1 | Defiance Discipline Dream Repeat

129 Bad girl Ms Bell

Sebastian and I had a pleasant night together, and he comforted me lovingly after the taxing school day, and he was quite nice this morning, too... Until I tried to talk me and my mates out of isolation.

''...You are going to write the specific sentences I've noted for you,'' Sebastian intones, handing us a paper each. ''In total, you will write 2000 lines.''

''Come again?'' I flutter my eyes, and my mouth widens in shock. The frightful effects of yesterday's caning make it challenging to concentrate on anything else, so maybe I heard him wrong.

''2000 lines in total. Number each sentence.''

Skimming the paper, I discover the ridiculous sentences. ''We've been over this, Bastian,'' I enunciate. ''You will always only be Bastian to me.''

''Not at school from now on,'' Sebastian counters. ''It's high time for a change, and this is the perfect time. Coming home from a big school trip and entering a new season is like a fresh start.''

''I do weird stuff with you at home that you don't do with a teacher. You bathed me for like an hour last night!'' I argue. ''It makes no sense. It's cringy, ridiculous and stupid. Why didn't you bring this up earlier, like when I started, if this was so important?''

''Not at school. It took months until you stopped seeing me as an enemy and could go a day without being rude to me,'' he explains. ''We had to take small steps to make it work.''

''I'm starting to see you as an enemy again, and I'm very close to being rude,'' I warn. ''People will give me nasty looks and bully me if they hear me calling my stepbrother and roommate for Mister and Sir! Did you take that into account?''

''People give you weird looks when you yell my nickname in the corridors or spew insolence in class.''

''I don't care about that.''

''It's weird, sir,'' Jasper says warily. ''You have a very close relationship.''

''Not at school–''

''Seriously, don't make me do this! You tormented me enough yesterday, and it's hard enough as it is to be taught by your former brother, roommate and partner! You don't understand how strange and difficult it is; to see you as a regular teacher. I try so hard to keep serious, and this will only make me fail because of how outrageous it is,'' I reason pleadingly. ''I can't see you as a regular teacher like Ms Bell.''

''Well, you better get used to it unless you want to spend more time in isolation.''

''I can agree on whispering sir to you like five times a day, but I will never call you Mr Hollingworth or be the asslicker who calls you sir between every other word in class,'' I propose. ''It's Zander's thing, but he shouldn't be seen as a role model.''

''Maybe that can be the next small step, sir?'' Oliver suggests diplomatically. ''Whispering sir five times a day!"

''The next step is to write the lines, which becomes bigger as she defies,'' our stilted teacher declares.

"No. Just no," I shake my head, pushing the paper away.

''You will be in isolation until you do this,'' his hand slams onto the paper just before it flies off the table.

''Nope,'' I scoot back on my chair, aiming to leave.

''Where are you going?'' Sebastian asks brusquely and tries to step in my way, but I dodge him skillfully and run off.

--

Ms Bell's classroom

''Hello, miss,'' I greet her deferentially, closing the door behind me. I catch her checking classwork at her cluttered desk, and she seems rather pleased than annoyed to be disturbed by me.