It All Started in Detention

Chapter Two

"So, I was like 'What are you talking about?'" Jack watched as graphite dirtied his sketchbook, listening to his best friend as he went on about a game he was playing the night before, unintentionally explaining the bags under his eyes. "And then the guy just shot me! It was one of the worst sessions I'd ever had, seriously. I don't think I deserved that."

"Race, what the hell are you talking about?" Jack snickered with Crutchie and the others as Albert turned to Race with a confused look. "You're speaking too fast."

"Oh, sorry", Race noted, deciding not to re-explain the story. Instead, he focused more on Jack's quick movements across the paper, mouth open slightly in concentration. "What are you drawing?"

"A bee", Jack mumbled, lying through his teeth. It was clearly a dinosaur, and he knew Race was just striking up conversation, but it really was an obvious question. "It's a dinosaur, Racer. I just got bored."

"Oh, dude, I love dinos", Albert grinned, and Jack watched as Race's face lit up like a Christmas light. "They're honestly so cool. My favorite is a dilophosaurus."

"Isn't that the one with the weird, uh, ear things?" Jack decided to give up drawing for now, realizing he wouldn't get any peace and quiet with the question Romeo just asked. "I had to do a project on those in fifth grade."

"Dude, I never did that project", Finch admitted, chuckling. "It was so stupid."

"Honestly, though", Specs added, mixing something in their thermos. "I hated fifth grade."

"That was the year I grew, like, four inches", Crutchie contributed, drinking chocolate milk. "I was taller than everyone."

"Now look at you! Five foot five and shorter than Elmer", Albert joked, making the group of boys laugh as Crutchie threw a dirty napkin at him. Luckily, it wasn't reciprocated, or else they would've had a repeat of a food fight.

"You guys know Davey Jacobs, right?" The boys turned to the stranger at their table, who was smiling shyly at them. Jack nodded.

"Yeah, we know him." He looked her over, noticing the way she stood was a little contained, and her shirt showed she was on the basketball team, which Jack had to admit was impressive. "Why?"

"Well, I need to find him", she informed, shifting her weight. "We, uh, the basketball team wanted to know if the cheerleaders were willing to cheer at our game next week."

The boys mumbled amongst each other, Race whistling impressively. "I don't know, bro. I mean, Davey's a pretty big tight ass."

"Yeah, but he'll do it", Specs assured, showing the group their text messages. "Mush is with him right now, they'll do it. You should check Coach Pepper's room, though. That's where they usually are."

The girl, who's name they never caught, walked away rather quickly, causing everyone to turn to Specs curiously. "You know Davey?"

"Yeah, we've been friends since, like, sixth grade", they chuckled, more focused on their phone than anything else. "Of course I know him."

"I don't even know him", Crutchie blinked, shaking his head in disbelief. "I thought I knew everybody. I mean, I only know of  him."

"What's there to know?" Jack grabbed the attention of all of his friends, an unbothered look to his frame. "He's just some guy trying to get as many college credits as possible. We won't even remember him until the five year reunion after we graduate."

"That's unfair, Jack", Blink reasoned, speaking up for the first time since lunch started. Jack had almost forgotten he was there. "I've met Davey, and he's nice. You can't just judge him."

But Jack just had to play devils advocate, or else he'd be providing the world with too much simplicity. "But what if he's lying?"

"Not everyone lies through their fucking teeth like you do, Jack", Finch sassed, getting verbal agreements from their friends. "If they did, the world would be puppies and fucking rainbows."

Jack rolled his eyes, picking up his pencil and going back to his drawing. Surely, Davey wasn't a saint. He had to have flaws, like the fact that he seems to be more of a rumor rather than an actual human being, since Jack has only seen pictures and tufts of his hair during passing period. It's likely they share fifth period together, but Jack never paid attention during English, so there was no way of being sure.

It's not that he was jealous, but Davey is held at too high of a standard, one that was difficult for guys like him to reach.

To be fair, Davey thought the same thing.

He was barely listening to the freshman girl in front of him, going on and on about how they needed to cheer at her game in order to bring more people and school spirit, which wasn't in his schedule. It was completely off of it, actually.

But he couldn't deny her. "It's at four-thirty?"

"Yes", the girl, who he learned was named Isabel, nodded vigorously. She was more comfortable now with Davey than she was with the group of boys who gave her directions. "I need to know by fifth period if you'll do it or not."

"I think we can do that", Davey nodded, taking a marker out of his pocket and writing onto his hand. "It'll be like a practice. We'll be there."

"Oh, thank you", Isabel grinned, nodding and walking out of the room, Davey watching her leave. She was sweet.

"Davey." He hummed and turned around, finding one of his best friends staring at him with a concerned look. "You okay? You look tired."

"I'm fine", he assured a bit sternly, but without tone. Of course he was tired, he'd been running around for most of the morning. He'd also taken a history test in third period, and had to study in second. Mush knew this.

"Okay", Mush sighed, placing an arm around Davey that the taller was reluctant to shrug off. "I just don't want you overworking yourself, you know? You do a lot."

Davey chuckled, scratching the place behind his ear that he'd accidentally rubbed raw. It was the replacement for pulling the lobes of his ears, and there was barely any hair there anymore. Although, he could also round that up to stress. "I know, but it's fine. I have Saturday off-"

"You planned your weekend? Dude."

"Whatever", Davey laughed exhaustedly, pushing Mush off of him. "I don't have time to worry about this right now. We have a routine to be to practicing, and if you don't stop nagging me, I will have you doing herkies, flips, and cart wheeling your ass up and down the field."

Mush groaned and rolled his eyes, leaving the cheer captain to his own clipboard and devices. "Why the fuck did I decide to join this team?"

"Because you love me and watching your boyfriend!"

"Whatever!" Davey chuckled as he watched Mush walk away, happy to have bragging rights of having the last word.