Pumpkin and Plum

Chapter 10: Setting fire is criminal offence

I was on the constant lookout for Darren throughout Monday. Thankfully Mia and I ended up in detention for bunking Maths and other classes on Friday.

"You will both have to complete these assignment sheets." Mr. Davis produced a stack of papers for each.

"What! All of them?" said Mia indignantly.

"Yes! Miss. Amelia. If you don't complete this by today, you will continue it on Saturday's detention," said Mr. Davis.

Mia scowled for being addressed as Amelia and for the mound of assignment in front of us.

"Mr. Denty, I expected better of you."

"Mr. Denty, I expected better of you," imitated Mia, making it pompous and sing-song.

I tried very hard to keep a straight face.

"You have to admit plum, he did us a favour."

"That's what you call a favour?" Mia said with a frown.

"You are not straining yourself, are you?"

She was just copying everything I wrote. She pursed her lips.

"We have a quiz today on history. Being in detention helps."

"I am good at history. Nothing Mr. Davis does helps me."

Mr. Davis left us alone for the rest of the day. We were having so much fun that we didn't notice it was nearly the end of lunch break. We only completed half of the assignment set but he didn't insist on us attending detention on Saturday.

"I am so nervous, pumpkin."

"You will do fine, don't fret."

"Will you come with me tomorrow? I don't want to go alone."

"Don't ask. I know you'll bring the place down if I leave you alone."

"Make sure not to sit on a bean bag, we will be waiting with a crane just in case," said the gloating voice of Chloe.

"Bitch -" shouted Mia. But I was ready, I caught Mia in mid-jump and carried her out. And to my delight, Darren found us like that. Mia screaming and kicking, and me restraining her.

"You shouldn't have stopped me, Sam."

If Mia calls me Sam, then she is very upset.

"Tomorrow is your audition, you don't need an injury."

"One of these days I am going to set fire to her house."

I know Mia and she wasn't joking, "Mia that would be a criminal offence, don't even think something so stupid."

"Then let's slash her tyres."

"No."

"You can either help me or just stay away because I am doing it."

"Ok."

"Come on, let's go."

"You mean like now?" exclaimed Darren. Mia looked at him like she had just noticed.

"More the merrier, you could be our lookout."

"Remind me to never cross her," he muttered quietly.

I gave him a sympathetic nod. Mia rummaged through my bag and produced a nail and a short knife.

"You came prepared," said Darren.

"We are always prepared," I said dully.

Carrying around things to sabotage others was fun when we were young, but it's not appealing anymore, at least to me. Mia continued her handy work. She showed promise, placing the nail artfully, so the wheel would get flat only after driving away from school.

I dropped Mia in her theatre, before heading to my dad's office. Unfortunately, I spotted Chloe struggling to change wheels while some thugs were cat-calling.

Mia was going to kill me. I stopped my car and walked to Chloe. She must have been desperate to look grateful towards me.

"What happened?" I asked her, knowing fully well about what had happened.

"I have got a flat tyre."

"Give it to me," I said and helped her change it, but that wasn't the one Mia had punctured. I looked back to find another wheel flat as well. Maybe, Mia isn't the only one after Chloe.

"You got another flat tyre."

"Oh no!"

"Call your friends to come and pick you."

She looked indecisive as she said, "My phone battery is out. Can you drop me?"

"Sure," I said, continuing inside my head, "R.I.P Sam. Here lies Sam, a hero who stuck his nose everywhere."

I dropped her at her house. Chloe's phone rang, she looked sheepish as she muttered thanks and hurried off.