First time in detention!

Chelsey frowned at the outcome of things. She and Kayla were the ones who stuck the gum on the teacher's chair, and then they blamed Stacey for it so she would get punished. What they didn't expect was that Mason was going to take the blame.

"My plan didn't work, why would Mason take the blame? Does he like her?" Chelsey asked turning to Kayla.

"No, you are just thinking too much. Mason just met Stacey today, you know how Mason is, he is mischievous maybe he just wants to be in detention," Kayla shrugged.

"Ok, but I'll have to do something so Stacey gets punished." Chelsey cackled.

.... Once school was closed Adriel and Stacey walked out of the class together. Stacey was headed to detention and she hated it. In her entire existence it was the first time she got detention, Stacey was the one to avoid trouble or any form of mischief at all costs. But all thanks to Chelsey, she had to deal with this now.

"Since I don't really have much to do when I go back home, would you like me to wait for you?" Adriel muttered staring at Stacey.

"I can't make you go through that. I'll be fine, I'll manage," Stacey replied with a smile.

Adriel nodded, her eyes flickering with mischief as she peered at Stacey.

"Of course, I forgot, Mason will be there!"

" I don't care if he is there or not." Stacey shrugged.

"Mason likes you, it's quite obvious. He took the blame, that's lovely you know." She giggled dramatically placing her hands on her chest.

A frown slid on Stacey's face.

"You think it's lovely? That guy only did that so he could have the opportunity to keep taunting me."

"I don't think so!" Adriel shook her head in dissuasion.

A smile played on Adriel's lips.

"I'm sure this is your first detention, isn't it? right?"

"Yes, it's obvious isn't it?" Stacey arched a brow, her lips were pressed together.

Adriel bobbed her head, " It's written all over you. Also, you are calm and so quiet. You don't pass off as someone who is mischievous enough to get herself detention."

"I wonder why the teacher believed what Chelsey and Kayla said." Adriel's lips curled in annoyance.

She wasn't a fan of Kayla's attitude, she and Kayla never got along. They were always at loggerheads whenever they crossed paths and it could be attributed to the fact that Adriel hated bullies.

"It's not his fault, he was upset. Anyone in his shoes would be when they have to move around with gum stuck on their pants." Stacey mumbled lowly.

Adriel laughed making Stacey shoot her a glare.

"It's not funny, you are laughing at the man's misery." Stacey's brows furrowed slightly.

"I'm sorry, " Adriel muttered trying to stop her laughter but she couldn't hold it in and she ended up laughing again.

"Adriel, now you are acting like one of those mischievous peers of ours." Stacey shook her head.

"Ok, fine." Adriel put a hand over her mouth and cleared her throat.

"The laughter is gone now. I better go see if my driver is here already," Adriel informed.

Stacey nodded. After a hug, Adriel strode away.

Stacey took her phone out of her back, she had to inform her Mom that she was going to be back home late because of detention. She didn't want her mom to flare up and probably lash out at her.

Dialing her mom's contact on her phone, she watched the phone ring waiting for her mom to pick up but there was no response. She tried again and again until she had left her mom four unanswered calls.

She decided to call Jane since that was the only way she could let her mom know about her detention since she wasn't picking up her calls.

Stacey's face lit up subconsciously when Jane answered the phone at the first ring.

"Hello."

"Stacey is everything okay? You sound disturbed." Jane's voice held concern as it came from the other side of the phone.

That was one thing with Jane, she and Stacey were so close that she could tell when something was wrong with Stacey even if she was yet to voice it out.

"I've got detention, please inform my Mom. I tried calling her but she isn't picking up," Stacey uttered.

"You got detention? What happened?" Jane's voice was laced with surprise.

"I'll tell you everything once I'm back from school."

"Ok, I'll let your Mom know, take care of yourself."

Those were Jane's last words before she hung up.

Stacey decided to have a word with Chelsey before heading to the Detention hall. She roamed around the premises looking for her.

Drawing a relieved breath, Stacey sauntered to Chelsey and Kayla who were chit-chatting just before the parking lot.

"Hi," Stacey mumbled when she got to them.

Kayla didn't reply, she just hissed and acted like Stacey was invisible. Stacey ignored her, that was Kayla's usual behaviour towards her. Chelsey on the other hand folded her arms around her chest glaring at Stacey.

"Why did you tell the teacher that I had stuck the gum to his chair when you both know I had nothing to do with that."

Chelsey and Kayla exchanged glances before erupting into a peal of mocking laughter.

"I've always said this, you are dumb. I'm probably sure your brain is just filled with doughnuts." Chelsey scowled.

"And probably some sugar. We did that to get you in trouble why else would we fucking do that?" Kayla huffed arching a brow at Stacey.

Chelsey nodded snapping her fingers. "Exactly. We wanted you to get punished."

Chelsey stared at Stacey with an intense fevered glare, lips curled up with dislike before muttering.

"Let me warn you, you better stay away from Mason. I see what you've been doing around here, trying to win everyone's heart and make me look like the black sheep. You better stop, before I make you," Chelsey threatened menacingly staring down attacey like she was a worthless piece of trash.

"I'll make your life in this school a living hell!" Chelsey snarled before walking past Stacey making sure she pushed Stacey deliberately with her shoulders.

A smirk tugged the side of Kayla's lips, and she rolled her eyes at Stacey. She turned afterwards and scooted away trying to catch up with Chelsey.

Stacey stood rooted to her spot, 'For how long was her sister going to keep treating her like her enemy? Daily she prayed that one day she wasn't going to have the kind of caring and lovely relationship other children had with their siblings, but it turned to days, and then weeks, then months, and now it has been years but nothing changed, things just worsened.

Stacey took a deep breath trying to clear her thoughts, worrying about her sister's cruel antics when she had detention wasn't what was important. Stacey exhaled slowly before finding her way to the detention hall.

Stacey lowered her head as she walked into the detention hall avoiding the piercing gaze and the expression on the faces of those who occupied the hall.

Stacey didn't know why but the first thing she did after finding herself a seat was look around for any sign of Mason, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for me, " she heard a voice beside her which made her almost jump out of her seat in fright.

Stacey's face contorted in anger when she turned to Mason and saw him laughing at her reaction.

"I'm sorry, but is that how you get scared so easily?" Mason muttered still laughing.

Stacey boiled with anger as she peered at Mason, she just met Mason but he had managed to trouble her more than anyone else in her life, well except her mom and sister who did it for a living.

Stacey averted her gaze from Mason, she concluded he was trying to get a reaction from her but she wasn't going to give that to him.

"How is she even in high school? When I saw her I thought she was in middle school. I mean, she's so petite. I think she might be malnourished or even suffering from anorexia."

"My thoughts as well, she's short. Really short. I'm not sure she's up to 4ft," Two students who sat two away from her muttered to themselves pointing fingers at Stacey. They burst out laughing when one of them said something in a whisper.

Stacey could hear whispers from here to there she figured the murmurings were about her seeing how their stares were directed at her.

Stacey rested her head on the desk, the students were just the same as the ones from her former school or even more cruel if she was being honest. She wasn't less than 4ft, She was short, yes but not really short as they all were whisperingt10 just a bit away from 5ft. And the talk about her having Anorexia and being malnourished, was pure nonsense but people would always talk, always complain about how people's bodies looked even though it was none of their business.

"Why don't you all just keep shut? Mind your business, I'm pretty sure that's easy to do. Body shaming is wrong and something to be ashamed of. Stacey is beautiful the way she is, your thoughts or feelings can't change that." Mason's voice echoed in the class followed by silence.

"You didn't have to do that, I'm fine. It's not the first time." Stacey shrugged turning to Mason when he sat by her side.

"A thank you will do." Mason leaned in a proud smile etched on his face. Stacey looked away she couldn't stand his enchanting hazel eyes boring into hers, it gave her fuzzy feelings.

"And you don't have to let what bullies say to you matter, you are beautiful just the way you are. Don't let anyone make you feel otherwise." A heartwarming smile played on his lips.

She felt butterflies in her tummies hearing Mason compliment her.

"Thank you." She muttered holding his gaze for a second before gazing away.

"And now you are back to being mute. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? Mason asked.

This question made Stacey turn to face him.

"Sixteen." She stated averted her eyes from Mason.

"Are you sure? I thought you were like twelve or at most thirteen." Mason teased an intentional attempt to make her veer to face him and he succeeded because she swiftly turned her neck, she had a huge frown on her face as she leered at him

"Stop taunting me, I have to study," She mumbled taking a book out of her bringing a book out of her backpack.

Mason chuckled, an amused expression playing on his face, " Who studies during detention?

Stacey didn't say anything to Mason, she just sprang up to her feet and went to sit elsewhere.

Mason got up and trailed after her. When Stacey was seated, Mason tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention but she didn't respond. He tapped her again making her hoist her head to stare at him directly.

"Mason, you still followed me here. What do you want?" Stacey grumbled shooting him a glare.

"I just want us to be friends, I promise if you say yes, I won't say any more words to you."

"Friends then, if that will make you stop bugging me." Stacey puffed a breath.

"Stacey...." Mason started but when he saw how Stacey scowled at him he kept shut.

"Remember you said no more annoying words from you?"

Luckily for Stacey, her words were enough to get her some peace and quiet. Mason just sat quietly beside her without bugging her any further but she could feel his eyes on her, but whenever she peeked at him his eyes were elsewhere, she couldn't it must have been her mind playing tricks on her.

Once the time for detention was over, Stacey drew in a relieved breath standing up to her feet, and reached, for her backpack. The rest of the students ran out like they were being chased, it wasn't surprising because everyone hated being stuck in detention.

She had taken a few steps away from her seat, she was almost at the door when she heard Mason call her.

"Stacey wait up."

Mason got to where Stacey was rather quickly and she ascribed that to his long athletic legs.

Mason took Stacey's backpack the moment he reached where she was.

"What do you need that for?"

"Nothing, I just want to help you. The backpack is way bigger than you are, it will weigh you down. You might end up becoming shorter." He jibed laughing at his own words.

"Mason, " Stacey seethed.

"You look cuter with that almost fierce look on your face. But I think you need to work on it, " he muttered patting her on the head and she shoved his hand away.

Stacey shook her head walking ahead, when Mason caught up with her, they walked in silence.

On getting to the parking lot, they were surprised to see Finn and Adriel together laughing at whatever they were saying to each other.

"Adriel, you are still here?" Surprise crossed Stacey's face.

"Yeah. I waited for you..." Adriel smiled moving closer to Stacey and then she spoke to her in a whisper.

"Finn was waiting for Mason as well, I figured it's an opportunity for me to bond with him."

Stacey giggled, "I see. I'm pretty sure you enjoyed talking to your..."

Stacey was saying but Adriel quickly put a hand over Stacey's mouth preventing her from completing the rest of the statement because her voice was above a whisper, she didn't want Stacey to rat out her feelings for Finn so quickly. She wanted to take things slow.

"Sorry, " Stacey mumbled giving her an apologetic look.

Finn glanced at Mason, there was a glint of surprise on his face as his eyes darted to Stacey's backpack which was in Mason's hand. A smile grew on his lips but he didn't utter a word he just cast Mason a mischievous glare which Mason was oblivious to since his eyes were fixed on Stacey.

Adriel said her goodbyes to Stacey, Finn and Adriel when a car she identified as that of her driver drove into the parking lot.

Mason turned to Stacey when Adriel was gone.

"How do you intend to go home?"

"I'll call my mom."

Stacey dialled her mom's number but there was no answer, so she figured she had to wait until she got home before explaining things to her mother.

"I guess we'll have to wait till someone comes to pick you up before we leave," Mason uttered making Stacey chuckle

"Until someone comes to pick me up? I'm not a kid," Stacey started crossing her arms.

"Right, You are not a kid." Mason's voice was heavy with sarcasm.

Stacey shook her head, she made up her mind to ignore Mason's sarcastic remarks. A wave of relief washed through Stacey when she saw her driver drive into the parking lot.

"That's my driver, I have to go now. Bye Finn."

"You won't even say bye to me? We are friends." Lowering his head he gazed at her with a pained expression.

Stacey huffed inwardly, to her Mason was taking the friend's thing too much, she only said yes to get him off her back. She had no interest in being friends with Mason.

"Thank you for helping me with my backpack, can I have it now?" Stacey forced a smile stretching her hand to Mason.

"Bye Stacey, " Finn waved.

Finn returned his gaze to Mason studying his expression.

"Why are staring at me like that?" Mason's brows snapped together as he wondered why he was getting that strange look from Finn.

"I'm just wondering why you had Stacey's backpack with you earlier, are you like her assistant now? This is new." Finn chuckled.

Mason shot him an angry glare, "I was just helping her out. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with helping Stacey out."

Finn scoffed shaking his head, "Helping out? I've been your cousin since I was born but you've never helped me even in my dreams. But you meet Stacey just today and you are already carrying her bag around, what will you do tomorrow? Carry her around? You know what I think? This might be love at first sight, you have a crush on Stacey."

Mason's lips drew back in a snarl, and a sardonic smile embraced his face.

"And you know what I think? You have gone nuts!"

Finn chuckled but he didn't bother to say anything else to Mason, he had the confidence that his thoughts were right. His cousin had fallen in love at first sight.

"Thank you, " Stacey said to Luke the driver as she alighted the car before heading for the living room. She reached for the doorknob pulled the door open and then stepped in.

"Where are coming from?" Her mother's stern voice filled the room making her turn swiftly.

"Good afternoon Mom." Stacey greeted but she got an icy glare as a response.

"Stacey, where are you coming from?" She snarled her eyes filled with cruelty.

Stacey beheld Chelsey standing behind their mother, a sinister smile plastered on her face.

From the expression on Chelsey's face, it became clear to Stacey that her sister might have orchestrated another one of her numerous ploys just to get her into trouble with their mom.