Chapter Text
I was gripping my pen so hard it made it almost impossible to get started on my homework, again. You could say it was fortunate that Mr Dalgleish was letting me do my English essay during a detention -some of the other teachers who did them were determined that everyone there sat silently, bored, with absolutely nothing to do- but that was completely ignoring the circumstances. It was also ignoring the fact that there was literally nothing else I’d be doing at home other than my homework. I didn’t exactly have friends to hang out with.
After everyone had turned up, Mr Dalgleish had given us a long rambling speech about why we all deserved to be here for wasting school time, so now our time was being wasted. He’d droned on, everytime we talked without permission, we’d add five minutes to our detention. Our phones should be switched off, if they made a noise that would be five, if they rang it would be ten. He could stay here for as long as it took, he’d be doing marking that he’d do whether we were here or not. This was all completely ignoring that I’d earned the detention through absolutely no fault of my own.
Madison, in my English class, had tried to snatch my original homework off my desk, but I’d been quick enough to grasp it before she could steal it. What proceeded was probably the most pathetic tug of war ever. Between me, Taylor Hebert, beanpole bullying victim and tiny cutesy, Madison Clements, one of the worst of my bullies. The paper had ripped, sending both of us crashing into the classroom’s desks.
Ms Jones was probably giving herself a massive pat on the back for being fair when she gave us both detentions, even though all I’d done was try to protect my work. Madison had even hit her wrist on the desk and started crying crocodile tears at her ‘really painful’ injury, booking herself a trip to the school nurse, because it ‘must be broken’. Of course, she’d stashed half my homework in her pocket so when it came time to hand in all I had was an incomplete essay. There was no point asking for the other half from Madison. Ms Jones had been magnanimous to give me extra time to complete it again. How generous of her.
Worse still Emma and her cronies had delayed me enough getting to the detention that I was stuck in a seat at the front. A prime target. What a way to cap off my first week of sophomore year.
So here I was, again, learning not to count on any reasonable authority at Winslow High School, about the only thing I had learned at the stupid school. It had been old before I’d got into four figures worth of examples of the hellholes shortcomings.
Okay, I was beginning to be overdramatic, better to channel the anger into writing my essay.
Maybe three sentences in I felt a wet glomp on the back of my head, accompanied by a tittering giggle from Madison. The little witch had thrown a spitball in my hair. Mr Dalgleish, obviously, cast an eye towards her till the laughing stopped, but did nothing else. More interested in grading papers.
I ignored her, despite the black pit of rage sitting in my gut. My pen met the paper again, but I’d completely forgotten what I was going to write next. I flicked my eyes to the clock, seven minutes had passed, urgh.
Behind me Madison let off a girlish shriek. I turned with the speed of a whip. Madison herself was looking towards a black girl, I didn't recognise sitting in the row behind her.
“What the hell!” she squeaked at the girl.
The girl, for lack of a more accurate name, looked like she’d stepped right out of a renaissance art piece, except for two things. First she was posed, giving Madison the finger with both hands and she had shit eating grin on her face, and second she was dressed in a way that really pushed the envelope of what was acceptable to wear at school. On second thought, a skirt that short had to be against the rules even if it showed off her legs, and hips that I’d consider killing for. I wouldn’t because that would be morally wrong, but I’d still be tempted.
Her shirt was tight enough that it showed she had breasts way larger than mine. She had a long neck, fine cheekbones, with a bleached streak that had then been dyed purple. All in all I could tell she was gorgeous, despite her fashion sense and demeanour. It was made more painful with the fact that she must be a freshman. I’m sure I would have noticed her last year had she been at Winslow, even if we didn’t share any classes.
“Okay, what happened?” Mr Dalgleish shouted over Madison’s indignation. Her hand shot up and the teacher cast his gaze on her, “Yes.”
“She shot a spitball at me,” Madison said, pointing at the girl. Her reaction was so over the top that I had to stifle giggles, “and she shot one at poor Taylor too, you can see it in her hair.”
“Fuck off!” the other girl shouted, “Teach, I only hit her with one cause she hit Taylor.”
I could already tell her explanation was useless, Mr Dalgleish had already come to a decision and I was hardly going to say anything. I couldn’t definitively say who was responsible, even if I knew really, and speaking up was probably going to land me in trouble too.
“Then you should have alerted me rather than take matters into your own hands, Aisha.” Mr Dalgleish said, “You’ve earned yourself another thirty minutes here.”
“Seriously?” A look from Mr Dalgleish silenced her for a second, “can I go on my phone and message my brother that I’ll be getting out late?”
“Fine, you can use your phone for a minute, any longer is more added time.”
The rest of the detention passed without issue, I was writing my homework slower than usual. I couldn’t stop thinking about Aisha, I felt that I had to thank her for trying to help me, however misguided her help may be.
When the hour was finally up, Mr Dalgleish dismissed the majority of the students. Aisha and a couple others who’d been disruptive would stay for longer. I kept writing, hoping he wouldn’t notice me. I didn’t want to wait outside for Aisha to be let go, that would look weird.
Mr Dalgleish cleared his throat, “Taylor, you can go.”
I wanted to sigh, no luck. “If it’s alright, Mr Dalgleish, I just need a couple minutes to finish my homework then I’ll go.”
Madison must have heard me cause I heard her say something to a jock next to her, who burst out laughing. She was smirking at me over her shoulder.
“Alright,” the teacher said, sitting back down. He shook his head and I heard him mutter under his breath that he didn’t intend for me to hear, “someone in detention who actually likes school.”
I wish I could break it to him what I really thought of Winslow, but I didn’t want to actually earn any more detention time.
Not five minutes later I heard someone drumming their fingers on the desk with no clear rhythm. Designed to annoy.
“Aisha!” Mr Dalgleish said, “Do you want to earn even more time here?”
“Oh, fuck this,” the beautiful girl answered back, she slung her bag over her shoulder and strode towards the door. I watched her go. “I’m outta here.”
“You’re getting another detention Monday,” the teacher uselessly shouted after her.
She threw her middle finger up over her shoulder without looking, “Later bitches!”
Aisha was out the door before I realised I couldn’t talk to her if she was gone. I hurriedly packed up my new essay and school supplies into my bag.
“What are you doing?” Mr Dalgleish’s question was directed at me.
“Um, packing up. I’ve finished my essay and I completed the detention. Remember?”
“Yes, of course.” he answered sheepishly, “sorry. You can go now.”
Well I guess he at least apologised.
I rushed into the hall, but found it already empty. Aisha must have run off really fast, she’d looked well muscled, but she must be as fast as Sophia to disappear already. I took a couple of tentative steps down the hall, unsure if I was going the right way-
I jumped at a tap on my shoulder. And I may have screamed a little. I heard Aisha cackling before I turned to see her. Where the hell had she been hiding, she must have ducked behind a bin or something.
My glare must have been enough for her to tell I was not at all impressed. She waved a hand at me, “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to make you shit yourself.”
My expression didn’t move a millimeter. If Aisha noticed I was still annoyed, which I very much suspected she did, she didn’t give it away. “Anywho. I knew it!”
She was pointing at me with a finger… accusing? Grinning like a loon too, or a devil.
“Knew what?” I answered, mostly because it seems she wouldn’t clarify unless I responded.
“That you weren’t some nerdy dork trying to get her homework done,” she said, very self satisfied at whatever inference she’d made, “You stuck around because you wanted to say something to me. Well go on then I’m all ears.”
In an exaggerated motion, she cupped her right hand behind her ear, tilting that side around and leaning forwards in mock focus to listen to me.
Yes, I’d gotten so wrapped up with her surprising me I’d forgotten the reason that I followed her out in the first place.
“That’s right. I wanted to thank you for intervening with Madison. Won’t do much good, but I appreciate the gesture.”
“Really, is that it? Come on Tay,” she answered, her grin plastered back on her face. What was she talking about?
“Yeah, that was it.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“Seriously~” she drew out the word teasingly.
“Yes… what did you think I was gonna say?” I asked.
“Come onnnnn, I caught you checking me out in there and you totally looked at my cleavage just now.” -had I- “I thought you wanted to ask me out,” Aisha said.
I felt my whole face flush in… embarrassment. Yeah, that.
“No sorry, I wasn’t.” -Was I- “and I wasn’t going to, ask you out, that is.”
“Coulda fooled me,” she groused.
I could totally see being attracted to her if I was gay, even with her fashion sense, but I was like eighty percent sure I was straight. Though I had to admit the number would have been higher this morning.
“Look, you’re really attractive, but I don’t think I’m-”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t need the speech.” Aisha held the bridge of her nose, continuing peevishly, “woulda said no anyway.”
I could tell she was kind of joking to get a reaction out of me, and I knew I wasn’t much to look at, but still. Ouch.
This wasn’t close to the worst conversation I’ve ever had, thanks Emma, but it was definitely the most embarrassing.
How could I salvage this?
“I really am thankful for the thing with Madison. You might want to watch yourself though. They tend to scare anyone off that tries to be nice to me.”
“Really, who?” she asked, eying me expressively, with a look I couldn’t quite figure out.
“Madison, other girls in my year. My bullies.” I said reluctantly.
It sort of felt that just by saying it outloud I would scare her off, that she’d see something wrong with me and I was sabotaging what had been a somewhat positive conversation.
“Alright, thanks for the warning.” Aisha said, “I’ll be seeing ya Monday, Tay. Don’t be a stranger.”
“See ya,” I answered almost on reflex.
She flounced away after blowing me a kiss that sent another unwanted blush to my cheeks. I must have looked like I’d run a mile. It took me a second to realise that she’d suggested she still wanted to hang out with me. That was nice. She was crass and flamboyant, but it was still nice. Despite the misunderstandings I could say I wouldn’t mind seeing Aisha again.