" Hi, I am Emma Thomson and I am from Hayland Preston and I am soo happy to be here to represent Shallowing Red."

" Hello everyone. I'm Winston Fred and I'm from Hayland Preston and I am looking forward in showing our competitor how strong we are."

" Now that everyone has been introduced. Let me proceed to give you more information about the team that is competing here today. We have the MHR who has been on the top few finalists for four straight years and with the addition of the new member, it seems that they are a powerhouse of a team. Don't let the innocent smile fool you she's here to compete."

"Up next, is Shallowing Red. they have been placed 2nd place every time they compete as you have witnessed just now how big their fan base is, not to mention how much experience they have competing in every regional final."

" Without further ado, let's begin the final round. The topic is does global warming causes more damage to the environment or not? Team MHR will be answering the positive and team SR will be opposing it. You have 3 minutes to discuss, after which you will present your arguments on the topic" Spoke the chairman

All of them began their discussion at hand, talking about facts and their opinions on which one should they present to the judges. The timer was closing in, they had to come up with whatever they had to present for their argument.

" TIMES UP!! Can all of you guys go back to your position and get one representative to introduce the topic that was given."

" The topic was does global warming cause more damage to the environment or not? All of us know, about the effects and the damage global warming has done to our environment. It doesnt matter whether you believe it or not, it still exists. As time passes so does the increase in our global temperature."

" The topic at hand that was given to us, was to come up with the effects it has on our environment. We have thought long and hard about it and we came up with our opinions and facts that may support our stand." Mio the first speaker gave her opening to the topic

" Yes global warming is present and that will not change. However, that does not mean it's all bad some cases have proven that the increase in global temperature will also help a lot of things in our environment in this day and age."

" For example, the increase of global temperatures will give an increase in the lengthening of the season. which will help in more harvest, not only that this will also help in having more cropped being yield multiple times a year as compared to before."

" A study has shown, that the trend of crops yield has been increasing since the 1980s. An example would be the frost-free season in the northern great plains. As time went by, despite the smaller increase in the changes of the environment. Eventually, this will add up and make a huge difference in our climate." Emma gave her rebuttal

" The effects of global change may have given some positive effects on the environment, but this does not however disregard the effects that it has on our body and the increase of weather and climate changes. This has been happening more frequently than ever before. "

" For example, the massive amount of air pollution and waste that has been going on throughout the world. This will have a major impact on our ozone layer, which will eventually cause it to deteriorate due to the amount of chlorofluorocarbon(CFC) that is being emitted in our atmosphere."

" A study has been done back on October 2, 2011, during December of 2010 to march 2011 about 80 percent of the ozone in the atmosphere was destroyed which raise a warning about our emission of gasses in the atmosphere." Ritsu gave her statement

"There's a lot of things that contribute to the effects of the environment, due to the change in the climate. Nonetheless, there is also a positive advantage to the environment due to climate change. The main thing is that the temperature will be higher in countries that usually have a low temperature during normal conditions."

" This will be more noticeable in colder countries such as Russia, Antarctica, and the Arctic to name a few. These countries will be able to enjoy better plant growth and slightly lower temperature during a severe winter climate."

" Which, might prevent more death from happening during these times. This will have a great impact on their society and thus they will be able to enjoy a much milder and better living environment than before."

" A news report back on December 26, 2012, during the winter season in Russia. 128 people perished and 900 people were hospitalized as the temperature dipped below freezing temperature." Winston presented his counter-argument

" Climate change is something we have experienced. The rise of sea levels as the glaciers melt will present a big problem in the long run.[BZZZ...] as more phenomenal weather occurrences will happen more disasters such as tsunamis, un-called hail storms, or even a sudden typhoon coming our way. [BZZZ...]"

" This is not the first time that these kinds of things had happened. This has happened before and ladies and gentlemen, this will continue to happen if this goes on. [BZZZ...] A few examples, such as the Thailand earthquake and tsunami that happened back in 2004 and the massive typhoon that left the islands of the Philippines in shambles after it was hit destroying and killing lives in the process.[ BZZZZ...BZZZ...BZZZ..]"

" An example, is the Japan tsunami that hit back in March of the 11 in 2011 in Tohuko. The tsunami occurred due to the pressure that was built up in the tectonic plate that shook the undersea. It had a magnitude of 9.0, and the people of Tohoku have suffered so many losses due to this phenomenal event that occurred. [BZZZ...]"

" The devastation it had left was massive as the climax of the wave reached about 40km in Iwate prefecture. The damage that was done stretched out to 2000 km of Japan's pacific coast." Harper gave her statement

" Positive effects of weather in our environment is a good thing. This will give a rise to lots of things being able to be available to us. One such example, will be the Northwestern passage in the icy Canadian Arctic archipelago."

" This passage may seem insignificant right now. However, this was a perfect way for the duration of transportation to be cut in Europe and Asia. This passage stretches out to about 1450km long and if this were to become available then this will be a good passage instead of using the Panama canal."

" An example was back in the 1400s when the Ottoman Turks were in control of the middle east. This prevented European powers from ceasing travel to Asia. It spurred up interest in water routes to Asia."

" This route was only made possible to travel through, not with ease, of course back in 1906 when a Norwegian man name Ronald Amundsen. It took him three years to traverse these icy passages in his ice-fortified ship." Tad presented his viewpoints

" The effects of global warming are significant. The fact is, we are always being exposed to it and there is no escaping it. One such example is the effect it has on wild animals and living organisms. Due to the not-so-recent climate change, more and more animals are getting extinct or dying from the sudden temperature change. One of the reasons, is because of us."

" It is because we try to come up with more ways to secure more lands to make space to have more buildings being built. Making it more sustainable, better living conditions, and being able to compete with the ever-growing business society."

" This in turn made us neglect the creatures and the wild animals who use the forest as their homes, forcing them to relocate. In the end, they might not survive due to the unfavorable living condition. This is not taking into account, the number of hunters who hunt animals for leisure or for their own hobbies."

" Research has shown that rhinoceros specifically black, Javan, and Sumatran were found to be endangered species. In Indonesia, there is only a small population of rhinos found in one of the national parks on the northern tip of Indonesia. It was even worse in Vietnam, where they declared these species as extinct." Mio gave her closing statement

After the final statement was given, he checked in with the judges to see what questions will they be given. Harper discreetly used her phone to check if she received any updates from her family and what had happened.

[ 3 missed calls and 8 notifications messages with dad as a heading.] she mutters to herself

She was keeping herself from overthinking the worst possible thing, as she try to remain focused on the task at hand. They needed her so that they can win this competition. She almost lost her focus while she was giving her point of view, as her phone was vibrating non-stop.

The judges gave them a question based on what they have been given. They needed to come up with a plan to answer the question as a group and come up with one answer that they would use to answer the judge's question.

The team argued and continue to exchange their ideas, to see which one of them will be able to come up with a proper and steadfast answer that would clutch their victory and be the champion for this year's regional debate final. They were given a minute to discuss and come up with their closing remark on the topic at hand.

" It should be this way. If we go in this direction, itll be a confirmed win for us. Guaranteed!!" Ritsu argue

" How sure are you that the judges, you know what, not even the judges, just the other team would even think that this is an ironclad answer. Like I said to you we need to brainstorm and come up with a mixture of all of our answers together. That way, it'll be more of a team effort. Harper, what do you think we should do?" Mio replied back

" AH?! HUH?! OHH. I'm sorry, I didn't catch what you guys were saying just now. What are we discussing?" Her head was filled with so many unanswered questions, that she could barely think straight and focus on what is in front of her

" Are you listening? We were discussing our closing statement and we don't have a lot of time. There are less than 30 seconds on the clock we gotta hurry. What are your thoughts on this?"

" Thoughts?! Hmmm, I would say we have provided a lot of good and probable explanations. [BZZZ.]"

" 20 seconds" Ritsu echoed the timer

" We will sure to win this. [BZZZ.] However, for our closing statement, we should go in the direction that fits us all."

"13 seconds"

"Which is?"

"10 seconds"

"We should go in. [BZZZZ.]"

" 5 seconds."

" Wait, what are the possible choices here?"

" Time is up!! Please go back to your position and each team please send one representative to say your closing remarks."

" Damm it!! Harper where are you?!" Mio gave her an annoyed looked and a face of disappointment as she raised her voice slightly

" Ritsu go for it! You have the floor. Go represent us."

" The topic that was given, we have come up with our conclusion and that despite the number of advantages due to climate change. We still stand that the negative effect outweighs the positive and that we have to take this seriously because this is the planet we are living in. [BZZZ.]"

Harper's phone continue to vibrate while Ritsu gave her presentation. Eventually, she couldn't take the pressure of what has been happening and she stormed off. This made everyone in attendance shocked at what just happened and Ritsu was stunned as she wasn't done explaining their views.

The chairman tried to stop her from leaving, but the look on her face says it all. This left the judges in shock as tears fell on her face as she ran out of the auditorium. The judge tried to talk to her as she follow her back but she completely shut herself out not wanting to utter a word.

" We have to take extra steps in coming up and doing our best to prevent this from going overboard. If not, there are gonna a lot of consequences that we will face if this continues. If this carries on further, maybe next time it'll all be too late. If we will have any chance of saving or reducing the effects of climate change, we will have to start now and not wait till it is too late to change." Ritsu gave MHR their closing remarks

" Yes, the effects may indeed have outweighed the positives. However, despite the lack of advantages the effect of climate change has a bigger impact on us. This will further prevent more death from happening. Thus, having more lives to flourish and have a better society that we are currently living in. This will be more effective if this continues." Tad gave SR their closing remark

The judges examine and analyze the team's effort and how the team performs during their individual arguments as well as the team's effort in coming up with their own closing statement.

This was a very crucial decision, as this was to determine who was gonna be this year's regional champion and will be moving on to compete for the national debate championship. They will also have to take into account whether they should disqualify MHR since Harper left midway as their team was presenting their closing remarks.

The chairman got the audience riled up and he try to see which of them would vote for which team. The audience started to scream their favorite team and after a while, the judges made their decision. The chairman tried to settle down the audience as they were making too much noise as they waited for the answer from the judges.

" This round was very intense and very competitive. It is so hard to come up with a winner for this match. Everyone gave their all and that is what this is all about. The facts and the argument were outstanding and you guys should be so proud of yourself for doing so."

" The result was unanimous and I would like to say that the team that didn't win this round, you should keep your head high because you have done extraordinarily well and if we could send both teams to the nation we would send everyone." Michael explained

" Each team has some good points being presented and the fact that there could only be one winner, was a heart-wrenching decision to make. This was extremely challenging with all that had happened. It was a heartbreaking and hard decision for not only me but for all of us judges to make." Michelle spoke

" However, this is still a competition and we have to honor what this competition stands for it was a hard and stomach-churning decision but it is what we have to face. We came up with a big decision that the winner for this round and moving onto the national finals will be Shallowing Red!!"

" Congratulations Shallowing Red!! For advancing through the nationals. MHR we have come up with the decision to disqualify you as not all three members were present during the closing remarks. It is not fair for you to be at the disadvantage. Dont give up! Come back stronger! There is always a chance of getting a better chance of winning and going to the nationals next year!!" She added

Mio was popping mad as she storms away, before shaking the other team's hand. She was furious at what Harper had done. It was their last year competing in this event and they blew it. She couldn't wait to find her back in the locker room and give her a piece of her mind.

Ritsu was following her to the locker room, trying to calm her down but it was no use. She doesn't seem to take in logic and reasoning. She was just too fixated on what she will want to say to her when she sees her.

When they arrived at the locker room, it was empty nothing was there besides their stuff all of Harper's belonging were long gone and they couldn't find any trace of her.

" Where could have she have gone?" Ritsu spoke

Mio searched every inch and corner of the place until miss Wendy came into the room and gave them the news of what had happened.

" If you guys are looking for Harper she is long gone. She left a while ago. I figure you guys know that already but she seems pretty disorientated and puzzled."

" Did she tell you where she might have gone?"

" Sadly, no I tried to talk to her but she wouldnt budge all I know was she needed to get away from all of this and I just granted her wish. She seems to be in a bigger mess than she's letting on and I wouldn't want to make things much worse than it already is."

" WHAT?!! YOU JUST LET HER GO!! YOU ARE HER TEACHER!! YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR HER!!" Ritsu stormed out brushing against Miss Wendy

" Let's go Mio! She might not have gone that far. Let's look outside."

Miss Wendy let out a sigh [ I guess this is what I get for doing my job. I can never please anyone.] speaking to herself in an empty room.