Chapter 5 Worse Than Detention
Worse Than Detention
That bastard gave me detention. That’s just awesome.
My dad won’t like it, although I’m pretty sure Allison already came up with an excuse for me not to be home.
I open the door, and Mr. Lace’s asleep at his desk. He opens his eyes with my entrance and scoffs at the attendance paper, but ends up falling asleep again because he can.
A curly black-haired boy is lazily sitting in the first row, balancing a pencil on the bridge of his nose.
A loud snore makes me come back to reality, and I just eye the boy.
I sit behind him and take one of my books out of my bag.
Ten minutes later, West walks in, grossly mutilating a girl’s lips. Now, don’t get confused. He is not sucking the face of the one from this morning. He’s sucking the face of the one from class.
He stops and leaves her stranded, walking in to sit at the table beside the black-haired boy.
I focus on my book. But not for long. The boy in front of me turns around.
“Good book.” He lets me know, looking at me. I raise my eyes from the book and look at his green ones.
“You read it?” I ask wide-eyed.
“Twice. First time for school, second time because it surprised me.”
I get struck for a second and smile at him.
“I’m Fred.” He introduces himself.
“Madelaine.”
He smiles at me, looking right into my eyes.
“Oh man…” West lets out, breaking this embarrassing pink delusional bubble I was in.
“What?” Fred asks, his gaze going from me to West, whom I forgot was here.
“Don’t look right into her eyes!” West shakes his head, pretending disappointment. I glare at him. “She might steal your soul.” He says in a matter-of-fact tone.
“I swear to god West-” I get up and hit him with my book, harshly.
I sit back down, and Fred laughs. West glances at me and speaks again.
“Somebody’s moody.”
“Somebody needs to shut up.” I press, wrinkling my nose and almost speaking through my teeth, attempting to keep a smile on my face.
“And you wonder why you’re still single.” He shakes his head, amused, and my jaw drops open, and I blush, peering at Fred.
“Busy this summer?” He asks, and I chuckle nervously.
“I’m going out of the city for the whole summer.”
An alarm clock rings, and Mr. Lace wakes up.
He dismisses us, and I stuff my book in my bag.
Fred and I walk side by side with West trailing us. He’s right behind me, pretending not to listen to the conversation but totally listening to it just so he can make fun of me later.
“My girlfriend is waiting. It’s a shame you’re out, I was throwing a party next weekend.
” And with that, he leaves, waving goodbye, and I wave goodbye back, a bit sad, a bit relieved.
It’s sad that he has a girlfriend, but at the same time, let’s not pretend that I’d have the guts to do anything whatsoever.
West laughs beside me at my failed attempt at flirting, and I see my dad’s car from afar. I leave him and run to the car.
Please don’t see West, PLEASE do not see West.
“Dad!” I get in, out of breath. “Drive, please.” I ask him eagerly.
He turns to me, not driving.
“The school called me. Detention, Maddie?”
“It was Mr. Lace.” I explain carefully. And then the childish tone comes. The one that comes whenever I mention West. “And West was throwing papers at my hair!”
“You know what? I’m going to let this pass, but just because it’s the last day.” My dad warns, turning back to the wheel.
I think I’m off the hook when, suddenly, with all the nerve in his body, I see West coming in our car’s direction. We lock eyes, and I fiercely look at him as if saying, I dare you to take another step in the direction of this car. He smiles even wider, making room for his dimples to appear. Jerk.
“Is that Jake? Maybe he needs a ride-”
“Do not finish that sentence- Dad no! He was the reason I got detention.” I try everything, but my dad, bless his angelic soul, still rolls down his window with a wide smile on his face as West comes close.
“Hi, Mr. B just wanted to say sorry to Mads for getting her into detention.”
I roll my eyes so hard it feels like they’re hitting the back of my head. Wants to apologize my ass. Suck up. He doesn’t even call me Mads. Ever.
My dad turns to me with a hopeful smile, as if to say See, he’s being nice! And I sigh.
I look up at West, and he grins, winking while my dad’s head is turned at me.
“I’m sorry, Mads, if there’s anything I can do to make it up…”
“No thanks, now we’re in a bit of a hurry, so if you’ll excuse us, West, we gotta go, bye bye.” I stretch to my dad’s door and start to shut the window, and my dad stops me.
“Maddie, stop.” I get back on my seat, and my dad proceeds to ask West if he wants a ride home.
Of course, he says yes. I believe what really sold it to him were my silent threats behind my dad’s back.