4. Will You Need My Help?

That evening, I find myself in detention, a place I've never been before. Simon trudges in behind me, clearly not as put off as I am. Which doesn't surprise me, because he isn't new to this. 

That morning, after getting into English class, I settled in my seat peacefully, retrieving a novel that I was in the middle of so I could get a little reading before Mrs Rutherford started the lesson. Simon took the seat behind me, while Jen settled in the one beside me. Minutes later, Mrs Rutherford started the class. As soon as she instructed us to open a certain page on our textbooks, though, I noticed that she was in a foul mood. Given the snicker that came from behind me, so did Simon.

Ford, as most of the students called her, was, mostly, an okay teacher. But, she dealt ruthlessly with students who crossed her. That fine morning, she gave us an exercise to do, then sat back at her desk, her sharp eyes glaring at us from beneath her glasses. 

"Trouble with hubby?" I heard Simon murmur behind me. 

I shrugged. "Shut up, bozo."

If she saw him talking, he would instantly be in trouble. He could at least take a clue from the silent as a graveyard class. 

He didn't say anything else, and I got busy doing my work. I got so into it, I didn't notice the teacher walk through the class to where I sat. I looked up, startled. Then eased up when I noticed she was glaring at Simon. 

She had her hand outstretched towards him. "Give me that phone now, Benson!"

My eyebrows shot to my hairline as I turned to look at him, as was the entire class. He was looking up at her, biting onto his lip. "I'm so--"

"The phone, Mr. Benson. Now!" she ordered sternly, daring him to keep her waiting. 

Simon's eyes flitted towards me, only to find me fighting back a smirk. He glared, then dumped his phone in Ford's hand. 

"You'll get it at the end of the day after detention," she told him. "That might teach you a thing about texting in my class."

Simon grumbled as she turned away, and I snickered. Which was a bad idea, because Mrs. Rutherford's hawk eyes fell on me. I immediately turned back to my work, ignoring her. 

But she had a bone to pick with me.

"Are you reading storybooks in my class, young lady?" she asked, her voice booming all over the room. 

I looked at her, confused. I shook my head. "No, ma'am."

I wasn't dumb, I wouldn't risk having my precious book taken away. Maybe in some other class like History where the teacher paid no mind to what students were doing behind their desks. 

Mrs. Rutherford lunged forward, fishing my novel from my lap. She studied the cover and glared at me. "Thought you could hide it from me?"

I shook my head. "I wasn't reading during class, I--"

"You can join Benson in detention to get it back," she cut me off, heading back to her desk. 

I stared at her, horrified. 

What. Just. Happened. 

Jen cursed her under her breath, but I was too busy mourning the loss of my book to pay attention. Did she know how many pages I had planned on covering between classes, on breaks and in History? A lot. 

She ruined my day, very early in the morning. 

Now, I take a seat at the back of the class, away from the other delinquents. Simon takes the one next to me. The teacher sitting up front has his face half buried in a newspaper, paying absolutely no attention to us. Simon leans his chair back into the wall, then kicks his feet up on the desk. For a supposed nerd, he's pretty delinquent. 

There's six other kids in the room apart from us. I recognise some of them. Three boys who are in my year. They are huddled together at the front corner, discussing heaven knows what. There's one other girl, a year behind me. One boy is sat on his lonesome on the left wall, focused on a book in front of him. Another one in the middle of the class, sitting straight up on his seat, headphones in his ears, doing nothing but nodding his head to the beat, I guess.

The bell rings. The clock on the wall says twenty past three. 

Mr. Daniels, the teacher up front, drops his newspaper and studies the class. 

"Feet off the locker, Benson!" he roars at Simon, and I chuckle behind my wrist. 

Simon groans and drops his feet, now resting his head on the desk, looking miserable. I don't think he has ever stayed that long without his phone, and it's clearly dampening his mood. 

I reach over and pinch his cheek. "Forty five minutes, buddy. You can make it."

He swats my hand away, no doubt detecting the mockery behind my tone. I laugh and take a notepad out of my backpack. I grab a pencil and start drawing. 

No, don't get the idea that I can draw, because I can't. 

I get distracted from a figure that looks like Popeye by a long shot -a very long shot- when the door opens and I hear shuffling into the room. I look up to see who our late guests are, to see Jude Walker and Cole Adams come into the room. 

"Mr. Walker and Adams, you're late!" Mr. Daniels immediately points out. 

I think Cole says something along the line of "We know", but Jude says, "Coach," as if that one word should hold enough explanation. Either way, they don't pay much attention to him as they shuffle over to the back of the class. Cole takes the seat at the corner, the seat...right beside mine? He gives me a curious look, and I look up to find Jude staring down at me.

Should I say hi? 

I lift my hand in a small wave, attempting a smile. I hear a snicker from behind me, and I turn to glare at Simon. 

"You're in his seat," he informs me, an eyebrow shooting up. 

I frown. His seat? Isn't this detention? I look back at Jude, but he has already moved away to take the seat in front of Cole. I can hear Cole chuckling under his breath. 

I get back to my doodling, not paying any attention to the three boys around me. But then the two start talking, and I can't help but eavesdrop. Sue me, but Cole isn't exactly keeping his voice down. 

"Come on, Jude. You can't miss tonight," he says, as if continuing a previous conversation. 

"Can't you wait until Friday?" Jude complains. "It's only two days away. Did you hear what coach said, anyway?"

Cole groans. "Oh, whatever."

They shut up then, and I continue with my drawing. I don't know why I bother. Sam can draw better than me. A couple of minutes later, something hits my head, and a white plastic stick clatters beside my notepad. There's only one place a lolly stick can be coming from, so I look up at Jude. 

He is looking at me, one brow arched. "I didn't think you were the detention type," he says, reaching into his jacket pocket. 

His sudden interaction with me catches me a little off guard, and I blink. He produces a wrapped candy and proceeds to unwrap it. 

"I'm here by mistake," I finally answer.

He smirks. "Your mistake?" 

I roll my eyes and get back to my notepad. I don't get to finish up on my awful drawing however because the little book suddenly disappears. I look up to find Jude looking down at my work, his face split in a grin. I lunge forward but he moves back. 

"Nice drawing, Jo," he mocks. What, yesterday he didn't know my name and now he knows my middle name? 

"Give it back!" I order, pushing my desk away so I can stand up. But when I've gotten free and get to him, Cole snatches the book from him. I groan, not sure whether to engage him or not. 

"Miss Hansen?" Mr. Daniels' voice comes through, and I slump back into my seat. I hear Simon chuckling behind me, but I ignore him. Why do I have guy friends if they can't defend me from jerks? 

Cole places the notepad back on my desk. "You have potential," he mutters. 

I roll my eyes and snatch it up, then shove it back into my backpack, out of sight. 

"Don't let him fool you," Jude says, his voice a little muffled. I look up to find he has already shoved the candy in his mouth. 

What's his deal with treats meant for children?

"I know I can't draw," I confess with an eye roll. 

He places a hand on his chest. "Good, at least you are not in denial."

Cole scoffs beside him. "Will you need my help?" he asks, and I turn to look at him. His dark hair is all messed up, curling around his ears and the nape of his neck. His brown eyes glint mischievously, and I realise that I had never been this close to him before. I have probably said more words to him today than in our three years of schooling together. The things detention can make you do. 

"Help with what?" I ask, totally lost. 

His thumb indicates Jude. "Tutoring him. He can be so dense sometimes."

I can't help but laugh at that, and Jude clobbers his friend on his head. "Fuck off, prick."

"No cursing, ladies present," Cole tells him, his eyes flicking towards me. 

Jude scoffs in disbelief. "This one?" He asks incredulously. "I swear she has the most foul mouth I ever saw on a girl," he says. 

Cole waggles his brow at me. I glare at Jude. Who doesn't curse? My phone buzzes. I draw it from my jeans pocket, drawing my attention from the two. 

I open a text from Jen. I also notice the time and scowl. Why does time always seem to crawl when you are in an unfavourable situation? 

Jen, 3.45pm: Still alive? 

I roll my eyes at her insinuation. I can survive in a room full of delinquents, as I'm finding out. 

Me, 3.46pm: You should be more worried about Simon. This phone deficiency thing is proving too hard on him. 

Jen, 3.47pm: It's good for him lol

Me, 3.48pm: What r u doing? 

Jen, 3.49pm: Just got 2 the mall with the girls, talk later? 

I roll my eyes but reply: Sure. 

Jen and I may be close, but we have very different friends. One, I don't keep a large following, while she has a large network of friends all over the place. I think Simon is the only common close friend we share. 

Someone snatches my phone, and I look up to find Jude looming over me. He immediately hands it back, however. "Imprisonment over," he tells me. 

I guess he was looking at the time.

Cole is coming to his feet too, shouldering his backpack. It's then that I notice that people are leaving the room. I look down at my phone, it's fifty two past three. Didn't detention end at ten past four? I look towards Mr. Daniels and Simon is already there, getting his phone back. 

"He's letting us out early," Jude explains.

"That happens?" I ask as I lift my bag. 

"Oh, never, trust me," he replies. "See you around, Ava," he adds, then starts towards the door. Cole tousles my hair then goes after his friend. I touch my hair, a little baffled, then head over to Mr. Daniels to get back my book. 

Detention wasn't all that bad, after all. 

Maybe I should come back more. 

Kidding.