Course Of Action

CHAPTER 9: Numbers

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N U M B E R S

PoV: Wilma Morris...|

"Miss Morris, welcome."

Mrs Williams greeted me as I entered room 21-E, her disappointment still as strong as the moment she caught us in the stall. Damian was already inside, sitting sloped down on a chair in the very back. Not having enough courage to sit down next to him I picked a chair positioned somewhat in front of him. Having been forced to leave my phone with Mrs Williams I took out a book from my bag. It was only a coincidence that I had it with me. Perhaps my decision to bring it this morning had led to the outcome I got. Just like my decision to protest against Damian earlier had landed me two hours detention instead of only one.

Putting my bag down I opened the book to finish the few chapters that remained. Silence fell upon the room, the only audible thing being the persistent ticking of the clock which gradually turned into the nothingness of my surroundings. What felt like only minutes into our punishment however, the sound of Mrs Williams' chair being dragged against the floor could be heard, and looking up I saw her walk over to the door.

"I need to print some papers for tomorrow's lecture. Leave this room whilst I'm gone and you'll receive additional hours."

After giving her a light nod she left the room, and once again the stubborn clock dominated the space. Looking over at it I checked the time. It had suddenly decided to pass extra slowly, hadn't it? That entire day had really become a sigh-worthy moment of my life.

Going back to my book I got interrupted once more by the door. Having thought it was Mrs Williams who already came back, I wondered why that was, but as I looked up to check I was met with someone else however, and I was pleasantly surprised he was still hanging around.

"Xander?"

I let his name slip off my tongue and he looked over at me, his expression informing me he was baffled—and even a bit appalled—by the sight of me there. He didn't hesitate to enter the room however, and strode over to me immediately.

"What are you doing here?"

"Detention." I said with a sigh, "With this guy."

I pointed back over my shoulder, and following the direction of my finger, Xander looked over at Damian. Giving him that piece of information was something I quickly regretted however.

"Thought you knew better than to hang around that guy. I mean, look where he landed you."

Xander's comment came in a low voice and he motioned to me on the chair with his hand. He was clearly not happy by the sight before him, which wasn't much of a surprise when recalling how he had labelled Damian as "unreliable" and a "traitor" in the past when I first told him about how I was left behind by Damian and his friends. Xander's choice to blame Damian for putting me in detention didn't make me feel better either, since I knew it was indeed my fault we got caught, and not Damian's.

I carefully peaked over my shoulder towards Damian, and sitting in his corner he kissed his teeth, looking rather unbothered as he gazed out of the window. Did he hear what Xander had said?....Perhaps not. But it wasn't like it helped as I still felt uncomfortable with the situation.

I turned to face Xander again, hoping to have him drop the subject by changing his focus to different matters.

"So,...What uhh...What are you doing here?" I had a hard time keeping eye contact again, but that time for unknown reasons. I suppose I had yet to get used to his mossy eyes on me, and me only.