Detention

Chpater 1

It was Saturday. It was nine o’clock in the morning. It was a beautiful day outside…and I was stuck in a classroom for detention. I had never gotten in trouble once in my life. Okay, well maybe a few times, but never to the extent of detention…and Saturday detention is the worst. During the week, after school detention lasts about two hours, not six.

I was more than a little outraged. I was the quiet, nerdy girl…maybe not that nerdy but I just-don’t-get-in-trouble. The gravity of the situation was probably a lot less than what I was making it out to be. I felt as if I had completely ruined any chance of going to college.

I jumped in my seat when the door banged open and two of the senior football players walked in. True, football season is over, but that wasn’t my main concern. Not only would I be enduring detention for the entire day, but I now had the privilege of spending some quality time with two of the most obnoxious guys in my class.

Racist? Not me. They’re both black and extremely mouthy. I have a few classes with them. They’re always getting smart with the teachers. Drew Harris was the running back, and that was pretty much the only thing I knew about him. I also know that his buddy right behind him, Terrence Lane, is the center and one egotistical man.

I looked at them and then at two brain dead sophomores already passed out in their seats. I was way too lucky. Drew made himself comfortable in the seat right in front of me, and Terrence sat beside him. Drew pounded his fist on my desk and looked me dead in the eyes. “What’s up, Manda?”

“…Nothing. How are you?” I didn’t even know that he knew my name.

“Amazing.” He turned around in his desk just as Ms. Kensington rippled into the room.

Now I say rippled because Ms. Kensington is quite a large woman. I don’t mean to be rude or insensitive, but every time she takes a step it, well, ripples. It’s like a massive shock wave rolls across her body and her clothes are always so tight. I honestly cannot believe that she looks in the mirror before she leaves. I cannot even believe that she ever tries her clothes on before she buys them. I actually like when she wears dresses because it looks like she can breathe in those.

“Damn, Ms. Kensington!” Drew exclaimed.

“Where’d you get that lavishing white blouse?” Terrence asked.

She set a book down on the desk and looked around the room. “This is it?” She pulled a folded sheet of paper out of her pocket and opened it. “We’re supposed to have three more.”

“Who?” Terrence tipped his desk to the side, grabbing the desk in front of him to steady himself.

“I believe that is none of your business Mr. Lane. Four legs on the floor.” She pushed up her black-rimmed glasses and scowled at him.

“I got four legs on the floor.” His smile was smug and content as he pointed to his actual legs.

“Then six or you’ll be here next Saturday as well.” Ms. Kensington teaches Math and I think working with so many obnoxious equations for so long has made her bitter with the world. She’s always so short with everyone…especially people taller than her. I’m not that tall so I don’t have it quite so bad, but Drew and Terrence are both over six foot…and their assholes. Basically, they’re screwed. “Stay in your seats. I need to go find out where these other three are.”

As soon as she left the room, Drew turned around and looked at me again. “What did you do?” He said it in such a way that I almost wanted to shrink into my desk. His hair was short and I could tell he had avoided shaving for a few days. His eyes were so dark brown that they almost looked black, but his eyes were far from looking harsh or mean.

For some reason, my mouth wouldn’t open. I couldn’t find anything to say. I didn’t want to tell either of them why I was in detention. “Come on. What could you possibly do that was so bad? Get a ‘B’ on a test or something?”

I shook my head. I felt like an idiot, but I still shook my head.

“What, you can’t talk to a black man?” I knew Terrence wasn’t being completely serious, but I hate when he pulls the black card. He does it to teachers all the time. “Drew ain’t even that dark…well…not terribly!” Somewhat true, but Terrence was pretty dark himself so he made Drew look a lot lighter than he really was. “My boy’s trying to talk to you and you gotta ignore him?”

“I’m not ignoring him,” I said quietly. I was beginning to wonder where Ms. Kensington had gone that it was taking her so incredibly long to return.

“Then what-did-you-do?” Drew asked again.

I forced myself to hold his gaze and I tried to harden my eyes, as if to warn him that it was really none of his business. I was doing an awful job at it. “It’s really none of your business.”

Terrence began laughing and pointing at Drew. So, it wasn’t okay for me to ignore him, but it was all right for me to get a smart tone with him? I didn’t get it. Ms. Kensington walked back into the room with two students tailing her. One was a freshmen and, lucky me, one was a junior and a football player. He sat down in front of Terrence and they all exchanged some complicated handshake.

“It seems that our last person has managed to wiggle out of detention so let’s get started.” She sat down and opened her book, smiling evilly at all of us. Her eyes settled on me and I groaned. I knew what was coming. “Manda Daley…what on earth did you do to get detention?”

Drew looked at me expectantly and I could feel my face heating up. “Nothing.” She went so far as to take her glasses off as if that would make her stare more intimidating.

“We were having intimate relations in the Latin Room,” Drew blurted.

I died. I swear I saw my soul depart from my body and I died. Ms. Kensington looked skeptical, but when my face caught fire and I couldn’t say anything, I watched her face drop. “No!” I said, trying to hide my face and sound convincing.

Terrence and the junior were snickering, the two freshmen had poked their heads up and I was mortified. Drew looked thoroughly accomplished and I was close to tears. “You jerk!” I snapped, not knowing where the courage had come from. “I got detention for cheating on a test not because I would stoop so low as to kiss something as disgusting as you!”

It wasn’t big…it was actually kinda stupid. However, people knowing that I cheated on a test just always causes a bigger outburst than it’s worth. It’s because they think I’m a “goody goody” and I never do anything wrong. I wasn’t sure if Ms. Kensington looked more appalled at the fact that I had cheated on a test or when she had been under the impression that I had done something with Drew.

I was angry, the teacher was in shock, Drew looked completely caught off guard, and Terrence and the junior were still laughing.

“Damn,” Drew shook his head, “You got some pent-up aggression goin’ on.”

“Ms. Kensington,” My hand shot up in the air even though she was looking right at me. It’s a bad habit. “May I move my seat?”

She shook her head. I let my arm smack onto my desk and sighed. I did not want to put with stupid jocks for the next five billion hours. They had been the ones to sit by me. I had no choice in the matter. It wasn’t fair.

“You are stuck here for the entire day.” Drew was basking in glory. I rolled my eyes and put my head down. Maybe if I fell asleep the time would go by faster.

---

“Yo,” Someone flicked my head and I managed to somehow pick my head up. I almost never fall asleep when I want to. It was a miracle. Drew was smiling to himself and I hadn’t the slightest clue as to why. “The reading was too intense for her.” He had the hood of his sweatshirt pulled up as if he was getting ready to commit some type of crime.

I shrugged. Why did he wake me up to tell me she had fallen asleep? A distinct snort from her maybe me jump a little. Disgusting.

“You want something to drink?” He held his hand out, waiting for my money. Well, maybe I didn’t want anything and he was being presumptuous. I shook my head, which consequently caused his eyes to roll. “You forget how to talk?”

“No,” I said casually, “Maybe I just don’t want to talk to you.”

“When have I ever been mean to you?”

I opened my mouth in disbelief. “You told Ms. Kensington that I had detention because I was making out with you in the Latin Room. Since when is that a gesture of kindness!?” So, I was still a little sensitive towards the subject.

He raised his lip at me and looked at Terrence. “It’s called a joke, now do you want anything to drink or not?”

“I already said no,” I spat.

“No,” Drew corrected, “you didn’t say anything. You shook your damn head at me.”

“Man, get me a coke and stop wasting time fighting with her!” Terrence interrupted. “You two are like little kids.”

“Shut the hell up,” Drew stood up and whacked the back of Terrence’s head on his way out of the room.

I was all too happy to watch him leave. Terrence turned in his desk to face me and I almost wanted to groan out loud. Why wouldn’t they just leave me alone?

“Would you ever make out with Drewy?” He asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“No.”

“Why?”

I looked to the junior, whose name I definitely didn’t know, nearly pleading for him to change the subject. Stupid juniors. What are they good for? “Because I don’t like him?” It wasn’t even really a question. I didn’t know anything about the kid. I’ve never even kissed a guy.

“You don’t like Drewy!?”

“Shut up, Terrence, or I’ll wake Kensington up and get Drewy in trouble.”

He smacked his lips at me and turned towards his junior friend. “Always gotta be hatin’ on the black man.”

“Oh my gosh,” I hissed, “would you stop it with the black comments!”

“Calm down!” Terrence said, his voice raising a few octaves.

I put my head back down on my desk. I could only hope that there would be no more interruptions. I was so tempted as to move as far away as possible, but I knew I’d get in trouble when the spinster woke up and that wouldn’t be enjoyable.

I was having difficulty trying to fall back asleep. It was my personal opinion that Drew should never have woken me up in the first place. Actually, I shouldn’t have even been in detention in the first place, being as I technically hadn’t cheated…main word being technically.

I was supposed to be handing the answers to a poor unfortunate soul who never studies and frequently asks for my help. I’d gotten a little careless and had consequently gotten a little caught. The stupid bitch had let me take all the blame because she claimed that her dad would flip out if she got detention for cheating. But my parents were delighted at the news. I’d tried to explain myself to them but they wouldn’t listen.

I’m an only child and it sucks. I don’t get spoiled…I get picked on. Everything I do is wrong and anything less than an ‘A’ on my report card is unacceptable, even though I would bet my life that neither of my parents ever got good grades. They think they’re so perfect and they’re not. They aren’t rich and they aren’t poor. It’s a happy medium. No, I take that back. It’s not happy, but it’s a medium.

They’re also racist pigs. It makes my life extremely difficult and more stressful than need be. I have a lot of black friends. They don’t like it too much. I could only imagine what they would do if I brought someone like Drew or Terrence home.

Again, with the flicking…it was becoming annoying. “Hm?” I moaned, wrapping one of my arms around my head.

“You’re allowed to eat your lunch.” It was actually Terrence who had flicked me. Drew was passed out in his desk, breathing rather heavily.

“I didn’t bring one.” I curled my legs up underneath me and attempted to get comfortable.

“What!?” Terrence exclaimed. “You didn’t bring no lunch? What are you, anorexic?”

I tried my best to ignore him and refused to answer the question. First off, I wasn’t anorexic, and second, it was none of his business. I felt something nudge my arm and spared a quick glance. A banana was poking me. “Eat it.”

Turning my head away from Terrence, I shoved the banana away. I didn’t want his food or his attention. He and his stupid football friends were jerks in my opinion. It was too much to assume that they would leave me alone, though. A piece of paper was forced between my arms and I rather regretfully took it.

Drew had arisen from his comatose state and had passed me the piece of paper. I gave him a skeptical look before opening it. What a lovely way to ask for someone’s cell number. “No.”

He put his face right in front of mine and ever so slightly raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry, I think I misunderstood you.”

“I don’t-,”

“What?”

“I said n-,”

“God, Manda, speak up!” I’d finally caught his drift. He wasn’t going to let me say no. What a jerk. I held my hand out for his pen and quickly scrawled a few digits down on it. I was half-tempted to give him a random number, but put on the spot like that, I couldn’t really think. “You know, I always thought you were this quiet, innocent sweetheart, but you’re a feisty one, aren’t you?”

I shook my head. “I’m only rude to people who piss me off.”

“Ms. Kensington, Manda swore!” Drew called out.

Her beady little eyes poked up from her book and she gave me one of those “you-slutty-cheating-whore” looks. Now, I’m not positive it was that kind of look, but it was pretty evil.

“If you can’t learn to talk properly then perhaps you won’t mind coming back next weekend. I don’t want to be here any more than any of you do so go back to sleep and spare me your antics.” My jaw dropped open. Ms. Kensington loved me. I got good grades in math. I actually participated. Drew was giving me an awful image.

“May I please move my seat?” I was ready to get on my knees.

Again, I was declined. I felt my cell phone vibrate against my leg and glared at Drew. He held his hands up defensively, as if he hadn’t done a single thing. “Ms. Kensington!”

“All right!” She snapped, “If all of you can be quiet for fifteen more minutes then I’ll let you go early. If not then I haven’t got anything to do till six.”

I highly doubted she had any engagements at six o’clock unless they were with her mother…which I also doubted. I put my head down so fast that I banged it against my desk. It hurt like hell, but I suppressed the dying urge to yell profanities.

I’ve never watched a clock go so incredibly slow. I was beginning to think that it was broken or that the minute hand was stuck because I was almost positive that it wasn’t moving. I ended up having to force myself to stare at the back of Drew’s head and wait patiently for the harridan to tell us if we got to go free or not.

She glanced at her wristwatch and then closed her book. “All right, all of you can leave.”

Let me just say, I nearly jumped out of my desk. I thought I was free as soon as I got outside, but I have a tendency to be wrong.

“Manda!” I turned around and saw Drew slowly walking in my direction. Would it have killed him to move a little faster?

“What?” I actually had wanted to say ‘Get lost!’ but that didn’t exactly come out.

“Lemme get a ride.” That was certainly one way of asking for a ride home.

I wanted to say no, I really did. “Where to?” I asked. I had a couple hours before my parents expected me home. I didn’t have anywhere to be. Ahem…Freedom!

“You mind taking me to the mall?” He’s a lot taller when he’s standing right in front of me. I don’t believe I’ve ever felt so incredibly short.

“I guess not.” He smiled at me and followed me to my car.

I happen to like my car. It’s a ‘95 sunfire and it’s bright stinking red. It’s nothing special, really, but it’s my first car so it’s amazing in my eyes. The car ride was awkward, to say the least. I had my lovely metal blasting and Drew looked pained with every note. He’s a very curious fellow.

“Which entrance?” I only briefly looked at him, but I could tell he had a funny expression on his face. “What?”

“Nothing. Am I not allowed to look at you?”

“As a matter of fact-,”

“Huh?” He even went so far as to turn my music up even louder, “This shit you got playin’ is making it hard to hear.” I completely turned it off and tried to give him a no-nonsense look. I don’t think I managed to get my point across.

“Wanna shop around with me?” He asked. He hardly seemed fazed. I’d never had a complete, sincere conversation with the kid and he wanted me to go shopping with him!?

“No thanks.”

“I’m gonna need a ride home.”

“Then call one of your friends.” Let me just say, he is a lot better at giving looks than I am.

I am sure I grumbled under my breath as I stepped out of my car and slammed the door closed. I think my bad mood was making him happy.