A Timeless Place

Chapter 36

"Kitty!" a voice called behind me. Turning, I saw Kevin running to catch up to me.

"Hey, Kevin."

"Detention again?" he widened his eyes in shock to mock me as he opened the door and motioned for me to go in first.

"Such a gentleman," I walked into the room and waited for him to join me. "Oh you know me, I just can't get enough of this lovely detention room," I joked. We were early and the teacher still hadn't arrived.

He grinned, "Well they always say it's the quiet ones you've got to watch out for."

"What're you in for?" I asked him. Not that I was complaining having a friend with me.

"I was caught with a couple of guys who were vandalising school property a few weeks back. Three detentions, once per week."

"What did they paint?"

"What 'typical teen guys' would, as you would call them," he winked at me.

I breathed in freely. It was so easy talking to Kevin because he was perfectly oblivious to everything today since he was on the field for the most of it.

"So, Julian's party tonight, huh," he commented.

"How many people do you think will puke?" I tried to make conversation as we took a seat.

"I'd say five," he said.

"I say ten," I challenged.

"Wanna make a bet?" he raised an eyebrow.

"You're on!" I shook his hand. "Ten dollars to whoever's right."

"We'll see," he said, just as the teacher walked in- a grumpy old man who was carrying a load of test papers to mark. We settled down as detention started.

Just then Bridgette stalked into the room, throwing a dirty glare at me before taking a seat at the front of the classroom, crossing both her legs and arms tightly. Yup, she was clearly pissed off at me. The red mark on her cheek was on its way to a bruise.

Kevin threw a quizzical look at me to which I shrugged. Bridgette looked back and threw more daggers at me. Oh, this detention will be fun.

"So can I reserve a dance for tonight?" Kevin asked once the bell had rung and we stood up to leave.

"Kevin..." I hesitated, looking ahead of me. Bridgette threw yet once again another dirty look at me before stalking out the classroom. I must have kindly received at least 50 in the last hour. I really didn't know what she wanted to achieve from all these looks. I still felt bad for slapping her. I decided I'll apologise next time I would see her.

"I promise I won't hit on you or anything," he quickly continued. "I know you're with Wes." He looked up as Bridgette slammed the classroom door behind her loudly. The teacher looked at the door where she left, shaking his head at her insolence.

"By the way, did you do something to Bridgette?" he asked, looking back at me curiously.

"I," I stopped. But for some reason, Kevin's easy smile let me continue. "May have slapped her."

What I did not expect was Kevin to burst into laughter, doubling over, "Seriously?! About damn time someone did!"

My worried face broke into a real smile for the first time today. How could someone I didn't even know as well as my other friends make me feel a whole lot better about this situation? And then I realised, it was because I didn't know Kevin as well as I did Wes or Jordan or even Eli. It was much easier telling Kevin something that happened because I didn't fear his judgement as much as I did with Marie or Andrew Bane. And in doing so, it made me realise if I trust Kevin this much I should be even more able to trust my other friends. And maybe to try to rely on them too.