Smiling through the pain

Chapter Thirteen

"I heard some guy in Psychology cursing the detention teacher. Turns out she's a scary Korean lady" Nike mutters while leaning against the locker next to mine. "For real?" I ask while shoving my homework into my bag. Nike nods and hums to herself while staring at the ceiling. My phone vibrates inside my jacket as I shut my locker. 

I sigh and pull it out. I nearly drop my phone after seeing who messaged me. 

Dad: Picking you up after school

Dad: Need to talk

I nervously gulp while typing out my response. 

You: ok...

It's not like I can evade you forever. Even if I want to. "Are you done?" Nike asks while glancing down the mildly crowded hallway. "Yup" I answer while giving her a small fake smile. She cracks a small smile back at me before turning on her heel and marching towards the stairs. 

We climb all the way to the top of the building, right where the Art rooms are. "Room 130" Nike mumbles while referring to her detention slip. I look around and find a door with 130 written on a metal plate over the doorway. I groan internally when I see a familiar figure leaning against the wall right next to the door. Great. 

"Oh" 

Nike has her glare back on. "I hate him" she whispers. "It's fine. We'll get through this together" I assure her and grab her hand before either of us change our minds. 

"Missed me?" Nate asks, venom dripping from his voice. "Hardly" Nike huffs while crossing her arms. Nate and Nike share a smoldering look, sickly smiles on their faces. "Well hello to you too dickhead" I mutter while sitting down under the window next to the door. Nike smirks at Nate with a she-hates-you-too look on her face. 

I pull my phone out of my jacket and reread Dad's text. Need to talk. If it's about last night I'm definitely not going to sit and listen to him tell me he had his "reasons". It's horrible enough having to put up with the Diana thin-

"Sup?" a familiar voice asks next to me. Smoke. "Did you peek into my phone?" I ask while narrowing my eyes at Kade. Kade's dark curly hair has a severe case of bedhead since curly randomly stick out at different angles. Three black clickers on his ear shine in the yellow-white light of the hallway. He's in his dark blue team jacket, black jeans and Doc Martens. 

"Nope I didn't" he says while raising both hands. "Sure?" I ask, my eyes still narrowed. "Cross my heart and hope to die" he answers while drawing a X over his chest. His hazel eyes seem to glisten with.... amusement? Wake up dumbass.

".... in Chemistry. I saw Mr. Wayne giving me marks for the first one. It was option three" Nike says with a smug smile. "That doesn't mean you have to show of-"

The clicking of heels against the floor makes Nate pause before he continues his argument. He exchanges a fearful glance with Kade and shoulders his bag before standing next to the door. I quickly join the three of them after stuffing my phone into my bag and standing up. 

"It's barely been two weeks and we have a lot ready for detention already. How amusing" 

Can I please crawl into a hole and die? A short Korean woman with high cheekbones and bright red lipstick stands in front of us with a neatly manicured hand on one hip. She's dressed like some corporate worker- white shirt, black pencil skirt and a small tight bun on her head. Grey streaks run through her majorly black hair. The air of authority radiates off her.

"Afternoon Mrs. Yung" Kade says. Nate, Nike and I mumble after him. "You'll be studying or doing homework. No reading or sketching" she says while unlocking the door. "And phones to be deposited in that basket right there" she says while pointing at a basket on her table.