Three – Elliot
I woke with a tangled knot of feelings. Frustration, anger, and a surprising flicker of excitement all swirled within me. It was a mess of emotions, and all for different reasons.
I was already stewing over the detention, landed on me just four months into the school year. A dismal record, even for me. I was still simmering with resentment from last night's grounding—my dad, informed by the school of my habitual lateness, had come down hard.
But today’s detention felt…different. It was *with* Kai.
Kai always waited for me before class. If I was late, he was late too. Usually, I was only a few minutes behind, thanks to the winding route I took. Trying to leave earlier never seemed to make a difference. I never understood why he waited. He could easily get to school on time (and avoid an hour of detention with me today), and yet he didn’t. It felt…guilty.
I used to take a different route, one that guaranteed lateness but allowed me to see Kai along the way. We’d pass each other, a fleeting glimpse of blonde hair. But I had to switch routes to avoid trouble—it was the only way to keep my record from spiraling further into chaos. I don’t really have a choice.
And so I’m incredibly grateful he waits by the lockers. Otherwise, I'd probably ditch school altogether, or spend my life in detention.
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I walked into the empty detention room and slid into a seat near the back windows, shoving my earphones in.
Minutes ticked by, and doubt began to creep in. Had Kai changed his mind? Then I saw movement beside me.
A smile stretched across my face as I pulled out one earphone.
“Hey Leo,” he said casually, glancing down at his skateboard.
The nickname felt warm and familiar. People shortened my name to Leo all the time, but hearing it from Kai felt…different. It felt *good*.
I nodded, watching the teacher walk in.
Kai and I both dove into the endless sheets of math they forced upon us in detention. After a while, I noticed Kai was stuck, staring at a problem with a furrowed brow.
“Kai, you’ve been on that one for a while. Need help?” I whispered, leaning closer.
His cheeks flushed a delicate pink. “Please.”
I walked him through the algebra equation, pointing out the missing step. A slow smile spread across his face as he finally got it. He whispered, “Thanks, Elliot.”
I finished my sheet, handed it to the teacher, and sat back down. I could feel Kai’s eyes on me, so I turned to face him and frowned playfully.
“You’re finished already?”
I shrugged, barely able to contain my own grin.
“How?” he asked, a strange, almost shy smile playing on his lips.
I gave him a small smile back. “I don’t know. I just get math.”
He went quiet, turning back to his sheet. I helped him a little, writing the answers to some of the questions as he worked through the top problems.
“No, Kai,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
His eyes flicked from his paper to me, then back to his paper again.
I reached over and crossed out a number ‘4’ he’d written, replacing it with a ‘6’.
He sighed loudly as I circled another number, showing him where he’d gone wrong.
I put my pen down, and Kai stared at his paper for a long moment. He didn't say a word, but he attempted the last question on the sheet.
He slowly pushed his paper to me after finishing, and I looked it over.
I tried to remain serious, but a smile cracked my lips as I saw he’d gotten it right.
I watched as Kai threw his arms into the air, exhaling loudly. I patted him on the back, grinning at him.
He took his paper to the teacher, and then we were both dismissed.
Kai was almost running out the door, but I lingered, savoring the moment. He noticed this, and grabbed my hand. And then we were running down the halls, hand-in-hand, giggling like idiots.
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Word count: 707