She would've skipped. She honestly would've. In fact, that is what most people would expect her to do, it was her reputation. A reputation she was starting to get sick of. Her combat boots scuffed the floor making intolerable squeaking noises that she didn't seem to hear. Mrs. Schoon narrowed her eyes slightly as Bethany entered, but other than that no recognition was given.
A quick scan of the detention room revealed that much of the usual crowd was in attendance. Trevor Young, India Martin, and Brody Inez were taking up two of the ten tables and Bethany didn't want to sit by the decided school troublemakers. She'd be willing to bet this group visited the detention room more times than the rest of the grade. Max Linden was sitting alone, but he wasn't a choice seatmate either. He was a playboy without the excuse of good looks and thought girls were there for his amusement. He had disrupted many classes by bothering girls who wanted nothing to do with him. One last seat was taken, all the way in the back. The piercing blue green eyes met hers and Bethany knew where she was sitting.
Detention was reserved for homework and contemplation on your wrong doings. Or that's the way it was in Maria Schoon's head. Bethany sat less than 9 inches away from Emily, trying to focus on her impossible lab questions for science. She didn't remember the lab, it happened a week ago, and had no idea how to fill out said questions. What she really wanted to do was get the hunched over girl next to her to talk. To say something, anything. She would be happy if Emily commented on the awfulness of her hair or clothes, one sentence of self-expression would make Bethany the happiest person ever.
"What do you suppose would happen if I managed to get detention?" Bethany fretted, sprawled on her bed. She had gotten her first warning in her whole academic career for melting down her pencil on a science burner. Her defense was that it was an experiment and the freshman science teacher didn't go for it. Anna had her legs crossed and head propped up by her hands, the look of a therapist on her face. Emily was dangling off the end of the bed upside-down trying to see how long she could last while getting a head rush.
"Why would you get detention?" Emily asked. "I'll never get detention, all the teachers love me."
"I don't know. Anyone could get detention! What if you screw up and get it?"
"Bethany is right, anyone could get detention. It doesn't matter if your teachers love you or if you don't want one." Anna commented. She always absorbed her information before joining a conversation.
"Well if you got a detention I'd get one too." Emily decided.
"That would make it more fun," Bethany conceded.
"You two are crazy." Anna laughed. "I'd never get detention for either of you."
Bethany took a long look at the girl next to her. How she'd changed. Or had she? Was she still the exact same but behind the facade? And what did Bethany have to do to break that facade?
Emily let out a little sigh, snapping Bethany out of her wondering. Emily always sighed before she was about to fall asleep. Bethany cleared her throat right as Emily's head started to droop. She gasped quietly, snapping her head upwards, eyes wide. For a long moment Bethany held her gaze. Emily looked like she was about to say something, her mouth opening halfway. At that moment Mrs. Schoon cleared her throat and Emily looked away immediately.
Bethany wanted to scream. The frustration of it all, Emily almost saying something, almost reaching out. She always thought to herself that eventually she'd reach out, eventually something had to be said, but it never happened. Bethany turned her gaze back down to her lab questions, a plan formulating in her mind. Sneaking a side glance at Emily, her long fingers slowly pulling a corner off the lab paper. Her pen scratched a furious message on the paper.
I don't care if you like me. I don't care anymore. Come to the football game on Friday, consider it an invite from Rory and me. Don't give up on us yet she wouldn't want that for you.
Bethany focused her gaze on Schoon, slowly sliding the note across to Emily. Emily took the note, stealthily sliding it under her book without even glancing at it. Mrs. Schoon glanced up at the class, her squinted eyes meeting Bethany's. Bethany gave her a huge smile.
