The Detention

Enkem'ol was a town like no other in the Taymyr peninsula. Located in the far north, it was isolated from the rest of the world by a thick blanket of snow that covered the ground year-round. It was located on a hill called Llama, surrounded by a dense pine forest. Even in the summer months, the weather was always cold, and the town had its unique charm.

The town's architecture was a blend of traditional Russian and modern design, with colorful houses. It was a tight-knit community where everyone knew each other's business. It was said that Enkem'ol had a secret, that something strange was going on within its borders. There were whispers of secret experiments being conducted on the town's citizens and rumors of government conspiracies and cover-ups. The town's residents denied these rumors, but the young and restless couldn't resist the urge to investigate. Unlike most other places, Enkem'ol started its school year in the summer, much to the chagrin of the students.

Billie had everything, a loving family, supportive best friends, and whatnot. But sometimes, even the perfect life gets boring-- It was the same for her.

Billie sat at the breakfast table with her family. Her little brother Simeon was already tucking into his pancakes, and her parents were discussing their workday plans.

"Jeez look at you! How are you eating all of that?" She exclaimed at her brother.

"Because I'm YOUR brother!" Simeon replied hastily swallowing the pancake.

"You're being a great influence on him Bill!," Her mother laughed as Billie sat there annoyed.

"Look, there's an alpaca in our home!", she slyly pointed her hands towards the other direction, distracting his brother while she gulped down half of his orange juice.

"Alpaca!----huh?" Simeon's excitement turned into a frown as he realized his sister had tricked him.

"God, it vanished!" she exclaimed as she laughed at her brother.

"You're mean---What, Where my Juicie?!," He looked at Billie accusingly.

"It was Sarah!," She pointed at the AI hologram that was lit on the kitchen table, giving her mother instructions for cooking.

Her mother arched her eyebrows at Billie, shaking her head.

"Sarah, did you drink my Juice?" Simeon asked the AI.

"As an AI model, I don't have a physical form or the ability to drink and eat. So, Simmy, I didn't drink your Juicie," it said in a cool tone.

"Aw, then who did?!," Simeon asked furiously as Billie slowly stood up from her chair.

"It was your sister, Billie," The AI said.

"Man, What a snitch!" She retorted quickly grabbing her backpack and trench coat, heading out the door.

She hopped on her bike and started pedaling towards school. She smiled to herself as she thought about her fuming little brother.

'Ha, that was a laugh,' she thought to herself.

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. "Hey, Billie, wait up!" It was Miron, one of her classmates and her best friend.

"Yo! Good to see you," Billie asked, pulling over to the side of the road.

"Yeah, I'm earlier than usual right?" Miron said, flashing a grin.

"Yeah," Billie nodded.

Miron was a hardworking and brave friend of Billie's who worked several part-time jobs to feed himself, as his father who was unemployed and a drunkard wouldn't care about him. He was built like a Viking and had an endearing smile that made everyone like him.

As they arrived in class, they realized they had forgotten their textbooks for the first class. They quickly decided to sneak back to their lockers to grab them, but they were caught by "Baldie"- Mr. Petrov, the strict physics teacher who was notorious for his zero-tolerance policy on tardiness and unpreparedness.

"Late and unprepared, eh? That's detention for you two," Mr.Petrov said, his eyes narrowing.

Billie and Miron groaned in unison as they took their seats. Ivan, their mutual best friend, slid into the seat next to them.

"Damn Billie, detention the very first thing in the morning?" he mocked in a whisper.

"I'll kill you if you don't shut up," Billie replied, glaring at him.

Ivan's inclusion in the gang ensured that they had a full complement of troublemakers, with his mischievous nature matching Billie's and leaving Miron as the sole voice of reason.

As Mr.Petrov launched into his lecture, the trio's minds wandered. They had heard whispers about something called the "Blue mist line," a mysterious phenomenon that seemed to occur in the forest. They had even joked about investigating it during their summer break- that is the school being off for the evening hours. But now, with detention looming, it seemed like a far-fetched idea.

As the class ended, Mr.Petrov dismissed the students, warning them to behave and be prepared for the next day's lesson.

"I don't want to see any of you in detention again," he growled at the class.

As they left the classroom, Ivan suggested they look into the mist line again.

"Can we look into that 'blue mist' thing the peeps are talking about? They say it can be seen in the forest line near our school!" he added.

Billie and Miron exchanged skeptical glances, but Ivan's enthusiasm was contagious.

"Okay, let's do it," Billie said, smiling mischievously.

"Oii, you two!" They heard Mr. Petrov call them.

He was walking towards them with the same grimace he had when he gave them detention.

"Meet me after school hours for your detention! If you goof around then I will make it worse for you!" he said narrowing his left eye and judging all three of them.

" Well, did he hear us making plans?" Ivan whispered to them as he kept his eye on Mr.Petrov's figure slowly vanishing in the hallway.

"Argh, Whatever mate!" Billie grunted.

After the fun hours, they spent in the day, the detention bell rings and Billie, Miron, and Ivan trudge into Mr. Petrov's classroom, their shoulders slumped with resignation. They know they are in for a long afternoon of tedious work, but they also know that Mr. Petrov is not a teacher to be trifled with.

As they take their seats at their desks, Mr. Petrov regards them with a cold, unsmiling gaze. He notices Ivan and pointed at him to ask why he is there but before he could tell anything Ivan spoke.

"Thought they could use some help, sir," Ivan told him firmly.

"Ah, Popular boy tagging along with his notorious friends-- Interesting but do I care?" Mr. Petrov ended it with an ugly chuckle.

"Today, you will be doing some work for me," he says, his voice clipped and formal.

"I need you to go to the storage room and find something for me. You will not leave until you have found it and brought it to me."

"It is a small, rectangular-shaped device and I need it for an upcoming experiment."

The friends exchange glances. They gather their things and make their way to the storage room, hoping they can complete their task quickly and avoid any further trouble.

The storage room is a dimly lit space that smells of dust and old paper. Shelves line the walls, and boxes are stacked high on top of each other.

"Make sure you search thoroughly," Mr. Petrov says sternly, his eyes following their every move. "I need that device for my experiment, and I won't tolerate any slacking off."

Billie, Miron, and Ivan start their search, combing through the dusty shelves and rifling through boxes. They work in silence for a while until Ivan finally speaks up.

"Man, I don't think it's here," Ivan said, his voice echoing in the empty room. "We've looked everywhere, damn it!"

Billie, Miron, and Ivan trudge out of the storage room, their search has been in vain. They glance at each other in frustration, wondering why Mr. Petrov would assign them such a pointless task. As they walk down the hallway towards the classroom, they hear the familiar voice of Mr. Petrov calling out to them.

"Ah, there you are," he says, walking towards them. "Did you find what I was looking for?"

"No, sir," Ivan says, his voice laced with annoyance. "We searched the entire storage room, but we couldn't find it."

Mr. Petrov's eyes narrow as he regards the three of them. "Are you sure?" he asks, his tone sharp.

"Yes, we're sure," Miron says, his frustration getting the better of him. "We looked everywhere, and it's not there."

Mr. Petrov's lips curl into a sneer. "Well, isn't that convenient," he says. "I suppose you think you're too good to do a little bit of work for me."

Billie bristles at Mr. Petrov's accusation. "We searched the storage room like you asked," she says, her voice rising in anger. "But we didn't find anything. Maybe you just misplaced it."

Mr. Petrov's face turns red with anger. "How dare you speak to me like that?" he says, his voice rising in volume.

"You are all disrespectful and disruptive students, and I will not tolerate it in my classroom."

With that, Mr. Petrov marches them into his classroom and orders them to sit down at their desks. He begins to write a physics problem on the board and tells them they will be working on it for the rest of the detention.

"You will not leave until you have completed this problem set to my satisfaction," he says, his voice cold and unforgiving. "And if any of you so much as whisper a word, I will give you another week's worth of detention."

They groan inwardly at the thought of having to spend the rest of the evening working on a difficult physics problem. But they know better than to argue with Mr. Petrov. They settle in at their desks and begin working on the problem, determined to finish it as quickly as possible so they can leave.

"You should've kept your mouth shut Billie, look where you've brought us!" Ivan said shaking his head.

"Why are you so eager to die in my hands, bud?" Billie arched her brows.

As they work, they exchange glances and grumble quietly about their predicament. But they keep their voices low, not wanting to risk incurring Mr. Petrov's wrath. Finally, after what seems like hours, they complete the problem set and turn it in to Mr. Petrov.

He looks it over with a critical eye before nodding in satisfaction. "Very good," he says grudgingly. "You may go now."

They gather their things and leave the classroom, relieved that their punishment is finally over. As they walk out of the school, Billie can't help but feel a sense of injustice. She knows they were set up by Mr. Petrov, and she doesn't like the feeling of being unfairly punished.