Chapter Text
Session One: Detention
“Hey!”
Jonathan refused to look up. That was what got him into trouble last time. Instead, he just kept on reading the chapter due for tomorrow. English was a subject he always struggled with, so it was better to knock out the harder work now.
“Jonathaaaaaan~”
He tried to keep his eyes to the slightly faded out words on the pages. But try as he might, the thought of her could not flee his mind. His eyes began to wander while his finger traced along the words.
Looking off to his right, the fading afternoon light nearly blinded him as it shone through the windowpane. Several empty desk chairs formed a barrier between his only source of company in this empty classroom. The same source that put him into this room in the first place. The sun cast a silhouette on his classmate, almost bathing her in shadow.
She was a girl with long, curly brown hair and striking blue eyes, shining like sapphires with a mischievous stare in his direction. Jonathan snorted, determined not to be taken in. It’s what got him here in the first place. He returned to his book but found it hard to escape the feeling of her gaze. His classmate narrowed her eyes, unamused, though the grin never left her face.
“Don’t pretend you can’t hear me, Jonathan.”
Jonathan sighed and tried to distract himself with something else. He reached for his phone in a ploy, hoping to make her think he was occupied, but she saw through his façade.
“I can see your phone is off, so it’s no use trying to ignore me.”
“Can’t you see I’m trying to work on something?” he replied, somewhat annoyed.
“You mean your chapter?” she said with a smirk. “That’s not due until next week. You can relax a bit.”
“Catherine, even if that’s true, if the teacher comes in—”
“The teachers are all gone, so we can talk.”
Jonathan rolled his eyes. Catherine could be pushy, sometimes to the point where it was better to just humor her. It was never something that repelled him from her, but he had to wonder where she set her boundaries. Regardless, he was getting nowhere with his reading. His mind was not clear. So, perhaps it was better to clear the air between them instead.
“Why would I want to do that?”
Catherine sighed, seeing his point. She could be a troublemaker, but she was not dense to her own nature.
“Okay, I’ll admit that it’s my fault we’re here. But if you hadn’t screamed so loudly when I touched your leg in class, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Why exactly did you do that, though? Do you want something from me?”
“What do you mean?” Catherine giggled, narrowing her eyes. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m interested in you, silly!”
Jonathan’s ears burned slightly at the reason and tried to return to his book. But now, he couldn’t get the words out of his head. He and Catherine had been classmates for a while, but he never really actively pursued her, nor did he ever think she would.
Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope. You’ll just build me up to shoot me down, won’t you?
Catherine usually was seen with those higher up on the school’s social food chain. She participated in a lot of sports clubs, including tennis and lacrosse, developing a reputation as an active, sporty girl. Her grades were good as well, earning her a place on the school’s honor roll. Why she would land herself in detention, let alone pursue him, was beyond him. Compared to her, he was no better than a shadow.
Jonathan, though not a troublemaker, was more reserved. He largely kept to himself and did his work. He never joined any clubs, never played any sports, and usually headed straight home after school. Any other boy would kill to be talking to one of the more popular girls, but Jonathan was never one to care about social status.
“You’re really cute when you’re flustered, Jon,” Catherine remarked, moving to the seat next to his. “Makes me want to…ruin you.” Jonathan gulped.
“…Is that a threat?” Catherine snorted and stifled a hard laugh.
“Man, you take everything like it’s a veiled attack. Calm down, would you? I’m not trying to trap you or anything. Pinky swear~”
She extended her pinky to him to show her sincerity. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Catherine was an…interesting girl to be around, to say the least. At least talking to her made the time in detention go by. With an ounce of reluctance, he extended his own pinky out to hers and the two curled around, forming a chain on which to shake.
Catherine was not content with just this, however, and she immediately noticed the size of his finger compared to hers. In fact, the size of his whole hand compared to hers.
“Has anyone ever told you that you have big hands?”
The burning sensation on his ears extended down to his face. Catherine could be surprisingly forward. He had only spoken with her on occasion before now, but it was never anything particularly noteworthy. She seemed like a normal girl. But now, she seemed like she was begging for something from him. But what?
“…um…thanks, I guess?”
Catherine giggled. Whether that was in amusement or derision was uncertain, but he paid it no mind. Instead, she just scooted closer, until her arm was practically rubbing his, looking at his book.
“Hamlet. You know, I never understood what the big deal with this play was,” she thought aloud. “I read it once before in middle school. It’s just a couple of famous lines and a long, meandering story.”
“What do you mean? It’s one of Shakespeare’s greatest.”
“Mmmh…I wouldn’t say that. For one, Hamlet doesn’t even do anything for most of the play. He just ruminates on the nature of existence like anyone could give a crap about what he’s saying. When he got the confirmation that his uncle killed his father, he should have just offed him right then and there.”
“Well, that wouldn’t make for an interesting play, would it? It focuses more on its characters than its plot. It’s called Hamlet for a reason, after all.”
Catherine pouted. Jonathan was getting a bit too smart for her liking. Perhaps it was time for her to tease him a little more.
No, she shouldn’t. She just swore that she wasn’t trying to trap him. Although she had a mean streak, she did value things like honesty and keeping one’s word. There would be another time for her games anyway. Instead, it was better to help with the assignment. They were both charged with reading the same play, after all.
Jonathan sighed. It was the third time they had ended up in detention now. But then again, he could think of worse things than spending time alone with Catherine. She was hardly a nuisance; just very…forward. Sometimes, he had to wonder if this was all some prank. After all, what would someone like Catherine want with someone like him? He didn’t stand out among the crowd. He wasn’t particularly rich nor was he good at sports.
So why?
This time, he was determined to get an answer from her. A solid, satisfactory answer.
“We’re back here again~!” she chirped from across the room. “Just the two of us.”
“Yeah, lucky us,” Jonathan returned, somewhat sarcastic. “It’s almost like you’re trying to get us in detention together on purpose.”
Catherine smiled lightly, as if pleased with such a remark. What on earth was going through her mind?
“You’re smarter than you look, Jon. I guess it should be expected, though. You do pretty well for yourself in English.”
“…Thanks. Listen, I don’t mind if this is your way of spending time with me. Just…don’t pull any funny business like last time.”
“Oh, please,” Catherine chuckled, waving off his concerns. “You can’t deny you didn’t enjoy it. Besides, who wouldn’t want attention from a cute girl like me?”
Jonathan blushed and looked away, turning to his book. Was she really trying to come on to him? It had to be some kind of prank. It just had to. Today, he would know for sure, one way or another.
“I remember the look on your face last time when I kissed you on the cheek. I want to see it again.”
Okay, now she HAD to be pranking him.
Jonathan cautiously moved up to another seat, but Catherine reached out a hand to grab him by his blazer sleeve. She flashed the most innocent yet mischievous smile he ever saw in a girl. It was no wonder why she was so popular.
“No, don’t back away from me,” she pleaded, apologetic. “I’ll stay right here. You don’t need to worry.”
“…you promise?”
“Promise. I admit I can be an asshole sometimes, but I’m not that much of an asshole.”
Jonathan shrugged. Well, if she was not going to give him trouble, then he had no reason to complain. Hopefully, this would be another quiet session of detention with her. So, he continued reading Hamlet. But the longer he read, the more he noticed Catherine’s dark sapphire eyes staring at him. Almost…consuming him. She wanted something from him. He could tell. She always did whenever they were together.
“Catherine?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you…like being around me?”
“What brought this on?”
“I just can’t help but notice that you’re always seeking me out. Even when we have group activities in class, you’re looking to pair up with me. Is there a reason for that?”
“Do I need a reason? I like being with you, silly. I couldn’t care less about school or tests when I’m with you.”
“…is that true?”
“Of course, it is. You’re fun to be around.”
Jonathan ran his fingers through his blonde hair, somewhat embarrassed. He couldn’t remember the last time any girl said that to him. But it still made him wonder what she saw in him. Given how playful she could be, was he just a toy for her? Or something else?
He flipped a page and leaned in deeper into his book. There would be plenty of time to uncover the real details of it all. Hamlet required his attention more.
“To be or not to be…that is the question…”
“Where ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” Catherine quoted flawlessly, “or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them. To die, to sleep, no more. By a sleep, to say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to?”
The boy was floored. She spoke as if she was an actress on the stage. It was perhaps the first time that she really impressed him.
“Damn, you’re good.”
“I told you,” Catherine noted with a giggle, “I read that play before in middle school. And I still think it’s the most boring tripe ever. You know he’s talking about suicide in that quote, right?”
“Wait, he is?”
“Yeah, he’s contemplating suicide. He goes on and on about how much life sucks and is full of suffering, but he decides it’s better to live because death is a worse alternative. What makes it weirder is he’s saying this to his girlfriend, Ophelia.”
“Right. This is when he’s telling her to go to a nunnery. Honestly, makes me wonder why Ophelia and Hamlet are a couple; he treats her like trash.”
“I get what he’s trying to do, though,” Catherine protested. “He’s trying to protect her. He doesn’t want her to get caught up in his schemes of having to murder his uncle. But if he would stop moping around and just tell her what he knows, then maybe she’d help him!”
Now Jonathan was really impressed. This girl was more than just a tease and a flirt; she could understand and analyze characters, interpret the meanings of scenes. She didn’t really showcase this in class; only around him. It was like a special gift meant only for his eyes and ears. A magician who saved her best trick for a reserved, private audience.
“You know,” Jonathan realized out loud, “it kinda surprises me that you don’t say this stuff in class.”
“Well,” she returned, smirking, “I think only you appreciate it. You’re…not like the others.”
Normally, he’d cringe at a cheesy line, but he was intrigued. Maybe now he would get some answers from her about why she sought him out so often.
“What do you mean by that?”
“How do I explain this…?”
Catherine tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, which turned slightly red. Was she…embarrassed? Normally he would be in any situation with her. Was she finally about to open up to him?
“Have I ever told you how many guys come up to me just to ask me out?”
“…I imagine you get a lot of people like that.” She snorted, indignance plain on her face.
“More than I’d like, honestly. You know, whenever I ask them why, it’s usually the same answer. ‘Who wouldn’t want to go out with you?’ ‘I think you’re perfect for a guy like me.’ ‘I’ll show you a good time.’ Not you, though. You don’t really care about any of that. You couldn’t give a damn about being popular, could you?”
Jonathan leaned back in his seat, surprised to hear all this from her. It wasn’t a full answer, but he was at least getting somewhere with her.
“Why would anyone? It’s a stupid and shallow goal. We won’t be in school forever, anyway, so why waste all that energy for something that won’t even last? If I thought being popular was the be-all end-all to my time in high school, then my priorities are really screwed up.”
Catherine chuckled quietly, almost expectant. She rested her head on her arms, looking at him with a longing glow in her blue eyes.
“I love your simple logic, Jonathan. So, what are your priorities?”
“Me? I’d rather get through school in one piece. Get a good-paying job somewhere. Maybe go to a good college. Honestly, I don’t really know. No one’s asked me that before.”
“Not even your parents?”
Jonathan returned to Hamlet at that moment. Catherine pried a little too deeply there, but it wasn’t her fault. He didn’t blame her. There were bigger reasons beyond the two of them, ones she couldn’t possibly understand.
“We…don’t really talk about stuff like that…”
He continued reading, but every now and again, she would pry him with another question, and he with her. Most were innocuous. Most were about things neither of them could remember. Gradually, as time wore on, and as the sun began to dip, his head began to nod.
“Wakey-wakey~!”
Catherine’s cheeky grin and her long brown tresses were the first thing Jonathan saw. He had fallen asleep, and judging from the light outside, it was near the end of the day. At once, Jonathan scrambled to get up, but couldn’t. He soon found out why.
His detention partner and all-around enigma of a classmate was now sitting on his lap. The foldable desk of the chair was folded up and his books were scattered on the floor. What had just happened? And why was she sitting on him?
“You took quite a long nap,” she said, fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket.
“Wait…I fell asleep? For how long? What time is it?”
“It’s half past four. Detention will be over soon.”
Her hands found their place on his shoulders. Jonathan would normally be apprehensive, but…for whatever reason…he wasn’t. He actually welcomed it. Maybe because Catherine seemed more than just a tease. Maybe she showed a different side to her. Or maybe it was simply the look in her eyes that told him to stay.
“You must’ve felt pretty comfortable with me to fall asleep.”
“Why are you…sitting on my lap?”
“Hmm? Do I need a reason? Because I want to, silly. And it’s easier for me to get at…this.”
She gently tugged on his tie, pulling it apart like a stray thread from a ball of yarn. Jonathan’s senses went into overdrive. What the hell was she planning? Was she going to strangle him? Choke him? What…?
“Catherine, what are you…?”
She pressed a finger to his lips and winked.
“Shhhh…don’t move. I just need to…”
With deft fingers and a quick motion, she looped the red tie around his waist like an impromptu lasso for a bucking steer. She then formed a knot and pulled it tight, bounding him to the chair and leaving him at her mercy. A sheen of sweat coated Jonathan’s brow. He knew she could be teasing, but this was different. She never tried anything like this with him before. A hard, dry lump grew in his throat as she inched back, admiring her work like a painter would a portrait.
Catherine smirked. This was exactly what she wanted. Now she could finally do what she had longed to do since they first met. It was something she had held inside her for a long time, and now was the time to let it run free.
“There,” she finished, quietly. “Now you can’t escape from me.”
“Catherine…?”
“It’s just the two of us in here, Jon. We’re all alone in the school.” She chuckled to herself at the thought. “Jeez, you’d wonder where the teacher is. They probably don’t care anyway…”
“W-what are you going to do to me?” he asked fearfully. “I-I don’t know what you want from me! Just tell me and I’ll do it!”
Her smirk widened. She had him right where she wanted him.
“…Anything?”
“Yes, please!”
“Hmmm…okay, then. All I want…is for you to trust me.”
Before Jonathan could give a response, her arms curled around his waist, and she pulled her body closer to his. All at once, a welcoming warmth came over him. She pulled him closer, close enough for him to smell her hair. It faintly reminded him of watermelons.
“Catherine…?”
“You looked like you needed a hug,” she whispered in his ear, her voice wispy. “I could hug you all day if I could. I don’t give a damn about school or tests or homework when I’m with you.”
“…not even Hamlet?”
“Mm-mm. Not even that bloviating, wishy-washy Hamlet.”
Catherine blushed. She couldn’t remember ever saying this to anyone. Every boy who ever tried to do this with her only turned out to be a social climber, looking to obtain her like some trophy. She wondered for a long time if anyone would ever see her for more than just a pretty face.
Slowly and with care, she pressed one ear against Jonathan’s chest. His heart was beating faster than a hummingbird. It made her smile, but she withheld her laughter. It was something new for her as well, and the last she wanted was to scare him away.
“Is this supposed to be some kind of prank?” Jonathan asked, his voice half-whispering.
“No. I promise you it’s not. Right now, all I want to do is listen to your heartbeat.”
Her face turned beet red. No sooner had she said those words when she buried her face into his jacket and shirt.
“Oh jeez…that was too cheesy, even for me. Don’t look at me right now…”
“Don’t you get embarrassed saying those things?”
“…no…I’m saying it to the person I like.”
To hear those words was like hearing an angel call from on high. Jonathan had been on the end of her pranks and mischief before, but he did not detect an ounce of facetiousness or maliciousness in her. Not even back then. Here, she was being genuine. He was sure of it. She did like him. And, despite himself…he liked her, too.
Well. I guess we’ll see where this takes us.
“Hey Catherine…”
“Yeah?”
“Untie me, would you?”
The girl looked up from his chest and into his eyes. Jonathan’s heartbeat increased almost tenfold. Her eyes seemed to glimmer like the ocean at dusk while a lock of her hair fell between her eyes, making her look like she had just gotten out of bed. Did Catherine know just how cute she could be?
Who was he kidding? Of course, she did. Why else would she come onto him so strongly?
“Untie you?”
Catherine glanced at the tie, as if contemplating her options. To say no would be far too sadistic. She had a mean streak to her, but she was not about to chase away the boy she liked for the longest time.
“Okay, then. You better not do anything weird, though.”
“I won’t. It’s a promise.”
Reluctantly, she reached for the necktie and tried to pull at the knot she made. She soon found that she had tied it tighter than she had initially wanted. But gradually, with a little bit of effort, she managed to pull the knot apart. At last, as she swiped off the tie and straightened it out, Jonathan made a move of his own.
“There, now what are you—”
Two lips pressed together, joining as one. Catherine was shut up in an instant while Jonathan, despite not really knowing fully why or whether he even wanted to go through with it, locked his arms around her waist. She didn’t fight back or protest, though. That only meant it was genuine. Catherine was more than a flirt. She was a girl who needed someone. Just as he did.
As their lips parted, Catherine rested her hands on her chest, eyes wide. She had been forward plenty of times but she never thought he would turn the tables on her. But she was hardly miffed by it all. If anything, she was relieved…and ecstatic.
“Wh…who said you could kiss me?”
“S-Sorry,” he whispered, contrite and embarrassed. “Should I not have?”
“No, that’s not it at all. I just didn’t expect you to do that. And I do believe it was you who complained about being stuck in detention.”
“Yeah, well, that was before you told me you liked me. That wasn’t a lie, was it?”
“No, it’s the truth. Every last word of it.”
“But I don’t understand, Catherine. Why me, of all people?”
One of her hands rested under his neck as she smiled, leaning back into him. He could be dense sometimes. Was it any wonder, though? He never seemed to get the message, be it a rub on the leg or her scheming to get both of them together into detention. Well, now was as good a time as any to come clean.
“Do you remember when we first met? It was on the first day of school…”
Jonathan searched through his memories to the day in question. It was particularly hectic, with him dashing to and fro and struggling to remember his teachers’ names. He practically forgot his locker number that day. But there was one moment that did stick out to him.
“You were on your way to class, and you got lost,” he recalled, the memory appearing before him like a film on a projector screen. She nodded.
“We shared the same class, and you offered to show me the way. You were so nice. I guess…it left a strong impact on me. I think it must’ve been the first time a guy approached me without trying to confess to me. So…thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Anyone else would’ve done the same.”
“I know. And that’s why I like you so much…” She sighed heavily in relief. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to say that.”
DING-A-LING-A-LING-A-LING-A-LING-A-LING!
The bell sounded, breaking off their moment of intimacy. Catherine sighed again, somewhat disappointed, but both were satisfied. She had accomplished what she set out to do. She finally lifted that weight that held her down. And Jonathan finally got the answers he wanted. Not all of them, but enough to give him some peace of mind. There would be another chance for the others.
As he gathered his books off the floor, Catherine stopped him and handed him Hamlet.
“Hey, thanks for listening to me. I promise this is the last time I’ll get you in trouble. You won’t have to come back to detention…unless you want to.”
Jonathan stood up and took the book from her.
“Honestly, I’d prefer to see you somewhere else. I don’t think a girl like you should be cooped up in a place like this.” Catherine beamed, as if expecting to hear that.
“Say, how about tomorrow we go somewhere for lunch? I know this nice little ice cream parlor we can eat at if you want.”
Well. It was certainly better than sitting in detention all day.
“Sure thing. I’ll see you there.”
“Thanks, Jon. I really mean it.”
She kissed him lightly on the cheek before bounding out the door. Jonathan could only watch, as if seeing a pixie float away. She was more than just a flirt and a tease. She was more than just a popular girl with a pretty face. She simply wanted some respect and recognition.
But that made him wonder: is there no one else in her life who could give it to her but him?