3 Chapter 2: Detention

"What were you two thinking?" the old fart lectured

The brown-haired girl seems to shift uncomfortably in her chair

"Luke, you've been a nuisance since day one. Sarah, I'm disappointed and shocked that you would get into a fight."

"She started it, "I childishly protested.

"Says the person who knocked me down," Sarah interjects

"I'm not the one who escalated it by flicking people off."

Sarah swivels to the right in her chair to face straight towards me.

"You knocked me down, refused to help me pick up my things, and after all that you blamed me for it."

"ENOUGH," the principal yells.

"5 weeks of detention, both of you."

I stick my tongue out at her to highlight the sting she probably feels. The office is starting to feel cramped.

"and Luke, one more outburst like this and I'll have to give you a suspension; there is only so much your mother can do, "

"You are both free to leave, don't let me hold you up here."

I get up, get my backpack, and head to class. A familiar vibe gets thickly layered all over the school. All my mixed-up feelings are swirling; my head feels light, yet heavy. Why? Why do I have to put up with all this bullshit?

I set my sights on a trash can. It starts to get closer and closer.

I kick it; trash spills everywhere. The trash looks like swirled up guts laying there on the floor. The new stench spreads thick over the empty hallways. I hate myself, but not the custodians. I start to pick up pieces of trash.

Maybe I can disappear before anyone notices; I mean, classes are in session, so it's not like the staff and faculty have a reason to be out in the halls.

"Luke!"

Goddamnit.

"Hey, Luke, let me help!" Nick yells

"What are you doing here?"

"I have a dentist's appointment today," Nick explains

"Nice, man, thanks for the help, by the way."

"No problem, by the way, did you see the trailer last night?"

I could see his smile getting wider and wider by the moment. It's probably some kind of new game. I don't want to deal with it right now, though.

"What happened to that dentist's appointment?"

"I just wanted to help,"

"But your right I am running kind of late" Nick says before he runs off

The trash is all cleaned up; I guess it's time for my daily prison sentence.

The rest of the day went smoothly until detention. I walk in half expecting to get glared at by Sarah and the teacher. I sit down, and my mind starts to wander as if on autopilot; I begin to think about how computers work.

"You know I might get some holes in me if you keep staring like that" pipes a smaller girl two seats behind me.

"Care to tell me more?"

I start to notice the rotten sickly sweet scent in the room.

"And also what is that scent?" I ask

"Only the finest rotten oranges; brewed to perfection over the course of weeks"

"Riiiiiiiight, and how long have you had detention for?"

"Oh, I've been in here for ten minutes"

"So, how exactly do you have brewed oranges?"