It All Started in Detention

Chapter Five

I need to start writing this again:)

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"I'm very sorry for the way I behaved." Davey looked the head principals in the eyes, trying his hardest to grab sympathy with his glossed over eyes. He hoped Sarah's lessons on false crying would come in handy, even if he never passed. "It wasn't my intention to get physical with Mason, but he was harassing one of the girls on my cheer team. And the countless other underclassmen that he's-"

"Mr. Jacobs", Mr. Pulitzer, head principal and Katherine Pulitzer's father, held his hand up to keep Davey from ranting. "We are very aware of Mr. Rivers'...involvement with the freshmen and sophomore girls at this school. However, that's not what the focus of today's meeting is."

And you're not doing anything? Davey shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearing his throat quietly and shifting his eyes away. He didn't need them to see the anger brewing in him, he knew that much. It kind of makes me want to hit him again.

"Because of your behavior, we'll have to consider suspension." Davey felt alarms ringing in his ears, and the sound of his heart pounding against his chest. "Maybe even expulsion."

"What?" Surely what he did couldn't render expulsion—he hit the hallway asshole. If anything, he was doing everyone a favor. He can't count the amount of times people have said they wanted to knock Mason Rivers down a few hundred feet, and he couldn't blame them. Mason deserved it. "Surely, you can reconsider."

"I don't know, Mr. Pulitzer." Hope, Davey thought as he turned to his grade principal, Ms. Begley, or Hannah, when the teachers were away.

She was the head of everything in Davey's grade—the student council, sponsor of the cheer team, and hopefully, Davey's situation. "That seems a little harsh. I mean, you and I have both met Mason Rivers, and we both know-"

"Hannah, please", Pulitzer sighed, and Davey watched every muscle on his face. "The book states that any child that infringes on our rules deserves punishment."

"I'm not saying he doesn't, Mr. Pulitzer", Hannah pressed, and Davey tucked in his lip to keep himself from laughing. "I'm just saying maybe we should do something a little less harsh. Detention, Mr. Jacobs."

Both Pulitzer and Davey stared at Hannah with surprise, it being clear the principal displayed more shock than relief. She merely looked at Davey though, a small and knowing smile on her face.

"Davey, you're a great kid", she begins, and Davey has to push down a smile. "I know you wouldn't hurt anyone for no reason at all. But the situation does stand, and you deserve a consequence. You'll have detention after school today and for the next two weeks, and we'll debate whether or not to put this on your permanent record. We'll have to speak to Madeline first."

Davey nods, his hands clutching his jeans to keep himself from jumping up and hugging both principals. He was sure Mr. Pulitzer wouldn't take too kindly to being touched. "Thank you. Thank you so much, both of you."

"Yes, well", Pulitzer sighed, signing a pink slip Davey had never seen before. "We...appreciate that you told us before the situation got too deep. But we won't tolerate this behavior again, Mr. Jacobs."

"Of course, absolutely." Davey took the paper quickly—he didn't snatch it, or hoped Pulitzer didn't think he did—and looked it over. "May I go to class?"

"Yes", Hannah grinned, and Davey stopped repressing his smile. "Have a good day, Davey."

"You, too."

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Jack was balancing a pencil underneath his nose as the teacher droned on, looking for a way to entertain himself. He would talk to Blink, but they got separated after an incident where they laughed a little too loud and got sent out of class. Of course, that didn't stop them from talking, and they ended up a chair divided by Specs, who wasn't exactly ecstatic to be the behavior buffer.

He groaned quietly as his pencil fell from his face, and he glanced at the teacher across the quiet room. She wasn't paying much attention to anyone but herself and her computer screen, and Jack took that as an invite to get Specs to help him with his math work.

Everyone turned their heads toward the door at the sound of it opening, and they all watched as the president of the student council walked in with the most serious face he'd ever seen. He stopped at the teacher's desk with something important from the way their conversation was so hushed, something that disappointed the teacher.

Jack was especially intrigued, and he held the edge of his desk like he was watching The Kissing Booth for the first time again, waiting for Noah and Elle to be together. He watched as Davey nodded once and left the room like nothing happened, and Jack felt a sense of curiosity rise in him.

He tapped Specs' shoulder until they answered him—ignoring Jack was like trying to ignore a screaming child on an airplane—and turned to him with an annoyed look, which Jack didn't care. "What was that about?"

"How the hell should I know?" Specs shook their head and went back to their work, but Jack wasn't done.

"Do you think he's finally in trouble?" Jack glanced at the door, brows furrowed as if he was looking into the distance. "I mean, Ms. Drier is the teacher for the writing club with Denton, right? What if it has something to do with that?"

"Maybe it's because he punched Mason Rivers", Specs whispered, and Jack gasped. He hadn't told the boys yet, hadn't even thought about it until now. Specs shouldn't know.

"Who told you that?!"

"Crutchie did", Specs shrugged, and Jack rolled his eyes. "He texted me last night?"

"I can't believe him", Jack mumbled, sliding back in his chair. He tore at his worksheet as his mind raced. "He's such a blabbermouth. I don't know why I even told him."

"Uh, don't get righteous on me now, mister." Jack looked at Specs with a confused look, and they looked at him with a knowing one. "If I recall, you were more than excited to tell Katherine about what you saw."

"Okay, well- I didn't- that's different!" Jack looked back at his paper and pouted, making Specs laugh. "I didn't tell anyone, okay? I know how to keep a secret, so-"

"What about in middle school when you told the everyone that Mike and Ike weren't the same person, and therefore ruining their operation?"

"No, that was Crutchie, too. But I think it was more Sadie Tortonelli."

"Samuel and Jack." The both of them looked up to find Ms. Drier looking at them pointedly, eyes wide and furrowed like an angry gecko. It was probably a bad day, and her sciatica was probably acting up, so neither of them wanted to get on her bad side. "Hush up. There are people trying to work."

Jack nodded as Specs immediately went back to the math worksheet. He couldn't stop thinking about Davey Jacobs, and what happened just five minutes ago. A part of him wondered if Specs was right, or if it was a different reason entirely. Davey wouldn't tell on himself.

"No, he would", Jack muttered, thinking about how stupid that sounded. "He's kinda dumb like that."

"Mr. Kelly."

"Sorry, Grier."