Chapter Text
Peter Spankoffski was late to school.
It wasn’t like this was anything new. His best friend, Richie Lipschitz, always joked that he would know the apocalypse was starting if Pete ever showed up to school on time. This time, however, it wasn’t his own fault. Ted was normally the one getting them places on time, but his nerdy ass older brother had overslept for once.
“Alright, get out dork.” Ted said as he pulled up next to Hatchetfield High’s front steps.
Pete just sighed and rolled his eyes. He grabbed his bag and waved goodbye as Ted sped off, desperate to get to work on time. And Ted called him a dork. At this point, Ruth Fleming would definitely be prowling the hallways with his name already written on a detention slip. He debated just skipping class entirely, but decided the scolding from Ted wasn’t worth it. Maybe if he was lucky, Ruth would be distracted on the other side of the school with some jock. She was one of the only people Pete couldn’t flirt his way out of trouble with. Something about how sinful he was and God’s holy plan for her or something.
Instead of prolonging the inevitable, Pete confidently glided into the empty hallways. In some miraculous turn of events, he didn’t run into Ruth, and the few kids he did run into immediately blushed and jumped out of his path. He slipped into his seat in Miss. Mulberry’s class quietly, and she barely spared him a glance, too busy ugh teaching to really pay attention to him.
“Alright, class, pop quiz! I hope you’ve been hitting the books! Mr. Spankoffski.” There was the disapproving glare he was expecting from her! Pete gave her his sweetest smile before fully registering what she had said. Shit. He had not studied at all. Which was not surprising for him of course. But he didn’t let his face fall, instead turning to the girl seated next to him.
“Hey, babe.” Pete whispered, mentally dialing up the Spankoffski charm, as his brother liked to call it. Stephanie Lauter turned towards him with a thinly veiled look of disgust on her face. Oh boy, this might be tougher than he originally thought.
“We’ve been in classes together for a long time haven’t we?”
“Ever since the first grade.” She replied stiffly, jotting something down on her quiz. It was quite clear she did not want to be having a conversation with him, but Pete was not one to give up easily.
“Well, I’m just realizing that I’ve never introduced myself! I’m Peter.”
Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Peter Spankoffski. I know. Everyone does?”
“Yeah but my friends call me Pete.” He said with a wink. “We’re friends, aren’t we sweetheart?”
Pete watched as Stephanie gripped her pencil a little tighter at the nickname. Intresting. “What do you want, Spankoffski?”
Pete chuckled a little under his breath. “A little eager, aren’t we?” He ignored her scathing glare. “I won’t mince words, I’m going to fail this test. Unless you help me cheat.”
That caught her attention. Stephanie’s head snapped up, eyes wide. “Cheat?!” She hissed, quickly looking around the class to see if anyone heard. As if anyone cared.
Pete just rolled his eyes. “Just finish your exam, pass it to me, and I’ll put my name on it. You'll even get to take the test a second time! Doesn't that sound fun?”
Stephanie stared at Pete like he’d just grown a second head. “Won’t we get in trouble?” She said, and her voice was softer than he’d ever heard it.
The Spankoffski charm strikes again. She just needed a little more coaxing: “Please Stephanie, don’t you want to help me out?”
Pete watched as all the fight left her body. She nervously looked around the classroom one more time, but there was something in her gaze when their eyes met. “Oh, alright.” She whispered reluctantly.
Just as he was about to grab the paper being offered to him, a loud, shrill voice screeched: “CHEATERS!”
Stephanie jumped a little in her seat, but Pete just rolled his eyes and turned to look at the seat behind him. He had forgotten Ruth was in this class; that's probably why she hadn't stopped him in the hallway. Not like she wasn’t currently finding other ways to get him in trouble. “God, butt out Fleming!”
“Ruth, just be cool!” Stephanie pleaded, and she looked almost genuinely frightened.
“Sorry Steph, but rules are rules.” Ruth replied, and she did look a little apologetic. To Steph at least. “Miss. Mulberry, they're cheating!”
“I’m so fucking dead.” Stephanie whispered under her breath.
‧˚₊‧ ┈┈┈ ⟡ ┈┈┈ ‧₊˚⊹
“Ugh. That little snitch. Man, I hate that nerdy prude.” Pete muttered to himself under his breath. He and Stephanie were currently walking to the principal’s office, a detention slip from Miss. Mulberry in both their hands.
“Oh, God. I’m dead, I am so dead!” Stephanie was wringing her hands anxiously, and she honestly looked like she might pass out. Pete was suddenly left with an overwhelming urge to comfort her. Huh, weird.
“What’s the matter? This your first academic misconduct? Don’t sweat it, it's two hours detention, tops.”
“I’m not worried about the principal!” She snapped. Pete gave her an unimpressed look, and she blushed, a faint pink that covered her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Cute. Stephanie continued in a noticeably softer voice: “I’m worried about what my dads gonna do when he finds out I was cheating. And with you no less!”
Pete nodded, though he was admittedly a little confused. Not about the him part, he knew his reputation around Hatchetfield. An obnoxious flirt, supposed sex god, all around sleazy guy. The bad Spankoffski brother.
“Oh yeah, you’re the mayor's daughter. Makes sense he’d have a stick up his ass.” Pete replied with a shrug.
Stephanie shot him a weird look. Okay, it wasn’t weird, weird. But it was really soft and grateful in a way that made absolutely no sense given the context. Pete cleared his throat, before he stopped in front of the principal's office. The secretary gave him an exhausted look, and he immediately gave her his sweetest smile before handing his and Stephanie’s detention slips over.
She sighed. “Hello Mr. Spankoffski.”
Pete shot her a wink. “Hey, Mrs. K. Long time no see!”
Stephanie snorted from behind him. He smiled and counted it as a win.
Mrs. K just sighed. “What did you do this time?”