THE CLASH (Episode One)

HATE AND WAR

"I can't believe it," Mick looked down at his slip. "Detention! I've never had detention before!"

"Better get used to it mate." Joe hopped over benches lined up next to the gate. "Because now, this is hate....and war." They had to make their way across the parking lot to the back building, where detention was held. Paul kicked rocks as he walked.

"I can't believe she threw away my draft. I was working so hard on it. It was almost done too!"

"Can't you just redraw it?" Topper had to run a bit to catch up with Paul the giant.

"Yeah, but it won't be as good as the first one! It will be pointless. I had everything right, and now it's gone." Paul tried to keep his voice from wavering. He hadn't told anyone, but it was actually a poster he was making for his friends.

Topper patted him on the back. "Don't worry mate, I'm sure you can do again!"

Mick gave his shoulder a squeeze. "And even better!"

Joe jumped down for the bench. "And when you're done, shove it in Ms. Dean's face when it's as famous as a Picasso piece!"

Paul smiled.

They approached the detention structure. It was a dark, looming building made of stone. The boys looked up at it.

"I heard they based the structure off the Bastille." Topper said. Mick looked at him quizzically.

"Are you crazy? Why would they model a detention building off a prison?"

Topper shrugged. "Isn't that basically what detention is?"

Paul plopped an arm on Topper's shoulder. "So they must have chains and stuff, huh?"

Topper grinned. "Yeah, and rats and roaches crawling up the walls."

Mick grinned but rolled his eyes. "I bet there's no sight of daylight."

Joe hopped off another bench. "There must be fights with other 'prisoners' as well."

"Are there are people in there?"

Joe thought for a moment. "Well...this place looks pretty abandoned to me."

Paul grinned. "So we have the whole place to ourselves."

"No one will bother us, or get in our way!" Topper bounced excitedly.

"Maybe this detention thing isn't that bad." Mick said thoughtfully.

Joe paused at the door. "Yeah, what could go wrong?" He pushed open the door...

A glass bottle shattered, nearly missing the group of four by a few inches. Joe, who was directly in front, stood completely still in fright. They all turned their heads to the side where the glass had shattered, then turned to see the direction it came from.

Four figures could be made out in the classroom. The lights weren't on, so they're faces couldn't be seen.

"Who are you?" One voice said. For the boys, it was like entering the apocalyptic world of Mad Max. They all slowly entered. The door slammed shut behind them. Mick yelped.

"Uh, we're here to...is this detention?"

The lights were switched on.

The boys might as well have been in the mystic world of sirens. Four girls sat at the desks across the room. They were beautiful, each one of them. Yet, the looks on their faces said otherwise. They all had deep scowls as they stared at the group of boys. The one closet stood up.

"It depends on whose asking."

Joe stood dumbfounded. "Um...students?"

She looked at him up and down before pointing to the far side of the class. "You guys can sit over there, as long as you leave us alone." With that she turned back around to her group. They all clustered closer together and whispered.

The boys looked at each other and quietly made their way to the back.

They were right about a couple of things.

About two hours into their time, the girls in the front corner of the empty class were still whispering, and Joe, Mick Paul and Topper were growing rather bored. They were tired of counting how many droplets the leaky faucet sink next to them dripped, tired of the occasional cockroach crawling up the wall into the countless cracks they were also tired of counting. They had agreed to sit and not bother the girls, so Joe stood up. The girls turned to look as he made his way towards the door.

"Where are you going?" The first girl said.

"Out."

"We told you not to bother us."

"That's why I'm going out." Joe slipped through the doorway before she could say anything else. Instead, she jumped up and marched outside with him. The now trio of girls turned to look at the now trio of boys staring back at them.

Topper waved.