Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter Twenty Four (part two)

Yuri and Merida were happily reconnecting while Leo stayed irritated with his cousin. "What kind of detention is this? We can still make noise, just in another room," Leo muttered, resting his head on the desk.

Before long, Jacob and Lisa were sent in. A few minutes later, Brandon and Candice showed up.

Brandon paused when he saw everyone. "What did you all do? Why are you here?"

"We were whispering," Leo answered, bored.

Brandon turned to Jacob. "And you?"

"I threw a pen at Mr. Talez," Jacob muttered.

"Wow. Perfect. We all get to hang out in detention. Awesome," Brandon said with mock cheer and sat down.

Lisa and Candice sat together; Yuri and Merida too. Merida had already told Yuri about Candice and Lisa, and she didn't like them one bit.

An awkward silence filled the room. Then the door opened and in came their counselor.

"I see some new faces... except for Brandon and Candice," Mr. Will said, giving a little wave. Candice rolled her eyes.

Will paced slowly, studying the students. "Now, what are A's doing in here?"

"Something that made Mr. Talez send us," Leo replied lazily.

Will smirked. He already had a plan. Then he turned to Merida.

"You. Why are you here?"

Merida's heart started pounding. His serious look made her shift uncomfortably. "I—I whispered in class?" she said uncertainly.

Will didn't stop staring, and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

Jacob frowned. "You're intimidating her."

That made Will chuckle, breaking character. "Relax. I'm not scary. Just making sure you know why you're here."

Then, with a snap of his fingers, he said, "Alright. Since our janitors are off, you're going to clean it all."jmnk

"I'll do it for her!" three voices rang out at once. Leo, Jacob, and Brandon all stepped forward, glaring at each other.

Will laughed at their competitiveness. "Wow, you guys are dramatic. Fine. You three—mopping and wiping. Girls—you're on leaf duty in the backyard. Let's see if you can survive without whining."

Still grinning, he waved them toward the door. "Go on. You'll thank me later."

As they shuffled out, he added, "Merida, you stay."

The group hesitated, but Merida gave them a small smile and nodded. They left reluctantly.

When the room was quiet, Will pulled a chair across from her and sat down. His voice softened. "Don't worry, I'm not going to scold you. I just want to talk."

Merida tilted her head. "Talk about what?"

"I've been waiting for you to come to my office," he said. "To let it out. To rant about your bullies. To ask for help. But you never did. Why?"

Merida swallowed hard. "Because... I thought people like you just hear me, not really listen. You act like you care but it's always the same words."

"Not all of us are like that," Will said. "Your dad wasn't like that, was he?"

The mention of her father made her snap her eyes up. "You—"

"Puffy eyes," he teased gently, laughing.

Her jaw dropped. "Oh my God! Will? As in Willy?" She jumped up and hugged him.

"You finally recognized me," he said warmly, hugging her back. "Took you long enough."

Merida pulled back, glaring playfully. "You should've just told me!"

Will had spent vacations with Merida's family until Harold died. Losing him had made Will stop visiting, but he'd always thought of Merida as a little sister.

"I'm glad you're grown up now," he said with a grin. "And look at you—new style, stronger spirit. Harold would be proud."

"Are you teasing me right now, sir?" she asked with a raised brow.

"Of course I am," Will smirked. "It's my job as your honorary big brother. But seriously—if you ever need me, if anyone bothers you, you come to me. No hesitation."

Her eyes softened. She nodded.

Will stood, adjusting his glasses. "Good. Stay here until the others finish cleaning. I've got a noisy class to deal with." With a reassuring smile, he walked out.

Left alone, Merida sat thinking. Will wasn't exactly as she remembered, but the warmth was still there. He was family again.

After a while, the door opened and Jacob slipped in. She tried not to meet his eyes.

"What did you and that guy talk about?" he asked, sitting across the room.

"Something," she muttered.

"Did he hurt you?" Jacob pressed.

Merida gave him an annoyed smirk. "No. He's not like you."

Jacob sighed. "Then yell at me. I deserve it. But I swear I'll never make the same mistake twice." His voice cracked with sincerity.

Merida's voice was quiet, but firm. "I also swear I won't make the same mistake twice."

The sadness in her tone hit Jacob like a blade. The Merida he knew was trapped in sorrow, and it was his fault.

"It won't be a mistake if I don't make mine..." he murmured, but his words trailed away.