Die A Little

CHAPTER TWENTY

The following day after school, I traipsed my way down the corridor to detention; my hands stuffed in my pockets and my attention on my feet. This was my first time ever in detention, no thanks to Brian and his stupid crew pressuring me into doing something stupid. I hadn't seen any of them all day because I was pissed off with all of them, especially Brian. He saw this all as a joke but now my records are stained with an act of stupidity. Why did I do it? Why did Brian have this hold on me that made me do anything just to please him?

Twisting the handle, I stepped into the room, my eyes falling onto the teacher, Mr Cooper, sat at the front and a hooded figure bent over one of the desks, seemingly asleep. Closing the door behind me, Mr Cooper looked up from his work at me and frowned.

"This isn't Science Club, Vulcano." Mr Cooper commented.

"I know, Sir." I replied, stepping my way up to his desk and handing him the slip. "I have detention."

"You...what?" Mr Cooper faltered, astonished. "But you're one of our best students!"

"It was from an act of stupidity." I sneered, hearing a scoff come from the hooded figure.

Turning to the student, I realised that it was Brian as my gaze fell onto his smug grin. I gritted my teeth and kept my eyes on my forever 'loving' boyfriend. "I regret doing it, Sir."

"I should hope so." Mr Cooper concurred. He gestured around the room. "Take a seat wherever, Vulcano, and don't ever let me see you in here again."

I dropped my head in shame and shuffled to the back of the class, sitting at the desk furthest away possible from Brian that I could. My eyes were glued onto the clock on the wall, watching the seconds tick by so slowly that it felt like I was going to be trapped here forever.

Mr Cooper was busy marking our tests from the week before, one that I had helped Brian to study for. He stood with both of our papers in his clasp and walked to where Brian was sat. He cleared his throat to gain his attention as Brian looked up at the teacher and pulled back his hood.

"Much better, Quinn." Mr Cooper was almost smiling. "See, I told you science wasn't so hard."

"Thanks, Sir." Brian thanked, taking his results in his hand and staring down at the letter 'B' marked across the front page in bright red ink.

It was my turn next, as Mr Cooper made his way over to my desk and dropped my test onto the surface in front of me. I stared down at the 'A+' in front of me for a moment, before glancing up to my teacher.

"Well done, Vulcano." He congratulated. "Just a shame you had to let yourself down with your behaviour."

"I know, Sir." I sighed disappointedly. "It won't happen again."

"I should hope not." Mr Cooper shook his head.

I watched as he turned and headed back for his desk to gather the other papers, soon looking to Brian and I. "I'm going to return these papers to the rest of the class before they leave. Can I trust that you two will remain in here for the rest of your detention?"

"Yes, Sir." Brian and I responded simultaneously.

I sat and waited at the back of the room, watching as Mr Cooper left through the door and closed the entryway behind him. As soon as the handle clicked back into place, Brian stood to his feet and headed for the door. For a moment I thought that he was going to leave, when he yanked the shutters down to cover the glass in the door and twisted the lock.

Confused, I furrowed my brows, feeling my heart drop when the boy span on his heels and headed for me. His face was one of thunder and I was startled when his hand reached for the front of my hoodie and tugged me up onto my feet.