Crossover

Chapter 8 Detention

Chapter 8
Detention

    During Band, Aria re-played last period's events over and over in her head, trying to make sense of it. She could not come up with a possible reason for her detention, or even Derek's for that matter. She wondered what she could have possibly done to make Ms. Malone randomly decide to dislike her.

    "Aria," Mr. Spooner looked down at her from the podium. "Your solo?"

    "Oh, right, sorry." Aria quickly lifted her up flute and began to play.

    Last week, during after school practice, the flutes were tested to see who could best play the solo and Aria was chosen. She desperately did not want to let Mr. Spooner down. Aria could not bare to disappoint yet another teacher.

    After Band let out Walter looked at Aria concerned as the two put away their interments. "Is something wrong, Aria? You seem a bit out of it."

    "It's just, well…" Aria felt intense shame but she figured she may as well tell him. "I got detention today in English."

    Walter readjusted his glasses as he gave her a startled look. "Detention… you? That's got to be a first. What did you do?"

    "That's just it," Aria stammered, raising her voice. "I have no idea. All I did was answer a question and I guess it wasn't what she wanted to hear." She paused to let out a huff. "Did she have a discussion with your class over Sleeping Beauty?"

    Walter looked up as he recalled, "No. All she did with us was read aloud, Hansel and Gretel, and then had us write a summary about it. I must say, she's a pretty strange character. When she talked about the story, it seemed like she was pushing us to side with the witch."

    "That's exactly what I got in trouble for!" Aria exclaimed. "Saying the evil fairy should be defeated." She paused and then added more calmly, "Maybe this is just part of the lesson she's trying to teach us, that there are two sides to every story."

    Walter frowned. "I suppose, but she still should not have given you detention for not picking up on that."

    "Yeah, I guess," Aria muttered as she replayed the incident yet again. "You know, I bet it was Derek's comments that put her in a bad mood in the first place."

    Aria could not believe how easy it was to just turn to blame to Derek. He seemed to be the source of the majority of her high school miseries.

    She ranted on, furiously, "She did not even hesitate to give him detention after he, um…"

    "After he what?" Walter inquired, looking her directly in the eye.

    Aria felt a small twinge of guilt once she replayed that part in her mind. "He, um… well, I guess he sort of stood up for me when Ms. Malone gave me detention."

    Walter raised his eyebrow and smirked. "Really, he stood up for you, huh."

    "Okay I know what you're thinking, but it's not what it seems," Aria protested, as she felt her cheeks start to burn. "Besides, detention means nothing to Derek. He gets in trouble all the time for rude comments to teachers. He probably just did it out of habit."

    "If you say so," Walter mumbled, still wearing his grin.

    Aria let out one final huff before saying bye to Walter and dreadfully making her way to the English classroom. Having never had detention, she was unsure of how long they normally lasted, but she planned on meeting up with Vanessa after her volleyball practice. When she arrived back at the classroom, she found the door closed and Derek sitting out in the hallway casually with his legs stretched out in front of him.