Chapter Text
This isn’t the first time Heloise has ever gotten caught. It’s just the first time anyone has really done anything so severe about it.
In a way, it’s a little nice. She’s finally getting a little recognition around here. The acknowledgement that she’s a threat. Principal Heinous doesn’t seem to see it that way, though.
“A week’s detention,” he growls to her in his office, before having her shuffled off to the classroom that gets used for said disciplinary measures.
She’s been here before, though usually for only one class period. At most, she’s spent a few hours in after school detention, bored to tears but free soon enough.
A week, though? It’s never been more than a day. She’s almost flattered.
Heloise gets unceremoniously dropped into a chair by school security. Despite everything, she’s more annoyed than anything. Detention is completely unproductive, but that might be why Principal Heinous is using it to punish her in particular.
Not that she plans to let it work.
“Hey,” whispers the kid sitting next to her, “what are you in for?”
She eyes him over suspiciously. He’s a lanky, freckled blonde with gap-toothed smile. At worst, he looks mildly annoying. In other words? Totally harmless.
It couldn’t hurt to tell him, then, Heloise supposes. The teacher supposed to be watching over detention is practically comatose, so unless he wakes up, a little small talk won’t get him into any more hot water with the school.
“I poisoned Mr. von Scientist,” Heloise says, dully. The boy’s eyes widen, so she clarifies. “Nothing fatal, just to make him sick.”
She deliberately fails to mention that she isn’t totally opposed to fatally poisoning any of her teachers (or any of the school staff, period), but she prefers to start with a warning shot. He doesn’t need to know that. Yet.
“Hardcore,” the kid says, “why’d you do it?”
She shrugs. “We don’t get along very well. What are you in for?”
“Smiling in the halls.”
Heloise blinks.
Huh. Yeah. That sounds about right.
“I haven’t seen you around before,” she says, “is this your first detention?”
“Like…” he trails off, “ever, or just here?”
“Both, I guess?”
“Oh.” The boy clicks his tongue. “Then both! I’m kinda new here.”
Ah. That explains why Heloise hadn’t seen him around before. He’s a goody two-shoes, yeah, but that doesn’t matter much at Misery High.
If anything, that’ll just get him in more trouble. He hasn’t learned that yet, though.
They all do, in the end.
“Well,” Heloise hums, “good luck.”
It isn’t something she even meant to say. It slips out naturally.
Perhaps a bit more surprising is that she finds herself meaning it.
“Thanks!” He grins. “Hey, I just realized, I never gave you my name. It’s Jimmy Two-Shoes.”
Heloise snorts, and Jimmy tilts his head to the side.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, just… reminds me of something I was thinking about earlier.” She extends her hand towards him. “I’m Heloise.”
“Just Heloise?” he asks, “didn’t you get a last name?”
She shrugs. “As long as I’ve been here, it’s just been Heloise.”
“Weird,” Jimmy says, “Principal Heinous gave me one right away. Maybe that means he likes me!” He seems to glow at the idea.
A part of Heloise wants to tell Jimmy the truth, that Principal Heinous very much does not like him, that nicknames are nothing but trouble.
She ought to crush his spirits, revel in the destruction of his happiness. It’d be so easy, like flicking an ant from her shoulder.
“Maybe,” Heloise replies.